When Crono awoke, he was lying on a bed in a modest-looking room with the first rays of daylight streaming in.. There was another bed and a window to the left, and a door to the right. The covers were a mess, but he was laying on top of them, rather than under. He rolled to his feet, then noticed the large form sitting beside the other bed.
"Robo!" he called, running over to the bulky automation. Robo was large and round, with a light beige color, and eyes made from green glass. "Robo, it's me, Crono. Are you alright?"
Robo gave no response, and Crono noticed that the lights in his eyes were out and there was no sound coming from his engine. It was like when they'd found him in the Proto Dome. They'd need Lucca's help to get him running again.
"Don't worry, buddy. I'll get you fixed," Crono said. Resolved to do just that, he was about to leave the room, when he noticed that his headband had come off in his sleep. He searched the covers for it, then tied it back on. Crono had long, spiky red hair—not ginger, but actually red—and wore a light blue gi, beige pants, a yellow neck tie, and boots.
His sword—still the wooden one from his childhood—had also fallen to the floor in his sleep. As he was recovering it, he heard the door open.
"Hey, Elrics, something wrong? I heard someone..."
Crono turned to see a man standing in the doorway. He was wearing a blue jacket, which seemed formal enough to be a uniform and glasses with rectangular frames, and he had slicked-back, black hair and considerable stubble. He was standing with a relaxed posture, but the look on his face clearly indicated that he wasn't expecting Crono to be there. His eyes drifted down to the wooden sword in Crono's hand, and he quickly drew a pistol from his belt and pointed it at him.
"Who are you? What have you done with the Elric brothers?" the man demanded.
Before speaking, Crono slowly and deliberately put the sword back down, then put his hands up. "Look, I'm about as lost as you, alright? And what I do know is going to take a lot of explaining."
The man stared him down.
"My name's Crono," Crono said. "Can you please put the gun down?"
Someone put their hand on the man's shoulder from behind, then a woman peeked around him. She had hair that was shoulder-length, either light brown or dirty blonde, and she was wearing an everyday light blue dress that extended all the way down her legs. She had a worried expression, and a kind face.
"Maes, dear, what's going on?" she asked, upon noticing Crono.
The man looked at her, then put his gun away. "Well, the Elrics seem to have gone missing, and that boy snuck in here somehow," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I've gotta notify command. A state alchemist disappearing is a big concern, especially lately. You. Crono, was it? Come with me, and don't try anything funny, got it?"
"Right..." Crono said, finally lowering his aching arms.
Maes stepped aside from the door, and motioned for Crono to follow him as he walked down the hallway. The woman followed. They came into a living room with a couch and two cushioned chairs. A table on the wall had a telephone sitting on it. Maes motioned for Crono to sit, and was about to pick up the phone, when a little girl came out of the hallway. She had light brown or dirty blonde hair like the woman, and despite looking like she just got out of bed, she seemed plenty energetic.
"Daddy? Who's this? Where are Edward and Alphonse?" the girl asked.
The woman stepped toward her. "They left early for work, sweetheart. This is Crono, and Daddy has some important things to talk about with him. Come on, let's get you ready, your hair is a mess!" She picked the girl up, then nodded to Maes and left down the hallway.
Maes watched them go, then picked the phone up and dialed a number. "This is Lieutenant-colonel Maes Hughes, I need you to connect me with Colonel Mustang. Right." He gave them some sort of code, then waited a moment. "Hello? Lieutenant? Is Roy on latrine break or something? What? The Elric brothers too. I was just calling to inform you. Yeah, this kid named Crono just showed up in our house. Right. I'll be there as soon as possible."
He looked at Crono momentarily. "No, I don't think an escort will be necessary. Thank you."
He hung up, then turned to Crono. "Alright, kid, gather your things. You'll be in Lieutenant Hawkeye's care soon."
"I can't leave without Robo," Crono said.
"Who?" Hughes asked.
"You didn't see him? He's in the room where I was sleeping."
Hughes sighed, then went back down the hallway to the bedroom, with Crono following.
"That thing's your friend?" he asked. "What even is it?"
"He's a robot. Pretty much a mechanical person."
"Is he asleep or something?"
"I think he's broken. My friend Lucca could repair him though."
"Well then you'd better hope that's the girl who showed up in Mustang's place," said Hughes. "Come on, I'll call the lieutenant back."
Lucca woke up with her head on a desk. For a moment, she assumed that she must have been back at home, having worked herself to sleep planning her next invention, but it didn't take long to notice that this wasn't a room in her house. It was spacious and sterile. The walls were white, with huge green banners hung up in some places. Aside from the large wooden desk that she was sitting at, which was covered in paperwork, the only other furniture was two couches with a low table between them. A large window to the left showed a huge walled-in space covered in grass and intercut with walkways outside, where it seemed that dawn was just breaking, and there was a double door to the right. As Lucca stood up, she also realized there was a large map on the wall behind the desk. The country depicted on it, "Amestris", was oddly circular in shape.
