A/N: I know I haven't updated a few of my other stories, but since today was the 1 year anniversary of when I published this fic, I figured I'd put this chapter up today. The next chapter will be a pretty big one, with the following one being a pivotal point. Expect to see more Edward, Grumman, Christmas, members of Team Mustang, and Rebecca Catalina next chapter. And more development from Winry, who will not be in this state for very long. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows, and thank you all for reading! And a big and special thanks to Tumblr user 'liberty-flight,' who was the one who created the idea behind this story in the first place!

Also, user gaRdenia6 brought up an excellent question in a review for chapter 5 about the Homunculi in canon not being able to use alchemy. And that is very true! For this story, I am considering human-based Homunculi to be different from Homunculi in the sense that, if they still have the soul of the human inside of them and are trying to absorb it, that connection with them allows them access to their memories of alchemy as well as their Portal of Truth so that they can use it. Since Wrath and Lust have formed a sort of connection with Roy and Riza's souls, they are able to access their memories and their Gates, giving Wrath the ability to potentially harness Roy's Flame Alchemy. Since we never saw an alchemist that was turned into a Homunculus in canon, I decided to play around with the theory. ^^ Thank you for asking that! I hope my explanation makes sense!

Aside from being instructed to return to Central Command the next day, the car ride back to the hotel Winry, and subsequently Alphonse, was staying at had been eerily silent. Even the two normally chatty officers that had been assigned to them were quiet, staring straight ahead and at the road without talking to each other. Despite his head swimming with everything that had happened and everything that had come to light in just a matter of hours, Alphonse couldn't help but wonder if they really had known all along what the "Lieutenant" was, and whether or not they were displaying guilt for what had happened. Or if they hadn't known and they were just puppets being strung along for the ride, suffering and mourning the loss of the Fuhrer they had enlisted under to defend their country. He did not dwell on the matter for too long, however, instead opting to focus his energy on Winry, who had come out of the ordeal more damaged than he.

Peering at her out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she leaned against the car's window, keeping her eyes focused on the houses that they were passing. From the moment Lust had uttered those horrific words, the light in Winry's eyes had grown dim. And despite his efforts to catch her eye, try to tell her without verbal cues that none of it was true, he still wasn't able to convince her otherwise.

It was as if Lust had brought about feelings Winry had had for quite some time.

"Tomorrow at eight work alright for you two?"

Alphonse jumped when he heard the voice, tearing his eyes away from Winry to look up at the front seat to see that Jerso had turned around and was eyeing them. "Uh… Yeah. That works," Alphonse replied.

As Jerso nodded, Winry unlatched the car door and pushed it open, stepping out onto the sidewalk without a second glance back toward the car's passengers. The three of them watched as she slammed it closed and hurriedly made her way up the hotel's steps.

Leaning forward, Alphonse quipped, "Again, thank you for the ride you two. We'll see you both tomorrow. And," he added as he turned his eyes back toward the front door, watching as it swung closed, "Thank you for telling us about the Fuhrer. We… really couldn't believe it."

"No problem, kid," Zampano replied with a nod. "You go take care of Winry and we'll be by tomorrow to pick you two up."

"Okay," Alphonse replied before pushing the door open and stepping out of the vehicle. He slammed it closed and jogged around the car and up the stairs. Just as he grabbed the door handle, he heard the car roar to life behind him and shift gears. Throwing one last glance over his shoulder, he managed to make out the two men in the car as it drove off, both of them looking out the window and toward the hotel with expressions that he would characterize as concern.

So maybe he had been wrong before. Maybe they didn't know the extent of everything that was happening…

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts on that matter, he pushed the door open and stepped into the hotel's lobby. Aside from the bellboy and the concierge seated at the front desk, the hotel was otherwise devoid of anyone else. His soul-fire eyes quickly scanned the room until they found and rested on a third individual with long, blonde hair, who was making her way toward the stairs. Reaching out, Alphonse called, "Winry," and stopped her in her tracks, refusing to turn around to look at him.

After jogging forward a few steps, he slowed a few paces behind her and began, "Winry, wait. I have to call the Madame and tell her what we know now. She might need to have the information right away—"

"You can do that, Al," she replied, her words devoid of any emotion. "I can make it up to my room myself. I'm fine."

"Winry," Alphonse began again, reaching toward her as he took another step forward.

"Al, please," she whispered, her voice weaker than it had been a few moments before. "Please just… Let me go. And I'll see you in a few minutes. Okay?" Before she could allow him the opportunity to answer, however, she stepped onto the staircase and began her ascent toward her room.

Alphonse's hand slowly fell back to his side and he stood motionless, watching as she stepped over the final step and disappeared down the hallway. Balling his gloves into fists, he bowed his head.

He regretted having left her behind so that she had essentially become a pawn for them. And he hated how useless he was when he had found her, and how scared she had been. If he had just listened to his head instead of his heart, they might have escaped without their prolonged confrontation with Lust. Without having to give away the location of his teacher and Dr. Marcoh. Or without her having to witness his weakness.

Though it was still intact, he could still feel a slight pressure on his blood seal where Lust had pressed her finger against it. Though it was not as strong as it had been before, it was still here, a glowing reminder to him of just how close he had been to death. His armor shuddered involuntarily. It was almost surreal how it had played out for them beneath the tunnels. Despite it having been hours ago, it almost seemed as though it had been something that had happened in the distant past. Or almost as though it had been some horrible nightmare…

The moment the door to her room closed behind her, Winry stumbled over to the hotel room's bedroom and pushed her way through the door into it, collapsing beside the bed as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.

She had tried to so hard to do everything in her power to defend Ed and Al, and yet it still never seemed to be enough. Was she to always remain a pawn? Something that was only convenient when their enemies needed some weight in their favor?

Weak…

Winry curled her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her body, burying her face into the fabric of her skirt.

Pawn…

She took a deep breath, trying with every ounce of the strength she had left to suppress the tears that had been threatening to fall since their encounter in the tunnels, and finding that her resolve was weakening with every gasp, every passing moment.

Lust's words had been nothing but true. Winry was weak, friable. She always had been, she supposed. Always waiting, always simply existing. Never giving anything despite everything Ed and Al had given…

Ed…

All she wanted at that moment was to hear his voice again. To hear him reassure her that everything would be alright. That the monsters that had taken Miss Riza and the Colonel would no longer try to do them harm. But she knew deep in her heart that that wouldn't be the case. Because Edward was out of reach and held captive by them too, and he was so far removed that nothing would change if he called. He no longer had control of the situation, and with each passing day his promises grew weaker in her mind.

Miss Riza hadn't done anything to protect them, despite Ed promising that she wouldn't allow Lust to harm them. And yet, there they were in the aftermath of a situation she allowed herself to walk into, where Alphonse had nearly been…

Her eyes began to sting as the tears she was trying to hold back began to accumulate and spill over. Pressing her face against her knees, she sucked in a deep breath, trying to hold them back. But as the thought of how close she had been to losing Al, and how powerless she had been to prevent it, continued its advance to the forefront of her mind, she lost all of her will to hold it back and began to sob. Hugging her knees closer to herself, she allowed the tears to fall freely, and finally allowed herself to grieve.

Edward was no longer there to reassure her.

Miss Riza didn't protect them.

Alphonse nearly lost his life because all she was good at was waiting.

And she… She was friable and weak. She had been unable to do anything but stand at the sidelines and become a pawn for the Homunculi's twisted game. A bargaining chip to be used against Ed and Al.

All she was good at was waiting and watching. Never the one to fight, her voice always silenced.

Weak.

Pathetic.

All of those words rang true. That was all she could be, all that she had been reduced to. And because of that, she…-

The phone stationed beside her bed let out a shrill ring, forcing Winry out of her self-deprecating thoughts with a loud gasp. Whipping her head around, she stared through bleary eyes toward it as it shrieked again, and then again.

She considered not answering it, and allowing it to continue to ring. But something inside of her urged her to pick it up, in the hopes that it was Edward. After all, he knew where she was staying, and would know how to contact her that way. However, she thought to herself as she slowly reached up and gripped the receiver, it may very well be one of them calling to check up on her and make sure that she was where she was supposed to be. Curling her fingers around it, she held onto it for a few moments longer, tossing the pros and cons of picking it up in her mind. She supposed she could hang up if it was one of them and say that the line was faulty from the start. Plus, she realized, it if were Edward, she'd want to talk to him as soon as she could, even if it was only long enough to hear his voice.

Pushing through the dread that had pooled in her gut, she decided to pick up the line and take her chances. "Hello," she whispered into the receiver as she gripped it tightly and pressed it against her ear, bracing herself for whatever was on the other end of the line.

"Hello Winry," Gracia Hughes replied warmly. "I wanted to call and see how you and Alphonse were doing. I'm sure you both have heard what happened, and I wanted to call and make sure you two were okay."

For a split second Winry thought she had somehow known what had happened beneath the tunnels, and the minuscule sense of reassurance she felt the moment she recognized Gracia's voice vanished. But then, she realized that it would have been impossible for her to know. Like she had once been, Gracia was still an innocent bystander in all of this. Her ignorance was what was keeping her blissfully unaware of the horror that had befallen Miss Riza and Colonel Mustang.

Winry swallowed the lump in her throat, trying her best to steel herself in preparation for answering the older woman. Because the last thing she needed was to drag her into this. Nodding her head hurriedly to fool herself into believing she was okay, Winry replied, "We're alright, Mrs. Hughes."

However, something in her voice must have sounded off because her tone immediately changed. "Winry… What's wrong?"

Winry flinched the moment those words left Gracia's mouth, silently berating herself for allowing whatever she felt escape beyond her lips for the older woman to hear, and even more so damning herself for picking up the phone in the first place. Even then the thought that she had been too weak mentally to even hold back her emotion crept back into her mind. Always weak, always weak.

