Chapter Seven
Little Red Riding Hood, seeing how late the hour was, hastened to find the path again and hurried along, so as not to be late for her mother. "My sister is most likely already there, waiting for me," she told herself.
When Little Red Riding Hood arrived at her mother's house, she thought it strange that the door had been left wide open. "Hello?" she called into the house.
- from the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood"
The next morning, when Nina and Trisha arrived at the office, Dirk met them, not with piles of paperwork or a demand for his morning's supply of caffeine, but with a steaming mug of tea for each of them. Nina took hers gratefully, cupping her fingers around its welcome warmth, and moved to her place at the long wooden table. The sweet smell of the tea and the bitter aftertaste it left on her tongue were oddly comforting. As she sipped the dark, scalding liquid, she glanced over to the left.
Had it only been twenty-four hours ago that Fuse had sat there, warm and full of life, pen speeding along his paper as though it had a mind of its own?
Nina slowly realized, as she stared glumly into the brown liquid in her hands, that Bones was speaking steadily, his deep voice rumbling along like a piece of heavy machinery. Looking up, Nina saw that he was on the phone at the back of the room, his face solemn.
"Yes..." he said. "No, that's all right... Yes, Mom... I will... Goodbye." He looked so much like a meek schoolboy when he hung up that Nina would have been inclined to laugh, had his small dark eyes not been filled with such sadness. Bones tromped across the room and sat heavily in his chair, only to stare at his paperwork with unfocused eyes.
Lieutenant Colonel Mustang entered the room a few moments later, looking as though he hadn't gotten much sleep that night. Nina felt a pang as she thought, He looks like Fuse. Mustang had the same dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was even messier than normal. Everyone saluted rather half-heartedly; Mustang made a feeble attempt at his usual toothy grin, but it ended up more like a grimace, and he hastily sat down.
After a few minutes of no one getting any work done, the phone rang again. Mustang looked all too eager for an excuse to leave the table, and picked up the phone after the first ring. "Hello? Yes, put her through." Putting a hand over the mouthpiece, he told Dirk, "It's your wife."
Dirk winced, but immediately crossed over to take the phone from the Lieutenant Colonel. "I knew this was coming," he muttered before picking up the receiver and saying, "Hello?"
A garbled woman's voice could be heard from the other end, even halfway across the room where Nina sat. Dirk's wife sounded hysterical, talking very fast and rather loud, but Nina couldn't make out any particular words. By contrast, Dirk spoke softly, so softly that Nina wondered if his wife would be able to hear him over her own raised voice. Gradually, however, Mrs. Dirk's voice grew softer and softer, and Nina could just barely hear Dirk's soothing murmur. "I'm sorry, Emma... No, sweetheart, don't worry; I'll be fine. I love you. 'Bye." With a sigh, he hung up.
Once he had resumed his seat, Dirk mumbled in explanation, "I didn't tell her last night about...you know. Apparently, she found out from other sources."
"Was she...angry with you?" Trisha asked hesitantly, her gaze darting over to the dormant phone.
Dirk smiled gently. "No. Emma just worries a bit too much. She's not well-suited to having a husband in the military."
Silence fell in the office again as everyone tried to settle into their work. The ticking of the clock seemed unbearably loud by comparison, as if reminding them all that the seconds of their lives were slowly running out. Only several minutes had passed when Bones spoke up. "What did Fuse say...at the end?"
"June 24," Mustang replied dully. "Homunculus." He raised his eyes from the table and met Nina's, and she could tell in that instant that the Fuhrer had told his son all the same stories as her own father. The Fuhrer and the Elrics were well acquainted with Homunculi.
"What's 'homunculus'?" Dirk asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"An artificial human," Trisha replied, giving out the answer almost automatically, "created from an unsuccessful attempt at human transmutation. The Homunculus takes on the form of the person intended to be brought back to life, and has the power to revive its body as long as it has a supply of Philosopher's Stones."
