i apologize for the jumping around. so much to see and do! we're getting close to the end of the story though so yay!

Hearing the sirens, Maes stood up quickly and put his gun in the back of his pants as he left the room. He found wolves running around and some men barking out orders. He followed the wolves out and ended up in the training area that they had been brought to when he and Alphonse had come.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"There is a threat coming towards the compound." Hasch said. "We're not exactly sure what it is yet."

Alphonse came clanking over and stopped next to Maes.

"What's going on?"

"He said there is a threat coming towards the compound."

"What could it be?" he asked.

"We haven't had a confirmation yet. We're about to send scout wolves to check it out. This is your lucky day, Lieutenant Colonel, you'll get to see the wolves in a little bit of action." Major Colben said.

"Indeed."

"Scout Regimen 15, line up!" he yelled.

About five wolves padded out of the group of at least fifty and then sat next to each other, getting stock straight as if they were standing to attention. Maes found the whole thing a little creepy.

"I need you to span out and find out what tripped out sensors. If any of you see or smell anything, I need you to come back here immediately. We'll then take it from there. Dismissed!"

The wolves relaxed and then took off. Hasch looked around and frowned a little.

"Bloodmoon! Bloodmoon! Where the heck is that wolf?"

A bark sounded from behind Alphonse where Bloodmoon –or Petty Officer Orwen- trotted in. Hasch narrowed his eyes at him.

"Where have you been?"

The petty officer seemed to ignore him and stood next to a black wolf.

Alphonse leaned into Maes. "I have some news." He whispered.

"You'll have to tell me later."

"It's in regards to Brother."

Maes nodded that he understood when a distant howl erupted and all the wolves turned in the same direction. The howl seemed like it was calling them and the wolves lined up in perfect rows and at the same time, howled back. Hasch's eyes widened and he stepped backwards into Maes.

"Professor Hasch?"

"I have never seen them do that before." He said, looking scared. "I don't know what that thing is out there, but it has the ability to tame my wolves… This is *not* good."

Edward and Shiro Kiba heard the howl and both turned, understanding exactly what it was saying.

"I do believe that would be your colonel." Shiro Kiba commented.

"With a stupid command like that, I will agree with you." Edward snorted.

"You seem to have disrespect for your master."

"He is *not* my master. He's my superior but he doesn't own me."

"But I thought you said that you called yourselves military dogs?"

"It's a figure of speech... I mean, you know I'm human."

"He's coming to free everyone." She said, looking towards the window. "That's why he said that command. There's one good thing about all of this, despite the odd happenings with your colonel."

"And what is that?"

"Since the wolves were originally military men and then were retrained in a military style as wolves and then reconditioned to follow solid commands, a superior being who also happens to be a superior officer just happened to give a solid command. If they follow petty humans who have no authority, how much more do you think they'd follow a *real* commander?"

Edward looked toward the door and smirked as best as he could.

"You're right…"

The wolves all turned in unison to Professor Hasch and Major Colben and then turned their bodies. They started walking towards the two, eyes low, tails low, and teeth bared.

"Um… what's happening?"

"Whatever that thing out there is told them to attack us." Major Colben growled.

Alphonse looked at Maes. "It's the Colonel. He's come."

Maes watched the wolves as they slowly began to close the gap between them and the humans.

"I found Brother." Alphonse whispered.

"Now is not the time." Maes growled.

"If we make a run for it, I can take you to the room he's in and maybe we can escape long enough to get him out."

Alphonse suddenly took off running and Maes went after him.

Havoc sneezed and rubbed his nose. He was going to have a massive cold after this adventure. Right now, he was having to hide in a meat locker behind a rack of deer. He knew that it would be one of the last places they would look for him. Unfortunately, he had a feeling they forgot about him, which was both annoying and troublesome. One because it meant he was easily forgettable and of no concern, and two because if they forgot him then hiding was really a moot point but he couldn't expose himself. He just decided that he might just die an icicle.

When he heard the howl, he had a feeling it was the Colonel. It was like he could feel it in his bones… or maybe that was the cold. He decided to venture out and see what was going on.

The door to where Edward was being kept slammed open and Maes and Alphonse ran inside. They closed the door and Maes leaned against it, breathing heavily. After catching his breath, he looked over and saw Edward looking out of the cage.

"Edward?" he said.

Edward barked and wagged his tail as Alphonse turned around. He grabbed the lock and pulled on it, breaking it off. Edward jumped out and licked his brother. A whimper let out and Al looked over at Shiro Kiba. He move Edward from him and broke her lock too. She crawled out and Alphonse realized she was much bigger than she had appeared in that cage.