She forced herself to swallow back her emotions and push away the tears that had begun to sting the corners of her eyes, telling herself that she could be strong for just a few minutes longer. After inhaling through her nose, she answered, "It's nothing, Mrs. Hughes. It was just… a very long day."

The older woman seemed to pause on the other end of the line, likely weighing what Winry said and how she actually sounded in her mind. After a few additional moments of silence, Gracia seemed to give in the the prior and said, "Your first week sounds like it's been pretty challenging, Winry."

An understatement, Winry thought bitterly to herself, though she refrained from saying it out loud or indicating it for fear of tipping Gracia off further. "It has been," she admitted quietly. "But I've got Al here and he's been a very big help." A bigger help than she could ever give him credit for.

"I'm glad to hear that he's been helping out," Gracia replied, a more cheerful note in her tone. "It sounds like you were pretty busy just now, so I'll cut right to the chase, okay?" Her pause gave Winry enough time to nod and hum in reply before she continued. "I wanted to call and see if you and Alphonse would be interested in coming over for that dinner we discussed a few nights ago. I bought a roast the other night at the grocery store and some ingredients for an apple pie." With a light chuckle, she added, "Elicia would love to show you how good a helper she is with it too."

At the little girl's mention, Winry felt the smallest of smiles tug at the corner of her lips. Despite everything that had happened to them, and to Elicia and Gracia Hughes, those two were still moving on, still going. Even though their world had been torn to shreds by the military and the corrupt cause it stood for, they still found a way to reach out to others to make them feel better. And at that moment, Winry could feel that. Feeling her shoulders and body relax, Winry nodded into the phone and said, "Al and I would love that, Mrs. Hughes."

"That's great to hear, Winry," Gracia replied, a smile in her voice. "How about six tomorrow evening."

"That sounds great… Thank you," Winry replied.

"That sounds great," Gracia responded. "I'll expect you tomorrow around six then. And Winry?"

"Yes…" she answered stiffly as a feeling of dread washed over her.

"If you ever want to talk, my line is always open," Gracia said. "You can call me anytime, day or night, okay?"

"Okay," Winry replied before the older woman gave her one final salutation. When she said her final goodbye, she slowly eased the phone away from her ear and reached up, fumbling around on the nightstand until she found its cradle. At last hanging it up, she wrapped her arm around herself and hugged her legs to her chest once more, burying her face into her knees. Before her self-loathing could surface again, however, she heard a soft knock on the bedroom door's frame. Looking up, she saw Alphonse standing in the doorway, soul-fire eyes watching her intently. Nodding toward the spot beside her, she murmured, "You can come in, Al."

"Oh okay," the suit of armor replied, slowly easing himself into the room. Stopping beside the bed, he lowered himself onto the ground beside her and pulled his metal knees up to his chest, placing his gloved hands on top of them as he turned toward her again. "I just got off the phone with Madame Christmas," he reported hopefully. "She said that our new information will help them out a lot."

The mention of their 'information' was enough to bring back enough memories of the events earlier that day, immediately dashing Winry's efforts at pushing back at them and keeping them at bay. With a small nod, she looked away from him and rested her chin on her knees, all the while hugging her legs closer to her chest. If she could forget them, even for a moment…

"Who," Alphonse began slowly. "Who was that on the line? Was it Brother?"

Suppressing the sigh that had been building up at the back of her throat, Winry slowly shook her head. She wished it had been him. Genuinely, truly wished. Because at that moment, she had the strongest desire to hear his voice. To hear him say that everything would be okay. That what he said still held meaning, and that it would all still ring true. But alas, it had not been meant to be. "No," she answered dejectedly. "It was Mrs. Hughes. She… invited us to dinner tomorrow. She said Elicia wanted to show us how good a helper she was and said that she'd bake an apple pie."

Alphonse gasped, the response that was normally filled with enthusiasm now sounding hollow and forced. "That sounds great, Winry," he said as he knitted his fingers together atop his knees. "I know how much you love Mrs. Hughes's pie. It will be nice for you to taste it again."

She slowly closed her eyes and exhaled. He was trying so hard to retain a sense of normalcy between the two of them. Winry wanted to hard to convey the same feelings toward him, but found it increasingly difficult with every passing moment. And honestly, she didn't know how he did it. How he was able to seemingly brush off what had happened, despite having been in a life-threatening situation. Maybe it was because of how often his life was on the line, though the thought hardly brought her any comfort. While she knew that the boys ran around and did things they never told her she did, things she knew put their lives in danger, revisiting those thoughts brought about a feeling on unease. Because his reaction brought home the point that he had put his life on the line more times than that one time. He was used to almost dying.

And that, she thought, was something she never thought he would be able to feel. Just as she was about to open her mouth to respond, a small tap on the window drew her attention away. Both of them turned toward it and saw a figure standing there, shrouded by the shadows produced by the setting sun. Winry's heart leapt in her chest, and all earlier attempts at hiding her emotions vanished as she emitted a loud yelp, gripping Alphonse's arm as he too jumped.

"Thank you again for doing this for us," Alphonse said as May re-tightened the straps on her shoes. "We really appreciate everything you've done for us so far. And," he added sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his helmet, "I'm sorry we screamed when you first got here."

"It's okay." The young girl said as she offered him a small smile. "I didn't really announce my presence. And to answer what you said before, you seem like nice people. After all, you brought me back Xiao Mei in one piece. And well-fed," she added, and her furry companion sniffed enthusiastically. "You're just…" she continued as she absently patted the panda bear's head, "Caught in a bad situation."

Alphonse slowly nodded in agreement, his steel shoulders slumping. "Yeah… A bad situation."

"Well," she said as she rose to her feet, angling her body away from the window to face them better, "If it's any consolation, I think you're both really strong with everything you're doing."

He saw Winry shift out of the corner of his eye on the other side of the room, closing in on herself as she leaned against the couch's armrest. Suppressing a sigh, he turned his focus toward May and said, "We're just doing the best we can to remain strong. My brother is up north alone with one of them and I just… Want to make sure that she's alright. She's really worried about him being up there essentially alone. But if I remain strong for her, then maybe I can take some of the stress off of her…"

The girl nodded, though a frown crossed her features. "But what about you?"

"Huh?" He looked down at her and tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean?"

She nodded toward him and elaborated, "What I mean is: What about you? You're trying to stay strong for her and your brother, right?" When he nodded, she continued, "Well, how are you going to stay strong for yourself?"

He made a move to speak, but then stopped. "I… I don't think I follow. I'm sorry," he added, rubbing the back of his helmet.

Her expression changed slightly, her eyes reflecting a sort of sadness in them. "You're doing so much to take care of everyone else that you aren't looking out for yourself." Glancing at his left knee joint, she observed, "You're creaking a little right there when you move. When was the last time you oiled it, Alphonse?"

"Uh…" He paused, realized that he didn't know when he had last oiled his joints. Surely it had been recently… Right? But as he searched his memory banks, he found that he couldn't remember consciously picking up an oil can. Instead, all he could remember was times when he would have normally done it, but ended up choosing not to. "I guess… I don't know…"

May put her hands on her hips. "You need to take care of yourself, Alphonse. Not just so you can protect your friends, but so that you can protect yourself."

He flinched, knowing she was right.

Seeing this, her expression softened. "What you're doing is so brave, Alphonse. You and your brother are fighting real-life monsters while also trying to keep your friends safe. But," she continued, gesturing to him, "It's going to wear you down eventually, even someone like you." Taking a step forward, she reached out and offered her his hand.

Slightly confused, he raised one of his gloved hands and rested it in hers. Looking down at it, she traced the curves and valleys he had naturally made by closing his gloves into fists. "You won't wear yourself out physically, but instead you will mentally and emotionally… If you don't, then you might not be able to protect those you care most about." Turning her worried eyes up and toward him, she pushed his hand into a fist and gave it back to him, "Will you please take time for yourself? Not just for your brother and friends, but for yourself too?"

Taken aback by her kindness, he drew back slightly. Aside from their few conversations, he hadn't really talked to her. He knew that she was pursuing a Philosopher's Stone and that it was the main reason she was in Amestris. She had stayed behind because Scar had left to go North and had refused to go back home until she had her hands on one. But despite her desire for one and the fact that she may have very well been helping them to get closer to it her concern sounded so… Real. And that was both unexpected and yet strangely warming.

"I…" She was right, he realized as the little knot that had tangled itself in his soul twisted and jerked. Now that he was thinking about it, he realized that he hadn't allowed himself to process what had happened. He could have died earlier that day, and yet he had acted like it was something that could be easily brushed off. Glancing over his shoulder, he eyed Winry's balled up form for a few moments. He had only been considering what had happened between her and Lust, but not about his role in the entire ordeal and just how much it had affected her. He believed himself to be almost invincible, and though he had feared his mortality the moment Lust placed her finger on his blood seal, he had had a sense that he would be alright in the end… At least at the time.

But looking back he realized how close he had been… And just how scared he should have been.

He slowly nodded his head. "I will… Thank you." Alphonse meant it too. Genuinely.

She smiled. "Of course. And if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me." Gesturing to the window, she said, "I should get going. The General is expecting me in a little while."

"Oh, right," Alphonse replied. "Again, we really thank you for what you're doing."

She nodded as she climbed up on the windowsill. "I'll be back around the same time tomorrow then." And with that she was gone, disappearing into the night, leaving Alphonse and Winry alone to collect their emotions and prepare for the new day.

With the idea that their plan up north was moving faster than it had been before, Lust hurriedly descended down into the tunnels below to seek council from their Father. She had a general location for their fifth and final sacrifice, and without anyone immediately available to go, she feared that they would vanish before she even had the chance to find someone else to go.

Stepping into Father's throne room, she glanced around to see that Father, Gluttony, and she were the only ones present.

The portly Homunculus eagerly turned around the moment he caught whiff of her scent. "Lust," he cried as she slowly meandered over to them. Jumping up from where he had been seated on the ground, he ran over and wrapped his massive arms around her.

