CHAPTER THREE

Mustang's Perspective

"Will Alphonse and Winry be told of the circumstances about Edward's assignment?"

I look at Hughes irritably. "You know I can't tell them. It's for Fullmetal's safety. I wish I could though. The kid's expression when he saw Winry. He knew he was going to be put up against Al, but Winry too." I sigh rubbing my face with my hands. It's already been too long of a day.

"You know what's even worse for those two kids?" I look at him, waiting for the answer. "They were going to throw Ed a birthday party in a few days."

"Shit." I drop my head at the news. Of course they were going to throw Ed a party and I had to come along and give Fullmetal the mission to make it look like he was going to die at the same time. Alphonse has the right to hate me. I can even hear him moving around outside my office, pacing, ready to attack me with questions when I happen to leave my office, or just attack me.

Reading my thoughts Hughes states the obvious. "You know that you won't be able to ignore him forever Roy. You will have to talk to Alphonse sooner or later."

"I know." As if on cue there is a loud banging on my office door. I rub my face again.

"Colonel I know you are in there! Come out and talk to me right now!" His voice cracks as he yells. "Brother wouldn't kill anyone and you know that! Come out here and face me like a man you coward!"

I stare at the door, not quite sure of what to do next, when a small whisper tries to calm the younger Elric. "Please Alphonse come sit down with me. We can wait for him on the couch, he can't go anywhere without us seeing, alright?"

"No! We might be able to wait but Brother can't!" I hear soft sobs coming from the Rockbelle girl. "It's all because of that bastard in there that Ed is in jail for crimes he didn't even commit!"

"Al, please, I-I know t-this, it's just E-Edward." Winry stops and her gasping sobs become louder. "H-he looked l-like h-he had-d k-killed t-those people-e." I can hear her start bawling now.

I start to rise from my chair, ready to take my punishment from the two of them, but Hughes stops me. He just shakes his head slowly staring at a spot on my desk. I look to Hawkeye for advice, but she isn't looking at me either, as if also saddened by the turn of events for the trio of children and their emotions, or is it disappointment towards me for throwing Fullmetal into such a dangerous assignment? I stand up and walk over to my window watching the citizens walk in front of the command center. I squint as I think I see someone familiar, but the person falls out of sight behind a large group of people.

"Oh dear!" I can hear Fuery shout and then his footsteps running to my door. "Excuse me Alphonse, Winry." He bursts into my office slightly panting. "Sir, Fullmetal has escaped from the prison!"

My head whips around to Al who is sitting next to the crying Winry. He slowly looks up at me, whispering something to Winry they jump up and run out of the room. "Damn it!" I grab the coat resting on my chair and rush out the door yelling behind me, "Hawkeye, Hughes come with me."

In perfect union the sound of feet and "yes sir" follow me.

Hughes walks up beside me slightly leaning over and whispers, "Are we going to get Fullmetal?"

"No." I snarl snapping at him. "We are going to get those other two damn kids.

Edward's perspective

Ricky had changed from the blue uniform and I was told to put my trademark red jacket in a backpack to not look too suspicious. We were walking down the street as casually as anyone else. I had asked earlier why we weren't running since I had just escaped from prison. He just snorted and said that we would be caught quicker if we ran. That we would have just drawn more attention to ourselves. I agreed with his logic and didn't protest. My heart was beating too fast anyways to even think about running. Before I knew it we were across town on an all too familiar street. Right smack dab in front of that Bastard Colonel's office. I look at his window and I think that I had seen him. A giant group of people blocks my view and I soon forget about the Bastard.

"Should we really be this close to the military's base?" I glance to Ricky who is walking with his hands in his pockets. "They must have gotten word that I'm out by now."

"This is the shortest way to our hideout. If we go any other way it would take us double the time it's taking us now." He doesn't look at me but just keeps walking, he smiles and starts chuckling. "What are you afraid of the big dogs Elric?"

My eyes narrow as I glare at him. "No I just don't want to go back to my kennel." He snorts at this and continues to not look at me. We turn left into an alley. Behind us I can faintly hear familiar footsteps.

"Edward! You idiot!" I turn sharply and see Winry throwing something, Al standing next to her.

"Duck!" I yell and almost throw Ricky down to the ground. A wrench flies past where my head just was. "That was close."

Ricky stands up calmly, brushing himself off. He murmurs something inaudible and glares at Winry. Just as he is about to say something to her a group of people run up behind the two. Colonel Buttface walks in front of everyone and holds up his right hand.

"Everyone stand back, I can take care of this little squirt by myself." He smirks at me.

"WHO ARE CALLING A SHRIMP SO SMALL HE COULD RIDE ON THE BACK OF A GRASSHOPPER?" I can't help but yell at him. Ricky comes up beside me and pats me on the back.

"Take him down kid. You're little enough to dodge his attacks aren't you?"

Rage clouds my mind and I shove Ricky away from me, he hits the wall with a loud thump. "DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!" He looks at me stunned.

"Hey come on we're on the same team! No need to do any backstabbing now!" He fakes a smile at me. "Unless you still are a dog of the military." He peers at me through narrowed eyes, trying to read my expression.

I am about to protest when I hear a loud snap, I quickly jump sideways almost getting singed by the Bastard's flames. "Hey shorty might want to watch your opponent better."

"Shorty? Can a shorty do this?" I clap my hands and hit the ground, an iron cage forms around the entire group of people.

