Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist characters don't belong to us. We are just having fun with them.


Chapter 15. Homunculi

When the night before they had designed the plan of action they would carry out, Ed never imagined that he would find himself in this situation: protecting Winry with his own body from Scar's destructive arm. At that moment, all he cared about was protecting Winry at all costs, so he had no idea what he would do if Scar actually touched him, which is why Al's intervention ended up saving them both.

His heart was full of pain and regret for being the cause of all the suffering and confusion Winry had just gone through and for a few moments Ed felt a kind of ringing in his ears so he could barely register the brief scolding Al gave him before he left to chase after Scar.

A little dazed by everything that had happened, Ed shook his head slightly and turned so he could see Winry straight ahead. "Winry, drop the gun." He said as he placed his left hand on the wrist of Winry's hand that held the gun.

Winry's tears had stopped for a moment when she realized Ed was standing in front of her protecting her, but now that her parents' killer had fled her eyes let the tears flow freely again. "I couldn't do it." She murmured before her voice gained a little more strength. "It was him..."

Ed sighed sadly and pulled his automail hand closer as well. "Let it go. Please."

Winry brought her free hand to her face. "But... he killed my parents... Why?... You and Al could have been killed... Why couldn't I do it?!" She exclaimed as she ducked her gaze.

Ed looked at her sadly. He had never seen Winry so devastated. Certainly the news of her parents' death had been a hard blow when she first found out but this was another level. Her bright blue eyes looked cloudy and the corners of her eyes were red and puffy. He had discovered years ago that he didn't like to see her cry and now he felt how every tear and lament hurt him deeply himself. In addition, the defeat and helplessness in her tone of voice also squeezed his heart. He wasn't sure what he could do to cheer her up but he would do his best to support her.

In a slightly softer and calmer voice than the one he commonly used, Ed began to speak to her. "Winry, let me tell you something..." He slowly lowered his left hand to the one that was holding the gun and gave Winry's thumb a light squeeze. "When you helped deliver that baby in Rush Valley, you saved the mother and child." He moved his automail hand closer so he could begin to pry Winry's fingers away from the gun. "You also gave me an arm and a leg so I could get back on my feet. Your hands aren't made to kill. They're made to save lives." Finally the gun fell to the floor. Ed ducked his gaze and squeezed Winry's hand affectionately with his own. "Please."

Despite the emotional instability she was feeling, Winry listened to everything Ed told her. The more he spoke the more she felt each word become a balm to her heart and soul. She had truly felt she had to avenge the death of her parents but she didn't really want to. Ed's words were just what she needed at that moment, plus the softness with which he had spoken them revealed that those really were his thoughts about her and, for some reason, gave more depth to the message he wanted to convey to her. She understood what the blond wanted to tell her but the pain that had started a few moments before was still throbbing inside her so she needed a way to get it out.

Slowly Winry brought her hands to Ed's forearms. "Ah..." Unbidden, she began to cry like she had never cried before. Now her sobs could be heard all over the street, the tears were flowing intensely and her body was shaking violently. The pain she had felt from the truths discovered and what she had almost done were coming out through her crying. She knew there would still be traces of it left when it was over but she couldn't keep it all bottled up inside her.

Ed watched sadly as Winry cried and clung tightly to him. It hurt him tremendously to see her suffer like this so he gently brought his left hand to his friend's head to bring her close to his shoulder and then hugged her tightly. Winry did not resist and let his warmth envelop her.

Ed did not break away from Winry until, a few moments later, her sobs became quieter and slower. He slowly pulled away slightly and raised his head as he noticed officers approaching them. Ed sighed. He didn't want to leave Winry alone but his brother was still fighting Scar.

"Officer." He said to the man who was closest to them. "Please take her somewhere safe."

The officer nodded and walked over holding out a hand so Ed could hand him the gun. As soon as he grabbed it he backed up a couple of steps and waited for them to separate.

"Winry, Al is still fighting so... I have to go."

Winry shuddered slightly. She didn't want Ed to leave but she didn't want anything to happen to Al either.

Ed carefully stepped back then took off his red coat. He delicately draped it over Winry's shoulders, making sure it didn't fall off. When he was finished he lightly squeezed her shoulders and said to her. "I'm sorry... We'll talk about this when I get back." With that said Ed stood up staring at Winry as she slid her hand down his arm until the distance separated them.

Winry watched as Ed gave her one last look before turning and following the path Al had taken. She could hear the officers talking to each other but paid them no attention. Her gaze was fixed on Ed until he disappeared and then she kept it on the spot he had disappeared through as her hands clenched the coat she had placed on him. Her tears were almost completely under control by now but, as she felt Ed's absence, a couple more ran down her cheeks. "Why?... Why can't I ever do anything but wait?" she muttered to herself before one of the officers approached her to help her up.


As they rode in a car headed for Central Command, Ed was frustrated and annoyed. He couldn't believe that Scar had escaped them. He knew that arresting him wouldn't bring back all the people he killed but at least he wanted to give Winry the peace of mind of knowing that her parents' killer was behind bars paying for his crimes. Also, although a much lesser thing compared to everything that had happened, Ed was not comfortable with the strange creature that Al had picked up, especially considering that one of the first things the cat? had done had been to bite him hard on the finger.

