Chapter 17: Plans (and Those Who Reject Redemption)
When the door opened, and a young woman walked into the cell, Mustang did not automatically assume it was Maria. However, he decided to wait a moment before addressing her.
Edward, on the other hand, had no such qualms. The moment he saw the food on the tray she carried in one hand, he said, "Finally, I'm starving here! Just give me the food!"
Maria gave Edward a dubious look but sighed and plunked one bowl of rice and a glass of water from the tray in front of Mustang and then set the whole tray with the other bowl of rice and water in front of Edward.
Edward glared when Maria gave Mustang the food first but said nothing else as he began to inhale his food.
Mustang picked up his own and then addressed both, "Thank you for bringing the food," Mustang glanced at Edward out of the corner of his eyes, "and Edward… don't eat so fast. You'll make yourself sick."
Edward glared at Mustang but slowed down if only a little.
Maria kept her face stony, despite the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. She still did not like State Alchemists and still had her reservations, but the look Mustang gave Edward reminded her so much of the look Casper used to give Simon, and Mustang's admonishing tone had her shaking her head.
Maria had known Casper for a long time and also knew how much Casper wanted to protect Logan from the same fate as Simon. The only reason Casper let Logan help was so that he could keep an eye on him, but Casper had no plans to let Logan help in any fighting despite Logan's protests.
Maria sighed, they were only in the preparation stage, and the government had already found them out, given the two alchemists in front of them and the second party that came later. Damien's carefully laid out plans did not seem so well thought out anymore, even if they were better than their original plans.
Maria steadily gazed at Mustang as she thought, appraising him, and if he recognized her gaze, he did not let her know.
He did, in fact, realize she was assessing him. It was not just the conversation with Caper from the day before that clued him in. The way she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes was so reminiscent of Hawkeye's keen gaze that he felt himself stiffen and had to remind himself that he didn't have paperwork to do in a cell. Mustang could tell that if the two women met in any way outside of being Military and Rebel, they might have been friends.
A pang of guilt stabbed him, but he mentally shook it off. They had a goal to accomplish here.
"You're that Ma…"
"Edward," Mustang cut Edward off.
Maria raised an eyebrow, "well, my name is Maria, and I am here in lieu of Casper, but you should avoid making assumptions, just in case."
Edward huffed in annoyance. He would have snapped at her if he was not still so hungry, but he just did not have the energy for it.
"Then, I'll try to sneak some more food in later today…." Maria turned her head to the side as she whispered words Mustang and Edward almost did not catch.
Mustang and Edward spoke simultaneously.
Edward's face it up, "Really?"
While Mustang's remained passive, "No."
Edward turned on Mustang, "What, you bastard? We're…"
"We can't eat too much, or we'll get sick. I've seen it before when someone is starved or has only had a little bit of food, and it's not good to introduce too much food at once." Mustang sighed. "We were given very little food initially, and while, due to recent alliances, we're now getting food and water every day, we should still be careful not to increase our intake too quickly. However, the portions so far have been small enough that we have avoided the issue. We also don't want to get caught since Damien only recently agreed to give us food more often."
Much like his experiences with dehydration, Mustan had to deal with finding lost soldiers in the desert before. They were always dehydrated and sometimes half-starved. The doctors had warned them against giving a starving person too much food if any at all.
"We've been without food… or with too little food for so long, we need to be careful." Mustang gave Edward a stern look and then turned to Maria, "thank you, though."
Maria merely nodded in approval, pleasantly surprised, and stashed the tidbit of information away to look into more later.
However, Edward huffed, not entirely trusting Mustang's information since he was a power-hungry ladder-climbing idiot with a God complex. Still, once again, Mustang was showcasing how much he did know.
Really, he knows more than he lets on. You'd think he'd use this stuff more to raise his rank. Edward grumbled under his breath as his stomach rumbled.
Mustang addressed Maria, "So, what do you want to know?"
"What are your goals, and why did you stay in the military after the war? Casper told us, but I want to hear it from you. Directly."
