Disclaimer - I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Five - Hand Me Down Title

Nick had been in the military for a couple of days when he was summoned to the Fuhrer's office. He was standing outside Central HQ, not really doing much of anything except wasting time, when he was approached by Colonel Havoc. The young boy heard the colonel's approach and he looked up into his superior's face as Havoc came to a stop a few feet away from the spot where he stood.

"Hey kid," Havoc said, offering the young boy a smile. "The Fuhrer wants to have a word with you."

"Why?" Nick's face paled when his superior informed him that the Fuhrer wished to speak with him. The boy's mind worked frantically, trying to remember anything that he could have done during his brief stint in the military to get himself into that level of trouble. Nothing immediately came to mind. "You know, it's bad when you're in trouble so much that you can't remember what you've done."

"He didn't say," Havoc replied, not understanding the kid's concern over the situation. "But I'm sure it's nothing. Probably wants to formally congratulate you on becoming the youngest State Alchemist ever or something like that."

"I doubt it." Nick sighed and followed Col. Havoc into HQ.

Havoc led the boy to the Fuhrer's office and then abruptly abandoned him. "Here you are kid. Come and find me once the Fuhrer's done with you." With that, Havoc walked off.

Nick debated running away but quickly decided against it. He took a deep breath, swallowed hard and knocked on the door. Then he took a step back and silently prayed that by some miracle the Fuhrer wouldn't be in his office.

No such luck.

"Enter."

Nick opened the door and slowly entered the office. He closed the door behind himself and walked toward the Fuhrer's desk, his gaze focused on Mustang and his heart racing. "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Welcome kid," the Fuhrer said, giving the boy a rare and somewhat suspicious, smile. Mustang gestured toward the chair that was positioned in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

Nick bowed and sat down in the chair in front of the Fuhrer's desk.

"Now then," the Fuhrer said, opening a desk drawer and pulling out a large envelope. He handed the envelope across the desk to the kid. "I've issued you your official state title. It's a symbolic second name and, like the pocket watch, is given out to each new State Alchemist. Normally I'd give it to the alchemist's direct superior but in your case I wanted to issue it to you personally."

Nick took the envelope in his hand and opened it. He pulled out a piece of paper with the state crest at the top and began to read. "We give the name Fullmetal to thee Nicholas Elric in the name of Fuhrer Mustang." The boy made a face. "Fullmetal?"

"Yes," the Fuhrer said. "The title is relative to your specialty and yours is Fullmetal. The Fullmetal Alchemist. From this moment on that is the military code name by which you will be known."

Nick nodded, grateful for the fact that his summons to the Fuhrer's office hadn't been because he was in trouble.

"Alright then Fullmetal," the Fuhrer said. "You are dismissed."

Nick stood up and bowed politely to his superior and then he turned and walked toward the door. The young boy exited the office and went in search of Colonel Havoc as he'd been ordered before his meeting with the colonel. He found his direct superior in his office, just where'd he'd expected Havoc to be, leaning back in his chair and gazing at the ceiling, also expected.

"So kid," Havoc said leaning forward and focusing his gaze on the boy as Nick walked into the office. "What did the Fuhrer want with you?"

"He gave me my official state title," Nick said, obviously more relaxed now than he'd been before his meeting with the Fuhrer.

"I see. So what is it?"

"The Fullmetal Alchemist."

Havoc's eyes grew large. "Did you say Fullmetal?"

Nick nodded.

"Wow," Havoc said, running a hand through his spikey blonde hair. "That was the one title that I thought the Fuhrer would never recycle."

"Recycle?" Nick was immediately confused.

Havoc nodded. "You're not the first State Alchemist to have that name. There was one before you and he was a legend."

"Really?"

"You mean you've never heard of him chief?" Havoc asked, amazed.

"No." Nick shook his head wondering why Havoc thought it strange that he hadn't heard of the previous Fullmetal Alchemist. It wasn't as though he'd known anything about the State Military before he'd joined their ranks. The subject had just never came up in his life before his arrival in Central.

"Hmm," Havoc said, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I'll have to tell you about him sometime. However, it won't be today because I'm really busy. And if I don't get this work done soon the Fuhrer will have my head mounted on the wall behind his desk. But since I have no missions for you at present, you may go."

Nick nodded and left the office.

The next day, during a rare slow period, Col. Havoc gathered together some of the military personnel that were around when Ed was a State Alchemist and informed them that Mustang had given the kid Ed's title. And just as it had been with Havoc they were all shocked that Fuhrer Mustang had chosen to give Nick the title that Ed had born during his time among the ranks of the State Alchemists.

The group stood out in the hallway just outside Havoc's office.

"No way," Lt. Col. Breda said.