Nina didn't have to listen to Trisha's explanation; their father had explained it to them in great detail, along with a vast multitude of stories from his own experiences. He had done all in his power to ensure his daughters would never make his mistakes. She had thought and thought about Fuse's final words, but she couldn't make any sense out of them. "What did he mean?" she asked the room in general, clutching her coat tighter about herself. "What about a Homunculus? Why June 24?"
They all looked around at each other blankly; none of them could think of anything in particular that had happened on June 24. The room fell back into a rather hopeless silence, punctuated only by the incessant ticking of the clock, and slowly they all turned back to their paperwork. After a while, Dirk got up impulsively and pulled the calendar off the wall, flipping through it to see if he could figure anything out. He sat back down when he reached the month of June, and stared glumly at the orderly squares.
Mustang heaved a sigh and said softly, "Nina, Trisha...go through Fuse's things. I daresay his family will want his...personal effects." His voice tightened, and he hastily scribbled his signature on the paper before him.
Nina pushed herself up; her whole body felt heavy and tired. The section of the table that had served as Fuse's desk was covered in a mountain of papers, pens, and books; she slid some of the pile over to Trisha and slowly sank into Fuse's chair. She tried to concentrate, but a lump kept on forming in her throat, and she couldn't stop stray thoughts like, This is the chair Fuse sat in yesterday... Fuse used this pen last... That's what Fuse was working on a couple days ago...
Nina sighed and pushed a reference book aside. Then she noticed Fuse's drawer. Several small drawers had been installed in the table for them to use; she supposed they had been intended for keeping most of their materials in, but they weren't very big at all. Hardly room for two small books stacked on top of each other. Nina pulled the drawer open, and to her surprise found that it was almost empty. She had expected it to be much like the surface of his desk, cluttered and impossible. But the only thing in the drawer was a small black book, the covers smooth and silky to the touch. She picked it up and opened it to the first page. Across the top was written in Fuse's handwriting: January 1, 1939. Nina drew in her breath. "I think I found Fuse's journal," she spoke up, holding the book out to Mustang.
Everyone looked up in surprise, and she could tell that they were all thinking the same thing: June 24.
The Lieutenant Colonel grabbed the book, riffling through the pages with sudden excitement. Finally, he cried, "Aha! 'General Gladstone has called us together again, for once to congratulate the Brigade rather than giving us another mission. I'm relieved this won't be another all-nighter; maybe for once I'll be able to finish my work at the office at a normal time. The General said the entire Wolf Brigade deserves a rest once in a while, but not to get too relaxed, because our next mission will be even harder than usual. Easy for him to say, isn't it?'" Mustang's voice faltered, and he raised his shocked eyes to his teammates.
Dirk's knuckles were white around his mug of tea. "Fuse...was in the Wolf Brigade?" he asked in a whisper.
Apparently too stunned to speak, Mustang returned his eyes to the page, reading on silently. After a few moments, though, he gasped loudly. His face was as white as a sheet, and his hands trembled slightly as they held the innocuous little book. After several moments in which he was obviously trying to find his voice, Mustang squeaked out, "'However, a report is due Hunley on the progress I'm making, so I may not get much sleep tonight after all.'"
Bones stiffened so suddenly that he nearly knocked his chair over backwards; the chair squeaked loudly in protest. Nina gaped, open-mouthed, at Mustang. "Hunley? Thomas Hunley? Leader of the Sect?" She remembered months of headlines such as, Hunley Strikes Again or Manifesto Delivered from Thomas Hunley.
"That's what it sounds like," Mustang said hoarsely, flipping madly through the pages of the journal and reading several passages out loud. "'As per Hunley's orders, I have managed to procure myself a position under a Lieutenant Colonel. But what luck! My officer is Maes Mustang himself, the son of the Fuhrer. I will be in an excellent position to pass information along.' 'General Gladstone has inducted me into the Wolf Brigade. It's quite an honor, but I just hope it won't get in the way of Hunley's orders.' 'Two more have been added to the Lieutenant Colonel's group. They're teenagers, not more than little girls really, but they're the Full Metal Alchemist's daughters, and alchemists themselves. They're a little too inquisitive for my tastes, but as long as they don't stick their noses into my business, no harm will come to the Sect.'" Mustang stopped there, dropping the book onto the table and running a hand over his face.