Mustang had been expecting the question, and his lip formed a thin line at the thought of explaining it once again. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Fine."
And with that, Mustang began his story once again. Maria asked questions, many questions, resulting in Mustang telling her briefly about why he studied alchemy in the first place, why he joined the army, his thoughts about the war, what he saw, and his goal when seeing Bradley standing above them at the end. Mustang left out anything that could be linked to the team, most importantly Hawkeye and her relationship with his teacher. He did not trust Maria enough for that yet.
By the end, Maria was mostly silent, and Edward was leaning his head on one hand propped up by an elbow resting on his knee.
Edward almost said something about Hawkeye. However, Mustang's deliberate avoidance of talking about the team specifically, or naming anyone, in addition to the death glare when he had begun to ask, quelled the question.
Mustang sighed, keeping one eye on Edward, who was sulking, and the other on Maria, whose lips were pursed in a thin line, eyebrows drawn together to the point that they almost met.
"Do you think anyone is coming for you?"
Mustang and Edward perked at Maria's question, and Edward gave Mustang a side-long glance.
Mustang's back straightened, and the seriousness of his expression brokered no argument, "Yes."
Maria blinked, and Edward smirked.
Mustang looked Maria in the eye with confidence. "Given how long it's been since our last report was due and the team that came after us, the one the Drachman soldiers found, I would not be surprised if they were in either Yoxeqa or Egmuridcu right now."
"Damn," Maria whispered.
Mustang nodded, "Casper mentioned that Damien was going to Egmuridcu. So, if they did, he will probably know they are here. Especially given that our cover story did not fool him."
Maria nodded, "I can make a quick trip to Yoxeqa today. It may be beneficial to keep an eye out. Additional help or backup for when we get you out of here would be helpful."
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"Well, Damien will be back later today, but since we generally know when he is out or in his room, we'll sneak you out while he sleeps. If he can confirm you're here first, and then we get you out, it will make it harder for him to pin down when you escaped since he won't expect it. He tends to seem a bit out of sorts when he leaves after seeing you. It's becoming unnerving."
Mustang rubbed the fading bruise from the last encounter with Damien. Edward winced. He had almost grown used to the sight of the bruise on the gaunt face, and he wondered how he looked to Mustang.
Mustang regarded Maria for a moment.
"One of my team members is named Hawkeye; she's blond and brown-eyed."
"Do you really want to do this?" Edward interrupted. After Mustang's earlier death glare, he was surprised.
Mustang paused briefly and looked at Edward, realizing where the questions came from, as did Maria, "We have decided to trust them, and the more help, the better."
Maria nodded, "you've got a point, but at the same time, you don't have much choice if you want to get out of here." Maria looked at Mustang, "I will guard your trust. I trust Casper, and he has grown to trust you. There is very little I can do to prove your trust is well founded. Only time will tell. In return," Maria's expression darkened, "I expect you to keep your word and make this nation better in the future. There will be a reckoning if you betray our trust after we have proven ours."
Mustang nodded, and Edward grimaced. And so, Mustang continued to briefly and superficially describe what the team looked like and give her some tips regarding how to approach them. Once he was done, Mustang took Maria's proffered hand, and they shook.
Maria stood and nodded, "Now I have prep to do to see if I can find any of your team. Then, once we've connected, we can make more concrete plans to get you out."
"Thank you," and within a beat, Edward echoed Mustang's thanks with one of his own. With that, Maria left.
Once she was gone, Edward turned to Mustang, "Do you think we really can trust them?"
Mustang looked at Edward as Edward played with the hem of his shirt, not meeting Mustang's eyes after asking the question.
"Yes," Mustang laid a hand on Edward's shoulder and felt him flinch but then sink into the touch. "You'll see your brother soon."
Edward's head snapped up to face Mustang, eyes wide.
"You miss him as much as I miss my team, maybe more."
"Most undoubtedly more, you bastard."
Mustang laughed, "you don't have to worry about your yearly report either, there'll be an exemption, and you'll be able to turn it in once this is all settled. So, you don't have to worry about being kicked out of the military. You'll still be able to find a way to fix everything."
