Chapter 18: The Northern Wall of Briggs

Edward and Alphonse Elric sat facing each other in a train compartment watching the landscape go by outside. In the last five hours it had changed from sunny and bright to dreary as the train sped off further into the northern landscape. Frost and snow covered the forests passing by and it made Ed pull his jacket tighter. Soon they would be out on their own. The trains only went as far as North City, and Briggs stood several miles north of that.

He shivered, but something else bothered him aside from the cold. Al spoke before he could, "He didn't show…Why didn't he show after everything he said back in the café?"

After they had left Mustang at Madam Christmas' bar, they had planned to meet at the train station to begin their journey north, but Envy hadn't shown up and Ed and Al had been forced to leave without him. Something in the back of Ed's mind nagged at him, but he ignored it. He had more things to worry about. Envy could take care of himself. Ed had to look out for Al and Winry, Envy was not his problem. Not immediately at least.

"What if Father found out about him? What if he got himself caught? Ed?" Alphonse stared at him with wide soulful eyes.

"Envy knew the risks, Al. Besides, I can't feel sorry for someone like him after all he's done. My biggest concern if he got caught is that he'd tell Father what we're up to and where we're headed," Ed replied, though it came out a little colder than he meant.

"How can you say that?" Al gasped, "I thought you two had made amends."

"No, we agreed to work together," Ed corrected him, "That doesn't mean I forgive him."

Silence settled and Al looked out the window as the snow fell in large blankets, covering the mountain landscape in perfect white.

"We still have the stones, Ed," Al reminded him. In his mind, Al believed the stones were the only thing that cemented his trust in Envy. As long as he had them, Envy was their ally. Envy had given them power to destroy even a homunculus, and that was proof enough that Envy was on their side.

"There's another way to get to Briggs," Ed said suddenly. Al looked back at him, "But Envy said the mining tunnels…"

"Those tunnels are his idea, Al. I know you trust him, but I still have my doubts," Ed said, sharply, "There's a mountain road that leads from North City. We'll take that."

"We should have told Winry we were going north," Al said, "She'll be worried."

"The less she knows, the better. The Fuhrer made it pretty clear her life is in danger even as it is, and that's my fault. Right now, we have to focus on our goal. If Armstrong's right, maybe we can get some help finding out about Alkahestry," Ed mused, "Using that as an excuse to speak to the leader of Briggs, we can warn her of the dangers ahead…"

"Father will probably send a messenger north soon too, if he hasn't already," Al said.

Ed nodded, "That's right. Envy didn't know if Father had anyone in Briggs yet. That'll buy us some time."

"Do you think he has another plan?" Al asked thoughtfully, "I mean. He knew we were leaving Central this morning. If he hasn't been caught by Father, maybe he's following another route."

"Too many maybe's, Al," Ed said, darkly, "I don't like it one bit."

"Colonel Frank Archer…" Envy mumbled turning the identification card around in his hand. The man in question lay lifeless at his feet in a bathroom stall. "Tck, and you call yourself a military specialist. What a joke!"

A flash of red light lit the dingy restroom and Frank Archer emotionlessly looked down upon his own corpse. He stepped out of the stall and glanced at his own reflection in the mirror, running a hand through Archer's short blonde hair. Cold blue eyes stared back at him and a sneer spread over his lips. Despite his outward appearance, his metaphorical heart pounded in his chest. After all he had ever gone through he was more terrified now than he had ever been in his life.

Terrified. He had half a mind to turn tail and run.

But he couldn't.

If he played his cards right, he would come out victorious. He would be playing right into Wrath's palms, literally right under his nose, but that was alright. He would just have to be careful about it.

If he failed, he wouldn't be the only one to pay the price.

He took a deep breath and gathered his wits. He checked his wristwatch and gave himself a mental shake. The Elrics' train had departed Central ten minutes ago. There was no turning back.

He stepped out of the bathroom and into the station where a platform was being prepared for the arrival of another train. He turned and locked the door handle and after a conspicuous glance around, broke it off with little effort. He threw the handle in the nearest waste bin. Nobody would be getting to Archer's body before he had done what he needed to do and was well out of the city.

A cool voice on the overhead suddenly announced, "The Southern Express will be arriving from Resembool in five minutes, please stay off Platform 4 until the passengers have departed the car."

Envy bared his teeth. Five minutes… That would almost be too long.

