Well, well, well! Did everyone have fun with that last chapter? I kept reading how you guys wanted me to bring more of William into the story, and the whole time I was just quietly laughing to myself. Anyways, I've skipped ahead a few episodes (were we really going ep by ep?), so those of you who have watched the series will understand where I'm at. I figured I'd try to put as much action in as possible, which is why I post so many non-action chapters at once! I hope I didn't make this chapter too choppy, but I had to use some of the subbed episode to help me get through…

(pushes horns back into head) I swear I'll try to be nice from now on…try is the keyword here! (evil laughter)

And one more thing…please don't get confused towards the middle/end of this chapter. I end up skipping a few episodes, so that I wouldn't have to keep dragging you guys through a bunch of dialogue and the like.

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Well, well. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Mustang said as he saw the two Elric brothers sitting in front of him. A scout patrol consisting of Havoc and Breda was sent to the nearby deserted and destroyed town of Ishbal to make sure no civilians were wandering around. They happened to come across Edward and his brother Alphonse, and brought them back to Eastern to report in to Colonel Mustang. Colonel Archer, who had come along for the trip stood next to his fellow officer to observe the teenagers.

"Oh yes," Edward said sarcastically, "I'm so small that you can't see me amongst the grains of sand, LIKE ALWAYS--!" he yelled at the last part, coming out of his seat towards his superior officer. The sudden movement surprised Colonel Archer as he reached for his weapon, only to be held back slightly by Mustang. He knew the boy had a temper, and was already ignoring it.

"I hear you've been causing quite a bit of trouble. The incident at the Southern Headquarters, as well as the event following the Ishballites' escort train." Edward glared at Mustang, but finally sat down, somewhat calmer. He crossed his arms and looked in another direction as the Colonel continued. "Anyway, you will be under my command from here on in."

"Please, wait!" interjected Al, only to be interrupted by the Colonel.

"You were lucky that Havoc's patrol found the two of you."

"But…" continued Al, "we should have permission to conduct an investigation of our own!" He was stopped as Edward stood from his seat and faced his brother.

"However," he began, "once there is a call to arms, I become a dog of the military…"

"But, brother…"

"They've come all the way out here on a military train," Edward said, ignoring Al. The group watched as a large tank drove by the window, assembling itself with the other tanks that were transported from Central.

Alphonse turned from the window to look at his brother and the soldiers, "Could this be…a war?"

Archer smiled slightly as he responded to the teenager's question, "We are just suppressing an uprising region." Mustang continued where his fellow officer left off, "Our objective is a city two kilometers to the South-Southeast."

Chuckling to himself, Edward replied sarcastically, "A little big for a suppression, don't you think?"

"Is it really?" questioned Archer.

Keeping his arms folded across his chest still, Edward spoke, "Do you want me to come right out and say it? It's Scar, isn't it?" He turned to face Colonel Mustang, "We were just looking for him as well."

Later that morning, Edward and Alphonse sat with Mustang and his group of soldiers in a private dining room as lunch was served to the teenager. Next to Lieutenant Hawkeye stood a small end table covered in pictures that she would constantly flip through. Edward ate quickly, as he always did, while Mustang watched him. "Why are you after Scar?"

"If we don't take him down now," Edward said between mouthfuls, "we'll have problems later." He continued to eat as silence plagued the room. Breda, Falman, and Fury sat at the table as well, staring at the pictures Hawkeye was now placing on the larger tabletop, while Havoc leaned against a nearby wall smoking his cigarette. As Ed took a bite of bread, he noticed the pictures, "What are those?"

"They're pictures taken by our new surveillance balloon," Mustang replied, as Ed kept eyeing them from his spot at the table. Suddenly, a thought struck him and he stood up to reach one of pictures, and stared at it in his hands.

"This is a…" he whispered as he stared at the picture.

"No way," muttered Alphonse from next to him, "A transmutation circle on an entire city?" Sure enough, it appeared that deep gouges had run through the streets of the city in the picture to finally connect into a gigantic transmutation circle. "Who could do such a thing?"

"Scar…" Edward whispered to no one in particular, his eyes still concentrated on the photo.

"So it is him," Mustang stated a moment later.

"Edward, would you also happen to know his motive?" asked First Lieutenant Hawkeye. She saw him shake his head, "No. By the way, what is this city?"

Sergeant Fury piped in when no one else did, "The name of the city is Lior." He saw Edward lift his head up in surprise, but continued with his explanation, "Last year the priest who oppressed the city retired, and with the help of the military, peace was just returning—"

"Sergeant Fury," interrupted Colonel Mustang, "He already knows." Everyone watched as Edward placed the photo on the table and continued to stare at it. "Lior…" he said as he began to shake with anger, "An armed uprising in Lior?"

"But this can't be!" Al exclaimed as he stood up next to his brother, "The city returned to being peaceful after we took down that fraudulent priest--"

"No," interrupted Havoc from across the room, "The city has been split into the priest's faction and the civilian's faction," he said as he put out his cigarette. "So it's been quite hectic there. Now both sides are opposing the military."