Edward watched Mustang lean against the wall, eyes closed as he lapsed into silence, and a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.
The barely audible "thanks" settled across the room like a warm blanket, and neither opened their eyes to acknowledge it.
After talking to Casper and telling him her immediate plans to find Mustang's team, Maria slipped out of the compound and headed north. They were certain the army would head there first since the last batch of soldiers had come through there. Apparently, after telling the rebels' undercover shopkeepers about the previous batch of soldiers using the Drachma soldiers' descriptions, the rebels were able to confirm that the previous undercover team had come through the town.
The shopkeepers had been shocked but all the more willing to tell them everything to help the cause. It made Maria slightly sick to think that she, Casper, and Logan were betraying everyone's trust, but it would take time to convince everyone they had to change their methods. While some were already unsure due to Damien's most recent actions, many still felt that they were headed in the right direction.
Maria's eyes narrowed as she traversed the uneven terrain going toward Yoxeqa. Most of the rebels who were still sure of Damien were the ones who had helped him "punish" Mustang for the escape attempt. They were also the ones who had helped him with Edward's "punishment." While Casper had been the one to recruit Damien, Damien had created a small following of his own within the group. No one minded until they took to torture. Yet, since they were all in this together, no one really said anything.
I didn't either, even if it made me uncomfortable.
Maria sighed and looked up again. She could see the edge of the town and picked up her pace. As she entered the town, Maria saw a streak of blond hair. While Mustang had described his subordinates, it had been unnecessary. Maria had investigated Mustang once they decided to help, and she could already recognize most of his team on sight. The woman with blond hair was undoubtedly Mustang's subordinate, Hawkeye.
Maria hesitated, but when the woman went into the inn, Maria was quick to follow. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the shopkeepers were busy – no one would suspect her – and she could always say that she was diverting military attention if anyone discovered she was talking to them.
As Maria entered the shop, the smell of liquor and food washed over her. As her eyes adjusted to the light inside the inn, she was able to make out Hawkeye sitting in the lounge with two other men, who she also recognized, Havoc and Breda.
Maria nodded to the Innkeeper, who thankfully was not a part of their scheme, and then hesitantly approached the small group. Hawkeye was quick to turn around, surprising Maria since she was still a few meters away. Hawkeye's hand was at her hip, which caused Maria to slow. Maria glanced around carefully once more and then put her hands up as she slowed her approach.
"Good afternoon! I'm a regular around here and thought I should introduce myself to see if you needed any help navigating our small town."
Hawkeye eased a bit, but Havoc and Breda exchanged nervous glances.
Maria knew that beating around the bush was not going to get them anywhere, and she did not have much time if they were to avoid Damien's suspicion. If they could avoid him coming back before she returned, all the better.
Maria took a deep breath and exhaled, deciding to just use the "tips" Mustang had given her on how to approach the team, even if they made no sense.
"I met someone recently who talked a lot about women, an Elizabeth and Jaqueline, to be exact. He asked me to keep an eye out for them and ask them for their assistance with a rowdy customer if I ever saw them. He and the…" Maria slightly paused, "apprentice are okay but need your help."
The growing expressions of wonder and shock on Hawkeye's and the other's faces was well worth the awkward phrases Mustang asked her to use. She could tell it meant something to them, and she figured it was a code so they would trust her.
Hawkeye felt some of the tension drain away, but the woman's presence was still not comforting. The mere fact that Mustang gave away his code names, names only the team knew, meant he and Edward were apparently in a situation dire enough that Mustang felt he needed to do so.
"Is that so?" Hawkeye quickly regained her composure, "would you be willing to come to my room and explain in more detail."
Maria nodded, "yes, but I really don't have a lot of time. The rowdy customer is due back soon, and I have to get back to the shop before he returns. Otherwise, it might be harder to deal with the customer."