He had heard a group of soldiers talking yesterday about an assignment in Resembool that the Fuhrer had directed. He had taken the liberty to eavesdrop on them long enough to discover Winry was going to be taken into custody once more and that the officers would be getting back to Central today with her. Of course, he had made himself late for his meeting with Mustang and the Elrics at the café, but judging from what Ed had said about the Fuhrer taking hostages, the information may have paid for itself.

He had a feeling Archer had been stationed here to pick them up, and from there he was unsure of where Winry was to be taken, but it didn't matter to him. The further away from Wrath and Father she was, the safer she would be.

Steam billowed in from the engine that had pulled into the station and halted with a deafening screech. After a moment or two, Envy waited and the doors to each compartment slid open and people spilled out. Like ants, Envy thought off-handedly. He peered over the heads of the civilians and spotted three blue suits making their way toward him. As expected, the blonde gearhead walked between them, not cuffed but with her hands clasped tightly in front of her body. She looked like Envy felt.

"Sir," The three officers saluted him and he returned the favor. They dropped their hands to speak plainly. "The Fuhrer, His Excellency, sends order. He wants Mrs. Rockbell escorted to the Northern Command Center, Fort Briggs."

How convenient…

Envy almost smirked. He might have not had to kill Archer after all… Oh, well.

"I will escort her immediately," he responded, "Report back to the Command Center."

"Yes, sir!" The three saluted and left Winry and Envy alone in the station. Winry's big blue eyes fell on him, but he couldn't bring himself to reciprocate, no matter how much he wanted. He held his face indifferently and checked his watch again.

"Mrs. Rockbell, you and I will depart on the next train to North City," he said sharply and when it looked like she was about to argue, he added, "No excuses."

It surprised him that she obeyed without question, but he was grateful for it. He didn't need her complicating matters. Now that he had her in his grasp he could scratch that off the list of many.

He took her roughly by the arm and led her to the next platform, where a staff member checked the tickets Envy had found in Archer's pocket and let them board. A compartment at the end looked undisturbed and quiet. He forced Winry into her seat before sliding the compartment door closed behind them and sitting down opposite her. He couldn't risk removing his disguise, but as he watched her tense under his gaze, he couldn't help but lighten the atmosphere a bit.

"Mrs. Rockbell, do you understand why you're being taken to North City?" he asked.

She shook her head, lips stubbornly thinned as if she had declared not to speak even if she wanted to. The old Envy would have positively squirmed with delight at the fear and uncertainty that radiated from her, but he was not a part of Father's cruel design any longer. He longed to release some of the anxiety from her conscious. He couldn't risk compromising his disguise, no matter how much he wanted to, but he would help her to relax if she let him.

"Never mind that then," he said, carefully, "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, and I apologize that it would have to be under these circumstances. I knew your parents, you see."

This seemed to get her attention. Her eyes snapped up. Curiosity flooded into the blue, but she remained silent. He continued, "I was stationed with them in Ishbal. They followed the doctor's creed right to the very end… They were very noble."

"I wished they had never been taken from me," Winry whispered. Envy thought he saw a tear slide down her face, but he may have been mistaken. Her eyes did not look the slightest bit watery and her voice was calm and even. Maybe, he had imagined it.

"They saved many lives," he stated. He did not doubt the pair of doctors worked tirelessly to save members from both sides of the coin. It was still something Envy had trouble understanding. Why risk your own life for complete strangers, enemies even? The very idea would not have even crossed his mind if it had been him. In a way, he liked the old way of thinking. It had been black and white. Kill the enemies, save the sacrifices. Follow Father's orders and do good by your siblings. Things had been simpler. And now…

"I know, but I still miss them…" Winry said. Her eyes fell to the floor. He hated when she did that, because he couldn't see her face.

"I'm sure they would want you to be strong for them right now," he found himself saying. Without hesitation, she looked up with a fury that could match his own. The blue in her eyes looked about to boil.

"You say that, and yet you've kidnapped me from my home and plan to drag me to the other side of the country!"

Envy was taken aback for a moment, but then his surprise turned to enthusiasm. "That's right," he said, with a grin. If he wasn't careful his voice would slip into his usual one, "You feel that anger, don't you? How long have you been keeping that stored away? Use it to your advantage and you could do great things."

His response seemed to have the opposite of his desired effect because Winry's eyes suddenly clouded over in thought. "You mean terrible things," she corrected him, "Anger only feeds more anger after all, yet sometimes I can't help but be angry with myself for not following through with it."

"Huh?" She'd lost him. A dark shadow shifted in her eyes, but she glanced out the window instead of looking at him.