Edward stared at him as the Lieutenant spoke so calmly. Anger finally got the better of him as he turned back around and slammed his hands on the table, "Why didn't you tell me!" he yelled at the Colonel. "Originally, I was--!"

The Colonel's face became stern as he addressed the younger alchemist, "I had received the report from Hughes, but I stopped them."

"WHY?"

"Because it's too big for you," the Colonel said harshly, ending the conversation.

All five of Colonel Mustang's subordinates, sat outside in the foyer of the Eastern Headquarters later that afternoon. The youngest of the group, Fury, sat hunched over on a stack of shipping boxes, while Havoc and Breda sat on the ground and leaned against them. Both Hawkeye and Falman leaned against nearby cement walls.

"Edward and Alphonse really don't know about Brigadier General Hughes?" Fury questioned sadly as he looked down to his comrades.

"So it seems," responded Havoc as he smoked on another cigarette.

"Well, they might just run back to Central if we tell them," Breda said stubbornly, with his arms crossed in front of him.

"He's a valuable force in battle though," Falman interjected as he faced towards his companions.

First Lieutenant Hawkeye closed the book she had been reading when she overheard the conversation going on around her, "They are in a precarious position. I want them where I can see them….I'm sure that's what the Colonel is thinking right now." Her fellow soldiers looked to her for a few moments before they heard the familiar sound of empty armor walking their way. They all turned to see Alphonse walking up to them.

"Um, have you guys seen my brother?"

Edward stood straight as Colonel Archer conversed with him in his office. "You will report directly back to me," instructed Archer. "Also, as long as you observe the conditions I laid out, I will permit it."

The door to the Colonel's office opened as Colonel Mustang stormed it, "Ed! What are you doing here!" He closed the door and walked up to stand by his younger alchemist, as Archer smirked.

"By his standing request, he will scout the city of Lior…"

"So you're going to let a precious state alchemist go sight-seeing?" Mustang replied sternly. He didn't like the looks of where this situation was going.

"That's exactly why he will come back alive," Archer said calmly, "He also knows the city of Lior better than anyone."

Colonel Mustang looked down to Edward, who calmly had his eyes closed so he could just listen to the conversation. Colonel Archer saw the look of apprehension on the fellow officer's face and chuckled slightly. "Don't be worried. He says he is leaving his brother." Mustang was surprised at this new information; Edward would never leave Alphonse behind unless it was for an extremely important reason. "Yes," continued Archer as he interlaced his hands in front of him on the desk, "I'm sure he won't run away and leave his precious little brother behind. Edward, you may leave now."

Edward turned to leave the room, but was stopped when he heard Colonel Mustang speak, "Stay outside, I wish to speak with you there." The two officers watched as the teenager exited the room. Mustang turned towards Archer and frowned, "You had no right asking my subordinate to do a duty for yo--"

"I had nothing to do with it. The boy came to me and asked if he could be sent to investigate the city, Colonel. After weighing the options, I believed it would be a good idea to have an undercover get more information before the suppression began."

"But it would have been smart if you considered your fellow officers had already done the same thing!"

Archer narrowed his eyes at Mustang's use of sarcasm, "What are you trying to get at, Roy…"

"What I'm trying to say is that I've already sent an alchemist undercover into the city, so there is no need for two of them to be roaming around during a time like this…"

"This is certainly a weird situation then, wouldn't you say? But unless your alchemist decides on his own that he will not go to Lior and leave his little brother behind, then I am obligated as a ranking officer," Archer said with the same sarcasm that Mustang used moments before, "to stand behind him if it would benefit the military in any way."

Mustang glared at the fellow officer, turned away, and walked out of his office without another word.

The air around the surviving soldiers was solemn as many of them loaded the trains to travel back to Central. After the crimson light engulfed the city of Lior, close to one thousand of their fellow soldiers disappeared without a trace. Some were severely injured, such as Colonel Archer, and were being loaded on first to seek fast medical attention. A few dozen soldiers stayed behind to help dig through the new flatland in hopes of finding their fellow comrades. Colonel Mustang stood and supervised the men, trying to take in the entire situation at once.

"It seems that Kimbly's death had been confirmed before the red light appeared," reported Sergeant Fury as he walked up to his superior officer. "But, at that point, Scar was alive."

Both Second Lieutenant Breda and Havoc marched up as Fury finished, wanting to report their own findings. "It also seems that the civilians fled the city before the military invaded," Breda reported as he saluted. "We've found an underground passage and are now following it."

First Lieutenant Hawkeye looked at the soldiers while they reported their information, "This means they never planned on resisting," she said, thinking aloud.

"Did they plan to use the soldiers as ingredients for the alchemy array covering this city?" Colonel Mustang said aloud, continuing his subordinate's thoughts.

"Edward and Alphonse seem to be fine," Havoc said after a moment. "Several soldiers have spotted them. About an hour ago, Ed, accompanied by Al, left this place."

"Did they leave on another journey?" asked Hawkeye, "But…"

Mustang turned his head slightly to look at her, "No, I don't believe that they helped Scar create the Philosopher's Stone."