Hawkeye nodded and turned sharply, indicating to Bread to watch in the lounge and Havoc to follow with mere flicks of her finger. Maria followed the two soldiers to a room. Maria and Hawkeye entered while Havoc stopped outside the door. Once the door was closed, Maria breathed a small sigh of relief and turned to Hawkeye, who was waiting.
"I know where Mustang and Edward are."
Hawkeye nodded, indicating for her to continue. Hawkeye felt herself shaking slightly in anticipation. While they had Private Dolion, who had found the base, having one of the rebels come to them was unexpected. While Private Dolion knew the location, to her knowledge and his official reports, he knew nothing of the inside of the base.
"They are okay but not in the best shape. I'm sure you want to know about their physical conditions," Maria began to ramble. This was a soldier who was more than capable of killing her, and she knew the difference between them. "They've been given very little water and even less food. They've also been…." Maria paused, nervous about how Hawkeye would react to the news. "They also have some injuries."
Hawkeye took a step forward at Maria's words as she felt anger and fear rise up, almost choking her, but Maria put up her hands and continued quickly.
"They have some bruises, but the drugs are out of their systems."
"Drugs?" Hawkeye seethed.
Hawkeye's hand instinctively went for her weapon, but she stopped herself as Maria's eyes widened, and she took a step back.
Maria jumped in to try and diffuse the tension. "We need to get them out of there. My… now former companion has been a bit rough with both of them, and it was his willingness to harm them, especially the kid, that made me see something needed to change." Maria continued but began to speak more quickly, "Only three of us are in on the plan to help your friends escape, but we need help. Damien can't be allowed to continue… he called Drachma…."
"We know about Drachma already, are the Drachma soldiers here?"
Maria jerked at Hawkeye's statement, "h-how do you know about Drachma?" The conversation was not going as planned, and Maria realized she might have been overly optimistic. "They were here but left. I don't want to get into all of that because of time. I know I did wrong by joining a rebel group, but initially, after Ishval, I didn't see any other option."
Hawkeye flinched at the mention of the war. Both women stood silently for a moment, thoughts swirling. When Hawkeye looked at Maria, she could see the same expression she had seen in the mirror plenty of times after the war, and so when Maria began to speak again, Hawkeye remained silent.
Maria's voice was soft when she continued, "When we started our cause, we did it to protect people, not to betray the country to Drachma or hurt children." Maria bit her lip, "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I don't want to be a part of this anymore – there are a few who don't, not after what was done to Mustang and Edward – or after Damien contacted Drachman. Those Drachma soldiers are … terrifying."
Maria shook her head, "I'm here to make contact and let you know the plan we have so far. We did not want to make any decisions without contacting you, specifically, first. We want to get them out, but we want to do so safely. Several people are beginning to doubt Damien, but there may still be too many people on Damien's side."
Hawkeye nodded. "Okay, since Ro-Mustang gave you the code names, I'm going to assume that he trusts you enough to do so. You know more about their predicament and the layout of the land. What do you suggest to help rescue Mustang and Edward? Just know I'll judge your trustworthiness with your answer and realize I will have to tell my superiors about the plan. They won't accept a plan that does not involve shutting down the group, especially since Drachma is involved. You understand what that means for you and your companions?"
Hawkeye studied Maria. While she wanted to trust her, she did not know how the young woman would react to knowing that they already had their base's location and were currently getting into position to attack. The only reason why they had not done so already was because they wanted more information to help ensure the rescue of Mustang and Edward.
Maria grimaced but nodded, "We know that doing this also involves betraying the group, but we agree Damien is too dangerous. Our plan so far is to find a window of opportunity to get them out of the compound and to another location sometime tomorrow or the day after. There is a young man in our group named Logan. While Casper and I will help get them out, we specifically will take over the watch to help facilitate their escape. But if we take over the watch, we won't be able to leave. Logan can meet you and the military with Mustang and Edward. Then…" Maria paused, grimacing, "…then give you the location of the base at the drop off. That's the basics of the plan so far."
Hawkeye said nothing, and Maria almost squirmed in the silence.
"First, the plan is for you to get them out, take them to a safe location, and then give us the location? Not only that, but your plan involves doing this within 48 hours minimum?"