Her body immediately tensed and her skin immediately began to crawl. No doubt a reaction engrained into the Lieutenant's memories and body. As she wrapped one arm around him and patted him on the head with the other, she moved introspectively to see if the Lieutenant would react. But when she didn't and hung back, Lust frowned.

How dull.

"Lust."

Hearing her name, she looked up to see Father watching her.

Chewing her lip, she gave Gluttony one final pat on the head before gently prying herself out of his grip.

"Come here," he called to her, curling his finger and beckoning her toward him.

Lust's gaze fell to the floor and she slowly made her way over to him, stopping just before his throne.

"Tell me, my child, what was the reason for your actions today?"

She pressed her lips together and slowly raised her head, watching as he leaned his elbow against his arm rest and rested his cheek against his fist. When their eyes met, he raised a brow expectantly, silently demanding that it would be in her best interest to explain herself. Averting her eyes from his direct glare, she answered, "My thought was that I could back one of our sacrifices into a corner in order to force him to reveal the location of another sacrifice."

"And yet one of them ended up in pieces on the floor," Father observed. "That hardly seems like a fruitful endeavor."

She cast her eyes away and toward the floor, feeling his disappointed glare focused on the top of her head. "I… apologize," she murmured. "But my belief was that if I could tamper with their weaknesses, their emotions, then I could manipulate them more appropriately."

"With their emotions, you say," he asked, a touch of curiousness in his tone.

When she looked up at him, she saw that his brows were raised in such a way that it matched his inflection. Lust nodded. "Yes, Father. The sacrifice, Alphonse, and his companion both have weaknesses I've been able to employ. All thanks to the Lieutenant's memories."

"Is that so," he muttered in reply. "And those 'memories' you have called upon. They have proved helpful?"

"Yes, Father."

His eyes narrowed. "While I understand your desire to find out final sacrifice, I want to make sure that the body I have given you is not destroyed in the process. I am uncertain how well your Stone will hold up if I am to transfer it a second time." She nodded in understanding, but he continued by adding, "You mustn't allow the soul that still inhabits its former body to cause you damage to your Stone. Because if it continues to fight back and damage it beyond repair, I will be unable to salvage you."

The Lieutenant chose that moment to react and push, provoking Lust into shoving her back and into the deepest recesses of her mind. At least, Lust found herself thinking as she performed the task with minimal effort, it was a lot easier to do. The Lieutenant's soul had grown weak, almost incredibly nonexistent in its efforts. If anything, it was nothing more than an annoyance at that point…

"Have you no success in absorbing her soul?"

Pulled from her thoughts, Lust looked up at him. "No. I have not," she answered. "Despite the fact she's growing weaker, she still remains relentless."

He lifted a brow. "But the soul is growing weaker, you believe?"

"Yes," she answered, a smile tugging at the corner of her lip. Since the incident that occurred hours before, the Lieutenant had hardly stirred. It seemed that all that fighting and her newfound 'resolve' had worn her out. Tugging lightly at the bond between their souls, she confirmed that it was still there, gripping her as tightly as it had been before. Now all she needed was to continue her steady advance. "And I can assure you that it will soon be mine."

"Sirs," the soldier slowly said as he lowered his hand. "I have terrible news to report from Central. It would seem that the Fuhrer has succumb to his illness. He… passed away earlier today."

Olivier had expected the news sooner or later, but even then it seemed like a shock. The room's atmosphere almost immediately changed, leaving an almost palpable tension. The soldier, likely sensing it, swallowed and added, "If you would like me to relay them a message in response, I would be more than happy to—"

"That won't be necessary, soldier," Raven responded as he got up from his seat, cutting the man off as Olivier rose to her feet to address him. "As we will be contacting them shortly anyways. General Olivier has graciously accepted a position in Central."

The soldier appeared surprised, and his eyes immediately wandered over to Olivier, watching for a confirmatory nod or acknowledgement of his comment. On the flip side she could feel the General's eyes, as well as the eyes of the Homunculus, boring into the back of her head, they too waiting for her response to Raven's surprise announcement. It became clear to her that they had backed her into a trap, setting in motion the idea that she had abandoned Fort Briggs, and that the moment the soldier left the room it was possible that the news would spread, and questions would be asked. On the other hand, however, if she outright denied the superior General's claim, then the consequences of her actions would likely cause a chain of events stemming from Central Command to occur, whether it was a more public display of her removal from power or a more brutal approach to remove her from her seat, seeing that she now knew more than she needed to about the military's vile scheme.

Without giving any visual indication in regards to her thought process, she stated, "There will be no need for that, soldier. I want you to leave here without acknowledging anything you have learned. Only when the proper announcement of the Fuhrer's death has been made may you gossip. Is that understood?"

Her final words more a statement than question, she watched as the soldier lifted his hand to his head and saluted her, his expression mirroring his silent understanding of her words. He knew by her tone that the flow of information did not stop with Fuhrer Bradley's death, but also extended to Raven's words. "Of course, sir. I will refrain from reporting anything until given the proper permission." Lowering his hand, he added, "Is there anything else, sir?"

"No," she replied evenly. "That will be all."

All three sets of eyes watched as the soldier gave them a salute in closure before ducking out of the room to return to his post. When the door had closed and, without giving them another glance, Olivier turned her focus to the soldier's exit, indicating that her meeting with them had adjourned. At that moment she knew that whatever else they had planned was likely set in motion by the 'death,' or murder she surmised, of Fuhrer Bradley. And right then she needed to confirm what she could with those who were also aware of their predicament.

"Oh General," Raven said as he stepped in front of her, blocking her path to the door. "You haven't forgotten about the Homunculus, have you?"

"You mean him," she growled as she tore her glare away from him, her eyes settling on 'Mustang.' "I have nothing left to say to that abomination of alchemy, and I believe you have already told me everything you wanted to say on the matter."

"No," Raven replied. "The other Homunculus. And regardless of whether or not you believe this meeting has come to an end, we need you to give the order to return the Homunculus to where it came from."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you think we have enough to worry about right now? The Fuhrer is dead. It hardly seems like the time to argue about such a trivial matter." She made a move to push around him, and he once again impeded her path.

"It may seem trivial to you at this moment, but the fate of this fort depends on whether or not that monster is returned to its place beneath the ground. If it is, the North and Fort Briggs are both guaranteed their safety. And besides," he added with a mischievous smirk, "You are still in a place where you must follow direct orders from a superior, are you not? Especially one you have joined league with."

Olivier tightened her jaw, her lips curling back as she stared down the higher-ranking General.

Knowing that he had her cornered, he took a step forward and closed the distance between them, standing just a few inches from her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave it a firm squeeze. "Give the command, General Armstrong," he muttered without tearing his eyes away from the men stationed at the door. "The very fate of this fort and all the men inside depend on its safe return… And they ultimately depend on your call."

"What if I choose to give the order on a later date," she asked evenly, her eyes flickering momentarily to the Homunculus as the corner of its lip twitched upward before turning back to glare at him out of the corner of her eye. "After all, you have given me an extreme wealth of knowledge on the matter. I might need time to reflect on what you have given me."

Leaning closer so that his lips hovered just above her ear, Raven whispered, "Then you can count on every last soldier in this fort perishing."

She pursed her lips and clenched her jaw, silently cursing him for backing her into a corner. It seemed they believed they had the upper hand.

"Is that a refusal, then," he inquired. "Because if so, I can give the order and you can watch them die one by one."

Tearing her eyes away from him again, she glared at the Homunculus, who had his elbow propped on the table and his chin resting on his fist. When he felt her eyes on him, he lazily raised his eyes to find and lock on hers, a malicious smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle and stand on end the longer she matched his unwavering glare. Something about his almost nonchalant attitude did not settle right with her, as though it would be he who would carry out those orders. His supposed 'abilities,' aside from his regenerative capabilities, were a mystery to her. From what Fullmetal had described, it seemed unlikely that his Flame Alchemy would be of any use to the Homunculus. But even he was not entirely sure whether or not it was able to wield it. He had mentioned it trying once, and failing, but with a Philosopher's Stone, he told her cautiously, anything was possible.

She needed to remain vigilant it seemed if she wanted to keep her fort safe. And if that meant bowing to their whims for the time being, then she supposed it had to be done. Olivier would not go quietly, however, and decided right then and there that she would infiltrate their ranks at Central Command in an effort to thwart the monsters who dared to challenge Amestris and its citizens. And once she did, she would make sure to show them the Briggs way.

Breaking their eye contact, Olivier shoved past General Raven and toward the door. When her hand hit the handle, she heard him take a deep breath in retaliation. With a mild scoff, she pushed it open and barked, "You there," to a soldier stationed just outside of the door. He jumped, surprised by her sudden appearance, and quickly stood at attention. "I want you to tell the men guarding the beast who attacked us to prepare to bring it inside and thaw it. And when you're done with that," she continued hardly, "I want you to make contact with the maintenance squad and tell them to meet me by Gate C in thirty minutes. Understood?"

The soldier opened his mouth for a moment to question the order but, then realizing his place, shut it and instead raised his hand in a salute. After he found his bearings, he nodded swiftly and uttered, "Yes, sir."

She gave him a salute in dismissal and turned away from his slightly bewildered expression, slamming the door of the meeting room behind her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she watched as Raven and Mustang both rose to their feet, both wearing expressions of sheer satisfaction on them.

And it sickened her.

They arrived at the small Ishvalan settlement just after dark, Izumi leading the way while Scar trailed behind to cover their tracks. It seemed reasonable enough. After all, what they found in the tunnels below gave them reason to believe that something had been down there.

Once they had uncovered it and crept down into the darkness, it didn't take long for them to figure out that the tunnel led in both directions, and was massive in comparison to what Izumi had imagined before. Rather than the crawl space she had pictured, she was instead greeted by something that could easily accommodate something larger than a tank, leading her to the question of what exactly had created the tunnel.

In that amount of time, Scar had vanished and returned, bringing back two small burning sticks which produced just enough light for them to see a few feet in front of them.