Her helmet seemed to have come off in her sleep, so she picked it up and put it back on. Lucca had straight, shoulder-length pink hair, large round glasses, a bright orange gi, and, of course, the aforementioned helmet, which was green with a microphone and antenna. Most would not call her a paragon of fashion choice.
Just as she was getting her bearings and starting to wonder why she was here in the first place, the door opened and a woman walked in. "Colonel, are you—" She stopped when she saw Lucca, then she drew a gun on her.
Lucca had her own gun out in a flash, though she noticed that it was her old one from before the adventure had even started. They stood in silence for a moment, staring each other down.
"Who are you? And where's the colonel?" the woman eventually said. She was wearing a blue uniform, and she had blonde hair that was bound on the back of her head so that it stuck up.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucca said. "Can we not do this? I'll warn you that I'm a pretty good shot with this thing."
The woman raised one eyebrow at that statement, seeming to find it amusing. "You're in a military building, armed, seemingly without any permission, and you're threatening military personnel?" she said.
She makes a decent point, Lucca thought. "You don't have to believe me, but could you at least give me a chance to explain myself?"
The woman's eyes narrowed.
"Well, someone's going to have to move first, and it might as well be me," Lucca said, lowering the gun, then returning it to its holster. "My name's Lucca. I have no idea what happened. I just woke up here."
"A convenient story," the woman said, gun still raised.
Lucca shrugged. "You going to arrest me?"
"We'll see," the woman said. "For your sake, I hope the colonel is alright." She finally seemed to relent, lowering her gun, but holding out a hand for Lucca's. Lucca reluctantly handed it over. She motioned for Lucca to sit down, then she went to the desk and picked up the phone. "This is Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. I need to speak with command," she said. She gave the operator a code, then waited a few moments. "I'd like to inquire about Colonel Mustang. Is his location known? Yes, sir. He was at his desk last I saw him, but he seems to be missing. Thank you." She hung up, then stood by the desk with her arms behind her back.
"So, um, mind telling me where this is?" Lucca asked.
Hawkeye squinted at her, then sighed. "You're in Central Command, the government's capitol building. How exactly did you manage to get in here without knowing that?"
Lucca just shrugged.
Soon, the phone rang, and Hawkeye picked it up. "Ah, Hughes. What's the occasion? No, actually, the colonel is missing. What? Here too, actually. This girl just appeared here. Why don't you bring him here? Very well. Do you need an escort? Alright." She hung up and faced Lucca. "Well, your story just became a little more believable."
"Really? What happened?"
"It seems that Edward and Alphonse Elric have gone missing too, and a boy showed up in their place."
"Who? Did you get a name?"
"Hughes said his name was Crono. Why? Do you know him?"
"That's my friend!" Lucca said, bolting up. "Where is he?"
"Sit down," Hawkeye said sternly. Lucca did. "He should be here shortly."
The phone rang again moments later, and Hawkeye picked it back up. "Hughes? Something wrong?" She sighed. "Yes, her name's Lucca. I'll see what I can do." She hung up, then sighed again, placing her hands on the desk with her head down. Just as she was about to compose herself, a man walked into the room.
"Hello, lieutenant," he said. He looked to be about fifty, with short black hair and a thick mustache. He wore an eyepatch over his left eye and a uniform much like Hawkeye's. His voice was relaxed, and somewhat pleasant.
Hawkeye scrambled to attention and saluted the man. "Fuhrer Bradley!" she said.
The man nodded to her, apparently a signal, as she stopped saluting and relaxed somewhat. "I hear that the colonel is missing," he said.
"Actually, sir, I've just heard from Lieutenant-colonel Hughes that the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother have disappeared as well," Hawkeye said.
Bradley nodded. "Under normal circumstances, the whereabouts of our state alchemists would be our top priority. Unfortunately, you understand that our first concern at the moment is finding the Freezing Alchemist."
"Yes, sir," Hawkeye said.
"Good," Bradley said. "Then as the colonel's right hand, I'm putting you in command of the case. For the time being, you're promoted to the rank of acting colonel."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll handle the care of this girl. Go ahead and get to work, colonel."
"Right away, sir. By the way, Hughes said that the boy in his home is refusing to leave before this girl fixes something for him," Hawkeye said. She held out Lucca's gun for Bradley. "She had this gun when I found her, sir." Bradley took the gun, then Hawkeye saluted and left the room.
Bradley finally addressed Lucca. "So you appeared in the colonel's place. What's your name, girl?"
"Um, Lucca, sir." It seemed right to address him that way.
Bradley smiled at her. "No need to be so formal, Lucca, you're not in the military. Come, let's go see what your friend needs."