Maria flinched, "Given the compound's location and layout, we cannot guarantee their safety if the military tries to save them while raiding the compound. I know you don't necessarily trust us, but us helping them to escape the compound first means they'll be safer. That's why we plan to give you the location at the drop off. I don't want the kid caught in the crossfire of you trying to subdue the rest of the group while getting them out."
Hawkeye smirked, "don't let Edward hear you call him a kid."
Maria blinked and smiled, "probably best."
After diffusing some of the tension, Hawkeye continued, "now you said you want to get them out tomorrow or the day after? That does not leave a lot of time to plan."
Maria nodded, "I know, but we also feel that waiting too long will make it more difficult. Since Damien traveled to Egmuridcu and will be coming back today, it will be the best time where he is concerned. It would have been better if we could have helped them escape while he was away, but that was not possible. So, we hope to take advantage of the hours Damien will be resting in his room, especially since he'll be tired from the journey. All we have to do is change the watch schedule."
Hawkeye's eyes narrowed, "and you think that you can change the schedule and take advantage of the time this Damien is sleeping effectively?"
Maria nodded, "We know the area. Since we've made contact and you know our plan so far, I can talk to Casper and work things out on our end. If we agree on a meeting spot, I can tell you the pickup location and any other details later tonight."
Hawkeye took a minute to think. The military was working to create a pincer attack on the compound. Half of the group was in Egmuridcu, and once they finished confirming and scouting the location, the military would be ready to move. At most, it would take 48 hours. However, from the rebel's side, it seemed that the person of greatest concern was in Egmuridcu.
Hawkeye closed her eyes, and hoping beyond hope, she wished that the answer to her next question was not what she suspected it to be.
"Who was the one to capture Mustang and Edward?"
"Damien discovered them."
Hawkeye cursed, and at Maria's look of confusion, she explained.
"First, I am not in the position to make decisions about their rescue as I have to work with other teams, and I have superiors to whom I have to report. Since you are technically with the rebels, by all accounts, I should take you into custody.
"Second, even if they listened, I cannot guarantee that they would approve of a plan where the rebels help Mustang and Edward escape first. While I want to get Mustang and Edward out safely," Hawkeye grimaced, "they are just as invested in rounding up your group as they are in saving Mustang and Edward. Rather than wait for rebels they don't trust to bring Mustang and Edward to them, they'll act on their own and take you into custody. If I let you go, I'll be questioned and unable to do anything to help on any end."
Maria winced, "that's why we are coming to you. First, Mustang knew if we talked to you, we would be able to prove that we don't mean you any harm. Second, you'll prioritize their rescue. Third, Casper and I are more than aware that it will be difficult to help them escape while also saving the group. We hope to strike a deal with you, not the rest of the military."
"The only reason I'm talking to you now," Hawkeye spoke slowly, "is because Mustang gave you the code names, even if he didn't explain them. He doesn't always do things by the book. So, I need a plan on my end if we're going to go with a plan where you extract Mustang and Edward. My first priority is Mustang and Edward, and that seems to be yours as well. Any plan to get them out first will be preferable to my team.
"You should also know my third reason for my language just now, as it will affect the plan to extract Mustang and Edward. The military already knows the location of the base, and we have people in Egmuridcu right now, where Damien is."
Maria went pale, and Hawkeye cut in, "don't panic. We need a plan on both sides. One of our soldiers happened to survive the attack by Drachma and found the base afterward. He came to Nort city and reported. While you were not expecting us to know where the base is, your willingness to tell us, even if it would have been after helping Mustang and Edward escape, gives me more confidence in you. We were not planning on moving for a few days in the first place, so we have some time to work with your plan.
"The problem is Damien, who might realize by now that there are military soldiers in Egmuridcu. The second problem is figuring out how to work with my superiors while maintaining both of our interests. You said you wanted to strike a deal. What is it? We can make a plan from there on both ends, your interests in breaking off from the rest of the rebels and my team's interests."