"Fuse...a traitor," Bones whispered, staring at his large hands in his lap. "I never would have guessed..."
Nina hesitantly reached over and picked up the journal, opening it to the final entry. She read silently, not trusting her voice to remain steady.
News has reached me that Hunley plans to let some information slip to the military about our weapons. We'll take the majority to the hideout, but leave a sufficient amount in the old grocery store to make it believable. Then we'll set up an ambush to catch the troops unawares.
My squad in the military, along with additional troops, has been assigned this task, which I find ironic. I feel sorry for Lieutenant Colonel Mustang, but he'll probably survive. He has a tendency to do that. As for me, I'm not sure. Lately, the pressures have been building up on all sides, till I feel like I'm being pulled three ways at once. How many times I wish Gladstone had never noticed me! At least then I would only have to worry about keeping up a face for my comrades.
I'm so tired. I haven't slept properly in weeks. Months, maybe; I've forgotten. I can't remember how it feels to not have heavy eyelids. And the prospects are only getting worse; if this keeps up I'll be run into the ground with weariness. Maybe it would be better to
No, I mustn't think like that. Remember what you're fighting for, Michael! But it's true; sometimes I look around at my comrades and I wonder what I'm doing. In some ways, the answer is simple: I'm betraying them. Betray the military, and I betray the only real friends I've known for years. I told myself over and over that I shouldn't get close to anyone here, but that hasn't worked. They all make such a comforting presence; I know they would stand by me as a friend. But would they if they knew?
I don't think I want to do this anymore. I can just see the look on their faces if they were to find out, and even just thinking about it hurts me. Maybe I'll tell the Lieutenant Colonel when this is over. Or maybe I'll tell him in the battle so he can kill me right then and there and have done with this farce. I don't know. I'm so tired I can't think straight.
I'll write what I've decided to do once we get back from this mission.
Nina pressed her lips together so they wouldn't tremble as she looked at the next page, which was chillingly blank. She hurriedly turned the pages back to June 24. She didn't understand why Fuse would have directed them to that day; there was nothing remarkable about it. Had he forgotten which day it was? Maybe he hadn't meant his journal at all. Or maybe there was no message he wanted them to read. Maybe his dying lips had simply formed those words, and there was no real meaning behind them.
Generall Gladstone has called us togethyr again, for once to congratulate the Brigae rathir than gaving us another mission. I'm reliefed this won't be anothar all-nighte; maybe for once I'l be a able to finnish my work at de office at a normal time.
"Was Fuse's spelling always this bad?" Nina huffed irritably, glaring at the repeated errors that made the entry hard to read.
The others looked up in surprise from their conversation about Fuse being a traitor, which they had continued without Nina. "Bad? Are you kidding?" Dirk asked with a sad little smile. "He was always correcting my spelling."
Nina frowned at the journal entry, then flipped through the book, glancing at other entries. There was no sign of the horrible spelling anywhere except June 24. Confused, Nina turned back to the error-ridden entry. If Fuse's spelling was normally good, why was this entry so rife with mistakes? Unless... Nina's eyes flicked over the misplaced letters, and she began to see a pattern. As the others returned to their conversation, she grabbed a pen and flipped a sheet of paper over on her desk, scribbling on its blank back.
As she went on, Nina grew more and more agitated at the words materializing before her. Her handwriting became messier and messier as she went along, her hands beginning to tremble. When she was done, she looked up and noticed that Trisha was watching her worriedly. Not taking the time to explain, Nina thrust the paper into Mustang's hands. "Sir, read this!"
