Chapter Six

Edward and Alphonse walked along the hallways of the command center in ropes with Buccaneer and Falman as their guides. Suddenly they spotted Major Miles walking along with a man in a white suit with a white hat.

"Buccaneer, what are you doing?" asked Major Miles.

"Prisoner transfer, sir," Buccaneer fibbed. "I'm moving the Elric brothers from the east cells to the west. May I ask who this is?"

"This is Mr. Zolf J Kimblee," Miles answered. "He's General Raven's honored guest."

Kimblee, Ed thought. The Crimson Alchemist.

"Wait, did you say the Elric brothers?" Kimblee asked. "You mean the Fullmetal Alchemist?" He looked to Alphonse. "I see, now I understand your nickname." Everyone pointed to Ed, who appeared extremely agitated. She was so sick of Alphonse getting mistaken as the Fullmetal Alchemist. "Oh, it's this one?"

If one more person makes that mistake! Ed thought.

"It's nice to meet you," Kimblee said. "I've heard much about the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Hello," Ed spoke in monotone.


Ed and Al sat in their cell, contemplating what they could do. Ed hated sitting around doing nothing and felt like she needed to do something. Suddenly, the door to the hall opened, revealing Kimblee.

"Hi, afternoon, boys," Kimblee greeted. "I was hoping I might have a word with the Fullmetal Alchemist." He saw the grim look on Ed's face. "Oh don't tell me you have some reason to dislike me too. You should be thankful; I brought a visitor with me to see you."

"A visitor?" Ed asked. Winry ran up from behind Kimblee up to the cell. "Winry!"

"Why did you come here?!" Alphonse exclaimed.

"Why? Why do you think?! You have to adjust your automail for the north, don't you? And just what are you doing in that cell?!" Winry shouted.

"We didn't ask you to come here!" Ed yelled.

"What's with you?" Winry asked. "I was worried about you, idiot! Someone from the military contacted me, so I came-"

"The military?" Ed asked, stopping Winry in her tracks. This was it. This was the Furher pulling onto his chip in the game.

"Don't be so hard on her, you two," Kimblee said. "The Furher was concerned about you. He wanted to make sure you were taken care of." Kimblee had confirmed Ed's thoughts on this being because of the Furher. He was trying to enforce his power over them and make sure they didn't do anything stupid while they were up north.


Ed laid on the examination table back where she had first been interrogated by Armstrong. Winry was fixing up her automail, and once again, it was difficult to keep her identity a secret in just a tank top in boxers. Even more so laying down because it meant she couldn't hunch over to hide her breasts. They were small enough, so maybe Kimblee wouldn't notice. Or maybe he already knew.

"You should've told me you were heading to the north," Winry commented as she reached for a tool.

"I didn't have a chance," Ed said. "We were in a hurry, okay?"

"Yeah, and when are you guys ever not in a hurry?" Winry asked. "Anyway, what did you do to get locked up?"

"It's only a misunderstanding," Kimblee chimed in from the corner as he held his coffee. "Just a lack of communication. I'll have them released within no time at all."

Yeah, if we do your bidding, asshole, Ed thought to herself.

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Kimblee," Winry thanked. "These two are lucky to have you watching out for them."

"It's nothing."

Ed waved her finger to Winry, signaling for her to get closer. The blonde came closer to the alchemist. "Listen, I wouldn't trust Kimblee if I were you," Ed whispered.

"What? Why not? He seems nice," Winry said.

"Just be careful," Ed warned.

Once the upgrade was complete, Ed stood from the table, putting her clothes back on in a quick attempt to keep her identity as hidden as possible, before testing out her new automail.

"It's so light," Ed commented. "It's not gonna be any weaker than my last arm, will it?"

"Not really," Winry answered. "It's slightly weaker, but I doubt you'll notice. It's pretty heavily reinforced."

Buccaneer suddenly walked into the room. "Hm? All right, what are you doing out of your cell?"

"I don't know, maybe some people respect the fact that I'm a State Alchemist," Ed remarked.

"Finally upgrading for the cold, huh?" Buccaneer asked.

"Are you upgrading too?" Ed asked in turn.

"There's nothing left for me to upgrade to!" Buccaneer exclaimed as he showed of his prosthetic limb.

