Police HQ, Musutafu, Japan. February 22, 1600

"What was I supposed to do?!" demanded Officer Tamura. "I know it was risky -"

"RISKY?!" yelled the other officer. "That was downright reckless, Tamura! What the hell were you thinking, letting a teenager fight a villain?!"

"You weren't there, sir. None of us were in any condition to continue fighting that villain, or even buy time for either backup or the heroes to show up. What were we supposed to do?"

"Anything but let a child fight! I don't care what your excuse is, you do not -"

"That's enough!" called out another male voice.

Both officers turned and saw another police officer walking up to them, a serious look on his face. This one was tall, with black hair and eyes. He wore the standard police uniform, plus an opened tan trench coat over it.

"Detective Tsukauchi," said Officer Tamura, immediately saluting.

"I heard what happened," he said, saluting back. "You're lucky to be alive."

"I'm lucky to have met that boy," she said. "And while I know it goes against all training and rules to let a child fight -"

"Save it. As far as I figure, that boy's a hero. The old-fashioned kind."

"But, sir!" said the third officer. "Tamura -"

"Made a judgment call that saved her and everyone else there, police and civilians alike. She did nothing wrong. Got it?"

"...yes, sir."

"Now, where is the little hero?"

"Interrogation room B," said Officer Tamura. ""He didn't put up any fight, let himself be arrested...although, I should probably warn you: don't call him short to his face. It sets off a violent temper in him."

"Good to know. So, shall we go see him?"

The three officers made their way down the hall to the interrogation room, passing by a few other officers who were talking about Edward and how he saved them. After taking a left, they passed through a black door and found themselves in the viewing room. On the other side of a one-way mirror, they saw Ed sitting at a table, reclining the chair on its two back legs. His legs were propped up on the table, and he looked bored. Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow at this, before taking a file on a nearby desk and nodding to the other two. They nodded back, and he walked into the room. Ed looked up at him as he walked in, removing his legs from the table and setting the chair back down.

"So," said the Detective, standing still. "I heard about how you saved my fellow officers."

He then gave a bow in thanks, surprising Edward for a moment.

"Thank you."

"Hey, no need to thank me!" he said. "I was just doing what anyone would have done."

"...and that's where you're wrong," said Tsukauchi, taking the opposite seat. "I don't know what it's like over where you're from, but here civilians let Heroes and Police handle Villains. Mostly Heroes, as they're better trained for dealing with them."

As he said this, he secretly activated his Quirk, a superpower that allowed him to better analyze those in front of him and their reactions. He especially took note of his reaction to the words "Heroes" and "Villains". He showed slight unfamiliarity to them, despite how they were practically household terms these days. He definitely found it interesting.

"Well, it's not entirely different where I'm from. Mostly police handle the trouble, though we do have a few, uh, Heroes of our own as well. But the high-level ones are mostly military."

"...tell me something," he said, placing the file down and opening it. "Mister, Edward Elric is it?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Where are you from?"

"...I doubt you'd have heard of it, even if I told you."

"Uh huh. When did you get here, and how?"

"Today. And I doubt you'd believe me on how. By the way, I know you got my name. What's yours?"

"Oh, my apologies. I'm Detective Tsukauchi."

"Nice to meet you, Detective. Now, not to be rude, but why don't you just get to the point?"

"Rather blunt, aren't you? Very well, Mr. Elric. We have, virtually no record of you. Save for a photo, a name, and an observation of your Quirk. We don't even have a record of you entering the country, legally speaking. So, for all intents and purposes, you're an illegal alien."

Edward flinched at this, the thought seemingly now coming to him. Tsukauchi saw sweat appear on him, could sense the distress in him. If he pushed this just right, he'd be able to get some answers out of him.

"However, the fact remains that you fought to protect my fellow officers and the civilians from a villain. And you did so nonlethally, although it was excessively violent in the end."

"Hey, that bastard was trying to kill you guys. I'm pretty sure he got off easy, all things considered."