After about half an hour, there was a knock at the door. Crono looked up from Elicia—Hughes's daughter, who was busy poking at his hair—and followed Hughes as he got up and opened the door. On the other side was a man with an eyepatch and mustache, Lucca, and two bodyguards.
"Crono!" Lucca shouted, dashing forward and hugging Crono, while Hughes hastily saluted the man with the eyepatch.
"Fuhrer Bradley!" Hughes stammered. "I was expecting the lieutenant."
"She's been promoted for the time being, and is handling the McDougal case in Mustang's stead," said Bradley.
"I see, sir. Well, feel free to come inside and make yourself at home."
"Thank you." Bradley stepped toward Crono, whom Lucca had just released. "You appeared in Edward Elric's place, as I hear it. Crono, was it?"
Crono nodded.
"And what did you need of the young lady?" Bradley asked.
"My friend Robo needs to be—"
"Robo's here?" Lucca demanded.
"Yeah, there's a room down the hall—"
Lucca pushed past him and bolted down the hall, and Crono quickly followed.
"Robo..." she said, seeing him motionless on the floor.
"Can you fix him?" Crono asked.
"I'm sure I can, but... Crono, did you lose your new equipment when you came here?"
"I did, yeah. I've only got my old wooden sword right now."
"Well, I've been thinking about it, and my best theory for why we're here is that Lavos sent us to another world to save itself, and I think that, physically, it might have sent us back in time too."
"So you're saying it took us from before the fair, rather than during the battle?"
"Something like that, yeah. Thing is, Robo doesn't have a soul. His memory is completely physical."
"So you're worried that he might not even remember us?"
Lucca nodded, and tears seemed to be welling up in her eyes. Crono put his hands on her shoulders. "Would you say that fixing him the first time was a mistake?" he asked.
"Of course not!"
"Then it won't be this time. Besides, he might remember us after all. The only way to find out is to fix him."
Lucca closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'll get to work."
"What's this about souls?" said Bradley, who had apparently entered the room partway through the conversation. His bodyguards and the Hughes family were right behind him.
"Well, Robo is essentially an artificial human made with machinery," Lucca explained.
"Crono tried explaining it to me, sir," said Hughes. "As far as I can tell, it's like if you made a whole person out of automail."
"Fascinating..." said Bradley. "Well, do what you need to. I hope you understand that we can't leave you in this room unattended, though."
"Sure," said Lucca. She walked over and inspected Robo, then opened him up. "Yup, this is the same state he was in when we found him. I should be able to repair this in no time."
She wasn't kidding. Where before it had taken her hours of tinkering to understand and successfully reconstruct Robo's complicated mechanisms, this time she had it done in under an hour, and plenty of that time was dedicated to Elicia asking what each thing she did meant, then acting like she understood Lucca's techno babble.
"That should do," Lucca said, closing Robo up. "I'm gonna switch him on."
She did, and the whirring of Robo's motors became audible. The lights in his eyes turned on, and he started to move. He looked around the room, then flashed his lights in a gesture similar to blinking. "Crono? Lucca? Did we succeed in defeating Lavos?"
Lucca fell to her knees and let out a long breath, then embraced Robo. "Lucca? Is something wrong?" he asked.
Lucca straightened up. "No, nothing at all. Welcome back, Robo."
Robo seemed confused for a moment, but then Bradley spoke. "I hate to interrupt such a touching reunion, but we should be returning to Central Command now. You can explain your situation to your friend on the way."
"Of course," said Crono. They thanked the Hughes for their hospitality and understanding, then they left with the Fuhrer.
"I'm going to be perfectly honest with you," said Bradley, after they'd caught Robo up. "What's just happened with you three is a major concern. At the moment, however, we have a bigger problem. There's a violent criminal named Isaac McDougal loose in this city, and we've just lost three of our best fighters. All three of you seem to be armed, however shoddy the weapons may be, and you certainly carry yourselves like you've seen plenty of fighting. Therefore, I have an offer for you: help us detain McDougal, and I'll make sure you go free.
"If you agree, we'll give you any equipment you may need, within reason. If you shirk your duties and flee, however, the military won't be lenient, should we catch you."
Crono and Lucca shared a look. "Do you mind if we discuss this privately for a moment?" Crono asked.
"Not at all," Bradley answered. He ducked into an alley, then waved them further in. His bodyguards took position on either side of the entrance, keeping a close eye on them.
"What do you think?" Crono whispered when they were far enough to not be overheard.
"Sounds like a pretty good deal to me," Lucca said. "We can't go looking for Marle and the others from a jail cell, and I'd help detain a murderer even without an incentive."
"Yeah, but can we trust him?"
"Does it matter? If we say no, we get arrested, and if we say yes and they arrest us anyway, we'll just have to run."
"Good point. Robo? Any thoughts?"
"Lucca's analysis of the situation is logically sound. Our best course of action seems to be to accept the fuhrer's offer," Robo said.
Crono nodded, then they returned to Bradley. "We'll do it," he said.