Maria looked down at the floor, "We want to see if we can convince others to abandon the following that Damien created." Maria quickly moved on as Hawkeye began to interject. "We don't want to jeopardize getting Mustang and Edward out by tipping off Damien that something is happening," Maria reassured. "However, we hoped that we could convince some to abandon the cause while Logan took Mustang and Edward to you. Since we hoped to have Logan show you where the base was, we were going to take advantage of that time. But if the military already knows the location, that's not as feasible. If Damien knows about the military in Egmuridcu, it will make even just helping Mustang and Edward escape more difficult since Damien will be more wary."
Maria groaned, a hand running through her hair as she began to mutter. "We're in a bind here. We want to stop Damien and help Mustang and Edward since Mustang made us a promise to change the government. But we don't want to betray those who are willing to go about this a better way, either. We never intended to betray the country to Drachma, and others agree, but we need time. But if the military already knows where the base is and if Damien knows about the military in Egmuridcu…."
Maria looked at Hawkeye and asked softly, "Is there anything you can do to help us save those who want out and to protect Logan while still meeting your goals? Damien will be the least suspicious of Logan since he's the youngest. But I'm begging you to promise to at least let Logan go in the confusion while the base is being attacked. We… Casper and I don't want him anywhere near the base when you raid it, but it means I need your word he won't be taken prisoner on your end. If we don't make it out, I want him safe."
Hawkeye thought for a moment more,
"Since we are scouting the area anyway, I can go out tonight and meet you and the Logan you mentioned earlier to finalize our rescue plan. I will come back with a story about finding a young man in the woods who I convinced to become an informant. My story will be that this 'young man' was 'taken to the base' as a 'new recruit' recently but left at night after realizing the group was, in fact, a rebellion. The 'new recruit' agreed to go back and obtain information on the interior of the building, something the military would like before our attack, and agreed to a meeting location. This will actually be the pickup location. I'll feign surprise when the 'young man' not only brings us the information but has Mustang and Edward with him as well.
"Logan's story should be that he was afraid that the map of the interior would not be enough, so as a reckless youth, he also helped the two prisoners escape. It may not sound realistic, but if the 'new recruit' was scared that he would not be believed, he acted to protect himself. The military will buy it if Mustang also vouches for him. If Mustang is in a state to move, then with his experience, having the 'young man' help will be enough to convince them that they were able to escape and that it is not a trap. If the group of rebels is not ready when we raid the base, it will only solidify Logan's story. I'll do my best to ensure that if anyone mentions him, the 'young man' who came to me is not linked to Logan from your group. He should use a different name when he comes to bring Mustang and Edward to us."
"I think that will work," Maria nodded.
Hawkeye warned, "Being a part of a rebel group is enough for execution. Everyone who is caught will be judged by the courts if we go through with this. If we go with this plan, it means that only Logan helped. While information can be used to lighten the sentence, you or Casper won't be able to use it. If it were just Mustang's team here, we would be able to do more, but there are multiple teams here to find and rescue two State Alchemists. Do you think Logan will go along with the plan? Even if it means abandoning you?"
Maria sighed, "I'll convince him."
Hawkeye's demeanor softened, "As for the future, just in case things go wrong, I can guarantee that Mustang's goal is also mine, and our whole team is backing him."
Maria lowered her head, "I understand, but if you can do anything to slow them down for a little bit after Logan 'hands over the information,' please do. Casper and I will use that time to our advantage. We will not jeopardize Mustang and Edward's escape, but we're going to do our best to help those who don't want to be a part of the rebel group escape too."
Hawkeye held Maria's gaze, and just as Mustang predicted, they knew they could have been friends under different circumstances.
"How can I stop you from doing the very same thing that I would do?" Hawkeye smiled at Maria, "Since having Mustang and Edward there with the 'young man' giving us information will be unexpected, it will take a little bit for us to organize and move toward the base. I'll be able to convince the team leader that we will need to approach the base with care in case their absence is discovered, but at the same time, they will still want to move quickly, closing off escape routes in case their absence is discovered.