That was when she noticed what appeared to be claw or finger marks on the walls. After investigating them and running her fingers over them, she determined that something with massive hands had likely torn the ground apart, and that it wasn't alchemy alone that created the intricate system.

Their time there was brief, but Izumi was satisfied by the wealth of knowledge they acquired from the trek. Because not only did she confirm the location of the tunnel that ran beneath Briggs, but she also gained enough intel to determine that there was possibly something down there. And if the time came when they would need to use the underground system, she would be sure they were prepared.

"Mrs. Curtis?"

Izumi jumped slightly as the voice snapped her out of her daze. Looking up, she realized that Dr. Marcoh and his adjunct, Yoki, if she remembered correctly, were eyeing her quizzically.

Seeing that they he had her attention, Marcoh cleared his throat and asked, "Did you discover anything, Mrs. Curtis?"

She glanced over to her side and realized that Scar was no longer there, likely gone to fetch firewood or to ensure that their tracks had been covered well enough. Returning her focus to Marcoh, she nodded and said, "I was able to locate the tunnel our correspondent told us about, and found that it was… bigger than I had imagined." When Marcoh raised a curious brow, she elaborated, "It looked to me that it wasn't the product of alchemy, and I determined that there was something else that may have had a hand in creating it."

His brows knitted together. "Like what would you say?"

Izumi paused. That was the thing she was unsure of. Aside from seeing what appeared to be massive scratches from something's nails, it was difficult to determine what exactly could have created the marks – whether it was a Homunculus or some other alchemic monstrosity. She shook her head. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "All I know is that it was something large."

A frown found its way to the doctor's face. "It may be difficult to plan for a journey down there then," he noted, to which she nodded in agreement. "If things grow rocky and we are forced to use it, we will have to make sure we plan accordingly."

Again she nodded, knowing that what he said rang true. Still, no matter what could be down there, she would do whatever it took to make sure that they made it to Edward if need be. Because the very last thing she would do was abandon him after all that he had been through. Despite the thoughts that continued to roll around in her mind, she decided that a change in topic might prove beneficial. After all, she thought to herself as she took a seat at the table, they were unable to move at that point. And there was still another reason for their journey up there.

Her eyes fell on the book sitting on the table in front of Marcoh and Yoki. Motioning to it, she asked, "Have you discovered anything in regards to the notes?"

A frown found its way to the doctor's face. With a defeated shake of his head, he muttered, "I'm afraid not. Even with the rough translation Scar gave us, I still haven't been able to discover anything that could even be considered a direction for the notes."

She sighed along with him. If Scar and Dr. Marcoh were unable to make sense of the notes, then it would prove difficult determining what the prior's brother had discovered. But if it did have to do with the fate of the nation, then it needed to be deciphered, and fast.

As she picked it up and glossed through a few of the pages, Izumi's mind couldn't help but wander back to her eldest pupil, knowing full well he had the capacity to figure it out.

The ride to Central Command had been a quiet one that morning. Shortly after May had left, Winry excused herself and retired, closing herself in her room for the night. And although she said she was going to sleep, Alphonse could hear her getting up and shuffling around on occasion.

Though she never came out to see him.

Once day had broken, he got up from his spot outside of her bedroom door and knocked, thinking that he would have to go in and wake her like he had when they were younger. Like his brother, she too liked to sleep in. Instead, the door to her room opened without him having to, and he saw her standing there already fully clothed. Or rather, still dressed in the clothes she had worn the previous day, wrinkles and everything.

Stepping around him to head toward the door that led into the hallway, she beckoned him to accompany her downstairs for breakfast, but said little more after that. Every attempt he made at speaking to her was met with some resistance, and every time she did open her mouth to speak, she would nervously glance around and eye the strangers around them and lose her train of thought.

It was the same when they were picked up by Jerso and Zampano; the words she spoke were few and far between. And when she did speak, it felt forced and hollow. The two soldiers even picked up on it and offered to stop somewhere to get something in case they had missed breakfast. Something to try and lift the young girl's spirits. But instead they were met with a shake of her head and a mention of time. They needed to arrive at Central Command on time that morning because 'her patient needed her.' Her reply dismissed them entirely and the rest of the ride was left in silence.

When they finally reached Central Command and they had been dropped off, Winry trudged toward 'the Lieutenant's' office with Alphonse in tow, though even to him it almost felt as though he were leading, despite trailing behind her. Her footsteps were small and uncertain, dragging along the closer they got. She was stalling the best she could.

"Winry," he finally said s they turned the corner and entered the hallway that would lead them to Lust. "Why don't you go home? I'll go in and tell her that—"

"No Al," she said as she shook her head. "I know that you're concerned but," she took a deep breath and sighed as they slowed and stopped outside the office door, "I agreed to do this job. And no matter what, I know what I have to do to keep everyone safe."

Though her words were strong, her tone was far from it. He could see the mask she donned that morning begin to fracture, but before he could contest her she knocked on the door. But no sooner had she done that and they heard 'the Lieutenant's' voice call for them to enter, he saw her freeze.

Alphonse considered snapping her out of it and turning her away from the door to lead her away, but when he heard the voice a second time, dripping with more annoyance than it did the first time he knew that they would have to answer. Reaching out, he turned the door handle and pushed it open, walking into the room before Winry. Stopping just shy of the entrance, he heard the door close behind him and glanced back to see that Winry had followed him, her eyes focused on a desk off to their left.

A look of surprise briefly crossed 'the Lieutenant's face, though it was quick to melt away. "I'll have to admit, I wasn't expecting you two to show up today," Lust observed with a smirk. "I'd thought you would for sure have stayed away."

Out of the corner of his eye Alphonse saw Winry tense. Taking a step forward, he raised his hands in appeasement and said, "We want to prove that we are keeping our end of the bargain."

She lifted a brow. "And trying to gain your own leverage, hmm?" Alphonse did not respond, keeping his hands balled up and at his side. Lust closed her eyes momentarily and shrugged. "That seems fair since I do have more than enough bargaining chips." Opening them again, her eyes wandered over to Winry, who still refused to look at the Homunculus. "You'll be happy to know, Winry, that we have a patient here for you." Winry pressed her lips together into a tight frown, her expression impassive. When the young girl failed to respond, Lust frowned and crudely added, "It would be wise of you to accept it. After all, you want leverage, right?"

Again Winry remained silent, keeping her eyes on the floor. And with every passing moment, the tension in the air grew thicker. Turning his helmet toward her, Alphonse prepared himself to speak when she at uttered, "Just tell me where he is."

The corners of Lust's lips lifted up into an impish grin. "Down in the medical ward. The staff there should point you in the right direction. It seems that a wire or something came lose in his automail leg."

Winry nodded in response and turned away to head toward the door.

Alphonse looked back and forth between the two of them before taking a step in Winry's direction. "Thank you for letting us know," he muttered.

As he turned away and toward the door as Winry opened it, he heard her reply in a sickeningly sweet tone, "You're welcome. I'll see you two later."

If he had skin, Alphonse was confident that it would crawl. Her tone was unsettling. There was clearly something she knew that they didn't. But whatever verbal cue he had heard, Winry had not picked up on it. She did not hesitate when she reached forward and took hold of the door handle, or even when she pushed it open.

Casting one last glance over his shoulder, he saw Lust lean back in Lieutenant Hawkeye's chair without giving them a second look. Then, turning away, he followed Winry out into the hallway and closed the door.

"You've made a wise decision, General," Raven murmured from Olivier's side, watching as the select group of soldiers began to smooth over the first layer of cement they had used to cover the hole where the still thawing beast lie. "Once he wakes up he'll be on his merry way, leaving the fort to continue to function as it had been."

Olivier drew her lips back in a thin line and wrinkled her brow, keeping her gaze locked on the crew as they worked. But after a few moments of silence, she saw him turn out of the corner of her eye to watch her. When he raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder, she did not flinch. Instead, she turned her glare toward him and uttered, "And yet I still have reason to doubt that claim."

Raven gave her a faux smile in reassurance and answered, "I can assure you that the fort will be in good hands, General Armstrong. And besides, what reason do you have to worry anymore aside from your attachment to this structure? Once we find a chair for you at our table, I'm confident that worry will subside, and Briggs will be just another memory."

Fighting against the urge to snap, she clenched the hand of hers that was furthest away from him to alieve her desire to. Keeping her tone even, she casually replied, "So you have no seat for me yet? Don't you think you're a little ill-prepared?"

His hand slid off her shoulder and he clasped them both behind his back, giving her a light chuckle in response. Shaking his head, he said, "You'll have to excuse us though, General. We weren't sure how receptive you would be to the idea. In all honesty, we were hesitant because of what General Mustang told us."

She eyed him critically out of the corner of her eye, watching as he moved his shoulders up and down. "And what exactly does that mean? How could that monster possibly know anything about me?"

"Believe it or not," he contended with her. "He knows you better than you think."

Suppressing the desire to curl her lip back with disgust over the notion, she observed, "So will he be joining me in Central along with you?"

"I'm afraid not," Raven replied with a shake of his head. "He and I will be staying up here until a more fitting commander arrives to take our place."

Olivier narrowed her eyes with contempt. "You've come here to dethrone me and yet you do not have the decency to escort me back to Central Command?"

Raven chuckled. "Don't worry, General. We'll be joining you soon enough. After all," he said as he turned his focus back toward the Briggs men as they continued to work. "There is still so much more for you to learn."

Her eyes slowly wandered up to glare at him out of the corner of her eye, watching as a self-satisfied smirk touched his lips. It made her sick just thinking about what they had planned and just how far a once proud and noble General had fallen in order to immerse himself into their 'noble order.' Deciding right then and then that if she were given the opportunity, she would cut him down.

"I look forward to it then," she answered evenly before turning away.

When she made it a few paces, she heard him call, "Where are you off to, General?"

Olivier glanced over her shoulder at him to see that he was still facing the pit of wet cement, the same ridiculous smile on his face.