Surprised, Mustang read aloud, "'Lydia Farland is a Homunculus. I know this because I saw her regenerating an arm that had been nearly severed by a Sect man with a knife. The skin grew back together in strips until you wouldn't be able to tell it had ever been cut. She didn't see me; I'd taken cover behind an overturned car. Whoever is reading this, please destroy her. She is a threat to all Amestris.'"
Nina slowly looked from one shocked face to another. "It's one of the oldest codes in the book," she said a little defensively. "Taking misplaced or mis-capitalized letters to make a message. Trish and I've been working with codes for years; it's an essential skill for an alchemist."
Lieutenant Colonel Mustang started pacing the length of the room, running a hand back and forth through his dark hair. "This is too much," he muttered. "Too much all at once. Fuse...I never would've imagined..." His subordinates watched him as he paced back and forth. The fifth time he approached the window, he came to a stop and swivelled around to face them all, his boots squeaking. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Well, I think our path is clear. It's vital we tell the Fuhrer about this – along with our evidence." He nodded to Fuse's journal.
"But we can't just let the Homunculus go!" Nina protested, leaping to her feet. "It was the Homunculi who threatened this country before! The old Fuhrer himself was a Homunculus! We can't let something like that happen again!"
"Yeah!" Trisha agreed. "Our fathers risked their lives to get rid of them!"
"You're right," Mustang said impatiently, "but this isn't something we can do on our own. My father – and the Elric Generals – have experience in exterminating Homunculi. Their aid will be invaluable." He abruptly turned his gaze to Bones and Dirk, who had been watching this exchange with slightly puzzled looks. "Bones, Dirk, Trisha!" he barked in the no-nonsense tone that allowed no protests. "Find out where Farland's residence is, and report back to me!"
"Yes, sir!" the three of them cried, saluting.
"Fuse-" Mustang cut himself off, realizing his mistake, and for a moment didn't seem able to speak. When he found his voice again, it was soft. "Nina, come with me. We need to warn our fathers."
"Yes, sir."
Nina had to trot to keep up with Lieutenant Colonel Mustang's quick strides as they made their way through Central Headquarters. Except for the absence of their other companions, this was just like the day they had run to the Fuhrer with their worries about the Wolf Brigade. Nina's mind was all awhirl with their new discoveries, so much so that there was no room to realize that she had been singled out to accompany Mustang. It was hard enough to process that Fuse, the man they had worked alongside for so long, was a traitor. But learning that Lieutenant Colonel Farland was a Homunculus... Nina felt as if she was in a dream. No, a nightmare. All the bedtime stories she had been told as a child were coming true right in front of her eyes.
Shaking herself from her thoughts, Nina looked up to find they were hurrying along the hallway to the Fuhrer's office. Mustang broke into a run for the last few feet, wrenching the door open without knocking as he had before and letting it bang against the wall. General Mustang's hand slammed down with a sharp crack onto her desk as she stood up. "Lieutenant Colonel Mustang!" she barked. "When will you learn-"
"There's no time to explain!" Lieutenant Colonel Mustang snapped, shoving her aside.
Nina wasn't quite sure what happened next; she blinked and suddenly the Lieutenant Colonel lay sprawled on the ground with General Mustang standing over him. "If you will not listen to your superior officer," she said coolly, "perhaps you will listen to your mother."
"Yes, Mother," Lieutenant Colonel Mustang said meekly from the floor.
"Now," General Mustang continued, helping him to his feet and brushing off his uniform. "No doubt you came here to see the Fuhrer, but he and the Elric brothers are on their way to West City."
"They're gone?!" Lieutenant Colonel Mustang cried.
General Mustang frowned at him. "Yes, they just left a few minutes ago. Your father is a very important man, you know. He has many duties to see-"
But the Lieutenant Colonel was already rushing out the door. Nina hurried after him, shooting an apologetic glance back at his surprised mother. Lieutenant Colonel Mustang didn't spare a moment to say anything to Nina, hurrying through the hallways and breaking into a run when they left the building. Nina raced after him, and saw that he was heading for his parked car. "Get in!" he panted, throwing himself into the driver's seat. Nina barely had time to dive in next to him before the car screeched backwards out of the parking space.
