A quick note: I haven't abandoned or forgotten this story. I apologize for taking so long to get the next chapter out, but I've had some upheaval in my personal life recently. Things are smoothing out, but updates may be a bit slower than they were previously. I'm hoping to update at least once a month during the Summer, possibly sooner if time allows. Thank you for waiting. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's where things shift gears a bit, in a good way. End note.

What is he thinking about? I wish I could figure him out, he keeps turning me in circles. I'm not part of this team, it's foolish to just pull in an enemy like that, and he knows it! So, why does he keep saying it then? It has to be some sort of trick, some way to get me to let down my guard, but for what purpose?

Their mind raced with possible motives for their warden to be coercing them, but nothing came to a logical conclusion. Envy was utterly baffled, watching the colonel rub his chin thoughtfully in a confounded silence that was only broken by their occasional sniff. Their feet ached horribly, but they weren't sure if they should mention it to him. At length, he settled his gaze on them, his brows furrowed over his dark eyes.

"I want to know why you were at the temple. You claimed never to have seen it before, but you knew your way there easily enough, and you managed to find your way into that underground chamber too efficiently. I'm aware I've called you an idiot in the past, and while you do make foolish decisions I don't really believe you're stupid, so explain yourself." His eyes had narrowed slightly, his gaze scrutinizing as he waited for them to respond.

Envy squirmed under that intense look, uncomfortable with how direct he was. There really wasn't any room left to lie their way around the situation. They wet their lips nervously, taking a deep breath before dropping their gaze to their knees.

"It was a lie, I've been in Lior before. I was here for quite a while, with Lust and Gluttony." Their fingers curled into loose fists at their sides as they thought about their next words. "I went to the temple because, it's the place we spent the most time together at while we were here. I wanted to stand where we had stood, to remember how she had looked and spoken there because…." They trailed off abruptly, unwilling to finish their explanation aloud.

Because I miss her and I can't have her back.

Mustang exhaled a soft breath, and they observed him pinching the bridge of his nose lightly.

"You were here before. Does that mean you were here before or during the riots?" A grumble of irritation escaped him and he turned an angry scowl on them suddenly. "Were you involved in the riots Envy? If I look at every place where there has been turmoil and death in this country am I going to find you were part of it?"

They flinched at his expression and the sharpness of his tone, their hand sliding back reflexively to protect their aching feet. An anxious look settled on their face as they peered back at him and nodded. Mustang threw his hands up in exasperation, his fingers dragging slowly down his face before settling onto his knees.

"Lior was a point on the array your father was creating, the same goes for Ishval, I knew about your instigation of that war, it makes sense that you were involved here as well, but the other skirmishes in the country happened such a long time ago, you were involved in all of them?"

The colonel's expression had softened somewhat, less angry and more puzzled as he looked them over. It took them a moment to understand his line of questioning before their violet eyes widened and a snort of amusement escaped them.

"Homunculi don't age like humans do; I've not been careful with keeping an exact count, but I'm sure it's close to a hundred and seventy-five for me now." They caught the flicker of surprise in his eyes and flashed a quick smirk in response.

Look at that, I finally stunned him about something. Yes, Colonel Mustang, I'm much older than you are, lot of good it does me huh? Well, here's some more information to chew on.

"I've been involved in nearly every war this country has participated in. My main task was to be an instigator in father's plans. From the moment I could properly control my abilities I was sent out to help achieve his goals, it was what I was designed for, to be the ultimate mask." They couldn't help grinning with pride as they spoke, it was a hard habit to break to be smug about their abilities and their unique role in their sire's schemes, even if those plans had fallen apart at the end.

"Once you could properly control them, so you needed time to train yourself after you were, created." Mustang's expression turned thoughtful again as he regarded them. "Tell me about your family."

Envy faltered, their smile slipping into a confused frown.

"My family? Why?"

"Because I want to know about the relationships you had with one another."