She swallowed back her disgust and steeled her resolve to wait before acting. Then, keeping her tone as level and and easy as possible, she said, "If I'm leaving tomorrow, I'd better make sure my essentials are packed. Since it seems like I'll be gone for a while."

The other General nodded, his eyes still on the drying concrete floor. "Smart move, General Armstrong. And since it's getting late, I likely won't see you until tomorrow morning. So with that in mind," he added as he glanced over his shoulder at her, "I wish you a good night."

Olivier had not the desire nor decency at that moment to respond, opting to toss her hair over her shoulder as she whirled around and marched toward her office.

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to relay the information to Fullmetal and her men. Though the young boy's room was on her route, she knew that stopping for even a hint of a moment could give them the opportunity to descend on them like a pack of scandal-eating mutts. The thought crossed her mind to address the newly promoted Major Falman, but even that seemed too risky. The man's life already hung in the balance, and if her request that he be moved with her failed to go through, then his fate was in their hands. Clenching her fists at her side as she rounded a corner, she silently damned them for backing she and her men into a corner. All she could do at that moment was play their game until she was given the opportunity to successfully infiltrate them at Central Command. But even then she knew that information would be difficult to come by since their trust in her was already miniscule.

Olivier found herself halfway down the corridor that led to her office when a shiver traveled up her spine. She reached across her body and grabbed the hilt of her blade as her eyes wandered over to the hallway's wall, watching as the monster's shadow slowly crept across the wall toward her. Without turning toward it, she muttered, "What do you want, monster? I've already done all that you have needed of me. Allow me peace for one night."

"I know," it answered as it sauntered over to her and stopped by her side. "This shouldn't take too long. I just figured I'd catch up with you and make sure you had everything you needed for your departure tomorrow."

"There's no need. Raven already went over the details with me," she retorted as she took a step away from him. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shift toward her, his hand going down to his waistline. She drew the saber on her hip and whirled around, steel smashing against steel as he plowed into her, slamming her against the wall. With a grunt, she readjusted her grip and pushed back against the Homunculus, but its strength far exceeded the brute force Mustang could ever possibly generate.

His blade swept down the length of hers until it reached its guard. Twisting his blade around hers, he popped her saber out of her hand, flinging it across the hallway.

Her lips curled back as he lifted his to her throat and pressed it against her exposed skin.

"There," he said with a satisfied smile. "Now we have room to talk."

She pressed her lips together, adamant on her decision to not give it what it wanted. And from its aggression, she had a clear idea what it was after.

"And since it's just the two of us," he said as he leaned in closer, "You can tell me the truth about what Edward Elric told you. You don't have to worry, nothing will come of the boy."

"Hmph," she grumbled, shifting slightly to inch away from the stabbing pain of the cold steel against her neck. "What I told you before is the truth, 'Mustang.' Or whatever the hell they're calling you now."

His eyes narrowed. "For some reason that doesn't feel like the truth to me. Now," he continued as he pressed the blade more firmly against her throat. "Tell me what else Elric may have said."

"I will only continue to repeat myself," she growled. "The boy had no part in my gain for knowledge."

His eyes fluttered closed and he sighed. "It's unfortunate that a life will end because of your foolishness."

"Hah," she scoffed as she steeled her expression, despite the tightness she felt form in her gut. She had misjudged them, believing that her allegiance with them would have added some benefit to keeping her alive. It seemed, though, that that were not the case. "Then if that is how it will be, then so be it. The men of Briggs will question my absence, and you will have to be the deliverer of the news."

The monster's brows lifted. "Oh," he began, "Your life—"

"Sir!"

Olivier's eyes widened as the voice reached her ears. Glancing past the monster she saw a soldier, his eyes wide and his hand on his belt. She took a careful moment to glance at the Homunculus and saw that its eyes too were on the man and incredibly focused. Similar to how a predator would watch its potential prey.

The man took a cautious step back and gripped the handle of his weapon. Turning her focus toward him as the blade's cold steel pressed harder against the skin on her throat, she snarled, "This has nothing to do with you, soldier. It's a disagreement only the General and myself are able to settle. You are dismissed."

His eyes wandered away from her and back over to the Homunculus, his hold on his weapon firm. She saw him swallow and lick his lips, and she didn't have to look back at its face to know the type of stare it was giving the soldier.

"That's an order," she snapped loudly, drawing his attention away from the monster.

He hesitated again, and she nearly considered damning his unwavering loyalty, though she knew that it had been exactly what he was trained to do. Survive, protect, defend: all of those values had been pounded into every Briggs soldier when they were assigned there. But even so, his objective should be his life above her own. Ultimately, survival of the fittest was what was their mantra. So for him to value her life over his was incredibly foolish.

But he finally relented and accepted her order, taking a series of cautious steps back until he reached the intersection between two hallways. After he had given them one final glance, he stepped around the corner and vanished, though she, and likely the monster, knew he was within earshot. Still, it seemed to give the monster a sense of relief, as it immediately turned its attention back toward her.

However, its chilling stare was enough to even cause her heart to skip a beat in her chest. Because instead of seeing its two dark eyes, she instead saw one that reflected the same symbol she had seen on the other Homunculus's shoulder: The Ouroboros marking.

Steeling herself, Olivier kept her voice even and firm and growled, "So that's where you've been hiding your mark, you monster."

The corners of his lips curled up and into a devious grin. "It was wise of you to call off your dog, General," he answered, dodging her question entirely. "I would have hated having to stain the ground upon which Briggs stands with any Amestrian blood. Especially since it has stood that way for so long."

She scowled. "What is it you really want, Homunculus?"

"Just your cooperation, General," he replied, maintaining his stupid smirk. "As long as you do so, you and the men of Briggs will come out of this alright."

She found it difficult searching his expression, her eyes always being drawn back to the mark on its eye. It was unsettling, even for someone of her composure. Something about it suggested that it wasn't just for show; that it was connected to its power in some way. But how, exactly, she was not sure.

"Your orders are clear," the Homunculus continued as it took a step back, pulling its blade away from her throat. "And it would be wise to follow them."

Feeling a sudden area of warmth on her neck, she reached up and dragged her fingers over her exposed skin. Pulling her fingers back, she saw that they were covered by a fine layer of blood. When she jerked her head back up to glare at it, she saw that it had already turned its back on her to head in the opposite direction.

As if realizing she were watching it, it glanced over its shoulder at her, the red of the Ouroboros eye facing her, it said, "Just follow those orders. And remember… I'll be watching."

With a growl, her eyes drifted over to her blade, marking its proximity to her. But when she looked up again after determining it was too far for her to immediately reach, she saw that the monster was gone. Still feeling a tightness in the pit of her stomach, she stomped over to her blade and picked it up. Keeping her eyes on where she had last seen the monster, she slid it back into its sheath, knowing full well that somehow, someway, it was still watching her…

The repairs on the soldier's automail took longer than Winry had originally planned, involving a few stops to the less than well-stocked automail supply room Central Command had given her access to. She had needed to construct a few new parts from pre-existing ones, but once she was finally done her 'customer' was enthused, singing praises about her incredible handiwork and begging for a way to contact her in the future. But even after all of that, the smile she replied with and the words she returned were almost lifeless and empty. To the soldier, it likely seemed that nothing was amiss; she had put up an excellent mask. But Alphonse knew better.

Her mood seemed to brighten when they stopped outside the office, where they would find Zampano and Jerso, though, since the chances she were there slim. After all, being an assistant to the Fuhrer kept her busy, luckily for them.

Alphonse knocked and paused, waiting to hear a confirmation that permitted them to enter. But when they did not hear one from either Zampano or Jerso, they both shared a wary glance toward the other. With a sigh, Alphonse straightened himself and reached for the door handle and turned it. He pushed the door open and stepped into the room first, ready for anything. But then, to both his surprise and confusion, he found himself staring at an empty room. Hearing Winry approach behind him, he looked over his shoulder at her and said, "I don't see them here."

She hesitated her advance, curling her hand into her chest as she looked past him with widened, fearful eyes.

Alphonse knew where her thoughts had immediately fallen, but he shook his head in the hopes that he could dismiss them. "It is after 5 after all. They probably just weren't able to wait around."

Winry pursed her lips together, clearly not convinced by his words.

"Maybe it's a sign we should walk to Mrs. Hughes's house," he offered as he edged out of the room and closed the door. "After all, it isn't that far away."

Still staring at the spot where the two soldiers should have been, Winry chewed at her bottom lip, silently tossing his words around in her head.

Hoping to steer her away from her worry, Alphonse took a small step toward the door, hoping his actions would beg for her to follow. When she did not immediately, his shoulders sagged. He knew this night would give them the escape they both desperately needed. Gracia was like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating, toxic situation. She needed this more than he. He reached out toward her and was about to utter her name when she turned around, a forced smile on her face. "You're right," she managed to say. "We should get going. I'm sure she'll need all the help she can get tonight."

Alphonse nodded slowly in response as she took a few steps around him and took charge on opening the door. And although he had advised her not to, he couldn't help but wonder himself where the two soldiers had gone off to…

The further from Central Command they got, Alphonse realized, the more relaxed Winry got. Or rather, as relaxed as she was able to become. He noticed in her step, and the way she held her head higher.

He was happy that Gracia had made that phone call, because without it he wouldn't have known what to do. Lust's words had a heavy weight to them, and the burden proved to be greater for her. The thought of telling Gracia had crossed his mind, but he quickly shoved it away. She and Elicia both were no part of this whatsoever. They had suffered enough. As long as he could continue to protect them, he would. Even if that meant shielding them from the Truth. And besides, he thought to himself as they made their way up the steps to the Hughes's apartment, stealing a glance toward Winry; this might just be able to be a safe haven for her too…

Stopping in front of the door, Alphonse glanced at Winry one final time to see that she was standing straighter, taller. An air of confidence around her he had feared vanished after their encounter with Lust.