Mustang swung the car around and pounded the gas pedal down hard. The car streaked through the streets, narrowly avoiding other cars and and passersby. The third time Nina's head slammed into her window, she braced herself against the bouncing motion of the vehicle and shouted, "You're going to get us both killed!"
"Do you want to drive?" Mustang snapped, screeching around another corner and narrowly dodging a streetlamp. "There's...no time," he muttered distractedly, manuevering down several more streets.
In what seemed like only a few seconds, Mustang slammed on the brakes and pulled to a stop outside the Central train station. Nina scrambled out and ran after Mustang's receding back. The station was filled with the hustle and bustle of train whistles, echoing conversation, and the smell of smoke from the engines. Normally, Nina would be delighted to watch all the interesting people passing through, but now she had no attention to spare for travellers. Lieutenant Colonel Mustang glanced at the timetable, then shouted over his shoulder at her, "Platform Five!"
The two of them put on a burst of speed to reach the train in time, but just as they reached the right platform, the last train car pulled out of the station, spewing billows of smoke and picking up speed as it vanished from sight. Nina slowed to a halt and bent over, breathing heavily. She heard Mustang panting beside her, and after she had regained her breath somewhat, looked up to see what their next course of action would be. Mustang stared after the vanished train for a few moments, then shrugged and beckoned to her, leading the way back to the car.
By the time they pulled out of the station, their breathing had returned to normal. Mustang sighed and drove back to Headquarters at a normal pace. "Well, I guess we'll just have to do this on our own." He glanced at Nina, then returned his gaze to the road. "Do you think we can?"
"It's not a question of whether we can or not," Nina replied quietly. "We have to. There's just no other option. If we waited for them to get to West City, convinced them to come back, and then waited for them to get here... Who knows what that Homunculus could do by then!"
"Agreed," Mustang said grimly. "This would be the Homunculus' big chance, what with the Fuhrer and two Generals out of the way." He paused, then asked, "Did your father tell you how to destroy a Homunculus?"
Nina nodded. "He made Trish and me memorize the circle to seal the Homunculus and make it expell all its Stones. I could do it in my sleep."
"Good. Then all we have to do, once we find her, is distract her long enough for you to draw the circle, then lure her into it...and that will be the end of Lydia Farland." He pressed a little harder on the gas pedal, and the engine almost seemed to growl in agreement.
Nina shuddered involuntarily. She wished she had her father's courage. He and her uncle had been able to destroy seven Homunculi, but she was getting the shivers just thinking about facing one. She ran over the design of the sealing circle in her mind again, and it reassured her – a little. There was still the matter of stealing enough time to draw the complex circle, however; even with Trisha helping, it would take a while.
Mustang pulled into his vacated parking space again, and they got out of the car, making their way back into Headquarters. When they stepped into the hallway outside their office, Dirk came rushing towards them. "We found it!" he cried breathlessly.
The three of them hurried into the office, where Bones bent over a map of Central, spread out over the near end of the table. He glanced up at them when they entered, then pointed at a circle drawn in red. "It's there, sir," he said shortly. "Lydia Farland's rented flat."
Mustang bent over the map briefly, eyes darting along the shortest route to it from Headquarters. "Let's go. Now."
Suddenly, Nina realized something was missing from the group crowded around the map. Trisha would have been the one to point it out. She would've been more excited than anybody to know where the Homunculus is. "Where's Trisha?" she asked, dreading the answer.
The three men looked around in surprise. "She was here when I left," Dirk said, scratching his head.
"I didn't see her leave," Bones added.
"Nina?" Mustang asked sharply. "Are you all right? You're very pale."
Nina swallowed hard. There was no question as to where Trisha had gone. "We have to hurry."