He shrugged, then leaned back against the head board of the bed, appearing to get into a more comfortable position. Envy shifted around a little, though not for the sake of finding any comfort. They didn't like the way this conversation was veering. Talking about their family just wasn't something they did with anyone, certainly not someone like the Flame Alchemist.

"I don't know where to start." They glanced in his direction, distressed at his unwavering eyes, and focused expression.

Mustang appeared unperturbed by their pathetic attempt to stall or divert the discussion. He tilted his head slightly to the left and gestured toward them with his hand.

"I don't believe someone that runs their mouth as much as you do can't figure out what to say. If it really is that hard though, then start at the beginning. Your birth, or creation, and go from there." His dark brows arched slightly as he regarded them, patiently, and it brought a prickling of irritation from the back of their skull as they met his gaze.

"Fine." Huffing in flustered defeat, they narrowed their eyes and allowed their annoyance to seep into their tone as they poured through the memories of their long years. "Father was for all accounts a living Philosopher's Stone, pulled from the Gate itself, and because of that he could create, or expel from himself, other homunculi. I was the fourth created, after Pride, Lust, and Greed. It wasn't an exceptionally marvelous event, my coming into existence. If anything, it was a disappointment."

They met his frown with a sneer of bitterness, flicking their tongue over their lips as they relived the unpleasant first moments of their life in their mind.

"We may have been born from the same being, but that kind of bond isn't as close for us as what you humans cling to with each other. The instant I could understand my surroundings I was met with disgust and ridicule from all of them. Father was the only one to quell their demands that I be destroyed and remade, insisting they wait to see what I could do. Pride was unimpressed of course, and Greed was trying to get Lust to bet with him on how many days the 'ugly worm' would last. I spent several days in a dimly lit room, alone except for Pride's watchful eyes skirting through the shadows. It took me a long time just to coordinate my body properly, to crawl without falling, to speak, finally. That form is typically parasitic, I needed fuel in order to use my abilities, and the only kind I could get myself in that place were vermin. Greed decided I was father's greatest achievement in pest control. Pride insisted that I was designed for something important, I had to be if father wanted me kept alive, because father was never wrong, but he made sure to threaten me enough that it would end painfully if I didn't start producing results beyond decimating the rodent population." They snorted, observing the subtle changes on their warden's face as he listened to them.

"Lust was the one to finally bring me something I could really use. I don't know if father told her to do it, or if she figured it out on her own, but she brought me several chimeras to absorb and I was able to take on my larger form, you know, the one I attempted to fight you in, the full power of my core was unveiled for everyone to see for the first time. I was so proud of myself, and I delighted in the display I made, the fury and agony of the souls in my stone, the way the ground trembled under my claws, and then I heard that bastard laughing. He was flat on his back, howling about how he never imagined I would get uglier. Pride attempted to silence him, but only offered a scathing remark that I appeared strong, but was too conspicuous to send on any assignments, and therefor useless to father's goals. Father looked displeased, it was the first time I had seen him regard me that way, it wouldn't be the last time. I was sent back to the room, my 'pit' as Greed called it, until I could show myself to be useful. I spent a lot of time in there being angry and useless of course." Envy's gaze hardened as they spoke, their fists clenching against the bed sheet.

"I hated Greed, his obnoxious grin, blithering insults, and his stupid laughing. Pride was too close to father, he was perfect, everything I should have been and couldn't be, and I loathed him for it, but I was afraid to challenge him outright. I could never tell where he would come from when he visited me, and I didn't like his gloating. Lust was the only one that I couldn't pin any direct hatred on. She would come when the darkness was empty of prying eyes and talk with me, coax me to test my limits, and ultimately, she was the one who guided me to unlock my full ability. I'll never forget the look on Greed's face when we came into father's chamber side by side, an identical pair." Contempt and amusement curled their lips upward at the memory.

"From that moment forward, father sent me on assignments with Lust to continue shaping his plan for the future. Spreading stories of the Philosopher Stone, educating humans on the principles of alchemy, goading different factions of humanity into skirmishes and wars, we were busy back then, traveling all the time, and seeing the world. Lust was always there to catch me when I screwed up, push me back onto my feet when Pride or Greed tore me down, shake me back to reality when I had angered father with one of my failures." They frowned, faltering as they let their mind whirl with long ignored conversations and adventures they had shared with the sultry homunculus.