"I know the man who killed my parents," she suddenly said, "I met him face to face… I had the power then to end it… but I couldn't."

Questions buzzed through Envy's mind. Was she talking about him? He decided the best reply was silence, and as expected, Winry elaborated without his aid, "A few weeks ago, Scar was sighted in Central and friends of mine were put in danger. I don't know why, but… I think I got fed up with waiting around. I wanted to do something. I wanted to be of some help to them."

Suddenly, she burst into tears in front of him and Envy's eyes widened in surprise. He found himself at a loss of what to do. He had to keep his composure, or she would suspect something right away, but it just killed him to watch her as she curled in on herself and sobbed helplessly into her arms.

"I had him at gunpoint, and I still couldn't do it! After everything he's done!" she gasped.

"Scar killed your parents?" Envy asked. He was more surprised than anything to find this out. Even though it pained Winry to know the truth, Envy couldn't help but be grateful for it. It took her attention off of him and directed her hate and pain for the Ishbal Rebellion onto someone else.

Scar. He would have never guessed it had been someone from the Ishballan side. When he heard about her parents, he had always assumed they had gotten caught in crossfire or alchemists' rouge flames. He realized this would change a few things. Now she had somewhere to place blame, and it had nothing to do with the whole military or armed forces. This was one man, and he could easily be dealt with. She only had to say the words…

She was still sobbing into her hands, though he noticed her tears had long since dried. "They had helped him…. And he killed them…. They had saved his life! Dammit! And I couldn't even avenge them!"

"Keep your voice down," Envy ordered, sharply. This seemed to snap her out of her thoughts. She uncurled herself, looking a little ashamed and brushed her fingers through her hair. Envy thought it made her look a little bedraggled. He wouldn't lie, she looked downright terrible at the moment. Her red-lipped eyes were swollen and glistened with tears, and her face was blotchy and lined.

In all the years he had spent watching her, he could admit that she had changed drastically in the last few weeks. She had been stripped of her immaturity and naivety. To him, she had become more of a woman. To him, she no longer held the air of Fullmetal's mechanic or childhood friend. She was no longer the annoying gearhead girl from Resembool, who followed the Elrics around like a puppy. No. The woman sitting in front of him now was different. She was Winry Rockbell; independent of anything and everything.

"Mrs. Rockbell…" he said softly, "I'm sorry for bringing up that sensitive topic. Forgive me."

"Forgiveness…" he heard her mutter, "No, it's alright. There's nothing to forgive. I'm the one who should be sorry. I lost my head there for a moment…"

"Understandably," Envy nodded, "But what's done is done. Let's forget this conversation ever happened."

"Thank you," Winry said, dipping her head in a bow.

After that they both fell silent. Winry leaned up against the window sill and gazed outward with a thoughtful look in her eyes, while Envy stared at his hands. He wished she would just fall asleep so that he could relax, but as it were she didn't show the faintest sign of fatigue. It looked like he would have to endure the five our train ride staring at his hands and mulling over what she had said.

When the train reached North City, they stepped off and out into the cold. The landscape had changed drastically from summer-land, lush and green, to winter land, covered in a layer of ice and snow. Large snowflakes fell from the gray sky and soaked into their clothes, and made Winry wish she had packed warmer. If only she had known they would be dragging her to North City… At least she had been allowed to take along her tool case.

She threw a side glance at the blonde-haired officer next to her, uncertain of where they were going next. She was surprised to see that he didn't seem to have much of a clue. He glanced around from one end of the platform to the other as if he expected there to be a sign pointing them in the right direction.

"Ah…" she heard him sigh as four large military officers greeted them. They each wore blue military grade toques on their heads and from the bulk of their jackets they seemed more prepared for the weather than the other officer.

"Colonel Archer," one with a blonde goatee saluted, "We've been expecting you, sir. We've been sent here by the Fuhrer, His Excellency, to escort you to the Command Center. This must be Miss Winry Rockbell?"

Winry nodded and shivered against the cold breeze that blew through the open platform. She wished they would get on with their introductions and bring her somewhere warm. The same officer spoke and introduced the others, "I am Lieutenant Heinkel. This is Lieutenant Darius, Lieutenant Zampano and Lieutenant Jerso."

"Good, please take us to Fort Briggs as quick as possible," said Archer looking at the sky, "I think the weather may hinder us if we wait any longer."

"Yes, sir. General Raven is waiting with a vehicle on the edge of town."