Well, at least with Ling's help they had caught a homunculus…

Despite his protests, Al kept the creature and, after entering Central Command, placed it inside his armor so the military wouldn't throw it out of the building. At that moment he decided to ignore his inconformity with that matter, now the only thing he cared about was to see how Winry was doing.

After asking one of the officers at the front desk, Ed and Al were led to the office where Winry was being held. As soon as they were in front of the desired door, Ed didn't bother to knock and immediately opened it.

At the slight creak of the door, Winry turned and could see Ed and almost immediately Al as well. She tried to crack a small smile and said to them in a relieved tone. "You're all right."

Ed was a little glad to notice her calmer, but the very low tone of her voice made him realize immediately that she still felt sad. Without taking his eyes off her he called out to her. "Winry..." He took a couple of steps to enter the office but as soon as he did he realized that his friend was not alone.

"Hello, young Fullmetal Alchemist." Bradley greeted nonchalantly, surprising both brothers.

"Fuhrer Bradley!" exclaimed Al.

"What are you doing here?" complemented Ed.

Without changing his relaxed look, Bradley replied. "When I was questioning the officers about the commotion in town, they informed me that a childhood friend of yours was being held in protective custody." He flashed a slight smile that, for some strange reason, caused Ed a brief sense of unease. "As a close friend of an important member of our organization, I had to give her special treatment." He stood up and made a quick bow in Winry's direction. "Well, young lady, now that your friends are here, this old man is leaving."

Winry stood up and reciprocated the bow. "Oh... yes, thank you."

As soon as Bradley was a step ahead of Ed, he made one last comment before leaving. "She's a good girl. Take care of her."

At those words both Elrics were a bit confused and stood peering in the doorway until Bradley disappeared from their view. As soon as that happened, Ed and Al walked back into the office.

Ed stood to one side of Winry and asked her. "What were you two talking about?"

"Well, I told him that we've been close friends since we were kids. It was just casual talk."

"Hmm." Ed glanced back at the door when Winry called out to him.

"Ed." The somewhat calm tone she had used earlier to answer Ed turned serious. "How long have you known about my parents? Keep your promise and tell me everything."

Ed stared at her and nodded. Ever since he had learned the truth he had wished he didn't have to go through this moment, but now that, by not paying attention to his surroundings while arguing with Scar, Winry had found out, it was his responsibility to tell her everything he knew.


It hadn't been an easy thing to do, but in the end Ed told her everything he had discovered on his trip to Xerxes. The three of them had sat around the office table while Ed pretty much led the entire conversation. Al interjected a couple of times but having heard the whole story through his brother, there wasn't much extra he could contribute. Winry, for her part, kept her gaze firmly on Ed's, listening intently to every word he uttered. Occasionally she asked a few questions when she sensed Ed wanted to move on to the next part, intent on making sure there wasn't even the slightest gap in the story, and when the blond mentioned to her that Scar had killed her parents by attacking them from behind when he was still one of their patients, Winry found herself clutching tightly at Ed's coat that she still kept over her legs.

As the story ended, Winry was able to smile briefly with pride at the work her parents had done. Despite the terrible grief over their deaths, Winry had always been very proud of her parents' devotion to their profession to help others but it was even more comforting to hear the thanks and apologies that some Ishvalans had passed on to Ed in Xerxes.

Soon after, Al left the office taking Ed's watch with him to request transportation to the hotel they were staying at while Ed and Winry got up and slowly made their way towards the door. Winry was about to leave when Ed closed the door Al had left open, startling her.

"Hey." He placed his left hand on one of her shoulders. "Are you sure you're feeling better?" Ed asked her, not quite sure of the words the blonde had spoken recently.

Winry raised her right hand and placed it over Ed's to squeeze it lightly as she nodded and looked into his eyes. "Yeah, it's just... I really wish they would have come back alive. When I was a little girl I waited so long to see them appear on the horizon coming home..." She sighed. "Waiting is hard and scary."

Ed was surprised by those last words. They seemed to be coming off of what had happened with his parents but the intensity in Winry's gaze gave him the feeling that they applied to him and Al as well. Feeling the words catch in his throat, he opted to bring his hand up to her head to quickly draw her to his chest, separating a few seconds later knowing they had to leave.

Despite the oddly brief hug Ed had given her (he hadn't even given her time to react to reciprocate it), the warmth and reassurance that simple gesture conveyed stayed with her helping her cope a little better with her sadness. She felt that little by little that feeling was beginning to fade but she was finding it difficult to leave it behind completely to return to her cheerful personality.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" Ed asked, looking at the red coat Winry was holding in one hand.

"Oh, right... sorry." She said lifting the coat to hand it to Ed.

"No, rather forgive me. I gave you a hard time and on top of that I left you with a coat all torn and dirty."

On impulse, Winry pulled the hand holding the coat closer to her chest before Ed could retrieve it. "Don't say that. This..." She looked down at the coat. "It helped me not feel so lonely when you had to leave." She admitted sheepishly. It kept your scent, after all. Winry added in her thoughts. Then she gave a sigh and extended it to Ed. "Thank you." She said before leaving the office.