"Maybe, maybe not. But we're not judge or jury, and certainly not executioners...I'll make you an offer, Mr. Elric: why don't you tell me what you're doing in this country, and depending on your answer I may let you go."

This was partly a lie. Even if he did let Edward go, there was no way that would last long. Not only was he an illegal alien, but also a minor. And without any means of identifying his home country or a family member, there was no way he'd be allowed to roam free. Edward sighed, shaking his head.

"I doubt you and the others behind that window will believe me, if I tell you."

"Oh?" asked the Detective, closing the file. "Try me."

"...okay, you asked for it," he said, leaning forward. "I'm from another universe, one without Heroes or Villains, or even superpowers."

Tsukauchi looked at him, using his Quirk and observational skills to see if he was lying. These skills had helped him in his career, telling him when a suspect was innocent or guilty or when one of his fellow officers wasn't telling him the whole truth. It even helped him save civilian lives. As such, he relied on both Quirk and skills more often than any other officer in that district.

Which was why, for the first time, he wondered if his Quirk was wrong when it told him that Edward Elric was telling the truth. He was unable to hide the shock and disbelief from his face, and Edward picked up on it.

"Told you," he said, leaning back in his chair again. "So, you gonna call me a liar and -"

"No," said the Detective, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I've been in the force long enough to know when someone's telling a truth or lie. Hell, I can tell if they're trying to convince themselves of a lie, or already have. But you...you're serious."

Detective Tsukauchi took his face in his hands, unsure of how to proceed. This was beyond what he was expecting. He was certain that the two behind the glass weren't sure what to think, either. Especially since everyone in HQ knew of his Quirk, and they saw him admit that this boy was speaking the truth.

"If it helps any, I can hardly believe it, myself. I mean, I ended up in a world where technology is far more advanced than back home. I've been here, what, two hours? And already I've seen more technological advances here than I could have dreamed of, back home. And, people have super powers! That's pretty awesome!"

"What?" asked Tsukauchi, looking up. "But, so do you. You have a Quirk, too."

"Oh, what I do isn't a superpower, or Quirk as you call it. It's Alchemy."

At that word, he perked up in attention. Alchemy? That sounded like something the cops investigating the warehouse incident were looking into, alongside other occult subjects.

"Alchemy? As in, that magic precursor of chemistry?"

"Magic precursor? What are you talking about? Alchemy's a science. Take matter, deconstruct it, and then reconstruct it into something else. The science of transmutation."

At that last word the detective stood up. He had definitely heard that word, when he overheard an officer and forensics scientist talk about the warehouse case. Something about transmutation of physical and metaphysical stuff.

"Uh, you okay?" okay asked Edward.

"Transmutation," the detective said to himself. "Is it possible…"

"Uh...is what possible?"

"...tell me something, Mr. Elric -"

"Edward."

"Very well, Edward. If we showed you something, would you be willing and able to identify if it's this Alchemy you use?"

"Uh, maybe. I'd have to see it, first."

"Let me rephrase that: will you help us identify whether Alchemy was used or not?"

"...sure. If you guys help me with something in return."

"Good enough for me."

"Detective Tsukauchi," said Officer Tamura's voice over the intercom. "Could you please step outside for a moment?"

"Right, be right there," he said to the glass. "Excuse me."

He was buzzed out the door, leaving Edward there as he approached the two officers.

"Are you certain that was wise, sir?" asked the male officer. "Offering to help an illegal alien?"

"One who happens to be a minor, no less?" asked Tamura.

"I said I'd give him help in return for his. I always keep my word. And besides, he can help us get ahead in the warehouse case. One more case closed. And, it'll give us a chance to observe him and make a file on him."

"But -"

"I'm not giving him the whole file. Just one or two photos. That way, we can judge how much help he can be to us. And, depending on what he asks for, it may even coincide with the case."

"That's a big if, sir," said Tamura. "What are you basing this off of?"