Mustang shifted beside them, his expression a mixture of puzzlement and displeasure. He brought a hand to his chin, massaging his jaw with a finger as he mulled over whatever thoughts were running through his mind.

"You had a close relationship to her then, I took her for a cold murderess, which I still believe she was, but it seems she had another side for you. This, is why you've been so angry over her death." He nodded to himself, then brought his focus back to his charge. "What about the others? There were seven of you, aside from your father."

Envy sighed heavily, shrugging in a noncommittal manner.

"Sloth, and Gluttony were considered like me, powerful but flawed to some extent, and in need of watching. It wasn't long after Gluttony had been made that Greed betrayed us all and fled like a cowardly rat. We hunted for him a while, but father assumed he would come back eventually, and could be dealt with when he did. Then Wrath was made. I didn't like him at first, he was too cocky, too much like Pride, which is probably why they worked so well together. Wrath was the youngest of us all, but he had no respect for anyone other than father and Pride. For all the long years we'd cultivated this country together, formed it from scattered tribes into a functioning governed state, brought it power and wisdom from beyond the Gate, and despite my involvement in nearly all of it, I was always under scrutiny, punished any time I made the smallest mistake, and kept up with as if I was as simple minded as Gluttony. Lust was the only one who ever cared, who treated me like my input and efforts were worthwhile, even if she did scold me, she was there when things were difficult. She was always there." Their voice strained slightly as they bit back the cold emptiness of her loss, not wanting to sink into the grief that remained buried inside of them.

Envy rubbed their hands over their face, hissing softly to ward off their fluctuating emotions. Talking about their past had brought so many feelings to the surface, and around their warden that was risky. The last thing they needed was to have him start attempting to make connections between the two of them again. They startled at the unexpected touch of a hand brushing down their arm, and peered up in shock at the colonel. Mustang's face was somber, an understanding in his gaze that pierced them and brought a violent wave of despair up from the bowels of their being. They jerked away from his hand, snarling as their body trembled.

"Don't look at me like that! You asked! You insisted on knowing! What did you think I would say Mustang? Homunculi aren't like you insipid humans! Why do you think I'm like I am? Huh?! I've spent more than a century boiling with hatred for my kind and yours! The only person I ever found a bond with is gone now, and I'll never get her back!" They clutched at their hair, no longer fighting the prick of hot liquid building in their eyes. "You keep spouting at me about being part of this team, but we both know that's not true. How can it be true? How could you put a monster on your team Mustang?! I'm always going to be on the edge of disaster for them, your precious humans, and you know it!" Hot trails slipped down their cheeks, their distress growing as their warden stared at them in silence, neither confirming nor denying their ranting. "Why do you keep doing this to me? Why?! Your pathetic group will never be a good fit for me, I'm not one of you, I'm not human!"

"Does that really matter?"

The question caught them off-guard, sobering their agitation instantly as they focused on him in stunned disbelief. The colonel scrutinized them intently, his brow furrowed as he reached out a hand and slowly grazed his thumb through the liquid on their right cheek. He lifted the digit up, observing the moisture on his skin before showing it to them.

"You're struggling with so much right now. Everything you were molded to be by your father, everything you were expected to accomplish, and all your failures. The way you talk, it's like you want to be ostracized forever, but I don't think you really want that. It's hard being alone, I'm not going to pretend I know what you must be feeling, lost, without any of your own kind to turn to. You've been forced to rely on former enemies, torn down and broken, and now those same people are trying to establish bonds with you. It's beyond your ability to understand, I know." He sighed deeply, shifting on the bed, and observing them with a look caught somewhere between pity and obligation.

Envy felt their stomach heave in revulsion under that look. Fresh tears spilled traitorously down their face.