"Believe it," Col. Havoc said. "I saw the kid's certificate with my own eyes. Mustang gave him Ed's title."

"That's weird," Major Cain Fury said. "I remember how Ed and the Fuhrer got along and I find it hard to believe that Nick was given Ed's title."

"Well he was," Havoc said. "The Fullmetal Alchemist. And he's going to be sent out on his first mission soon. So we'll see what kind of State Alchemist he'll make."

News of Nick's title traveled fast among the military personnel and by the end of that day everyone at Central knew that the newest and youngest State Alchemist had been given the title the Fullmetal Alchemist. Some of them were aware of the significance of this fact however many had joined the military after Edward left so they didn't understand why such a fuss was being made over what title a young alchemist had been assigned.

The Fuhrer was sitting in his office doing paper work, unaware of the buzz that his choice of titles for Nick had caused. He was engrossed in the paper work that was stacked on one corner of his desk when the door to his office was suddenly thrust open and a tall man wearing glasses entered the office.

"Welcome back General Hughes," the Fuhrer said not even glancing up from his paperwork. He didn't have to look up in order to know who it was that had entered his office. There was only one man who would dare to enter his office so boldly, with no fear of consequences.

"Good to be back." Hughes threw himself unceremoniously into the chair in front of the Fuhrer's desk, placing his feet on the corner of the desk. Wasting no time, Hughes immediately questioned his long time friend about an interesting piece of information that he had picked up while on his way to the Fuhrer's office. "Hey on my way here I heard some people talking about the Fullmetal Alchemist's upcoming mission but that can't be right. There's no way you managed to convince him to rejoin the military. Did you?"

Mustang smirked, an evil glint in his coal black eyes. "Not exactly. But I got the next best thing."

Hughes' eyes widened in surprise at the implication. "You didn't? There's no way."

"Lieutenant!" the Fuhrer called out.

A man entered the office and saluted. "Yes sir?"

"Go and find Fullmetal," the Fuhrer ordered. "And once you've found him bring him here."

"Sir." The man saluted and left the office.

"I still don't believe it." Hughes said.

A few minutes later the lieutenant returned and he was followed closely by Nick, who was once again wearing a confused expression in his golden eyes. "Here's Fullmetal sir."

"Thank you Lieutenant. You're dismissed."

The lieutenant saluted and left the office.

"You sent for me sir?"

Hughes stared in awe at the young boy standing before him. He was the exact image of Edward when he was young. Same small build, same long blonde hair and the same golden eyes. "I don't believe this," Hughes thought to himself. "He looks just like Ed."

"Fullmetal," the Fuhrer said, an obnoxious smirk on his face as he turned his gaze away from the boy and back to General Hughes. "I'd like you to meet General Maes Hughes, my second in command. Hughes, this is the Fullmetal Alchemist, Nicholas Elric."

"Pleased to meet you sir."

"Like wise." Hughes smiled at the boy, a kind expression on his face.

"That's all I needed," the Fuhrer said to the boy. "You're dismissed Fullmetal."

Nick nodded and left the room.

Once the boy was gone Hughes turned to face the Fuhrer, who wore a very smug look on his face. "I can't believe you got Ed's son to join the military. I'll bet he wasn't happy about that."

"That's an understatement," the Fuhrer said, his brow crinkling at the memory. It was a moment that was likely to haunt him for the rest of his life. "However that's beside the point. I want you to keep an eye on the kid and keep him out of trouble."

"Is that a fact?" Hughes said, an amused grin on his face. "And why's that? Are you afraid of what Edward will do to you should something happen to the kid?"

"No, I have no fear of Ed. However the kid is a good alchemist and could eventually prove to be useful so I would rather nothing happen to him. And on that note, your wife agreed to let the boy stay at your house while he's in Central."

"That's fine," Hughes said, nodding his head in agreement with his wife's decision.

"Good," the Fuhrer said. "Not that you really had a say in the matter anyway. Gracia decided for the both of you when the kid first arrived here in Central."

Hughes just smiled. "Well she knows what's best. Besides I can't very well refuse hospitality to Ed's son."

"Why not Maes?" the Fuhrer said with a smirk. "Are you afraid of what Ed would do if he found out you tossed his kid out onto the street?"

"Absolutely," Hughes said without hesitation, not even attempting to hide the fact that he was somewhat afraid of what Ed could do to them if he was provoked. And being a father himself, Hughes knew that the one sure fire way to set Ed off would be to mess with his son and that was a path that the General had no desire to go down.

A/N- just like with Izumi I realize that Hughes died in the anime (although I personally refuse to acknowledge that fact. Didn't happen) but I wanted him in this fic so he is. And I actually explain it in a later chapter but you'll have to wait for that one. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.