Yeah… It would be safe…

He knocked on the door and the two of them listened. Then, just like clockwork, they heard a small yell of excitement though, surprisingly, not the patter of Elicia's feet across the floor and to the door. Instead the one who greeted them first was Gracia, who smiled widely the moment she saw them.

"Oh, please, come in," Gracia said warmly as she gestured for the two of them to follow her inside. Closing the door behind them, she followed along behind, ushering them toward the living room. "You guys got here just in time. I'm just about to pull out the pot roast."

A small smile managed to find its way onto Winry's face. "It smells delicious, Mrs. Hughes."

"I'm hoping it tastes that way," she answered. "Why don't you two take a seat in the living room and visit while I pull it out?"

"Sure," Alphonse replied as they rounded the corner. "It's been a while since I've seen Elicia. I can't wait to—" The moment his eyes wandered up to find the little girl, both he and Winry simultaneously stopped. Elicia was there, sitting on the couch just as they had expected she would be. But also there and seated beside her, working her fingers through the girl's hair and separating it into pigtails, was Lust.

Hearing them stop, she looked up at them and gave them a warm smile. "I was wondering when you two would get here. I was starting to fear I had given you both too much work."

Alphonse heard Winry's breath catch and he didn't need to look over at her to know what her expression was. And if he had a body, he knew he would wear the same. "I… What are you—"

"Winry," Elicia squealed as she bounced up and down in her seat. "Big Brother Al! Look, look! Aunt Riza is doing my hair for me!"

"Hold still now, Elicia," Lust instructed as she wrapped a hair tie around the hair she had bunched up. "I don't want to pull on your hair and hurt you." The little girl huffed but complied, converting her gregarious bounce to a wiggle.

"Why don't you two take a seat," 'the Lieutenant' added without looking at them as she nodded toward the empty chairs across from the couch. "And you," she added to Elicia playfully as she released the ponytail she had made, "Are all set. Do you want to go show your mom?"

"Okay," the little girl chirped as she excitedly jumped off the couch and twirled around, lifting the hem of her dress slightly in the small breeze she had created. Giggling, she exclaimed, "And look at what I can do! I can make my skirt fill with air!"

"That's amazing, Elicia," Lust replied with exaggerated enthusiasm. "You're so fast."

The little girl giggled again and stopped and proudly said, "I'm the fastest in my preschool class," as she turned around and eyed Winry and Alphonse.

Seeing that she wanted a response from them, Alphonse exclaimed, "Wow! That is amazing, Elicia," as she skipped over to them.

She threw herself against Winry and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs, nearly knocking her off her feet. Looking up at her with a wide grin, she said, "Big sister Winry has a skirt! Will you twirl around with me too?"

The corners of Winry's lips turned upward Alphonse noticed, and for a moment it almost looked genuine. But then it faltered slightly, and it became clear that she was forcing it. Placing a hand on the little girl's head and lightly ruffling her hair, Winry said, "Maybe after dinner, okay?"

"Fine," the little girl huffed, though her annoyance was brief. After giving her 'older sister's' legs one final squeeze, she released them and brushed her hand over Alphonse's glove, prompting him to look down at her. Wrapping the fingers of one hand around one of the fingers of his glove, she gave it a small tug and said, "Will Big little brother Al twirl with me too? He has a skirt on too!"

"Ah," Alphonse began, feeling his soul roll with embarrassment at the comment. "Well, it isn't really a skirt. It's ah—"

"Where's Little Big Brother Ed," she asked as she absently swung Alphonse's arm back and forth, peering between he and Winry as her question was forgotten.

"He's up north with Uncle Roy," Lust answered.

Turning around to view her 'aunt,' Elicia exhaled sadly and said, "Uncle Roy never visits anymore. He visited us once after Daddy…" Her voice faltered as she trailed off. Her green eyes grew larger and her lower lip began to tremble as memories of her father began to trickle back into her mind.

Seemingly alarmed by this, 'the Lieutenant' slid off the couch in front of her and placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders. "It's okay, Elicia," she soothed. "You're alright."

"D-does U-uncle Roy not l-love us," the little girl sniffed as she rubbed her eyes with her fist. "B-because D-d-daddy isn't here anymore?"

"No," 'the Lieutenant gasped, drawing her into a hug. "Your Uncle Roy loves you and your mother very much, and would never stay away unless he had to."

Burying her face into her shoulder, Elicia choked, "B-but he's not h-here."

Guiding her hand up to steady the little girl's head against her shoulder, 'the Lieutenant' answered, "He had to go up north for work, sweetie. It was all very sudden. I didn't really get to say goodbye either."

The little girl seemed to understand, though it didn't stop her from curling her arms up into her chest, leaning her full weight against 'the Lieutenant' as she continued to hug her.

Without having to look at Winry, Alphonse knew exactly what she was feeling. This… couldn't possibly be the Lust they had encountered before, who had been so ready to tear them to shreds. This compassion she was showing was genuine. He could see it in her face. The way her brow was wrinkled. The downward curve of her lips. How soft and real her expression appeared.

Alphonse's soul churned with recognition, with need. It felt like it had been so long since he had seen her wearing an expression such as that one. And seeing her wear it now brought back a plethora of memories.

Like the time she learned what had essentially become of his body, and discovered that he was hollow inside. Instead of a forced sympathetic look, one that he oftentimes would receive from people that didn't seem to fully grasp the concept of it or human transmutation, he found that hers was genuine. The pain that had crossed her face had surprised him. And… it was strangely comforting to him. And warm.

It had been one of the rare occasions where he could feel actual warmth within his soul…

"Are you feeling better," he heard her say, pulling him from his thoughts. Looking up, he saw her cup the little girl's face in her hands and brushing her tears away with her thumb.

The little girl hastily nodded and sniffed again.

She offered the girl a warm, rare Riza Hawkeye smile.

From where he was standing, Alphonse could see that a small grin had found its way onto the little girl's face. Elicia nodded and replied with a quiet, "Yes," wiping away any water remnants from her cheeks.

"Why don't you go and help your mother, hmm," 'the Lieutenant' contended with the young girl. "I'm sure she could use your strength right about now."

Elicia nodded and lifted her two arms, flexing them the best she could. "I can do that," she answered.

"I know you can," 'the Lieutenant' replied with a grin. "Now go on. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

"Okay!" And with that she turned away from 'the Lieutenant' and hopped around Alphonse and Winry before she took off toward the kitchen. Alphonse watched as she turned the corner and waited for her footsteps to die off before he even considered turning back to face the Homunculus. If, he rationalized, that was her… Which he was unsure of at the moment. The thought had crossed his mind that it was perhaps the Lieutenant that were given control. And if that was the case, then it was entirely possible they would be able to talk to her. To make sure she was okay. But just as he raised his head to speak to her, he was cut off by another voice.

"What do you want?"

Surprised by the venomous tone in Winry's voice, Al whipped his head around to see that she was standing with her arms pressed to her side, her head lowered and her body trembling as she spoke.

"After everything you've done, what gives you the right to come here and destroy the sanctity of this home? When they've only now begun to find a sense of normalcy after what all of you have done to them."

Her innocent smile melted away, and an impish smirk crept onto the Lieutenant's face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Winry. I was invited here of Gracia's own volition. It would have been rude to reject an offer from a good friend."

"She isn't your friend," Winry gasp venomously as she clenched her fists tighter. "And we aren't either."

"Really," she asked as she cocked her head. "Because we could be, Winry. My behavior when you first walked in certainly stumped you. I could tell by the look on your face that you believed me to be Riza Hawkeye, even if it was for just for a moment." Her violet eyes flicked over to Alphonse. "I could even see it in Alphonse's posture. My act was very convincing, wasn't it?"

Taken aback by her sudden offensive move, Alphonse did not answer, though not simply because he didn't want to give her the satisfaction, but because he was truly at a loss for words. She had been so warm. So genuine. He had truly believed that she had given Lieutenant Hawkeye control, and now to discover that she had been acting the part and had fooled them disturbed him deeply.

Leaning forward in her seat, she rested her elbows on her knees and her chin on her interwoven fingers. "We could go back to the way things were you know. Forget whatever animosity there was about everything that had happened before. After all, you two are alright, right? It can't be too hard for you to do."

With every work she spoke, Alphonse found that he couldn't believe what she was saying, and with such a relaxed expression too. What had happened yesterday had taken whatever faith Winry had had and torn it to shreds just as easily as Lust had done with his armor. And what had been left behind was the shell of a girl that had been so trusting, so caring that it was almost to a fault. That light in her eyes that had been there before had been extinguished by their entire ordeal, and it had begun the moment she learned about what had become of the Colonel and Lieutenant. And now she was being told to forget. To dismiss everything that had happened and act like she had been before.

He had tried to keep his emotions at bay about the entire ordeal. It had become easy for him to push aside for the sake of Winry. Because although he felt them, he did not have the physical body to experience them. Winry, whose heart still beat true, was forced to endure feeling the range of emotions elicited by it.

But even he could not ignore the anger that had begun to fester and bubble deep within his soul. Moving forward to block Winry from her as she raised a cup of tea to her hips, he started, "We can't just—"

"—We can't just forget that," Winry finished coldly. "And we will never forget what you are."

The Homunculus quirked a brow, her eyes wandering down to stare at Winry's trembling hands. After taking a drink, she placed her tea down and nodded toward them, "It looks like you might be a little cold. Or are you trembling from fear?"

"Winry?"

They both turned and whirled as Gracia rounded the corner with the pot roast in her hands. Her eyes immediately traveled over to the young girl and widened. Taking a few steps forward, she asked concernedly, "Are you alright?"

Alphonse too turned his attention back to his friend's face and watched as she raised her hand to her cheek, wiping away the few tears that had managed to spill over and run down her cheek. "Yeah. I'm… I'm okay," she muttered. "I'm just… a little emotional is all." Turning her gaze toward the Lieutenant, she said, "The soldier whose automail I worked on today. He had fought in Ishval and lost his arm. It's just been in the back of my mind all day and I can't help but think about it."