Archer stopped abruptly and Winry almost walked into him. "General Raven?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," replied Heinkel, "He bears a message for Major General Armstrong and when he heard that you were bring Ms. Rockbell, he waited to accompany you."

"How thoughtful of him," Archer said, though it sounded to Winry that he would have rather been on his own.

They started walking through town, passing small shops and markets on their way. For the most part, Winry kept to staring at her feet to keep the icy wind out of her face. A wonderful smell of baking bread and fresh vegetables met her halfway through town and she couldn't help but stare hungrily as they passed a small bistro. Before she knew it, they had stopped walking on Archer's orders and she watched him disappear into the bistro. Her mouth watered and her stomach gave an uncomfortable growl. She realized she hadn't eaten since that morning when they had dragged her from Resembool.

Her mouth fell open when Archer reappeared holding a brown paper bag. Steam rose from the lip of the bag, hinting at something warm and delicious. When he shoved it into her shaking hands, Winry couldn't help but stammer her appreciation and decided to wait until she was in the comfort of the dry car to eat it.

General Raven turned out to be an older officer with a salt and pepper hairline and deep blue eyes. He shared words with Colonel Archer as they drove down an icy road. Winry didn't pay much attention to what was said. She was too busy burying her face in a hot, flavorful Panini to care about what went on around her. When she finished she licked her fingers, something she would have normally scowled at, and put the empty paper bag between her knees – it was still nice and hot.

The scenery here was beautiful. Before she had been too frozen and hungry to appreciate it, but now she gazed in awe at the grandness of the snow-covered mountains. She never thought in her wildest dreams that she'd find herself in the northernmost part of the country. Not in her wildest dreams…

But then again, she hadn't thought she'd be doing most things she had done in the past few weeks. Meeting a homunculus, delivering a baby, visiting Hughes' grave, and delving into dark secrets of the military were just a few of the new experiences she could add to the list. Absently, she wondered where Envy was now… It worried her to know he had gone back to Central. What if he had been caught by Father?

Suddenly, her car door opened and Archer held his hand out to help her. "We're here, Miss. Please watch your step. It's icy."

"Ho, what's this?" General Raven said. He pointed over at a large icy rock. Or so that's what Winry thought it was. She and Archer came to stand closer and realized it wasn't a rock at all. In fact, it was a very large man. He was dressed oddly and had strange lines running along his body… Winry gasped into her hands. He looked like Envy. Of course he was bigger and bulkier than Envy, but his outfit and red lines were very similar. A homunculus, then?

"Let's see what this is all about, shall we?" General Raven led them into a massive structure that towered above them between the mountain range. They were greeted by a fleet of soldiers.

"General Raven, sir," said one with sunglasses and dark skin, "Please come and wait inside. A blizzard is approaching."

They filed into a wide hallway and Archer ordered Winry to have a seat on a bench located to the side of it. He stood and waited with her instead of joining the group of officers and General Raven.

"Major Miles, is it? Where is Major General Armstrong?" asked Raven.

"I apologize to keep you waiting, sir, but the General is dealing with something and will be with you shortly," he said.

"No, it's alright. It's our fault for arriving without notice," Raven nodded.

"Please, let me show this way. You can wait more comfortably –,"

"Oh, right," Raven said, suddenly, "I brought guests with me. This is Colonel Archer and the Fullmetal Alchemist's mechanic, Winry Rockbell."

"It's a pleasure," Miles saluted, though he didn't look all that enthused.

"Would you be so kind as to show the Colonel around the fort while I wait and speak with the General?" Raven said with a smile.

Winry suddenly realized her watch would be leaving her. Oddly, she felt safer with Archer than with the rest of the officers present. Archer seemed taken aback by this request also, but he nodded to Miles politely and let himself get dragged away.

"Lieutenant, please escort Winry to the automail shop here at the fort," Raven ordered, "She can wait there."

"Yes, sir."

Leaving Winry behind, he hoped, would not be a mistake. They wouldn't hurt her as long as the Elrics behaved themselves. Envy gritted his teeth as he followed Miles along one of the many corridors of the fort. He hadn't expected General Raven to come along. He knew he was on Father's orders. Since they couldn't use Kimblee they had stooped to using one of their 'Chosen Ones'. It almost made Envy laugh out loud. That old fool actually believed he was being held a seat to become immortal. What an idiot.

Envy would have to deal with him when the time came. He didn't need him wandering around, and since Archer was a lower rank it would make it difficult for him to act on his own will without someone suspecting something.

