Title: The Forged Alchemist

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Summary: The Homunculus have left Amestris in shambles, and the new Fuhrer is an incompetent who is leading the country to downfall. When all hope is lost, Edward puts to the test a theoretical array, and enter Edwin Auric, the son of Hohenheim of Light, and elder half brother to Edward and Alphonse Elric.

Chapter 11

Nathaniel Kruger was a good man, a hard working father, loving husband, and fair employer. He had a daughter in the military, a Lieutenant Natalia who worked as aide to one of the Generals. He respected the military, knew that the men and women in blue and gold were the ones who died so common folk didn't have to. He knew that the military was the source of a great deal of income for many businesses, for farmers and clothiers and cooks and janitors and carpenters and munitions makers and chemists and so on. He was one of those few people who had nothing but the greatest respect for the military, but he also knew that in recent years, the Parliament had lost power and the country was becoming more and more of a dictatorship under a megalomaniac Fuhrer whose bloodlust could surface at any moment and thus lead to a massacre such as what had occurred in Ishbal almost a decade prior.

So when a young soldier arrived in his law firm one day almost five years ago with an ambitious plan for the reform of the country and the restoration of power to what was now a puppet Parliament, Nathaniel was more than happy to help. He arranged for safe houses to be set up on the behalf of his client, recruited staff and allies and spread rumors that blossomed across the country at mind boggling speeds. It was a dangerous job, one that had to be handled with delicacy and precision as well as discretion. After all, the officer was fanning the flames of rebellion, and Nathaniel knew that if anything untoward happened, the blame would not fall on the officer but on Nathaniel himself, and by proxy, implicate his wife and daughter. After all, the only thing Nathaniel knew was that back then the soldier was a blonde and had been a one star officer. He couldn't describe the soldier if he wanted since the officer had worn the military hat, the brim of which had shadowed his eyes. He didn't even know the officer's name, although the man had said to call him Russel, and without a doubt it was a false name.

He was sure he had been careful, that everything was secret, so it was a surprise when the military charged into his office and searched it. Then, before his eyes, several folders stuffed with papers was pulled from a wall safe he didn't even know was there, and Nathaniel realized with a jolt that he had been set up from the very beginning.

"Colonel!" a female soldier barked, "You'll want to see this!"

A golden haired officer, whose shoulder boards were adorned with two stars, crossed the office and flipped quickly through the papers and smirked. "Well," he said in a startlingly familiar voice, "To think you kept everything in one place… How careless of you, Councilor Kruger."

Nathaniel was struck by a memory…

"Natalia Kruger is well placed. You never know when someone may target you to get to your daughter for the information she has access to. How careless of you to let your guard down, Councilor Kruger…"

His eyes widened as he recognized the voice. The officer!

"Your daughter is a Lieutenant isn't she? The personal aide of Brigadier General Gran? Tsk, tsk. She'll be devastated to find out that her father is plotting. In fact, she'll probably be implicated and removed from her position as well."

"You bastard…" Nathaniel growled, "You tricked me!"

"I'm afraid I've never met you before," the Colonel smirked. "First Lieutenant, take this man away. Second Lieutenant, search his remaining files for evidence. Not that we need any more. This alone will condemn him." The officer hefted the files briefly before tucking them under his arm and turning to leave the room.

Nathaniel was led away by the female lieutenant, and he tried not to howl in betrayal.

~*~

In the meantime, the Colonel found himself accosted by his newest and less trusting member of his staff.

"Sir."

Edwin Auric paused as he passed the speaker, a dark skinned man wearing tinted glasses, his new Warrant Officer. "Yes, Warrant Officer Kugisuco?"

"The handwriting on the files are inconsistent with the handwriting on the papers on his desk."

"They were likely written by an ally in an effort to delegate responsibility, Warrant Officer. Much like it is done in the military," the Colonel responded.

"What if they were planted, sir?"

"Do you know something I don't?"

"It's a possibility, sir. I thought-"

"Don't."

The Warrant Officer's mouth snapped shut at the firm command.

"Don't think about possibilities. Possibilities are conjecture. We do not have the time or resources to chase shadows. The evidence implicates the suspect, and the evidence, Warrant Officer, is always right. Remember that."

He strode away, turning plans over in his mind. By dusk tomorrow, Lieutenant Kruger and her father would be missing, and the military would likely come to an obvious conclusion and attempt a preemptive strike with the information they'd found. How well Nathaniel Kruger had built up this rebellion would be revealed in whether or not there was anything to be found when the first blow fell.

Edwin's lips quirked in a cynical smile. Maybe this time, the overthrowing of Bradley would not be so costly if the crushing of this movement spurred officers into siding with Mustang at the moment of his coup.

Warrant Officer Andrej Kugisuco shivered at the sight of his Commanding Officer's icy smile. So it was true. The Forge Alchemist had his own agenda, and he was absolutely ruthless in its execution.

~*~

As noon approached, the streets of Eastern city began to fill with young adults on their way to part time jobs or university classes and working men and women on their way to cafes and restaurants for a quick bite to eat or for lunch meetings or to get a cup of coffee that was not the poor quality office break room sludge. Mothers made their way to day cares and grade school to pick up their children from preschool and kindergarten and made stops at the park to let their children play or get an ice cream. In the train station, platforms were packed with passengers waiting for their train or disembarking from the new arrivals. It was just another afternoon in Eastern City.

Even military men and women sometimes left the Headquarters in search of something more fulfilling and tasty than what was in the military commissary. Everyone knew that military food was not gourmet fare, so it was not uncommon to see a soldier in blue and gold enter a restaurant, get a seat, and order. No one paid any mind to an outdoor café where multiple military officers were enjoying their lunch, and Edwin Auric was no exception to the rule. It was not until the empty plate was taken away and his coffee cup was refilled that the relative peace that the meal had instilled in him was broken.

"Was that a wise move, Colonel?" a voice murmured quietly from behind him.

Edwin Auric leaned back in his seat and replied quietly, "It's a catalyst. I want to see what Bradley will do when faced with rebellion on two fronts."

"But actively setting the stage for a rebellion?" the man seated behind him murmured.

"Ends and means, Lieutenant General."

"Where did this military go wrong?" the General asked, "How did we raise the Fullmetal to become who you are today, Colonel Auric?"

"You entrusted a precious future to a child," Edwin replied, "and when the child becomes a man, you find you do not like who he has become. But the gears have been set into motion. All we can do is wait and see what happens next."

"If we told you that it's no longer needed?" the General asked, "What if we told you to leave things to us?"

"I will say no thank you. This is the mission given to me by my superiors, and their orders supersede all else."

"And are we not your superiors?"

"You are."

"And yet you will not listen if we tell you cease and desist."

"No."

"Because we are not the ones you left behind?"

"No."

"When will you stop?"

"When everything ends."

"And when is that?"

"I do not know."

"Then be careful."

"Do not concern yourself with trivial things, sir." Edwin set some money on the table and stood up. "If it was meant to happen, it will." He walked away.

"Sir."

Edwin smiled at Corporal Gyver. "Yes?"

"Nathaniel Kruger is in custody, and a message has been sent to Brigadier General Gran. He wishes to see you before the Fuhrer leaves. Also, the car is ready. We can go to the former Crystal Alchemist's location at any time."

"Excellent," Edwin nodded. "Everything is falling into place."

~*~

TBC…