Lust nodded thoughtfully. "I hope it wasn't too much for you, Winry. My apologies if that was so."

"No," Winry said as she shook her head, slipping into her forced role. "It was… Good for me to hear."

"Oh Winry," Gracia said after she set the food down on the coffee table and put her hands on Winry's shoulders. "I'm so sorry to hear that. It must be difficult for you."

Winry sniffed and quickly shook her head. "It is, but it's something I have to accept," she answered. "Regardless of how I feel, the war still happened. I can't live my life pretending that it didn't. It was just surreal is all," she added with another shake of her head, the corners of her lips lifting in an attempt to trick Gracia into believing she was okay. "But I'm already feeling better, really. Because I know that I've helped him continue to live his life."

Gracia smiled and tilted her head. "That's the spirit, Winry. You're such a strong and positive young woman, always able to see the good in every person and every situation."

Winry's forced smile grew and she nodded earnestly. "Yeah… I try to," she answered quietly.

Gracia gave her one final pat on her shoulders before turning back to the rest of them to announce that dinner was officially ready. Lust immediately rose to her feet and offered to help Gracia carry in the rest of the food, following after her into the kitchen and leaving them alone for a moment. Taking the opportunity to steal a glance toward Winry, Alphonse turned his head in time to see her knit her fingers together, trying to stop them from trembling.

Once their plates were cleared and their stomachs full, Gracia graciously offered for them to follow her into the living room, dismissing the dirtied dishes and plates in favor of visiting. And despite Winry, Al, and even 'the Lieutenant's' protests to help, Gracia simply shook her head and said that visiting was more important to her than spending time washing dishes.

The entire meal had been unsettling. As they ate, Alphonse observed every person there and their interactions. Winry, of course, rarely, if ever, addressed 'the Lieutenant,' the only medium between them being Gracia. Although, even Gracia seemed to notice the nearly palpable tension that hung in the air the entire time. The only one who hadn't had been Elicia, who chattered and chirped enthusiastically through the entire meal, happy to have some of her 'most favorite' people in the world together.

After settling themselves down onto the couch, Alphonse managed to steal a quick glance toward Winry. He knew that there was nothing both of them would like more than to leave, but when he caught her eye and saw in her solemn expression a small message… And he agreed.

Under no circumstance would they leave Gracia and Elicia alone with her.

Snapping out of his thoughts as Gracia spoke, Alphonse turned his attention toward her as she addressed 'the Lieutenant.'

"Once again, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened. I have to admit that I'm still in shock," Gracia iterated. "Fuhrer Bradley seemed like such a wonderful man. Quiet and imposing, yes, but I've always felt that he had a warm heart."

'The Lieutenant' nodded. "Though I've only been able to be in his presence a handful of times, I've found that each time he was been incredibly competent and always kept the nation's and military's best interests in mind. It'll be odd having someone new in power, though I know it would have happened eventually."

Gracia bobbed her head up and down. "Yes. It's all just so sudden. I didn't even know he was sick. This new General that's temporarily taking the position, though. From what I've read he seems very knowledgeable and worthy of taking the reins."

As she lifted her cup of tea off the table, 'the Lieutenant' gave her an almost embarrassed smile and said, "He's very knowledgeable and wise. And though the semblance isn't too obvious at first, I feel I should mention that he's my grandfather."

Gracia gasped. "Oh my! I never knew that, Riza."

'The Lieutenant' shrugged her shoulders. "It's something we've kept between select parties for a while, but I suppose once he takes his position of power the press will do enough digging to bring it to light. And believe it or not," she added as she set the cup down again, "I've only known him for a few years. My mother was estranged from him for a number of years, and he hadn't realized he had a granddaughter until my paperwork passed over his desk in the East. In fact, it was all a big surprise to me too when he approached me with the possibility of us being related."

Gracia's brows lifted in surprise. "Wow, I would have never known, Riza. It's incredible some of the things we still learn as we get older."

When 'the Lieutenant' nodded in agreement, Elicia took the opportunity to reach over and tug on her mother's sleeve. "Mama, what's 'astranged?'"

She smiled at her daughter. "'Estranged' means that her mom lived very far away from her grandpa and grandma, so she couldn't always talk to them."

The little girl gasped and frowned before turning her sad expression toward Lust. "You didn't get to see your gramma and grampa when you were little?" When 'the Lieutenant' responded with a shake of her head, Elicia's expression faltered. "My gramma and grampa live by us and since you now live by us you can go see them whenever you want to. I can share!"

'The Lieutenant' chuckled and smiled. "I appreciate that, Elicia. Thank you."

"Elicia," Gracia called, prompting the little girl to turn toward her. "Why don't you go and get ready for bed?"

A frown crossed the little girl's face. "But Mommy," she whined. "I never get to see Aunt Riza or Winry or Big Brother Alphonse."

"You know that it's after your bedtime," her mother replied. "You can visit again after you finish getting ready."

Elicia scowled and looked like she was about to fight back when 'the Lieutenant' stepped in and said, "I'll still be here when you're done."

The little girl turned her attention toward Lust, her frown deepening into a pout. With a faux sniffle, she asked, "Do you promise?"

'The Lieutenant' smiled. Holding up her pinky finger, she said, "I pinky promise."

Elicia eyed the Lieutenant's finger critically for a few moments before begrudgingly accepting her proposal, offering her little hand and finger up to Lust. "You pinky promise?"

Wrapping her finger around the little girl's, Lust shook their hands up and down. "I do. I pinky promise."

When 'the Lieutenant' finished shaking them, the little girl drew her hand away and gave her a determined nod. Leaping around the coffee table, she raced a few steps down the hallway before slamming to a stop. Turning around, she raised her hand and waved at Winry and Alphonse. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay," Alphonse answered, raising his hand to wave 'goodbye' as she whirled around and skipped off toward her room.

With a light laugh after hearing her daughter's door click shut, Gracia said, "I'll make sure to accompany you when it's her bedtime. There have been a number of times when she's kept Roy and Riza here well beyond the time they had meant to go."

Lust nodded and smiled as she poured some tea extract into a small bag-like container. "That's right. Although she never minded."

Gracia chuckled. "Elicia never minds when you read her a story. She says you have the best voice for it."

"That isn't exactly what I meant."

Gracia's brows knitted together. "Then what do you mean by that, Riza?"

"I mean Riza never did. Although I would say that I would mind."

"I'm afraid I don't—"

"I have to say," Lust purred as she dipped the teabag into the steaming cup of water and swirled it around. "You aren't a very observant friend, Gracia. I'm disappointed." Without looking up at her, instead focusing on the cup of tea she was concocting, Lust mused, "You failed to recognize my change in taste for tea. Or my selectiveness when it came to the food you served tonight. Or even how the light reflects differently off my eyes. For someone who calls herself my friend, you are incredibly unobservant." She stopped dunking the tea sack into her drink and looked up at her. "And it's incredibly concerning, especially with everything going on in this world. If you don't keep your guard up, you might mistake friend and foe."

Gracia's brows knitted together. "I'm sorry, I don't think I'm follow—"

Raising her other hand, Lust's spears elongated and shot forward, burying themselves into the drywall on either side of her head, eliciting a shriek of terror from the other woman. Moments later, the pitter-patter of a set of feet could be heard. Retracting them, Lust sat back in her chair and raised the cup to her lips, concealing a small trickle of red that had escaped the commissure of her lips. "If you value her life you will say nothing to her," she said into the cup.

"Mommy," Elicia gasped as she raced around the corner. "Are you okay?"

Gracia blinked a few times, still gaping, her eyes wide with shock.

"Mommy…?" Elicia took a few timid steps toward her mother.

A small noise, a combination between a gasp and a laugh, escaped Gracia's lips. Turning toward her daughter, she forced a smile. "Yes, Mommy is alright, dear. Aunt Riza just told me a funny story and I was laughing."

The little girl pursed her lips together and frowned, scrutinizing her mother's face. The tension in the air was thick and nearly palpable, to the point where Alphonse felt he would be able to physically feel it if he reached out and swept a hand through the air. But then the little girl nodded and smiled. "Oh. Okay, Mommy," the little girl replied as her worried expression melted away and gave way to one of relief. Looking back at her 'aunt,' the little girl quipped, "What was the joke, Aunt Riza?"

Lust smiled warmly and leaned forward to prop her elbows on her knees to get closer to the little girl, every hint of her sinister deed gone from her expression. "It was something you wouldn't understand, Elicia. But," she continued as she raised a finger. "If you are good and finish getting ready for bed without coming back out here, I'll tell you one just for you. How does that sound?"

The little girl's face lit up. "Okay!" She beamed and then flashed her grin toward Winry and Alphonse before scampering out of the room and toward her bedroom.

When they heard the soft click of her bedroom door closing, Lust's faux expression vanished and set the cup of tea down. Nodding toward the wall behind Gracia, she said, "It would seem that she got her naivety and lack of observation from her mother. It would have been difficult otherwise if we had to explain the holes in your wall to her."

"What… What do you want," Gracia stammered, raising her trembling hands to cover her mouth as her façade crumbled. "What… What are…?"

"A lot has changed since you last saw the Colonel and me," Lust continued evenly as her eyes slid over to Winry and Alphonse. "Isn't that right you two?"

Gracia turned her widened, frightful eyes turned toward Alphonse and Winry, silently begging for an explanation from the two of them.

Despite knowing everything he could possibly know about the situation, Alphonse found himself at a loss for words. The others they had told were able to handle such a thing because they had at least some background in alchemy. Gracia, however, had no such background. Or at least, did not have a background as far as Alphonse was concerned. And judging by her reaction, he assumed he was right.

"It's… It's true," Winry suddenly uttered. With a small gasp, Alphonse turned his helmet toward her and saw that she had begun to tremble, her eyes glued to the floor. "They've changed because… It isn't them."

"Winry…," Gracia whispered, keeping her eyes focused on Lust. "What... What do you…? I don't understand."