"Gut instinct, one that hasn't failed me yet. But if it puts you at ease, contact the Chief and catch him up to speed. Now, are you both with me?"

The two officers looked at each other with uncertainty before nodding, the Detective going to get the photos. After a few minutes, Detective Tsukauchi came back to Edward with two photos in hand, putting them down and sliding them towards him. Both of them showing the faded chalk design, the dried blood, and the metal tub. Edward took them and looked them over, closely.

"...I'd have to look at the blood and the tub's contents to be sure," he said. "But that chalk design; it's hard to tell from this, but this does look like a transmutation circle. But there are parts here that I don't recognize, like these inner circles here and here. But if I had to guess, I'd say those were where items were placed."

"One of our forensic scientists thinks so, too. It seems this, circle, has elements and symbols from various forms of ancient magic systems from around the world. We don't know what for, but we believe that whatever happened in there backfired."

"Alchemy's rebound effect, sounds like it," he said, sliding the photos back to him. "Okay, I helped you out. Now it's your turn to help me."

"...very well. What is it you need?"

"I'm looking for something. Something dangerous, that got pulled from my universe and into this one. If left unchecked, it can bring this country to ruin. And with enough time, maybe even the whole world. I need your help finding it."

"What is it? And can you describe it?"

"It's called a homunculus, an artificial person."

"Artificial? As in a clone?"

""No, a clone is just a copy. This is something else entirely. Look, it's hard to explain, but in my universe there's this...dimension, or realm, that we alchemists call the inside of The Gate. Every piece of information about our universe is in there, from the smallest molecule to the biggest star. And a small piece of that realm got pulled out and may very well be wandering around your city."

"...is that what makes it dangerous? Ultimate knowledge of your universe?"

"Which includes Alchemy. And human transmutation."

"Human transmutation? Like what you did to the villain?"

"No, all I did was transmute the metal on him to come off. True human transmutation is different, changing the body with alchemy. But it's forbidden. Alchemy's Ultimate Taboo. Anyone who tries, ends up paying a heavy price. Most times, they die from the price, or end up losing a part of their body. But this thing, it'll know how to circumvent that. And with the right ingredients and time, who knows what it'll do?"

"...have you come across one, previously?"

"I have. And let me put things into perspective for you: the one I did meet? He performed mass human transmutation on a whole country, just to absorb the souls of everyone there so as to gain power."

Detective Tsukauchi's face showed shock and horror at those words, and after almost a minute he regained his composure.

"Please tell me you stopped him."

"Yeah, my friends and I did, along with my father. Almost killed us, but we got him."

"I see...can you describe what it looks like, a Homunculus?"

"Hard to say. I've only ever met one, but by the time I did it had already used Alchemy to make itself a human body for a container. At one point, it left that body and took up a humanoid form with a bunch of red eyes all over its black body, but that wasn't it's original form. Just something it developed into. From what my old man once told me, it originally looked like a small black orb of smoke, with a big red eye, a large mouth, and two tendrils for arms. Not much to go on, I know."

"No, it's not. But it is a start.. could you give me a few minutes? I need to consult with the others."

Ed nodded, and the detective left the room and met with the others.

"This is big," said Officer Tamura. "Bigger than any of us could have thought of."

"You said it," said the detective. "Did you contact Chief Tsuragamae?"

"Yeah, he's on the way now."

"Good. With the promises I made, hopefully the Chief can help me keep them."


"Man, this is boring," said Ed, once more reclining his chair on it's back legs.

It had been another twenty minutes since the detective left. Twenty minutes of him doing nothing. Since he wasn't wasn't chained, he was at least able to move around. He had already walked to the mirror, trying to look through it. He had also contemplated transmuting a door to walk out, but he shot that idea down. He eventually found himself thinking of home, and the others.

"Truth has Al back with him," he said softly. "And I'm back in my old body...which means, I may have to provide nutrition for him, like last time. I hope...God, I hope Winry's doing alright."

