A chorus of explosions ripped through the peace and calm of Central command, if such could ever exist in a military compound. Hachiken Yugo blinked his eyes twice, adjusting to the smoke and rubble that surrounded him on every side and went on forever. Around him, soldiers screamed inaudible orders to their platoons and rushed to defend the fort from the invaders. Hachiken found himself stuck without a place to go. It just figured that this would happen on a day he was back in town.

"Brother!"

Hachiken's ears became attuned to the child-like voice approaching him.

"Al, what's going on?" Hachiken demanded of his brother.

"Looks like the homunculi are invading." Al looked just as pleased with the current developments as Hachiken was. "The Colonel is calling for everyone on hand to come and defend the base, especially alchemists."

He gave Hachiken a knowing look, quite a feat considering his… facial impairments, let's say.

Hachiken hitched up and rolled his shoulders. The tension in his body eased, while his mind remained hard.

"Well, we'd better get out there before Mustang messes something up for us."

The brother charged down the hall, dodging falling ceiling tiles and bits of rock that crashed through windows. For his size, Al had a much easier time of it than Hachiken, who several times tripped and fell on his face. One particularly jagged bit of rock almost met his eye socket; if not for the quick actions of Al, that would've been the untimely end of the Fullmetal Alchemist, Hachiken Yugo.

"Hey, Al?" Hachiken shouted behind him as they neared the roof.

"Yes, Hachiken?"

"Does anything about this seem kind of different to you?"

"You mean other than Central being attacked by homunculi?"

Hachiken considered this, and then shook his head.

They made it to the roof in record time, fueled by a bottomless drive to serve and protect the people. Mustang was already in action mode. He directed his unit to various places that best suited their abilities. Fuery was on the radio, sending a transmission to the other surrounding bases for back-up. At the same time, he fired wildly into the smoke. Havoc, Breda and Falman commanded foot soldiers from a high vantage point, and Riza Hawkeye was out of sight but not out of mind as she hid in the darkest corner and took shots at any threat she saw.

"Well, it's about time you two showed up," Mustang said. There was an edge of teasing underneath his grave tone that Hachiken didn't like.

"We're here now, aren't we?" he sauntered on by the Colonel without waiting for a response. Al was close behind.

"Come on, brother, let's get them."

"Alright," Hachiken said, pumping a fist. "We'll take these guys down and be home just in time to send a call out to Mikage."

"Er, don't you mean Winry?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

Hachiken stepped up on the ledge, heedless of the danger it could cause or the thick smoke that rendered him blind. He was an alchemist after all, one of the greatest and most skilled in the world, known all over Amestris and beyond. He was no more afraid of a little smog than he was the homunculi, annoying little pests that they were.

The smoke began to clear, just in time for Hachiken to see that Envy had abandoned all attempts at modesty and was going full force in his true form. The monstrous creature gnashed its teeth and bore down on the helpless citizens while the many rotting faces on its burning flesh screamed in never-ending agony. Hachiken took in the sight and reacted accordingly.

"AAAAAAARGH!"

The Central building shook dangerously, its very foundation being slowly uprooted, but still Hachiken hid. In this dark and dirty broom closet, he cowered like the fool he was before the unbending reality crashing down around him. What the hell made him think he could take on monsters anyway? Sure, he liked helping people and he always had. Ever since he'd joined the military to get away from an overbearing family, those tendencies had only increased.

'Wait, is that the reason I joined the military? Oh whatever I am not fighting those monsters. There is a limit to being helpful and that is it.'

The door blew off it's hinges, effectively ending Hachiken's train of thought, and were it not for the massive pair of hands holding it, he'd be saying his final prayers right now and preparing for death.

"HACHIKEN YUGO!" boomed the voice of Alex Louis Armstrong. He stood in the door frame, shirt already ripped off and muscles gleaming. Hachiken tried not to look directly at him, lest the shine off his abs make him blind, or the general sight of a shirtless Armstrong drove him to just plain rip his eyes out.

"I'm a little busy in here," he muttered bitterly.

"Oh, I know exactly what you are doing, Hachiken Yugo."

The enormous man grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket. Hachiken saw it coming a mile away, but any attempt to run was futile thanks to the fact that he'd trapped himself in a closet. He knew he should've hid in the bathroom. At least there was more space and a window in there. Armstrong held him aloft, ignorant of the way Hachiken's legs kicked in the air and how he choked on the fabric digging into his throat.

"Hachiken Yugo, our time is brief," Armstrong said. Somehow his voice was magnified over the deafening shocks that constantly hit the building. "But before we join in the fray, we must talk."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Hachiken said once he'd found a little leeway to speak. "I'm staying right here. I saw what's out there and a boy my age has no business fight something like that."

"And yet your younger brother remains."

Hachiken opened his mouth, but he didn't respond. There was no response other than pure shame, which to his credit Armstrong didn't seem willing to directly dole out.

"Ah, fear not, Hachiken Yugo. For I was young once and faced fears I could hardly stand against."

"You… did?" Hachiken asked incredulously. For all that Armstrong wore his heart on his sleeve, he didn't seem all that prone to negativity, let alone fear.