"That should give you the time you need to talk to those you know. We'll also need to relay to you where our team will be approaching the base to give you an opening. But know this; I'm only trusting you and giving you this opportunity because Mustang gave you the code names that he did. If he had given you any other phrase to use, I'd be taking you in regardless of any "deals" struck."
Maria nodded, "I'll go confirm the situation at the base. Let's meet later tonight directly south of here. In the forest, there is a small clearing about three hundred meters from the edge of the town. I'll be there with Logan, and we'll have the specifics as to the drop off location and time then."
Hawkeye nodded, and the two women shook. Then, Maria slipped out of the room and from the town while Hawkeye updated Havoc and Bread on the situation.
Aside: While others found their reason for redemption- whether to save a country, a brother or an adopted son… another did not…
To the south, Damien was about to leave the fair town of Egmuridcu when he saw movement on the edge of town. Two plain-clothed men, who looked far too much like military soldiers, were hidden amongst the trees.
Damien crept up to the men, eavesdropping on the conversation.
"So, have we heard from the boss yet?"
"Naw, they want to scout the area another night or two to be sure we can surround the place so no rats escape."
"Ugh, it's cold up here. I wish they'd hurry up. We know where the base is already."
"We got two hostages, though."
"What, those two? How'd they get caught in the first place, do we know?"
"No one knows, but either they were sloppy, or these rebels are good."
"Against the Flame Alchemist?"
"He had the runt with him, though. Maybe the kid screwed up?"
"Probably. Who let a kid in any way."
"Hush, don't go saying anything stupid. It was the Fuhrer, after all, who gave the kid his license. The man knows his business. The kids got to have some alchemy skills, but it doesn't make him a soldier."
The other man remained silent, and Damien slipped away. Drachma had left, and now he had Amestrian soldiers scouting his base. Damien's face darkened. No one was going to take away what he built. He'd use the two alchemists to his benefit, no matter what he had to do.
Even if he and his band of rebels were not as prepared as he'd like, they would have to be ready because the rebellion was starting whether they liked it or not. And, if he had his way, the country would fall.
Back in East City, Tucker looked down at a sleeping Nina. Tucker's eyes narrowed, and his lips pursed slightly. The shadows cast by the moon intermittently between branches and leaves cast a soft blue-like light around the sleeping child. Now that her mother was gone, Tucker had the responsibility of taking care of the young child and large dog.
She was so young and did not understand what had happened. All she knew was that her mother had left. Tucker knew the truth, and the truth had secured him his State Alchemist license. His attempt to find suitable materials had failed, and while his wife suffered because of it, he had his license. He would now have the funding and backing of the government. He would find a way to make another talking chimera without a human.
The girl now spoke, much to his surprise. He could not quite remember when she started walking or talking, but she had. Tucker turned away. He would make progress with the resources available through the military – it would be all he had time to do, though.
A talking chimera and the little girl who was quite capable of speech – how similar and so different they are from each other, thought the alchemist.
His informant, the one to whispered atrocities in his ear, had told him that he best not use humans again. He also informed him that Colonel Mustang and Major Elric, the two alchemists whom he saw in Aszamen, were missing. In all the confusion, Tucker did not need to worry about anyone searching for his wife. All was taken care of.
There was nothing to feel guilty for – he had all he ever wanted.
AN
I tried to bring in a bit more Edward again to assess his developing relationship with Mustang. Don't know if I pushed the forward enough. This is supposed to be a Mustang/Edward parental, after all. Hopefully, I'm doing dad-Roy justice.
I get the feeling Edward would show some gains and then take about a zillion steps back to then step closer again, which is what I am attempting to convey. (No wonder Alphonse loves cats so much...).
And oh, my word, the moving parts: The military's plan, Mustang's team's (new) plan, Casper and company's plan, the rebels, and Damien's discovery all coming together… so many hastily made plans attempting to take into consideration the all of the other group's plans… but not knowing about other plans… and so many things that could go wrong…. The next 48 hours or so (in story) are going to be interesting…
Hopefully, I can keep track of it all….