"Ah!" Winry suddenly chirped. "It's the M19..." Ed began to tune her out when she got like this. She had to start listening in because Winry asked, "Edward, you want me to upgrade you to one of these?"

"Not my style," Ed responded. Buccaneer quickly left the room, and Ed couldn't help but notice a red tint to his cheeks as he left.

"Real life northern automail!" Winry gushed. "That's the first I've seen!"

"Oh yeah? You wanna come check out my work shed, then?" Neil - the male doctor - asked.

"Please, please, I'd love to!" Winry said excitedly.

"Hey!" Ed exclaimed, suddenly protective. Winry had always been like a big sister to her, and she wasn't about to let her family get hurt.

"What's wrong?" Winry asked.

"Uh, nothing..." Ed trailed off. "Try to keep on your toes. And don't go off exploring. Not on your own. It's not safe here, so be careful, all right?" Ed warned.

"Okay, I will be," Winry said before walking off with Neil to his workshop.

"I see she's got her parents enthusiasm," Kimblee commented once Winry was out of hearing range. "Well, then, your little upgrade's all taken care of and out of the way. So why don't we find a place to sit down? I'm eager to discuss our business."


"You've got a job for me?" Ed asked after they had sat down to discuss business.

"That's correct, you are a State Alchemist, after all," Kimblee said. "And it's a few jobs, actually. Three. All from the Furher. First off, he wants you to hunt down Scar. You just find him; I'll take care of the rest. Secondly, he wants you to locate Dr. Marcoh, who has very likely fled with scar."

"Why is Dr. Marcoh with Scar?" Ed asked. Last time she had seen him was when she was on her way to Resembool to get her arm repaired.

"The only thing you need to worry about is finding them," Kimblee assured. "And last, but not lease, he wants you to carve a crest of blood here."

"A crest of blood?" Ed asked. What the hell was that?

"Just like what I did in Ishval," Kimblee answered. "It's very simple. We kill everyone here and soak the land with their blood."

Ed jumped, slamming her hands on the table. "I would never take part-!" Kimblee held a hand over his lips and pointed to the other room. Right. Winry was there with Kimblee's soldiers.

"Did you really join the military without being prepared to kill someone?" Kimblee asked as Ed took her seat once more.

"I was determined not to kill," she answered.

"Well, how original of you," Kimblee said, obviously bored of the answer. "I suppose you could take just as much from that decision."

"Listen, Kimblee," Ed began. "Do you have any idea what they're doing? What you're helping them to achieve? They're gonna-"

"I'm curious to see how the world will change," Kimblee interrupted.

"What?" Ed asked.

"Both sides clashing. Will against will. Life versus life. Humans or the Homunculi? Which one will triumph? Which side does the world prefer? The Homunculi like to see themselves as the next step in the evolution of humanity. But that's for history to decide. I just plan on helping it make up its mind."

"Have you forgotten that you're a human?" Ed asked. "How can you take sides with them?"

"Because they've given me complete freedom to use my alchemy however I want."

"You're insane, Kimblee."

"My standards do tend to differ from society's," Kimblee said. "However, if I survive this battle, then the world will have chosen my sanity over yours. I stake my being, the very core of my own existence; that is what I'm willing to bet on the outcome of this battle."

"Kimblee, you don't make any sense," Ed commented.

"That's surprising; I'd always kind of assumed that self-centeredness was a universal trait of all alchemists," Kimblee said. "Well, the Furher did say that I couldn't manipulate you using your female gender that you're so desperate to keep hidden. Let's see if I can find something that you do selfishly crave. Something you and your brother want more than anything. And if you do what we ask, I'll give it to you." Kimblee placed a Philosophers stone down on the table in front of the blonde.

Ed paused. "I need to consult with Al and Winry."

"Why tell Winry?" Kimblee asked.

"She has no idea that she's involved," Ed said. "Despite what you're asking of me, I refuse to hide the truth from her."

"Fine, then, but you're not telling her without me there," Kimblee said. "I don't want you telling her too much."

"Oh, and by the way," Ed began.

"Yes?" Kimblee asked.

"Is the Furher gonna tell everyone that I'm actually a girl?"


Please let me know if I make any mistakes. God I need a beta.