That was when the door opened again, Ed setting the chair down. The Detective walked in, but the person behind him immediately stole Ed's attention. The person was tall, wearing a black suit and white tie with black spots.

And his head was a Beagle's head, looking right at Ed.

"What the hell?" Ed said. "Is that a chimera?"

"Chimera?" asked the detective. "...no idea what that is, but this is the Chief of Musutafu's police force, Chief Kenji Tsuragamae."

"O-oh. Uh, I'm sorry. Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," said the Chief. "Woof!"

Ed started at him as he said that last part, not sure how to respond. Detective Tsukauchi chuckled at his expression, shaking his head.

"So, we seem to be in quite the predicament," said Chief Tsuragamae. "One day we are looking into an occult crime scene at a warehouse; next, we have a potential threat to the whole city, and possibly all of Japan. What a predicament, indeed. Woof!"

"...you know, you saying woof kinda takes away from the seriousness of it," Ed said.

"Ah, I apologize. Force of habit, you see. But the point stands: what to do about this?"

"...you could let me free to investigate and search for it?"

"And how do you suppose to do that, in a world that you're almost entirely unfamiliar with, woof?"

"I'll think of something. This world still has libraries, right?"

"Oh, it has so much more than just libraries. This is a world of information and technology that spans the whole globe, one where you can find information on a screen with just the push of a few buttons. And, if I may ask, how is your Kanji?"

"...my what?"

"I thought so. I doubt you'd be able to learn much, in the way of local information. Woof! The fact that you can speak Japanese is a blessing, at the very least. But putting all of that aside, there is another problem: your age."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Based off of your appearance, am I to surmise that you're currently fifteen-years-old or so?"

"...I am."

"Then that makes you a minor. And as a minor, and an illegal alien, you are to be held under surveillance until either a relative or legal guardian can collect you, or until the government can decide what to do with you."

"Would it help if I said I was previously a twenty-year-old?"

"Oh? And were you always so short as an adult, then?"

Right on que, Ed glared at the Chief and stood up, ready to punch him. Detective Tsukauchi immediately stood in front of the chief to protect him, but the chief waved it off with a smile, once it was clear Ed wasn't going to punch him yet.

"Regardless of your previous age, and even assuming it's true, without proper proof, no one would believe you. So, for all intents and purposes, you are a fifteen-year-old."

"...so, what do you suggest?" Ed asked, sitting down again.

"Well, should I report all of this, you would be under the custody of the government until further notice. You would be kept detained, your story put under heavy scrutiny until a decision is made. And by that point, if this creature you mentioned is real, then the damage could already be done...of course, these are not ordinary circumstances, are they? Woof!"

"No, they're not...what's your point?"

"Say that we, delay mentioning this situation to the higher authorities. We have you stay with an officer, as a guest. We have you enrolled in one of the local schools, perhaps the local Hero Academy. For all appearances, you would be a normal teenager. And, off the record, we can have you assist in the investigation, perhaps under an alias? Woof! And in return, we can assist in your search and investigation of this, Homunculus. We will grant you whatever resources we can spare, within reason. If we grant too much, it would draw unwanted attention."

"...I don't like the idea of going to school," said Ed, looking down for a moment. "But, if it'll help me track down the Homunculus…alright, I'm in."

"Excellent. We'll have to construct a false record of you, but that shouldn't take more than a few days. Woof! More than enough to help you learn any important information, such as basic Kanji and city laws. In regards to whom you will be staying with -"

"Sir?" interjected Officer Tamura. "I'd like to volunteer."

"Oh? And why's that, Officer Tamura?"

"I believe it would be best to keep the circle of who knows small, primarily among those who already know of the situation."

"A good point. Very well, I accept. There will be a few details that will need to be addressed and established, such as your backstory and getting you proper clothes, Mr. Elric. I will also have to get you signed up for the entrance exam four days from now. A cell phone should also be of great help. Any questions, woof?"

"Uh...yeah, a few. But, let's start with the school. What's it called?"

"Oh, of course. It's called U.A. Hero Academy."