"Colonel!" came Warrant Officer Falman's voice from the side.

The group turned around to see Falman standing in front of a line of soldiers. He stepped to the side to show Fuhrer Bradley's arrival. Instantly everyone in Mustang's group saluted and bowed in respect; his subordinates moving behind him so he could speak to the Fuhrer.

"Fuhrer Bradley! It is a pleasure to see you well," Mustang said as he bowed again. When he straightened up, he could see the unsatisfied look upon the head of the military's face.

"It seems something major has just happened here, Mustang," he said while looking around at the newly created flatlands. "Please, report your findings as of the current moment."

"There were twenty-eight reported dead, sixty-seven seriously injured, and five under my command. So far, approximately seven thousand soldiers are missing. We," he said as he indicated the soldiers searching in the background, "are performing a thorough investigation into the matter."

The Fuhrer contemplated the new information for a moment, "There should be two who know all the details in that matter."

"Two?" questioned Mustang.

"The Full metal and Thunder-Blade Alchemists…The younger of the brothers may know something as well. Why were they in Lior?" the Fuhrer questioned harshly.

"We believe they were pursuing Scar," replied the Colonel.

"Why is that? Were they sent on a mission to capture Scar?"

"No. They were pursuing a nationwide search, researching alche--"

"I was informed last night by Colonel Archer," interrupted the Fuhrer, "that you had also sent in the Thunder-Blade Alchemist to be an undercover in hopes of preventing casualties during the suppression, is that correct?"

"Well, yes Fuhrer," replied Roy, "she would not be suspected to be an alchemist as much as if we had sent in an older alchemist. That, and she had never been to the city before, so there was little chance of a citizen recognizing her."

Bradley rubbed his chin slightly as he thought. "So you sent in a young alchemist, who has been recruited for less than a year, to hopefully disperse a situation that has been escalating for longer than she has been enlisted?" The group stood by silent, not wanting to interrupt the commander of the military. "Tell me one thing, Colonel. Have you received word from her? Has she reported her findings as of this moment?"

The Colonel lowered his head slightly, "No, sir. I have not heard anything from her or the search party."

"Then that settles it," Bradley said matter-of-factly, "The two went to Lior, and made contact with Scar. There have been almost seventy-five hundred casualties, both officers and soldiers, as a result of this."

"But that doesn't mean that the Elric brothers and Winry have committed a crime!" said First Lieutenant Hawkeye. Seeing the Fuhrer's reaction, Mustang placed a hand in front of her, signaling for her to desist.

"I think we should give them a chance to explain their actions," proposed the Colonel. He didn't like where the situation was heading.

"Do you plan to attend to the matter personally?" questioned Fuhrer Bradley. Seeing no reaction stating otherwise, he continued, "Fine. But if you let them slip away, you will be the one explaining their case for them." Looking over to a section of soldiers that accompanied him out to the site, he motioned for them to join the side Mustang stood on, "Please accompany them."

"According to my information," resumed Bradley, "there is a possibility that the Elric brothers and the girl are fighting together with the creatures who call themselves homunculi. Retrieve them and bring them back. If they fall into your hands, I grant you permission to pass judgment upon them." With a last bow from Mustang and his group, the Fuhrer turned around and walked off back to the headquarters.

"Colonel…" Havoc said quietly, even after Bradley was out of hearing distance. Before he could continue, Mustang began talking.

"It is as you have heard. Let's sort out the information we have on the Elric brothers' and Winry's whereabouts," he ordered before walking off to a different direction.

Silence surrounded the subordinates as the information sunk in. "Are we really going after Ed, Al, and Winry?" questioned Fury unbelievingly.

"Those are the orders," replied Hawkeye quietly, lowering her head and closing her eyes.

"But…but this was Scar's doing!" interrupted Breda, "I mean, not to mention the incident with Archer…I don't know what happened, but those kids can't…"

"They are running away," interjected Falman. "If we let them go, the Colonel will be punished."

Breda clenched his hands together in anger, "They did tell us to 'pass judgment, if they were to fall into our hands'…"

"We have to find them first," said Havoc, who had been quiet for the past few minutes. "We know the brothers are on the run, but as the Colonel said…we haven't heard anything from Winry, so who knows where she could be…"

"You don't think she was…in the city when it happened, do you?" asked Fury, lowering his head in sadness.

Havoc turned from his friends and looked over the barren land, "I sure hope not…"

"First Lieutenant Hawkeye…First Lieutenant Hawkeye!" The yelling from the side interrupted the moment between the friends as a soldier who had been searching for survivors came running up to her. He stopped when he reached the group, panting in exhaustion. Hawkeye placed her hands on his shoulders to check if he was all right; he seemed frantic with his group's discovery. A long moment later he lifted his head up and smiled in a small victory, "We found something!"

Havoc watched as a shiny chain and pendant was placed into the Lieutenant's hand, "No…It can't be…" he whispered as the group of his fellow comrades fell silent around him.

It was Winry's necklace.