"It's like an infection. No… Like a disease," Winry continued. "The military they put their trust and lives in turned its back on them and put something in them. Something sinister… Something wicked. They're… Still inside but… But it isn't them controlling their bodies."

The corner of Lust's lips curved upward and she tipped her head to the side. "I suppose there's some truth behind that, Winry. Because you're certainly right, the military certainly gave us something: The bodies of these two soldiers." Turning her full attention toward Gracia, Lust mused, "You aren't very well-versed in alchemy, Gracia, though I assume you've heard of what we are before."

Gracia tore her eyes away from Winry to stare at Lust, the action seeming to delight the Homunculus. Her lower lip trembling, Gracia cautiously answered, "I… I don't…"

The amused expression fell from the Homunculus's face, and she sighed. "I'm surprised that you hadn't learned about us or our presence before, especially with all of the digging your late husband did-" She stopped momentarily, and her eyes lit up once again, as though she suddenly remembered something. The same sickeningly sweet expression she bore moments before returned, and she sneered. "But then again, I suppose he never did get the opportunity to tell you, did he?"

"Tell… Tell me what," she carefully pressed, her eyes widening.

"It appears he never gave you the memo. How unfortunate," the Homunculus answered. "It was about how the military has been functioning all these years. You see," she continued, "The government has been doing so much more than what you've believed it to be doing. For example," she said as she stole a glance toward Alphonse, locking eyes with his soul-fire sparks. "What you heard about that little girl who was made into a chimera? You know the one, I'm sure since your husband was briefly on the case." She paused for a moment, and waited for a look of recognition to cross Gracia's face. And when the woman's eyes lit up with horror, she smirked and went on. "Researchers have moved far beyond the primitive methods employed to create that abomination. In fact, some chimeras are nearly impossible to tell apart from ordinary humans. Alchemy has truly made some incredible advances, and what seemed impossible before is now possible. So it isn't too far-fetched that something like what Winry described could happen, though I'd have to say I'm hardly a disease."

Gracia's face paled as the information slowly seeped in and she began to process what they were saying. Piecing together the Lieutenant's aggressive behavior, the reveal, and, most likely, the information regarding her late husband. "So… What you're saying is… Is that…-"

"That's right," Lust reply coolly as she glanced down at the tea as she lifted it from the coffee table. Before taking a drink, she paused with her lips on its rim and watching with raised brows as Gracia curled her hands into fists in her lap, staring down at them as she attempted to process the information. "Your husband knew everything that nearly came to light. What is happening in this country and who the Homunculi are."

Before Gracia could answer, however, Winry uttered, "So… What you're saying is that you're the one responsible… For Mr. Hughes's murder?"

Alphonse tore his eyes away from Winry, watching as the Homunculus smiled and briefly closed her eyes, as though she were relishing their despair.

Holding the cup away from her lips, Lust slowly opened her eyes again and shook her head. "Unfortunately I'm not the one that did, although I've been told I played a role in it. Instead, it was another who dealt the final blow. And from what I heard, it was very thematic—"

"Get out."

Lust stopped, surprised, and turned her attention away from Winry to focus back on Gracia, who had risen to her feet.

"Get out," Gracia snapped. "I've heard enough from you." When Lust made no move to leave, Gracia stepped over to the door and grabbed the handle. "I want you out of here this minute."

The Homunculus smiled mischievously, rested her chin on her hand, and watched Gracia intently. "You'd kick out one of your few close friends? And just before I was going to help you tuck in Elicia for the night—"

"I didn't invite you here," Gracia gasped, her voice faltering. "I invited Riza Hawkeye." Lust opened her mouth to retort back but Gracia cut her off and said, "You might say she's still here, but so would you."

Lust lifted a brow and then slowly rose to her feet. "So is this your way of abandoning one of your few friends? How heartless…"

Gracia froze, shocked by what the Homunculus had just so blatantly asked. Seeing that her mind had begun to spin, Alphonse quickly stood and lifted a hand to walk over and put on her shoulder, but was interrupted when Lust stepped past him and over to the coat rack. Collecting her jacket, she draped it over her arm and said, "You're right, though. I really should get going." Stealing a quick glance toward Winry and Alphonse as he stepped cautiously in front of his childhood friend, she added, "I'll see you two tomorrow then. Try to not stay out so late though. I believe it will be quite busy."

And with that she strode over to the door, stopping just in front of it to eye Gracia. The latter, still shocked, slowly released the door handle as Lust reached for it. Grabbing it, she pulled the door open and took a step forward so that she was halfway outside. Her violet eyes flicked around to all of them one last time before finally landing on the widow of Mr. Hughes. "I had a lovely evening, Gracia," she mused. "And you have a lovely little girl. Make sure you keep an eye on her though. Because I'd hate for something terrible to befall her as well."

And then she was gone.

When she closed the door behind her, Gracia stumbled forward and caught herself on it, twisting the lock shut with trembling hands. Before she could turn back to face them, however, the sound of small feet beating against the wooden floors.

"Mommy," Elicia cried as she ran over to her. Putting her hands on her hips as her mother slid down into a sitting position, she said, "You promised me that Aunt Riza would tuck me into bed! Why did she—" She trailed off when a small sob erupted from her mother. "Mommy," she asked as she slowly walked up to her. "What's wrong?"

After taking another deep, shaking breath, her mother wordlessly reached up and drew her daughter into her arms, pulling her into herself and burying her face into her hair as the tears she had been holding back were released.

Without a moment's hesitation, Winry slid off the couch and rushed over to her, collapsing down beside her. Releasing one hand from her daughter, she reached up and wrapped it around Winry and pulled her into herself as her choked sobs grew louder.

And finally, after holding it in for as long as she had, Winry at last let her emotions go, and cried along with her.

"Do you have everything prepared for your departure," Raven called back to General Armstrong as they strolled along past the cement pit the Briggs maintenance crew had been working feverishly to fill.

It seemed that it had been a night long process filling the hole the Homunculus had created, Edward had learned. A note carefully stashed in the bread on his dinner tray had, along with a few other words and instructions, indicated that the General had been 'recruited' to their side. In doing so, they were able to order her to return the Homunculus back the tunnel that led beneath the fort. And after he had quietly slipped out of his room to make good on the exact instructions he had been given, he confirmed with his own eyes that it appeared to be true.

He swallowed back the bolus of uneasiness that had formed in the back of his throat. Edward steeled his expression, however, as to not show the growing pit of restlessness in his stomach, hoping that he had covered his tracks well enough...

The lady General scoffed. "I've prepared enough," she replied brashly as they all slowed and then stopped in front of the sea of cement.

As her eyes scanned the area, Edward took the opportunity to do so as well, and noticed that there were a select few soldiers around. The rest had either been shooed away or had left the area to let the cement dry. But of the soldiers he did see, he could tell that they were a little… different. The way they carried themselves and the way they watched General Raven especially made him realize that they were from Central Command. He looked back up at General Armstrong to see that she too seemed to notice the surplus of soldiers from Central Command.

After giving them one final sweep, she turned her attention toward Raven and asked, "Where is Major Falman? I requested that he be one of the soldiers that accompany me to Central."

Edward's heart skipped in his chest and he quickly did another quick sweep of his own, finding that the grey-haired soldier was nowhere to be found.

"Unfortunately," Raven began as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket, a faux frown on his face. "Central Command was unable to heed that request. It seems that it hasn't been long enough since he arrived here."

"I don't remember anything about that in the military bylaws."

He moved his shoulders up and down. "It isn't something I can control, I'm afraid."

Her lip curled upward as she zeroed in on 'Mustang,' who had been standing just beyond Raven, staring down at the cement. "Where is he then," she demanded, prompting the Homunculus to look up.

"Don't worry, General. He's still exactly where you left him."

"Then why doesn't that comfort me in any way?"

'Mustang' shrugged. "You have no reason to worry. After all, he's still one of my men. But for now," he added as the corner of his lip tugged upward, "Let's focus on you right now since you have a train to catch in an hour. You'll have a very packed schedule once you arrive in Central."

At that the soldiers who had been standing nearest them stepped forward and into their space. Buccaneer took a defensive step forward and raised his automail arm, but General Armstrong lifted her hand, calling off his advance.

"Although," Raven added as he nodded toward General Armstrong, "We still have to make sure there is room available for you once you arrive."

"Hmph." Placing her hands on her hips, the woman General lifted a brow. "You've backed me into a corner and essentially robbed me of my free-will, and yet you still haven't decided what you will do with me?"

Raven raised his hands defensively and laughed. "I can assure you that we will make the proper arrangements, General. I'm sure a position will open soon enough."

Armstrong narrowed her eyes, and Edward knew precisely what she was thinking. It was clear now that she would be nothing but a pawn to them, held there only to ensure that she is separated from her men at Fort Briggs. Anything to make sure that they divided as many of their allied forces as possible.

Looking back down at the sea of cement, his thoughts turned back to the Homunculus that no doubt was stirring beneath it, likely already back to work digging the tunnel like it seemingly was created to do. With General Armstrong gone and essentially their hostage, there was no telling what they would do.

Edward tore his eyes away from the ground and turned them toward Raven as a loud shriek erupted from the older General. He then watched in horror as a burst of red erupted from the General's abdomen. Then he fell, the two halves of his body separating before falling back into the still wet cement. His eyes widened, watching as the frozen, horror-stricken visage of the General slowly began to sink into the sea of wet concrete. His mouth hanging open, too in shock to even fully process what had happened, Edward slowly lifted his eyes to look at the offending party, watching as the corner of 'Mustang's' lip lifted upward.

"There," he mused as he wiped the blade of his saber off with his glove. When he had finished, his eyes raised to meet Armstrong's, and his sinister smile widened. "It looks like you're in luck, General Armstrong. It appears we just had a position open up."

Additional A/N: We'll find out more about what Edward did next chapter, as well as see more characters we didn't see much of this chapter. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!