"Not bad Fullmetal." He snaps again through the bars this time, I dodge it easily this time. I transmute a pipe near me and it explodes, water splashing everyone in the cage. Colonel Bastard looks at his dripping gloves. I laugh hysterically as his 'beautiful' hair falls in his eyes. My good mood falls short when Hawkeye starts shooting at the two of us, a few coming closer than I would like. She was obviously missing on purpose but I duck behind a giant crate anyways. Ricky does the same; we remain motionless until the shooting stops.

"I'm out of ammo sir." I can hear Hawkeye lying to Mustang in a loud whisper.

Ricky stands proudly staring at the trapped soldiers. "Wow Ed I'm impressed, again. You will be of great use to us." He looks back at me smiling smugly.

"Brother! How could you?" I hear the cage break and see Al jumping in the air, foot above my head rapidly coming down.

I feel my eyes grow wide and I step back in the nick of time. Alphonse holds his hands up as if wanting a fight. "Al, I'm not going to fight you. This is between me and the military." He doesn't move just waits for me to make a move.

"I can take care of the tin can Elric." Ricky walks towards Al and starts to pull something out of his backpack.

"You made my brother do this." Alphonse shifts towards Ricky. "My brother isn't against the military! He would never be!"

Ricky smiles as he says this and Al leaps at him with his leg in mid kick. "No!" I step in front of Ricky and a shooting pain greets my ribs. "Ack!" I hit the wall and feel myself slide down.

"Brother!" Metal clanks towards me but Ricky is there first.

"Come on Elric time to go." He helps me stand, my head a bit fuzzy and I run after Ricky out of the alley and into the setting sun. I stop abruptly and look back into the crowded backstreet. Alphonse hasn't moved and the military begins to carefully get out of the cage.

Mustang looks up and tries to smile. "Be careful Fullmetal."

My brother stares at me, or through me, saying something incoherent.

"Elric! You coming?" Ricky stands by a bench, waiting for me. I nod and clap my hands; placing them gently on the ground a wall grows blocking the military in the alley. I turn and start running towards Ricky, the pain growing more and more visible.

AT HIDEOUT

"Hell no, not him! Boss he's gotta be a traitor or something!" A man with greasy brown hair yells at Ricky. "Let's just kill him! He's a shrimp anyways he won't be any use to us anyways!"

I clench my fists and take a giant step towards him, but Ricky grabs my arm, holding me back from hitting the man. I calm down a bit and Ricky walks away, and starts looking for something on a giant desk in the middle of the warehouse.

A man with scars around his mouth, making it looks like he's smiling, stands up behind Greasy. "I don't know. I've heard of the Fullmetal Alchemist, he really could be a big help to us."

"Then you must have also heard that he is a suck up to the Mustang guy!" Greasy stands up ready to start a fight with Smiles.

"You know what?" A guy with giant muscles steps in. "I think you are just mad because the Fullmetal guy can use alchemy like you, except he's faster at it! You have to draw your stupid little circles, he just claps!"

"No damn it! He's that Colonel's pet! Can't anyone else see that?" A few other men murmur in agreement with Greasy. He looks smugly at me. "I think we should take a vote to see if we even really want the little pipsqueak!"

This time no one holds me back, I transmute my arm into a blade and launch myself at the man. Colliding with him hurts where Al kicked me, but I pin him on the ground sitting on his chest with the edge of my knife extremely close to his throat. "Say it again you son of a bitch! Call me little one more time!" His eyes wide from the shock of what just happened he tries to shove me off but I threaten him with the blade once again.

"Come now Elric we don't want everyone injured by the new guys hand just before our big mission now do we?" Ricky walks up behind me holding a thick folder.

I look back at Greaseball below me. "That bastard Mustang didn't own me, I don't care about the state, and if you call me small one more time I won't be afraid to slit your throat." I stand up slowly, making sure that I use Greasy as a push off as I get up. He rubs his throat as a few men help him up. I look at Ricky indifferently and ask, "You said you had a project you guys were doing. What is it?"

"How about we go into my office?" He leads me across the warehouse and up a small flight of stairs. I look back at the men and they are still arguing about whether or not to accept me, I laugh to myself. We enter a shabby little room which must be what he is calling his office. There is a desk with lots of papers scattered on it, a small flickering lamp, and two folding chairs. "Please sit." I take my seat across from him as he plops down behind the desk. He looks at me with a giant smile plastered on his face and he hands me the folder that he had been carrying. My mind flashes back to this morning when I was doing the exact same thing in Mustang's office.

"As you might have pieced together the men downstairs along with you and myself are going to attack the military at the Eastern Command Center." He folds his hands the way the Colonel does, covering his mouth. "In two days' time at dusk."

I nod flipping through the papers. Each page has a personal file for the various members of the Eastern Command. I pause when I see Mustang's picture, I skim through his profile. After his I see the pictures of Breda, Falman, Fuery, Havoc, and Hawkeye, all have their lengthy profiles like Mustang's. Turning one more page I see myself. Two full pages of information stare blankly at me.

"Was I a threat or just in the way?" I ask continuing through the files.

Ricky leans back in his chair and smiles. "You were a threat to us." He sighs loudly. "But now, since you are on our side, are a great ally. You will be joining us, right?"

I look up from the personal file of Randy Longstine, and smile kindly. "I've got nothing better to do. So, why not?"