"What's going on here?" Miles suddenly said at a group approaching them. Envy's eyes widened a bit when he realized Ed and Al were with them. Right, they had been headed to Briggs, but he didn't think they would get here that fast. They must have ignored his advice and gone a different route. If they had listened to him and gone through the mines, they wouldn't have arrived until later. He held back his desire to scowl. This changed a few things…

"Sir, I am moving the Elric brothers from the east cells to the west cells. Who is this gentleman?" replied the officer. Indeed, Envy noticed the Elrics were restrained. He wondered what had transpired since they had arrived. First, Sloth was frozen at the front door and now the Elrics were prisoners…

"This is Colonel Frank Archer. His is General Raven's guest," Miles replied, "I'm showing him around the fort."

Envy nodded at them. He looked right at Ed and said, "Ah, the Fullmetal Alchemist, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

Ed stared right at him, but his eyes were guarded and angry, and then, suddenly, they weren't. Envy didn't give it much thought, but instead turned to Miles, "Uh, why are they being held as prisoners?"

Miles frowned deeply, "You saw that thing out front, sir. We believe it might have been a biological weapon sent from Drachma. It arrived here shortly after these two and they seemed to be on speaking terms with it."

Speaking terms? Envy almost burst into laughter. Speaking terms with Sloth? Sloth didn't speak unless he really needed to, hence the name. Stupid human.

"What's more," Miles continued, "General Armstrong believes they may be hiding something and until they spill their secret, I have direct orders to keep them under lockdown."

Envy frowned. Sloth hadn't just knocked on the door of the fort. He knew he would have come in through the floor, which didn't look good considering everyone in Briggs was under constant threat of Drachma invasion. He was surprised the Elrics hadn't been court-martialed yet.

"Do you mind if I see where it came in through?" he asked Miles, who blinked in surprise.

"Of course, sir, but I have to warn you. The lower levels are chaotic at the moment. Everyone's working to find out if it leads to Drachma," Miles replied. Envy didn't have to ask to know that he meant the transmutation tunnel. He knew it wouldn't lead to Drachma, but he wasn't going to say so.

"Mama! There's someone at the door!" Elicia bounded off the couch in excitement. Gracia followed her to the front door as the bell was rung a second time.

When she opened it a man with a cap smiled widely at her and held out a beautiful bunch of wrapped white lilies. "This was sent for you, Mrs. Hughes. There's a memo on the card. Have a good day!"

"Wow! So pretty!" Elicia smiled as her mother handed her the flowers to smell.

"Thank you," she nodded as the man left and closed the door. Elicia was already at the kitchen counter waiting for her mother to unwrap them and give one to her to hold. It wasn't unusual for them to get flowers after what had happened, but she had thought they had exhausted their acquaintance list already. Who else would have thought to send them, and so late after the fact?

"What does the memo say, Elicia?" Gracia asked as she pulled a crystal vase from a cupboard.

After a moment, Elicia looked up at her mother with confusion in her eyes. "It only says 'sorry'."

Gracia paused, "That's odd. Who does it say it was from?"

"They left it blank," Elicia said, turning the card over to see if there was more on the other side, "Mama, does that mean something?"

"I don't know…" Gracia took the flowers from her and unwrapped them carefully. They fell outward in a bunch of tangled leaves and stems, but she picked one out of it and handed it to Elicia. Then, her eye caught sight of something folded tightly in between the stems. It was slightly damp and badly torn, but it turned out to be a well folded note. She scanned it, not really understanding what it meant. However, at the bottom, it clearly read 'Send my regards to the Colonel as well'.

"Mama, what is that?"

Gracia refolded the note as it had been before she'd read it and stood, leaning on the counter in distant thought. After a moment's consideration, she went to the living room and picked up the receiver.

"Colonel Mustang, please," she said. After waiting for the line to be transferred Mustang picked up. "Roy, it's Gracia. I'm fine, thank you for asking… You… haven't been by for tea in a while. I thought maybe tonight would be best?"

There was a pause on the other end as Mustang considered. Gracia waited patiently. Meanwhile, Elicia stood next to her, holding the white lily in her hands. One of the pedals brushed her cheek softly.

"I'm pleased. I'll have tea ready for seven then." With that she hung up the receiver and put the note next to the telephone. Mustang may have suspected something, but she would fill him in when he arrived. The death of her husband had taught her a few things about being conspicuous and careful about giving out information. As things were, she didn't know how safe the lines were or whether or not Mustang was being watched like her husband had been.

She sighed.

Elicia smiled, smelling the flower happily. "I like this one," she said.