Ed grabbed his coat with his left hand and stared at Winry as he walked slightly behind her as they walked through the Command expecting to meet Al at the exit with a car ready for them. There were many things he wanted to say to Winry but the words wouldn't come to him. He wanted to do something to erase the sadness that still conveyed her gaze but had no idea what he could do. He discreetly clenched his fist, clenching his coat in turn. He still didn't know what he would do or say but he had to do something to help Winry. He was determined to find a way to convey to his friend how sorry he was for causing her to discover her parents' killer the way she did, but he also wanted to give her a reason to smile. She had cried that day in a way that reminded him of their childhood when the fateful letter arrived with the news of her parents' death so now he was more than willing to go to great lengths to spare her such devastating pain again. Those bright blue eyes deserved and should sparkle with the same optimistic and cheerful gleam so characteristic of Winry Rockbell.


When the three friends returned to the hotel they were surprised when the desk clerk quickly called Winry over. Apparently Garfiel had been trying to contact her all day and was just then making another attempt.

As Winry chatted on the phone, Ed and Al stood a few feet away from her. Both brothers were silent as she spoke. Al looked at Winry for a few seconds and then opted to check on the little "cat" inside him to make sure it was okay. Ed, for his part, couldn't take his eyes off her so it didn't go unnoticed the tear that escaped her as her tone of voice grew more relieved as she spoke.

As soon as Winry ended her call, she informed them that she had to get back to Rush Valley as soon as possible as she had several clients waiting for her. Taking a quick glance at his watch, Ed told her that they had two hours before the last train left for the automail city. Winry nodded and headed for her room followed by the brothers who offered to help her pack. Winry accepted Al's help and practically ordered Ed to go take a shower to wash off the debris. This time Ed didn't put up any kind of resistance to Winry's order, as when she did he could see the sparkle return to her gaze.

Ed quickly showered and after a few minutes entered Winry's room, his damp hair pulled back in a ponytail and a bandage wrapped around his head covering the wound he had sustained on his forehead during the confrontation with Scar. Noticing that Winry and Al were already just tidying up the room a bit before leaving, he took Winry's suitcase and slung it over his shoulder holding it in his automail hand before leaving the room to wait for them in the hallway.

Winry slung her bag over one shoulder and walked out of the room followed by Al. As Al made sure to close the room, Winry reached behind Ed and gave Ed's ponytail a tug.

"Ouch!" the blond complained.

"Two things. One: it's not good for you to tie your hair when it's still wet like this and two:" She gave him one more tug to pull him closer to her. "That bandage is going to fall off before we even get outside." Winry said before loosening the bandage completely then carefully placing it back over Ed's wound, making sure to fasten it properly. " Done." Winry tried to crack a small smile and began to descend the stairs.

Al, who had noticed the little scene, lightly patted his brother on the shoulder for them to start following her. Ed began to walk as he continued to ponder what else he could say to Winry before she left, at the same time running his free hand over the bandage thinking about the words he himself had said to her earlier that day. Your hands are made to save lives.

The ride to the station was silent but as soon as they arrived and began to walk around to get to the train Winry would be boarding, Al decided to interrupt the silence. "Will you be all right by yourself?"

Winry, who was a couple of steps ahead of the siblings replied. "Uh-huh. Besides Mr. Garfiel said he'd wait for me at Rush Valley Station."

Ed had his hands in his pockets as he clenched them into fists. The ride to the station had helped him get an idea of what he could say to make Winry feel better, but the closer it got to the time to say goodbye the more it was seeming like an impossible mission. He didn't know the perfect time to tell her what was on his mind and the time was running out. He was just starting to work up the courage to try to get the words out when Winry inadvertently interrupted his attempt.

"About what happened earlier... thank you for stopping me. I think I have people who are waiting for me to come back." Winry said without turning to look at them. "If I had done that… I wouldn't have been able to look them in the face anymore. I haven't quite come to terms with what happened to my parents, but there are people waiting for me so..." Winry stopped and turned to look at them with a natural smile. There were still traces of sadness in her eyes but it held the spark of hope as her smile was sincere and the biggest she had managed to muster all day. "With everyone's help I'll get through this."

Ed and Al stared at her and nodded. Before they could say anything else to her, one of the station attendants announced that the train to Rush Valley would be leaving in five minutes so they had to hurry to deliver Winry's luggage to one of the attendants while she boarded the train looking for a window seat so she could say goodbye to her friends. As soon as she was located in her compartment she looked out the window and could see the brothers quickly approaching as they discovered where she was.

Leaning against the window with her hands, Winry said to Ed. "Don't forget your automail maintenance."

"Ok." Ed replied. "I'll probably forget though." He added in a whisper.

"I'll send you some good lubricating oil soon, Al."

"Ok." Al replied gratefully.

After thinking about it for a few seconds Winry added. "Don't die."

"Okay." Both siblings replied in unison.