"I assume this is the infamous Shiro Kiba?" Maes said, walking over to them.

"Mm. She's the one who bit the Colonel."

"Can she understand us?"

"I don't see why not." Al said, looking at her.

Maes decided to try. "Do you know what's going on?"

Shiro Kiba shook her head. Maes sighed.

"Well, there you have it. We almost got mauled by wolves and no one knows why."

"Well, actually, while we were running, I noticed that they weren't after us. They seemed to only be after the professor and the major."

Shiro Kiba made a weird barking noise and Edward turned to her.

"What's so funny?" he asked her.

"That Rupert guy? That's not a major."

"Well then what is he?"

"He's the only successful reversal that's been done here. He's my brother."

"Are they talking to each other?" Maes asked.

"I think so…" Al said.

Edward tried to frown. "Your brother?"

"Wolves don't usually breed one wolf at a time. We come in a set usually." Shiro Kiba said with a look.

"Wait, if he's your brother then what the heck with you?"

"Okuro, Colben's real name, was malleable enough to change shape. I, on the other hand, had the ability to give others the ability to change shape."

"So… you couldn't be human?"

"I'm not sure. I wasn't given the experiment that Okuro was given."

"Does he know he's a wolf?"

"Yes and no. He knows he's not someone named Colben but he doesn't know why and sometimes he understands the wolves."

"How long has he been human?"

"Since we were in our second year. A young child in human years."

Edward turned to his brother and barked to get his attention.

Alphonse turned to him and Edward braced himself.

"Ro-ren."

"What?"

Shiro Kiba shook her head and Edward barked at her. She ignored him and walked to the door. She looked back at them and then motioned to the door again. Maes opened it and they all followed her out.

Havoc finally made his way back towards the entrance where the wolves had been kept. He honestly didn't care now because he was so exhausted and hungry and tired and cold. As he made his way around to the encampment, he heard someone sobbing and pleading. He shakily grabbed his gun and went up the hill to the entrance. When he turned the corner, he saw a bunch of wolves and a large black wolf-thing baring down on Prof. Hasch and Colben. Havoc realized that the huge wolf-thing was the Colonel and put the gun down. He walked slowly towards him when he turned, sniffing him out. Havoc stood still as Roy's growl rumbled deep in his throat. Havoc didn't move an inch as Roy walked over to him. His big nose sniffed him all over and Havoc thought for sure his superior would have forgotten him. But to his happiness, Roy only snuffed at him and went back to the issue at hand.

Prof. Hasch thought he'd get away but a few wolves surrounded him and Roy turned back, glaring at him. He yelped and backed up.

"N-nice wolf creature… Nice wolf creature…"

"That's not a wolf creature." Havoc said, walking up behind Roy. "That's my superior officer, Colonel Roy Mustang."

Hasch looked at the Colonel and blinked a little. After a few minutes he smiled and seemed to gather confidence.

"I see, I see… what an amazing specimen. I never knew Shiro Kiba's potential in her own saliva straight from the source."

Roy snarled at him, backing him up again. Havoc cocked his gun and pointed it at the professor.

"Change him back."

"I'm afraid I-I- I don't know *how*. This is really beyond my expertise."

"No it isn't." someone said from behind him.

Havoc looked over and saw Maes, Alphonse, Shiro Kiba and Edward walked up to them. Havoc looked at them in confusion, looking around for Edward.

"Where's Edward?"

Edward barked and Havoc spun back to Prof. Hasch, moving his aim from the leg to the head.

"I suggest you figure out a way to expand your expertise." He snarled.

Shiro Kiba growled and took a stance, her eyes focused on Prof. Hasch.

"I think you'd better tell us how to get our friends back and all of the officers." Maes said. "Shiro Kiba looks like she might strike and then you'll end up just like the Colonel."

Roy leaned forward, letting out a deep throated growl.

"Tell us how you made Major Colben into a human and turn everyone back." Alphonse said.

Colben turned to Hasch. "What are they talking about?"

"Nonsense! Complete nonsense! I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have the ability to turn wolves into men, just the opposite way around! I swear!"

Shiro Kiba made a couple of noises as Colben turned his head.

"Shiro Kiba says that I'm… I'm not a real person." He frowned and turned to Hasch. "What does she mean and how come I can understand her?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters very much." Maes said, walking casually towards him. "You see, not only did you harm a superior officer, but you've technically kidnapped more than fifty officers from the army in your 'experiment', including a high profile alchemist. Your offenses are adding up by the minute and every second you deny what you've done, it adds to your sentence… which will be a very *long* one. So, come clean, and turn everyone back."

