CHAPTER 5: A CRIMSON SECRET

British Army Bunker, Birmingham – July, 1943

Edward and Alphonse Elric greedily and hungrily devoured every last morsel of food laid out on the table before them. Both look much cleaner, having finally been able to take a hot shower. Bandages and cloth wraps dotted their faces and limbs, covering the numerous wounds they had obtained at the hands of their captors. They also had some fresh and clean clothes, mainly British military fatigues that were a little too large for them.

Both swallowed the last crumb of food and sat back, rubbed their bellies and let out a relaxed sigh, followed by a couple of belches before noticing the several British soldiers staring at them in awe and amazement.

"Are you guys alright?" Ed asked nervously, Al didn't look too comfortable either with all those eyes fixed on them.

"Don't mind them." Both Ed and Al jumped a little and turned to see Colonel Gabriel Mackenzie walk into the room, it was well lit but devoid of almost any décor save for the table, a couple of chairs and the lights. "They're just jealous because they haven't seen that kind of grub since the war started." Gabriel stopped in front of the large table, and was also shocked at how quickly the Elric brothers had demolished their meal.

"Well, we haven't eaten that well in a long time either." Al cheerfully said, although he felt somewhat guilty at not leaving his rescuers with anything.

"I take it that you two are feeling better?" Gabriel queried.

"Yea thanks for getting us out of that hell hole." Ed responded and Al nodded in agreement.

"Good, come with me then." Gabriel turned and motioned for the two brothers to follow. "Clean those dishes up." He ordered the soldiers still at the table before leaving the room. They did not look happy.

"So Colonel, where are we?" Ed asked as him and Al followed Gabriel out of the room and down a tunnel.

"A bunker hidden below the city of Birmingham."

"Birmingham?" Al muttered.

"Yes, we're in England." Gabriel continued walking. "We had to go out of our way to shake off the Jerries, couldn't let them follow us." He said, explaining why they had detour through several destinations before arriving here. "That's why it took us a couple of days to travel that short distance."

"And where are you taking us now?" Ed used a lower tone of voice.

"Someone that wants to see you, an old acquaintance." Ed and Al wondered who he was talking about. The group continued down a few more corridors and turns before arriving at a steel door. Gabriel knocked on it

"I've brought them." A beat before a reply came from the other side.

"Come in." Gabriel opened it and waved for the brothers to walk in. Inside was a fairly large office, lined with bookshelves along the walls. A rug covered the concrete floor with a large oak desk in the middle and a fireplace behind the table gave the room a warm glow. Behind the desk was a chair, turned to face the fireplace, and on the opposite side were two more chairs. Both entered the room a bit hesitantly.

"Edward and Alphonse." Gabriel started as the chair swivelled around to reveal an elderly Englishman, probably in his 60's with grey hair and beard, and sporting a pair of glasses. "This is Doctor Arthur…"

"Baldwin." Both Elrics finished off the sentence for him.

About twenty years ago, the Elrics had successfully stolen the atomic bomb back from the Thule Society when it was accidentally transferred from Ed and Al's world to this one. Even before then, the Thule Society was already coming down hard on them. Basically, they were pissed because the Elrics had managed to foil their invasion of "Shambala", their name for the world of alchemy.

It seemed that stealing the atomic bomb only aggravated them even more. The Thule's, who were by then quickly raising in political stature concentrated all their efforts on capturing the brothers, mainly to find out where they hid the atomic bomb, and secondly to get a sample of Edward's automail technology. The two ran to England, where they met an expert on alchemy, Doctor Arthur Baldwin.

"What are you doing here Doctor?" Ed fired the first question. Both brothers were seated in the chairs across the desk from Baldwin, with Gabriel standing by the door.

"I should be asking you the same thing." Baldwin calmly replied. "But you did ask first." He sighed. "I work for the British government now, to study alchemy to support the Allied war effort."

"But alchemy doesn't exist in this world." Al stated; both brothers knew that well. Baldwin chuckled lightly.

"Nonetheless there are still people interested in it." Baldwin said, referring to the Thule Society from twenty years ago. "This is a war, anything can happen and the Allies have no desire to be left behind. They like to explore all possibilities." But Baldwin changed the subject. "But alas, now it is your turn. Why are you here? I remember sending the two of you home quite a long time ago." Ed and Al looked at each other.

"You didn't." Ed started, causing Baldwin to raise an eyebrow. "We thought we went through the Gate, but we didn't go home." Baldwin considered this briefly.