At that moment the whistle was heard announcing that the train was about to leave. For Ed that was the signal that if he wanted to say anything else to Winry it was now or never. Catching his breath, he gathered his courage and told her what had been on his mind for the last few minutes. "Winry, the next time..." In a quiet voice Ed told her the promise he wanted to make to her just as the train's engine made itself heard as it warmed up to start the trip. Ed noticed this last, but it had been so hard for him to get the words out of his mouth that he didn't want to think about the possibility that Winry hadn't heard him. He was about to smile in success with himself when Winry broke his illusion.

"Huh? What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

Ed frowned. Damn it! Refusing to repeat his words Ed turned around and began to walk away from the train.

"Brother?" Al asked in confusion. "Wait, brother!" Seeing how his brother ignored him, he waved a hand toward Winry in farewell before following Ed. "Bye, Winry."

"Oh... bye." Winry replied to Al before returning her gaze to Ed, who had already moved a couple of feet away from her window. Moved by curiosity at her friend's strange behavior, she got up from her seat to peek out the window a little better. "Wait, Ed! What did you say?!, I couldn't hear you!" she shouted.

At Winry's insistence, Ed stopped abruptly and turned so he could see her. He hadn't imagined that he would have to repeat his promise, let alone have to shout it out in the middle of so many people, but if Winry was so determined to know what he had said, he would prove to her that his words were completely serious and sincere.

Raising his left hand to point at her, he began to shout to make himself heard amidst the noise of the train. " The next time I make you cry, it will be tears of joy!" He could notice how some people stopped and looked at him intrigued but he didn't let that stop him. "Al and I will get our original bodies back and make you so happy that you''ll cry tears of joy! You can count on that!"

For a moment he feared Winry would be embarrassed by what he had done and ignore him pretending she didn't know him but instead he was rewarded with her smile. Winry smiled hugely just the way he liked it so much (Wait... like it? What am I thinking?) and waved her hand in farewell as she replied cheerfully. "Got it!"

That smile cheered him up but he quickly turned around to continue on his way, aware that if he stayed looking at her a second longer his cheeks would blush intensely and that was the worst thing that could happen to him with so many people staring at him.

What he couldn't avoid were the words of Al, who had probably understood even better than himself the depth and the reason why he had made such a promise to Winry. "How sweet!" Al exclaimed gleefully as he dared a few little bounces to highlight his excitement. "That was so sweet, brother!"

Ed kicked him in the knee without stopping his walk. "Shut up, you fool." He complained without looking directly at him. Even though he couldn't express emotion with that helmet, Ed had learned to decipher it almost perfectly so he knew that if he saw him he would feel the affectionate and mildly teasing smile from Al, and that would be more than enough to destroy what little calm he had maintained since what he had said to Winry.

Even though the train was slowly beginning to move, Winry could still see the brothers' discussion as they walked away. Because of the distance she couldn't hear what they were saying but watching them interact so happily and casually made her maintain the smile the blond had elicited, as she sat back in her seat.

Ed... Without understanding why, several memories of the past 5 years came to her mind and they all featured Ed. From the determination that shone in his eyes when he decided to undergo the double automail surgery so he could become a state alchemist, to the resolution to burn down his house along with a fleeting memory of the inscription of the date they did so engraved on his pocket watch and finally recalling the event that had taken place hours before: Ed placing himself in front of her to protect her, putting his own life at risk and the sincere and gentle words he spoke to her, supporting her when she needed him the most to not make the biggest mistake of her life.

All those memories reminded her of a detail she had noticed recently and that she wanted to check one last time. Ah, his back. Peeking out the window a bit again she was able to catch a quick glimpse of Ed's back before she completely lost her vision on him.

Settling back into her seat, she leaned her head back against the edge of the window as she felt her heart pound intensely at the memories of Ed and the last glimpse she'd had of him. It wasn't the first time the blond had awakened such sensations in her but, even if she had ignored them before or simply attributed them to the affection she had always had for him and Al, now she was sure that Edward was something completely different and, above all, very special. Oh, I see... I think I've been in love with him for a long time now.


After Ed and Al said goodbye to Winry at the train station, they met the Colonel in a car, which they boarded to head to the hideout where they were holding captive the homunculus they had captured that afternoon. After that, everything got out of control with the demonstration of Gluttony's true power so only a couple of hours later Ed, Al and Ling were outside Roy's car watching the occupants as they made a decision.

"Just go away. You useless fool!" Ed exclaimed addressing the colonel as he kicked the car door off the spot where Roy was located.

"Hey!" Roy complained. "You can't tell me to leave at a time like this."

"You'll just be in my way!" Ed retorted angrily.

"Please go away!" Al added.

"I'm afraid I must concur, sir. You will be of no help on your terms." Riza joined the Elrics. She understood that the colonel didn't want to leave some teenagers alone to fight a monster but, in his current condition, he would be of more help if he didn't get in their way.

Faced with the onslaught of words from the Elrics and even Riza, Roy couldn't help but sink into a slight depression as he replayed the word 'useless' over and over in his head.

"Stupid colonel." Ed muttered. Regaining his composure, he continued. "Look, there are things that need to be done that only a colonel can do. The fact that the Fuhrer is a homunculus isn't something you can just ignore, is it?" Ed said seriously and with a lot of determination as he looked Mustang in the eye.