"I'm *telling you* that I don't know!"

Edward growled and Roy turned. Upon seeing Edward as a wolf, Roy bared his teeth and walked closer to Prof. Hasch. The other wolves cleared the way as he backed the professor into the wall as much as he could without going through it. Before anyone could stop him, Roy grabbed the man and began to shake him around like a ragdoll. Maes and Havoc tried to get a hold of Hasch but were afraid that Roy would mistake them and they'd get caught. Edward was the one that got him to stop by ramming into him. He fell to the side, releasing Haschvagen to fight Edward.

Maes and Havoc grabbed the man up as he coughed blood and laid him on the ground. Shiro Kiba walked over to them and Maes saw the look in her eyes.

"Don't do it, Shiro Kiba." He said.

She only growled and made them move. Maes thought she was going to maul him too but she started to lick his wounds. At first he found it disturbingly kind but then he realized what she was doing. He had gotten bitten by Roy, a secondhand bite from a werewolf, and now he was going to be getting Shiro Kiba's saliva all in his bloodstream. She was tacking on another variable.

A whimper let out that made everyone turn and Edward flew across the crowd of wolves. Roy stood up, walking towards Edward with a look of death in his eyes but Alphonse moved in his way, holding his hands out. Roy looked over him as Alphonse stood still.

"Stop this, Colonel! You're not yourself! Look what you did to Edward!"

Edward whimpered but he was hurt pretty badly. He had gashes in his neck and back and his paw was either broken or sprained. Roy didn't look too good either. Alphonse always knew his brother was feisty but in wolf form, he seemed to even overpower Roy, who was at least two times bigger than him or any of the other wolves.

"Colonel, trust us to help you. *Please*… We want to make you better but if you kill the only person who knows how to fix you guys, then what will it do? I *know* you can understand me…"

A small bark let out and Al looked over, seeing Bloodmoon/Petty Officer Orwen, submissively crawl towards Roy. He was making odd noises that were between a bark and a whimper. Roy seemed transfixed on the red wolf as he crawled practically on his belly to Roy's feet. Roy breathed in deeply and then looked at Alphonse and then Maes and Havoc. He then leaned his head back and howled. The rest of the pack joined him. When he was done, he looked at Shiro Kiba, who looked at him. She was the only wolf that hadn't howled. She walked over to him and stood next to Orwen as they looked each other in the eyes. She then leaned over and exposed her abdomen to him, giving him her submission.

"What the heck is going on?" Havoc asked.

"The little red one explained what happened to everyone and how important it was for your Colonel to listen." Colben said, walking over slowly. "Something about their minds getting lost… I'm not fluent."

"What was the howling?" Maes asked.

"He asked who wanted to return home… I think. But I'm sorry to say that some of the officers can't be turned back. If their minds are too far gone then their bodies won't go back to normal." He looked back at Haschvagen. "Professor Hasch won't cooperate with you. Even if he has to turn into a wolf himself."

"Well we have to try." Maes said. "We've got too many people on the line for us not to force this asshole to do what we say."

Colben looked apprehensive. "If what Shiro Kiba says is true and I'm not really a human then… he must have some sort of serum formula in one of his earlier notebooks that has the cure. If what she says is true, then it's been at least fifteen years since he restarted the project. The notebooks from way back then are kept in his office under lock and key."

"Then we'd better find it. These guys don't have much time, it seems. Aren't there any other humans in this place?" he said, looking around.

"Not very many due to the way things were done. The few we had probably ran off when the sirens sounded."

"Alright then… we'll have to get this all organized. Do you think the Colonel will turn back once the night is through?" Maes asked.

"If he's a werewolf, then don't they usually?" Havoc said.

"I'll call Hawkeye and get her to come down here. Colben, I need you to find Hasch's office and get those notebooks. We need to start scouring the pages for a cure of some kind. Do you think the Colonel will be able to understand the wolves when he turns back into a human?"

"It's debatable…"

"Tell Hawkeye to bring a doctor with her." Alphonse said, walking up while holding Edward. "Brother's hurt pretty bad."

"Right. Let's move people! We're on a time schedule!"

so much stuff! colben isn't human, roy almost really hurt ed, the officers are heading into trouble, and now hasch is double 'infected'. will he cooperate or be a booty head about it? considering the sentence he's going to have and the counts of kidnapping, brainwashing, and harm to a fellow officer he will have, i think he kinda doesn't have a choice... but he could still be a douche if he wanted *shrug*

and can anyone guess what okuro means?