"Indeed. So it is as I had feared." Ed and Al looked back up at the doctor now. "My machine didn't work." They both remembered what the doctor had told them back then. Baldwin had created a machine, harnessing considerable electrical power that was supposed to be able to open the Gate. Of course, besides the machine, someone with knowledge of alchemy, and experience with the Gate was needed too and that made Ed and Al perfect candidates.

"We saw the Gate." Al started. "We saw it open before us." He recalled, and Baldwin listened intently. "But when we woke up, we were in Germany, in 1942."

"I'm sorry." Baldwin apologized. "Maybe my machine did work but it seems the Gate decided to send you somewhere else."

"Maybe you can try again Doctor?" Al asked hopefully, but Baldwin shook his head.

"I tried it several more times after you left, but all my test subjects either disappeared or returned dead." Baldwin looked disappointed. "I deemed it a failure and had it scrapped."

"Oh." Al and Ed looked away unhappily.

"Quite so. At least you're both alive and well." Baldwin smiled. "And imagine my surprise when Allied Intelligence told me that you were running around Germany and France, and captured by the Nazis no less!"

"Heh, well we have the Colonel to thank for rescuing us." Al looked back at Gabriel who didn't seem to react.

"Actually, it was the good Doctor here who requested Allied Command to retrieve you. I'm just the lackey carrying out the orders." Gabriel modestly deflected the attention away from himself.

"You did?" Ed finally seemed to have awakened at last.

"Well yes, mainly because I wanted to know what you were doing here still. But I seem to have gotten my answer to that."

"And?" Baldwin grinned.

"Still sharp as ever Edward." Baldwin relaxed into his chair. "It seems your arrival here was quite a stroke of luck, because we need your help, both of you."

"For what?" Ed asked reluctantly, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"We have reason to believe that the Nazis have constructed a Philosopher's Stone."

"WHAT?" Ed and Al slammed their hands on the desk and stood up.

"Allied Intelligence has provided us with information that the Nazis have been researching the Stone for the past couple of years." Baldwin continued. "And recently in the last few months there have been reports of strange activities occurring at a secret Nazi base in Norway. The base where we suspected they were conducting their research."

"What do you mean?" It was Ed who asked the question. Baldwin looked at the two seriously for a moment before replying.

"Reports have surfaced of half-men, half-beasts being sighted near the base."

"Chimera…" Ed whispered.

"But… but that's not possible!" Al gasped.

"Keep in mind, that quite a number of the Thule Society are now ranking members of the Nazi regime. Their interest in Shambala didn't fade when their invasion failed twenty years ago." Baldwin pointed out.

"But how can they do it without the power of alchemy?" Ed gritted his teeth. Baldwin shook his head.

"I'm afraid I don't know."

"How, how would they even have the knowledge of making one?" Al asked.

"I don't know that either. But I'm not the only one in this world who studies alchemy."

"Are you sure it's a real Philosopher's Stone?" Ed recalled that they had encountered many fake or incomplete ones before.

"That's why I need your help." Baldwin said, looking both squarely in the eye. "I need you to ascertain if it is real or not."

"Why us?" Al gradually sat back down in his chair.

"Because you two are the only ones in this world with any experience with the Stone." Baldwin waved at all the books in his office. "These do not give me any practical knowledge. You would know better then any of us, and that may be one of the reasons why the Germans went to so much trouble to find you." The Colonel then stepped into the conversation.

"I will be leading a team to raid the facility; we will go in and find out exactly what is going on in there."

"Yes, we would like you to accompany the assault team." Baldwin gestured at Gabriel. "You can consider this, your 'equivalent exchange' for your rescue." Ed looked slightly amused.

"And what if you find the Philosopher's Stone." Al whispered. "What if it's real?"

"Then we'll destroy it." Gabriel sounded very committed.

"We cannot allow something of such great power to fall into the wrong hands." Baldwin affirmed. Ed sat back down in his chair and looked Baldwin hard in the eyes.

"If it exists, then won't you want to study it too?" Baldwin did not flinch.

"You told me long ago Edward Elric, that the Philosopher's Stone was the cause of much suffering in your world." Ed could barely remember telling Baldwin that. "It is true, I am a scientist and as such, I want to know everything there is about alchemy. But I am doing it for the good of mankind, not to gain power. If what you said is true, then such a terrible thing must not be allowed to exist, regardless of its scientific value." Baldwin paused for a breath. "I, like you Elric brothers, only want to do what is right. Can I count on your help?" Ed and Al exchanged glances but their reply was not long in coming, and they answered simultaneously.

"We're in."

To Be Continued…