Roy couldn't believe the determination he saw in the young boy's gaze. It wasn't the first time he had seen that look on Ed's face, but it still continued to amaze him. A 15-year-old boy should only be worried about doing his schoolwork, going out to play or hanging out with his friends and hanging out with his family. He shouldn't be fighting for his life in facing a monster, much less should he be worrying about the upcoming future of an entire country. This kid has guts. Roy understood perfectly what the boy was asking of him. Ed would fight the homunculus while he would fight from within the military to drive the leader out of the country.

"No time for chit-chat! Get in!" Knox grumbled.

Ed, Al and Ling looked at each other, coming to an agreement without needing to lay it out in words. Subsequently, Ed walked back over to Mustang's window. "There's not enough room. Just go without us." He said with a calm smile.

"Don't be an idiot!" shouted Knox.

"We can't leave kids on the battlefield!" Riza exclaimed extremely worried. She couldn't believe that they actually expected the adults to leave them alone against that monster.

Ling walked over to Roy's window. "What you're looking for isn't really a homunculus or the philosopher's stone, is it, Colonel Mustang?" Roy stared at him. "So you shouldn't be confronting the military high command?"

Roy was silent. He didn't quite agree with the boys' plan but, given his situation, he had no choice.

Ed tried to put on his best confident face to convince the adults. "As for us, we still need to get information out of that thing. We'll take care of it. The fact that we're kids is irrelevant." Ed took a step away approaching Al and Ling, keeping his smile confident throughout. "We were the ones who created this plan, so it's up to us to clean up our own mess. Thanks for all the help you gave us."

Roy and Riza could see the determination of the 3 boys and realized that there would be no way to convince them to give in. Damn! At what point did it occur to me to be a good-for-nothing! Roy thought.

Looking at Ed's face and the look on his face, Riza couldn't help but see a lot of similarity between Roy and the boy. They both wore that look when they were determined to accomplish something no matter what obstacles might come their way. She understood the noble gesture of Ed and the others to allow those who were unfit for battle to move away to protect them, but it was still very dangerous for them. She felt helpless at that moment as did Roy. If she had wished to learn alchemy from her father, perhaps she could let Knox go with Lan Fan and Roy so she could stay and help them. But without any alchemical skills, her prowess with weapons would not be enough in a battle with that monster and perhaps, instead of helping them, she would become a burden. There was no choice, they would have to leave them. She picked up one of her weapons and loaded it as she closed her eyes. If I can't fight by their side, I have to at least give them a tool to help them survive. It's a huge burden that I don't want anyone else to carry but right now it can be a difference between surviving or perishing. He is too young, but I fully trust that he will only use it if necessary and always as a last resort.

"Edward." Riza said as she held out her hand holding the pistol to him, which surprised him outright. "Take this with you. You know how to use it, don't you?"

Ed and Al were stunned at the sight of the gun, so they remained silent for a few seconds until Al spoke. "It's... a tool for killing people."

Despite not feeling at ease to provoke that sense of doubt and discomfort in the Elrics, Riza kept her serious countenance. "It's a tool for you to protect yourselves." She said, understanding perfectly the boys' hesitation and fear of such a burden.

After a few seconds Ed's countenance changed from one of indecision to one of determination as he remembered Winry's words: Don't die. He had already hurt her badly and made her cry. He didn't want to do it again, his heart simply refused to accept it. He wanted to keep his promise that the next time she cried it would be from happiness and to do that he had to avoid dying at all costs. His alchemy was powerful and would help him, but it didn't hurt to have anything else that could get him and the others out of trouble in case of an emergency. He had already made his decision. So with that decision in mind he took the weapon from the Lieutenant's hand.

"I'll borrow it." Ed said despite Al's surprise.

Before they could exchange another word, a loud noise was heard from the woods. Gluttony was undoubtedly still looking for Mustang and if they didn't hurry he would find him and it could all end badly. Ling walked over to the back seat window to take one last look at Lan Fan.

"Please take care of Lan Fan." Ling pleaded with Riza.

Without another word, the 3 boys walked away from the vehicle to face Gluttony.

Roy sighed. "Let's go." He said to Knox.

Knox grumbled, hitting the steering wheel. "Idiot brats. Trying to be so noble. It's people like that who die young!" Knox proceeded to start the car to drive away from the scene, while Roy and Riza conversed with him about the information Ling had shared with them regarding the nature of the Fuhrer.


A little later, Roy and Riza left Knox's house (after leaving Lan Fan in his care) and headed to each of their apartments to change into their uniforms. During the car ride to Central Command, Riza couldn't stop thinking about Ed, Al and Ling. She knew they were very smart and strong kids, but what they were facing were heartless monsters who wouldn't stop at anything. She tried to push that thought away and chose to remember that the Elrics were very strong alchemists and that, if what they had said hours before about them being very precious resources to the enemy, some other monster would probably show up to their rescue. She also focused on what was coming as she watched Roy out of the corner of her eye, who had a steady gaze straight ahead, determined to take on whoever it took. She was still not quite sure about the colonel's plan to get information and begin to identify and separate allies from enemies. Personally, she felt it was a bit rushed to carry out this plan, but she understood that he was doing it because he could not stand idly by while the boys had been left behind. To be honest, she would do the same, but she couldn't help worrying about her superior's recent injuries. She was grateful that Knox offered to check on Roy before his departure and was a little more relieved when the colonel finally agreed.