"You've brought yourself to such a low point, and it's miserable for you. You acknowledge this much, but what you don't want to accept is that you don't have to stay here. Growing is never easy, Envy. Human or homunculi, life is a journey that continues to shape us no matter how long we live. The people who move in and out of our lives all play a role in what we experience, but we chose who we become. If you want to remain a monster it's your choice, but I'm here trying to make you understand that you can decide not to be one. When are you going to hear me?" Mustang shook his head slightly, his chest filling with a deep breath that released slowly, tiredly, into the room.

"You have flaws, you were born with them, you have deep scars and horrible interpersonal skills, and despite being as old as you claim to be, you behave like a rude, selfish brat with no control over their mouth. You're spiteful, frustrating, and over emotional."

The list of negative points did little to alleviate their spiraling mood, and while they wanted to stem the rush of fluid leaking from their eyes, clear, salty tears continued their course unabated down their face. They grimaced at the display they were making, crying because of the truth, but that was a common situation for them.

"If I'm so terrible, why are you bothering to keep giving me chances. You want me to change, you want me to prove I can be better, you want me to just turn my back on everything I've ever been; well I don't know how Mustang! I don't know how to be better! I can't prove anything to you because I'm always screwing up!" Balling their fists, they jammed one against their face, scrubbing it across the wet trails of tears.

Their warden placed his hands on their shoulders, drawing their attention to him as he leaned in close to them. The proximity made them uneasy, but Mustang was deeply focused on their eyes, searching their watery violets for something they couldn't name. After what felt like far too long to Envy, he finally leaned back, but his hands remained on their shoulders, squeezing lightly.

"The fact that you want to prove yourself, that you're trying is a step in the right direction, Envy. I told you that I would be here with you on this journey, whether you want it that way or not. If you really want to move forward, then you need to stop being so aversive to me." His grip tightened subtly on them. A heavy tone laced his voice as he continued.

"I'm not trying to force you to replace the family you lost with this team. You don't need to do that, ever. The reality is every individual here has blood on their hands, our motives have been different from your own, and you took an enjoyment in things that put you on a different level than the rest of us, but we can find ways to understand and move forward together; if you can recognize the need to change, and make the effort to do so, if you can follow my lead, I'll help guide you out of all that pain and hatred you have been drowning yourself in. You can be part of this team if you really want to be, if you work for it earnestly and honestly."

Envy swallowed the lump that had formed in their throat, blinking as they absorbed his words.

Do I want this? I never asked for his pity! I'm Envy, I can't allow humans to help me, to show me compassion!? But if that's true, why does it feel so good when he looks at me like this? Like he wants me to say I want his help. He's waiting for me to drop my guard, but not to attack me, does he not see me as an enemy anymore? Can I trust him? I want to, I think. Is it so wrong to take the chance? Am I a traitor if I try? If I want to do this?

They wet their lips, darting a glance at where his right hand rested warmly against their shoulder.

"I…I think.."

It's not a game, is it? Who am I trying to trick anymore, him or myself? I'm tired of fighting all the time. I'm sick of feeling so alone. I'm sorry, Lust, you understand, don't you?

Mustang's expression shifted faintly, a glimmer of an emotion Envy had always detested, hopefulness, flickering in his coal black eyes. They felt a sensation of warmth prick their face in response, it was uncomfortable and utterly foreign to be stared at like that.

"I want you to help me. So, tell me how, what do I do Mustang?" Their throat was tight, likely from crying, and their tone sounded rough in their own ears.

Their warden studied them carefully, sliding his hand up from their shoulder to cup the side of their face as his gaze met and held their own in thick silence. Envy swallowed reflexively, their throat bobbing against the edge of his hand as they stared back at his searching eyes. The silence between them lingered, so still they could hear the pulse of their blood in their ears. Warmth crept across their cheeks at the awkwardly intense stare Mustang was giving them, but at last he relinquished them from his gaze and returned his hand to his lap.

"I can only hope you're serious about this. I'm going to take you at your word, Envy. The best way for you to show that you want to pursue this is by getting involved." He nodded, to himself they assumed, but his comments left a cloud of confusion over them.

