Edward couldn't guess what Mustang would want or why it was so urgent he meet with the Fuhrer immediately. It wasn't unusual to be called up for unscheduled meetings but he was always aware of something that would make one necessary. He was usually given a heads up by Riza or by reading between the lines of rumors circulating through the press. There was nothing currently happening that would necessitate being called up like this; to threaten a lower ranking officer with demotion if the message wasn't carried out within five minutes. That was not normal.
When Edward entered Mustang's office he was taken aback when he saw Lin Yao there. He wondered why Riza hadn't said anything about a visit from the Emperor of Xing when he was by earlier. Even more surprising was seeing Lin alone. There were no masked bodyguards or showy dress clothes he was usually in to denote his status when he came for official visits. When Edward looked at him more carefully he wasn't even wearing traditional Xing clothes but Amestrian; simple dark brown slacks and a white button down shirt with a thin, dark blue jacket.
It was easy to forget his initial question why a lone Lin would make his way to Central unannounced. The Emperor didn't even greet him when he entered Mustang's office and wouldn't even look at him except for a couple of quick, furtive glances, giving off an aura of guilt. Mustang looked just as guilty as he paced back and forth behind his desk.
"Sit down, Fullmetal," Mustang said officially.
Edward sat down warily both men firing up his suspicion. Mustang was trying to keep the shell of the cold, detached, all business Fuhrer on but Edward could see that it was difficult for the older man to maintain. He looked weary and stressed... and nervous. Edward thought the war and the following reconstruction had aged Mustang tremendously but what took years to batter the man seemed to have doubled within a day from the last time Edward saw him.
Edward sat and waited for one of them to explain, watching Lin and Mustang carefully. Both suddenly seemed reluctant to start talking. As Edward continued to wait, he could see that both men before him had been hiding something from him and they had been doing so for a very long time and neither wanted to be the one to tell him. He knew them well enough and wouldn't put it past them to have kept him in the dark about something. But he wouldn't spare them from not telling him any longer. He was getting impatient and annoyed with their refusal to come out and say what they wanted.
"You better tell me what the fuck is going on, Mustang," Edward growled narrowing his eyes upon the Fuhrer, the first person he would direct his impatience on; Lin could wait.
"There are two homunculi still existing and they have been taken."
He looked back and forth between them, hoping they were about to burst into laughter; that they had made up this sick joke and they were better actors than he gave them credit for. Either it was a joke or he was hearing things. He tried to convince himself it was the latter; neither looked like they were holding back their amusement. Mustang had said it so calmly, like he was making a simple comment about the weather.
The room began to spin and it was hard to breathe when it became clear that what Mustang had just said was very real. He couldn't imagine what had possessed them to keep two homunculi alive. He didn't want to believe that these two men - leaders of two great countries - had actually been foolish enough to keep such creatures alive for so long. But he knew the both well enough to believe it. They were not perfect and Edward could see how curiosity - perhaps a little drunk off of power as well - would tempt them to have something around to help them keep their positions of power... but that didn't mean they could be excused...
"And what do you want me to do about it?!" Edward exploded standing up, the full weight of the situation finally hitting him. "Do you want me to clean up your mess?! Is that what you want? You want me to help you find them. Hey, I know," Edward continued, imitating Mustang, "let's send in that military dog who does whatever he's told. Sit, heal, beg, Edward! Good boy, now go risk your life again for us after we've destroyed everything we worked for! Why?!" He exclaimed, trying to keep his voice from breaking.
"Ed, I'm sorry..." Mustang began.
"I don't want apologies!" Edward interrupted. "I want to know why!"
"To maintain a balance of power between Amestris and Xing, to solidify the alliance, to have a backup secret weapon if Drachma or anyone else tried to invade Amestris again..."
"And what else," Edward prompted when Mustang trailed off knowing there was more.
"Curiosity," Mustang finally admitted, embarrassed. "I wanted to know how the original homunculus came into existence; I wanted to know what the people of Xerxes knew of alchemy that we didn't."
"If you wanted to know all that you could have asked my father!"
"He refused."
"And can you blame him?!"
If Edward wasn't so angry he would of have been able to appreciate the look of discomfort and shame on both Lin and Mustang's face. But he had more important things to worry about at the moment.