Before her thoughts could run their course, they had arrived at Central Command. Riza parked the car near the main entrance and both officers descended from the vehicle.

"Well." Roy began to speak. "Is this the gateway to glory or the gateway to hell?" he sighed and turned around, turning his back to Riza to begin his journey to the headquarters. He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Lieutenant, wait here."

Riza was closing the door of the vehicle when Roy began to speak. So seeing his back, she answered him. "Understood."

Roy, who had started his light walk towards the building, stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Riza over his shoulder, trying to look her straight in the eyes, he said. "If anything happens to me, make sure you get away."

Riza knew what those words implied from the look on Roy's face. She was aware that if any allies of the homunculi learned of the colonel's involvement with the abduction of one of their own, he would be in danger and knowing him as she did, he had no desire to involve anyone. But she would not dare leave him alone despite the odds.

"No, sir." She replied in a firm tone full of resolve.

Roy turned to face her, placing his hands on his hips, watching her firmly. She was in a firm stance with her hands behind her, off to the side of the vehicle.

"That's an order." Roy replied.

"One I cannot obey, Sir." Riza replied.

Roy moved closer to her, leaning slightly so that their faces were facing each other, inches apart.

"An order must be obeyed whether you like it or not." Roy said slightly annoyed.

Riza's eyes were closed but she didn't flinch at her superior's orders. "You can always court-martial me, sir." She replied.

Roy sighed and relaxed his features. "I suppose I should appreciate your convictions." He turned away, placed his hands in his pockets and began to walk. "As you wish. I'll be back, so wait for me." He said with a confident tone.

"Yes, sir. I wish you the best of luck in the battle." Riza said as she gave the military salute.

Roy, without turning to look at her, gave a salute with his right hand and entered the building. Once inside and out of his beloved lieutenant's field of vision, he leaned against one of the walls, dropping the facade of confidence and security he had shown Riza. He knew and felt her uneasiness and concern, which was why he had chosen to take on an attitude of security and confidence in front of her to try to reassure her. Who am I kidding? I am trying to overthrow the Führer. Who should I start with? The generals? The officers? I must be careful, I promised to return and I don't want to fail Riza. What should I do?

Before he could further devise a plan, General Raven surprised him, slapping him hard on his back as a salute, but for Roy it was more than just a salute because of the force of the impact and how sensitive his own body was in its current state. Roy did his best to hide the pain it caused him and began with his plan. After recalling some anecdotes of Lieutenant General Grumman, he had hopes that Raven might join his cause, so he disguisedly began to joke about some rumors that had reached him about the Führer.

It was a mistake, it definitely was.

Roy had definitely wandered into the wolf's den under his own steam and it was costing him dearly with the disbanding of his unit but most of all with the Lieutenant being taken hostage under the guise that she would be the Fuhrer's new personal assistant. As soon as he heard Riza's reassignment, he froze and paled. Bradley was aware of his weakness. Riza... I have put you in a dangerous situation, all because of my outburst. Because of me you will be in constant danger.

Unnoticed, the conversation with Bradley went on all night until, early the next morning, two guests entered the office, guarded by another soldier who retired once his mission was accomplished. It was Ed and Al. At the sight of them Roy was relieved to see them safe and sound, but he immediately figured that if they were here it was for a reason. Did Bradley want to keep them in line like he did with me? Before he could think any further, the boys approached, obviously surprised to see him sitting there. At that point, Roy greeted Ed and when Ed asked what had happened, Roy began to tell them briefly that his unit had been reassigned all over the country.

"And Lieutenant Hawkeye is now the Führer's personal assistant." Roy finished his short story with his arms crossed.

"What?!" Ed exclaimed.

Immediately, Ed turned his gaze to Bradley, who was sitting across from Mustang with a face full of enviable peace and tranquility, as if nothing was happening. That's not a reassignment of personnel, that's a damn way to hold a hostage against Mustang. Damn homunculus. The Lieutenant will be in danger. Ed clenched his left fist that was at his side to try to contain his rage. He had a high regard for Lieutenant Hawkeye so his concern was to be expected.

As if his own thoughts were somehow reaching Bradley, shortly thereafter Ed's concern and annoyance grew enormously when Bradley put Winry's life under threat when the blond had attempted to leave the military ready to completely thwart the homunculi's plans.

Ed was annoyed, dismayed and most of all worried. Damn, this fucking bastard's got me where he wants me. If I don't do what he wants, he's going to hurt Winry and other innocent people. He's using the same tactics he used on Mustang... taking hostages. I can't let Winry get hurt.

When the three had no choice but to comply with Bradley's orders, the Führer told them they could leave and after a brief additional exchange between him and Roy, and a scare for the Elrics when Bradley inserted his sword into Al's body, the three finally left the office.

At that moment Al asked the colonel for Dr. Knox's address so he could take Mei there. Roy gave it to him on the condition that they keep it secret for the safety of Lan Fan and Dr. Knox. Just as Roy was writing down the address, Ed asked him for money.