Get involved? Involved in what? I already helped with rebuilding this stupid hovel of a town, what more is he talking about?

"When you say get involved, you're not talking about Lior are you?" Their query was met with a sharp nod. Envy furrowed their brows in thought, trying to determine what other tasks their warden might have planned for them to participate in and prove themselves through, but they were grasping at theoretical straws.

"I wasn't certain if you would be ready for this information, but reconstruction isn't the only reason we're here. The encounter you had at the temple proves our assumptions were on the right track, but there are a lot of unknowns we need to consider." He stood from the bed and began a slow circling trek about the room. "Your father must have used your abilities for more than just starting wars, if I were in his position I would put you to use for gathering information, eavesdropping on specific targets, and espionage missions. Am I correct in assuming you worked within those specifications?" Glancing at them expectantly, he paused in his wandering.

Envy nodded, shifting forward on the bed. Their hair slid around their bare shoulders, slightly damp and cold against their skin. Brushing it back with their hand, they frowned thoughtfully.

"I spent a lot of time impersonating military officers in order to relay information from father to Wrath, or other higher ups that were privy to some of father's plans. There was a short amount of time I acted as Wrath's personal assistant." They fell silent, not wanting to add that a trip northward had brought a quick end to that assignment.

"If that's the case then you'll be able to provide us with some key information, I hope." Mustang went to the dresser and removed a dark gray shirt and a loose pair of sleeping pants. He tossed the garments onto the bed and folded his arms over his chest, waiting.

"Put those on and get up, we're going to meet with the others."

Envy blinked at the clothing that looked bland and slightly large for their body.

I guess asking if I could just create some clothing wouldn't be a good idea right now. Ugh, why does it have to look so shabby though?

They slipped the shirt on and slid their feet into the pant legs, but the moment they stood to pull the waist band up, their feet radiated with searing pain and they toppled back onto the mattress with a sudden yelp. Clutching at their ankles to avoid causing an increase in the jarring agony their feet were experiencing, they sucked in a harsh breath and whined in distress.

"I'm not walking anywhere like this! Can't I at least be allowed to heal? My feet have welts all over them. How do you expect me to stand, let alone walk!" Grimacing as the ache began to slowly calm, they observed their warden sigh softly and turn his back to them. As he picked up one of the luggage cases and brought it toward the bed, they tensed apprehensively.

Now what's he doing?

Opening the case, he reached inside and then glanced over to where Envy was sprawled on the mattress, meeting their suspicious look with an amused smirk.

"You certainly are a dramatic one. If it's so difficult for you to stand, then we'll have to bandage your feet. This is a simple salve, give me your feet and I'll rub it on, then wrap them, and we can get going." He lifted a short, rounded container and a roll of bandages from the case.

Envy was flabbergasted. Their face twitched as they watched him approach and reach for one of their feet. A sudden urge to kick the colonel across the room welled up inside of them, but they fought it back for their own safety. They made no small amount of complaining noises and grunts as he snatched up their right foot and massaged a sticky, thick gel onto the welted and bruised skin. A heavy scent of aloe, lavender, chamomile, and other medicinal ingredients assailed their senses as his fingers worked the salve over their punished sole. The colonel then took a length from the roll of bandages and wound it firmly around their injured foot, but not too tight that it would constrict blood flow. Indignant and utterly mortified, Envy continued their hissing, huffing, and grumbling as their left foot received the same treatment. When Mustang had finished, he returned to the case, wiping his hands with a towel and some cleansing liquid that had a heavy alcoholic odor. Their face was beet red as they observed him close the case and return it to the luggage area across the room.

Mustang settled his arms over his chest and clicked his tongue chidingly after finding them still gawking at him from the bed.

"If you continue to lay there and glower at me I'll have to help you get dressed as well." He took a rather threatening step forward and Envy sprang into action, jerking their pants into place around their hips as they rocketed off the bed and stumbled away from their warden in an embarrassed panic.

"NO! I've got it!"