"Oh shit," Edward breathed as he began his own pacing, clutching his hair with both hands, his mind trying to work through the past, counting down the confirmed homunculi deaths he knew for sure about. "Oh shit," he repeated, "Envy and Greed." The two he had not seen with is own eyes and had never been told officially by either men that they were destroyed. He just assumed they were and desperately wished he had been more aware at the time to question both of them further.
"Yes," Mustang said quietly.
Edward closed his eyes. "How long have they been loose?" He asked bracing himself.
"Greed was taken a little over a month ago. Envy was recently discovered to be missing when Lin came to tell me about Greed," Mustang answered.
"Do you have any idea who would do this? Could they have escaped on their own?"
"No," Lin answered this time. "If they could they would have done so long ago. It was someone who knew about them, someone capable enough to get through my guards and to get through Mustang's traps for Envy."
"An alchemist?"
"That's what we suspect," Mustang said.
"But Amestris and Xing are full of alchemists, have you narrowed down who... wait a minute," Edward interrupted himself. "I can't do this. I have Elysia and Erika..." He was falling back into the trap of saving the world. But the only ones he cared about this time were Elysia, Erika, Al and his family. What he really wanted to do was leave the country, leave the mess for Mustang and Lin. His instincts were screaming at him to run... to hide. A new sense of self preservation he had never felt before now had control when it was more than just himself to worry about. It's their fault anyways, why should I stick around and help these bastards? He felt absolutely no shame leaving them high and dry.
"That's exactly why we need your help," Lin said but hesitated before he continued. "To protect them and everyone..."
"Don't!" Edward yelled turning on Lin, his eyes flashing with rage and disbelief that the Emperor would try old tricks that used to work on him. "Just don't...!" He felt his hand curl into a fist and it took all his strength not to hit anything... or anyone. He would not let them use guilt trips against him. He had been used and manipulated enough by them. He was the one that was wronged by them. What did I fight so hard for all these years? What have I sacrificed for? Lies? Yes, lies. He had fought for these two men who had promised to put an end to corrupt leaders and had become those they had replaced. He couldn't believe they thought he would follow them blindly this time.
That's all they think I am; their attack dog. They're looking at me now hoping I haven't lost my bite in order to help them but I won't! Not this time!
Wait, wait... maybe I'm going too far. They weren't about to sacrifice their whole countries... but they did by keeping those evil beings alive! Academic curiosity is not acceptable when it comes to murderous homunculi!
"Ed, calm down," Mustang jumped in, trying to soothe a fired up Edward as he continued stalking back and forth, looking like he was ready to kill one of them.
"Don't tell me to calm down," Edward said dangerously, stopping to point at Mustang. He was too angry to hear anymore. He spun to leave. As he reached the door he stopped when he remembered something.
"That's how you knew." He closed his eyes thinking how stupid he was not to have realized it before. "That's how you knew it was Envy who killed Hughes."
"Yes," Mustang said looking away.
Edward looked over his shoulder and his eyes narrowed in on Mustang. "Don't turn away, Fuhrer," he spat.
Mustang turned back to him and met his eyes. "You kept Envy alive knowing he had killed your best friend, my wife's father..." He knew Mustang could be shady and manipulative but he never thought he'd stoop this low. He couldn't take this anymore. He told Elysia her father's murderer was destroyed. Now it was loose and could threaten... he had to get out. He knew Elysia and Erika should be home by now, they would be alone. He had to be sure they were safe.
"My loyalty and priority lies with the only two people I can trust," he said angrily. He reached for his pocket watch and ripped it off the chain. Clutching it tight, he looked down at it then back at Mustang. Pulling his arm back he threw it, as hard as he could at Mustang's head.
The Fuhrer ducked in time and the watch went smashing into the wall behind him, chipping the paint as the lid popped off and ricocheted onto the floor. Mustang looked back at Edward, stunned into silence.
There were no words to name the hot, burning, angry fuel that coursed through Edward's veins now. He violently undid the buttons of his jacket and threw it off, leaving him in his white button down shirt, military pants and boots.
"This isn't my job anymore. You fix this yourself."
Before Mustang could find his voice Edward stormed out of the office quickly, violently slamming the door shut.