"Money?" Roy asked.

"Yes, give me all you have. Come on, hurry up!" Ed couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency, he needed to get through to Winry as soon as possible to make sure she was okay.

Roy began to pull out the few coins he had with him. In his rush to find out what was going on at Command the night before, he had forgotten to take more money. "Hold on a second." He said to Ed.

As Roy passed the money to Ed, the blond boy began to count it. "What? That's everything?"

"What are you? A mugger?" Roy replied slightly annoyed.

Wasting no more time, Ed turned and ran off, followed by Al. Al, for his part, apologized to the colonel and promised that they would tell him all about it later. Roy was appalled at the boys' behavior and just as he was beginning to figure out why, he remembered Riza.

"Oh, no, the Lieutenant!" He exclaimed, suddenly feeling very worried, so he started running towards the entrance where she had promised she would wait for him. However, after a short stretch of running, his wound bothered him again, so he put his hand to his side to try to ease the pain but didn't stop. Although he could no longer run, he walked as fast as he could. Riza, I have to make sure that that damn homunculus didn't do something to you, I can't trust his word. When he reached the entrance, he was out of breath and very sore, so he leaned against one of the pillars and was starting to pronounce Riza's rank, when his sight focused on what was in front of him, where the Lieutenant would be waiting for him. He couldn't help but be surprised and widen his eyes when he saw Major Armstrong in front of him.

"You don't look well, Colonel." Armstrong said.

Roy turned his back to him. "You think any man would look good if he found a muscular man with a mustache instead of a young woman?" Roy retorted as he tried to regain his composure and began to look around his surroundings in search of his lieutenant. Of course, she wouldn't be foolish enough to wait all night. Or maybe the Führer had called for her, dammit! I just hope she's all right and that bastard doesn't dare hurt her. In the middle of his train of thought, a familiar voice from behind him brought him out of them.

"Colonel!" Riza exclaimed.

Immediately, he turned to see her and was relieved to realize that she was okay, but he still had to make sure. "Are you all right?"

Riza was also relieved to see the colonel back. "You were gone for so long that I feared you wouldn't come back." She replied in a concerned tone, forgetting for a moment that Major Armstrong was present. As soon as she remembered, she quickly regained her soldierly composure and made the military salute. "Oh, excuse me. Lieutenant Hawkeye reporting back after taking a brief bathroom break, Sir." Roy was slightly confused, so Riza continued. "Major Armstrong stopped by and was kind enough to look after my post for a few moments. Thank you very much, Major!" Riza said this last giving Armstrong a slight bow.

"Don't worry, it was nothing." The Major politely reciprocated the bow.

Riza had taken a few minutes to go to the bathroom to freshen up and settle her thoughts. Shortly after dawn she had received word of the transfer orders for all her unit mates and her own. When she learned that she would be assigned as Bradley's personal assistant, she felt that something was wrong, especially considering that Roy had not yet returned. At those moments she couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenario. Colonel... Roy, please come back as promised. Please let him come back, that something hasn't happened to him. Every minute that passed only increased the lieutenant's growing anxiety and concern. He is still in no condition to fight and I am not at his side to help him... If something happens to him... If what happened with Lust happens again... NO, I cannot allow it, I cannot collapse like that other time, I cannot give up, just like he told me to do. I can't afford to give up right now when the boys are risking their lives, not until at least they are safe.

Riza had to stay on her feet and determined just as the Colonel had asked her to, but she was finding it very difficult after the long and heavy day they had had, not to mention that it would not be possible for her to sleep and rest until she saw Roy leave the Command. So, as soon as she saw Major Armstrong, she politely asked him if he could watch her post so she could go to the bathroom to put in order all the negative thoughts that were riddling her mind at the moment. But now, seeing Roy in front of her, all that worry turned to great relief and by the look and expression on his face, she could feel the same from him.

"So you didn't run away?" Roy asked casually, because deep down he knew she wouldn't.

Without taking her gaze from his so that he would understand her message, she asked. "Who was the person who told me not to give up no matter what?"

Roy put a hand to his head, closed his eyes and sighed in relief. He understood perfectly well that those words he had said to her a few days ago. He turned away, opened his eyes and headed for the car followed by Riza.

"Just don't tell me later that you would have run away, Lieutenant." Roy said. At that moment he had mixed emotions. He felt a great relief to see Riza safe and sound and he also felt happy to know that she would not abandon him, he had never doubted it, but a part of him wished she had, because that way she would be safe from imminent danger.

"I think it's too late for that, Colonel." Riza replied.

So, Roy and Riza boarded the car inviting Major Armstrong to join them. Riza parked the car in a secluded alley so they could talk. The Colonel had decided that the Major was a trustworthy person so he decided to share the most important information he had been able to gather from the Führer himself along with Riza. As his friend Hughes had told him, he needed allies and he had no doubt that the Major would join his cause. After this conversation, Armstrong was extremely shocked by what he had just learned, but he had no hesitation in helping in any way possible to prevent what happened in Ishval from happening again, which is why he immediately offered his unconditional support to the Colonel. Afterwards, he politely declined the ride back in the car because he needed to walk to process all the information and sort out his thoughts.