They ignored the distinctly soft chuckling coming from the colonel as they adjusted to the cushion of the bandages around their feet, but they were grateful for it. The realization made them irritated and flustered all at the same time, but they did their best to regain some semblance of dignity as they followed their warden out of their room and down the hallway. They paused at the second door down the corridor, Mustang gave a quick knock, then opened the door and gestured for them to step inside.

The room appeared to be a suite of some sort, with a living space and two doors in the left wall that presumably led to sleeping rooms. A comfortable looking sofa and several chairs were gathered around a coffee table covered in documents and files, one of which Hawkeye was currently examining. The entire team was seated around the table, some holding coffee mugs that slowly released tendrils of steam into the air. They glanced over when Envy and Mustang entered, and gave greeting nods to them.

Envy darted their gaze from one face to the other, searching for signs of mocking or disapproval, worried that they might have been able to hear their earlier exchange with the colonel, but no one gave any indication that they had heard their punishment or subsequent wailing. A soft sigh of relief escaped them as they took an empty seat beside Falman.

Mustang rested a hand on the back of their chair, standing slightly to their right as he addressed his team.

"Envy has decided to actively participate with the team, and I feel it's time to be open about our true objective. We discussed previously I would determine when that time was right, and it's now. If anyone has an objection, state it here and now before we move on." He glanced specifically toward Breda and Havoc, both of whom looked suspiciously in the homunculus' direction.

"Are you sure we can trust it sir?" Breda frowned deeply, his arms folding over his barrel chest stubbornly.

Envy bristled in their seat, their fists clenching in their lap as they returned the man's challenging look with an offended glare. They felt Mustang's hand slide from the back of their seat to graze their shoulder lightly, whether it was meant to be reassuring or restraining they weren't certain, but it did help them reign in their urge to lash out. Rather than snapping at the doubtful human across from them, they curled their lip back in annoyance and tried to maintain some control over their tone.

"My name is Envy, or you can say homunculus, but don't you dare call me an IT, human." Their scowl was met with a dismissive snort, but Breda did slightly nod his head toward them.

"Yeah fine, homunculus. I still don't know about trusting you, but if the colonel believes it's for the best, I'll follow orders." He glanced toward Havoc, who looked less annoyed at the situation and more nervous than anything.

Mustang slid his hand off from Envy's shoulder and took a seat beside them, seeming ready to move on from the conversation. He swept a file off from the coffee table and browsed through it quickly, flipping a few pages before dropping the documents on his lap and turning his attention to the team.

"The upheaval on the Promised Day created a lot of chaos and turmoil in the military, specifically at Central headquarters. Many of the ranking officers and higher ups involved in the Homunculi's plans were either killed or arrested that day, but there have been suspicions that not all of the individuals that participated or were complicit in the operations were known." He nodded toward the lieutenant.

Hawkeye placed several pictures on the table, and Envy leaned forward in their seat to get a better look at the faces. Their eyes scanned familiar features as they thought back over times they had either conversed with, impersonated, or simply observed the humans in the photos. The lieutenant's clear voice cut into their thoughts and pulled their attention back to the meeting.

"The most prominent of the men here is former brigadier general Edison. He was one of the highest ranking military officers engaged in the building of the so called immortal army project, and was arrested after the battle with the homunculus. It's been suspected that he may have sent messages to others involved with the plans since the time of his arrest, but no amount of pressure has garnered information from him." She settled into a chair, taking a cup of coffee from Fuery and sipping at it.

Mustang tapped a finger against the documents on his lap. Then cleared his throat before speaking.

"This is where you come in, Envy." He met their arched eyebrows with a slightly amused smile. "You said you ran information between the military and your father, and that you spent time with Wrath at headquarters, so I need to know if there are any personnel that you knew who were involved with your father that aren't in these files."

I see now, so there's been an ulterior motive all along. I guess that's understandable, dirty tactic Mustang. I'm impressed.

Their gaze fell onto the photographs again as they leaned forward to scrutinize the faces once more.

"I don't know every person here. Father was coordinating his plans for centuries, even before I was created, and in some cases Lust was the one to handle the invitation of selected humans. I can tell you the three I do know of who aren't in these pictures." They lifted a hand, ticking off each name with a finger. "Major general Gärtner, lieutenant general Storch, and affairs officer Yakovlev. Both Storch and Yakovlev worked together under Wrath for a long while before Hawkeye, and later myself, took over the position."

Falman scratched at his chin beside them.

"At what point did they leave Central? Their whereabouts aren't in any of the documents and we've scanned through them numerous times." He looked at them expectantly, but only received a shrug.

"Pfft! Like I would know? Listen Squinty, I wasn't concerned about where Wrath sent his human puppets off too if father didn't need to know about it. They either stayed in Central until the big day, or they scurried off to one of the other locations we had somewhere in Amestris." They tapped the table with a finger absently, then glanced toward the colonel. "I do know that Gärtner was sent up to Briggs to get that woman general to come to Central. He was supposed to carve the crest of blood into the north, but we ended up having to rely mostly on Kimblee to do that."

"I always wondered how someone like Kimblee was released from prison. I guess that was your father's doing?" Havoc scratched at the whiskery stubble on his chin as he looked toward them.

Envy nodded, but allowed a slight grin to slip over their face.

"You could say that. We had worked with him in Ishval before, so Wrath believed he could be useful to our goals. I was sent to retrieve him, and provide him with a new Philosopher's Stone." They waved off the frowns that their revelation earned them and continued in a less satisfied tone. "The Crimson Lotus alchemist is inconsequential now, he's never been integral enough to know anything useful, if he's even alive still. What you're all misunderstanding here is that father had more than one iron in the fire." They turned their attention mainly toward Mustang, directing their next statement to him specifically.

"The Nationwide transmutation circle was his ultimate goal, but he had several smaller operations in the works, the immortal army to manipulate the military into obedience, and the human alchemy experiments carried out by the doctors in the laboratories. The most notable one being the Führer Candidate program."

The colonel met their gaze evenly, his brows knit together in thought.

"You're talking about the experiment that produced King Bradley. The lieutenant and I ran into the doctor responsible for that project along with his failed test subjects below Central." Their warden nodded toward Hawkeye briefly, and Envy caught her wince slightly as if troubled by the memory of the encounter.

Must have been quite the battle. They're still missing the point though. Humans, always needing to be led along, and I'm the one that needs help Mustang?

Rolling their eyes, Envy clapped their hand against the table abruptly, drawing all eyes toward them.

"Do you really think that gold-toothed moron handled that entire project alone for more than two decades? He was the leader of a TEAM of researchers and doctors, and he wasn't the only one that could use alchemy in that group. If you're worried about the fact that you have military personnel who were sympathetic to father's designs missing, I can guarantee you that the trouble they cause will be nothing compared to what those doctors can do if you don't find them. They're the ones you should be hunting for." They snorted lightly, folding their arms over their chest and meeting Mustang's deep frown with one of their own.

Their warden clenched his hands into tight fists for a moment, then released a slow breath.

"The alchemist you encountered under the temple, her name is Octavia Evertsen. She was a major who worked primarily at Western headquarters until after the civil war in Lior, then she seemed to disappear from any documented records. Her official title was the Life Stream Alchemist. She specialized in manipulating water, even to the point of draining it from living sources. Envy, did she say anything to you before attacking?" His question caught them unexpectedly, and they had to think back for several moments over their exchange with the woman.

"She did mention being intrigued by me, but that she wasn't seeking recruits and that I had caused her trouble by going down there. At the time, I didn't think about correcting her that she was technically in my territory, but then she tried to drown me so talking wasn't much of an option." They shook their head. "Is any of that important?"

Mustang massaged a finger over his jawline, staring up at the ceiling as he considered the information.

"I'm not certain yet what it means, but if there are people like Storch and Gärtner unaccounted for, and they were to theoretically make contact with these doctors you were talking about, then we could be facing some very serious problems. First things first, we need to catch Evertsen and find out who she's operating with and what their intended plans are."