Once they were alone, Roy and Riza remained silent for a moment. The two were still processing the large number of events that had occurred in just under 24 hours. They also couldn't help but worry about the near future, where their entire unit would have to be scattered all over the country, putting each of them in danger.

Roy ducked his head and sighed. "I'm sorry." He muttered, breaking the silence.

Riza was surprised by his words and turned her head to look at him. "Why, Sir?" She questioned quietly.

"Because of me you are in so much danger."

"I'm not the only one, the others are too."

"Yes, I know. But none of them will have a homunculus hovering over them." His hands, which were clasped in his lap, parted to form fists. "I shouldn't have kept you by my side all this time. I should have insisted you to walk away from this life or at least convinced you to go to another unit, but I'm so selfish I didn't and now those fuckers will be stalking you." Roy said, annoyed.

Riza understood the guilt Roy was feeling at that instant because, had the situation been reversed, she would think the same thing.

"And do you think I would have accepted?"

At that instant, Roy raised his head and looked at her. He knew perfectly well that she would never have accepted it, she was just as stubborn as he was, but he still couldn't help but feel guilty for the danger he had put her in. Especially when he was supposed to be protecting her. But he was doing just the opposite. He was dragging her into danger.

He sighed heavily. "I know you wouldn't have... but it's not fair to you."

"With all due respect, Sir, I'm old enough to be making my decisions, and by now you know I wouldn't have left you on this mission we started years ago."

"Riza... I was supposed to protect you and instead I'm exposing you to danger. Your father would surely be extremely upset with me." Roy said bitterly.

"Si- Roy, I'll remind you again, you didn't drag me into anything. If I am involved in this it is because of my own decisions. We knew from the beginning that this road was going to be very difficult and full of obstacles. Obviously we never thought we would face this kind of monsters but still I will not give up. Amestris is in danger and we cannot allow it to fall into the hands of these homunculi." She paused slightly and allowed herself to smile slightly. "Besides, I told you earlier that it was too late for me to run away." She said lightly joking.

Roy couldn't help but return the smile. After hesitating for a few seconds, he took her left hand in his right and intertwined their fingers. He knew it was neither the place nor the time to do it, but with her reassignment, he probably couldn't have another opportunity like this. He would have to keep his distance to protect her, because if they were seen together they would probably lash out at her just to keep him at bay. Besides, she also understood the immediate future that awaited them, because she didn't let go of his hand or scold him as she usually would in other circumstances.

"I promise you that I will do everything I can to bring you safely back to my side, along with everyone else."

"I know you'll make it."

They remained silent for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company, trying to prepare themselves for the inevitable separation that was coming, until Riza spoke again.

"The boys! Damn it! With all this I had forgotten about them. We must do something." Riza said slightly exalted, and tried to let go of Roy's hand to start the vehicle, but he wouldn't let go.

"Don't worry, they're fine. Fullmetal and Alphonse were with me in the Führer's office, but unfortunately, he's got them on a short leash too." Roy said this last bitterly.

Riza sighed in relief but a new fear took its place. "What do you mean?"

"Bradley took her childhood friend hostage. Just like you, they won't hold her captive but they'll keep her under their sights."

Oh, no. Winry. Damn homunculi, how dare they threaten children? This will be hard on the boys, but especially Edward.

"All the more reason we have to move on to keep them from getting hurt." Riza said with a tone full of resolve.

Roy nodded. "We will." He said decisively. "For your safety we will have to be very careful. We may only be able to see each other when we run into each other at the headquarters, but for no reason can we be alone like we are now." He sighed and looked into her eyes. "I don't love the idea, but I don't intend to risk the slightest. So don't even think of doing anything rash or trying to get information from Bradley to help me. I don't want you to expose yourself any more than you already are."

Riza understood Roy's concern and while she also didn't like the idea of going from seeing him daily in the office and socializing with him and the other members of the unit, to only seeing him from afar from time to time, she would have to adjust to her new reality. There was no choice. She didn't want to give those monsters tools they could use against Roy.

"I agree." She replied quietly. "Though I should clarify that the person doing reckless things is you, so please refrain from doing them in my absence." She tried to joke to lighten the mood.

He squeezed her hand lightly and smiled, "You're right. I'll have to be careful because I won't have my beautiful bodyguard anymore. But don't worry, I have no intentions of getting into trouble, let alone in this situation. This will be temporary... Also take good care of yourself, please."

She nodded and also lightly squeezed his hand. Looking him straight in the eyes, she said. "Please don't overexert yourself and don't drink alcohol so that you allow your wounds to heal."

He understood that she was worried about his well-being, but he couldn't think about that when he knew that Riza would be in the hands of those monsters. But he had to take care of himself in order to recover as soon as possible so he would be prepared in case he had to intervene but, most importantly, to give her some peace of mind.

"Okay, I will if you promise me again to take care of yourself." He replied.

"Okay, we have a deal."

The two remained holding hands for a long while looking into each other's eyes, conveying the feelings that were currently engulfing them and enjoying each other's company before they no longer had a chance to do so for an indeterminate amount of time.