"Why yes. For example, when I was a boy I entered a strongman contest, and feared that my opponent would be able to effortlessly lift the 500 pound weight I had earlier struggled with. To take second place in such a prestigious event would mean I could never face my family again."

Hachiken felt faint, but also unsurprised. What else could he have expected really?

"But as I found out, my fears were unwarranted. My opponent faltered and failed in his task and I took home the grand prize. Do you understand what I mean, Hachiken Yugo?"

"Yes, sure," Hachiken said wearily as he slid against the wall like a broken and useless rag doll. "I understand perfectly."

Armstrong's brow furrowed, and suddenly, his whole countenance took 180 turn to something darker and unlike him.

"No, I don't think you do."

He took Hachiken up again, gentler this time, but no less commanding.

"What I am trying to say is that fear always turns a simple threat into something bigger, uglier, more sinister than it really is. If you take a stand and face your fear head on, you will find the strength to beat it. And through your bravery you will lead others to follow your example. You will be stronger than them. Do you understand now Hachiken Yugo?"

There was a pregnant pause.

"Uh… I don't see how that sort of thinking fits in with your story," Hachiken admitted, but then his eyes hardened. "But I know what you're saying, and you're right. I can just sit around and be afraid forever. My brother and all of Amestris need me!"

Dramatic tears flew down Armstrong's cheeks as he spun Hachiken around, seemingly forgetting in his joy that he was holding him. Hachiken hung on as best as he could, so that when he inevitably went flying, it wasn't far and he only got a small bump on the head. After a moment of absorbing the shock and letting the pain dull and loosen its hold on his sense, he was up and ready.

"THAT IS THE SPIRIT, DEAR BOY!" Armstrong was saying. He then gave Hachiken a thumbs up. "Come along now, we have a battle to win."

The two of them ran back the way Hachiken came, and though his legs burned and his heart beat out of his chest, he felt none of it. Force of will and boundless adrenaline drove him, and Armstrong's words pounded ceaselessly in his ears. They were going to win this. He was going to win this.

"You know Armstrong, you really know how to boost someone's morale," Hachiken said. "You'd make a good gym teacher."

The fight wore on, and with each blow from Envy their defenses weakened. Roy Mustang shielded his eyes from a heavy wind that nearly knocked him off his feet. He held tight to Falman, unconscious from a blow to the head. That he was still alive was a miracle, and Mustang hoped all of his men could come away from this able to say the same. The way things were looking, none of them would be coming away at all.

"Hawkeye, hold your fire," he shouted. "Divert to the southeast side now!"

"Yes sir!"

"Colonel, we're about to lose the east entrance!" Fuery shouted.

Mustang clenched his fists. He wanted to hit something so badly but his desired target was too far out of reach. The east entrance crumbled into itself while the many soldiers who'd give their all to defend it ran for cover. Mingled with their screams was the low-pitched and disjointed laughter of Envy, and from there, Mustang had to look away.

"Dammit."

The door opened with a bang, allowing endless sparkles into the forefront. Armstrong's booming voice announced his arrival, and Mustang was torn between sweet relief and a harsh truth that no number of State Alchemists could stop the homunculus now. That's when Mustang realized that Armstrong wasn't alone.

"Brother!" Alphonse happily shouted. He then evaded a chunk of rock thrown his way and it made a crater in the already battered rooftop.

Hachiken stepped out into the light, his hands on his hips and his chin up. He made a nice picture of a broad shouldered, fearless hero, and if Mustang hadn't seen him run screaming like a baby not ten minutes ago, he might have bought it.

"Glad to have you back, Fullmetal," he said curtly. "Think you can hold your stomach in this time?"

Hachiken wordlessly passed him, retaking his spot on the ledge and looking down. It was exactly what Envy wanted him to do. He rose over the ledge, his body blocking out the sun until he was as tall as a tower. A horrendous grin capped off his unbearable visage, and though Hachiken visibly shook, he stood his ground.

"Yes, go forth Hachiken Yugo," Armstrong whispered. "Go forth."

Envy sneered at the young alchemist. "So, it looks like the Fullmetal crybaby has decided to take me on after all." He hung off the building by his claws, something that wasn't obvious at first but explained how he could make himself look so much bigger. Mustang would have to let Falman and now Havoc know when the two of them woke up.

"You think you can fight against me?" Envy taunted Hachiken. "You think you have what it takes? Well go ahead. Just try and stop me you little brat!"

Hachiken was deaf to all of Envy's jeers, but not to the threat of him, or the obviousness of the target he was placing on his stomach by getting so close. Hachiken took a deep breath, raised his hands, and clapped them together.

Energy pulsated out from his body. A massive shape formed from rock burst out of the roof and slammed into Envy's smirking face, knocking him to the ground. Hachiken jumped off the ledge and ran to his creation, bringing it lower so he could climb on. With it closer to the ground, Mustang could more easily make out the shape of Hachiken's new weapon.

"Wait," he said. "Is that a horse?"

Hachiken climbed onto the stone horse's back and raised it into the air again.

"TIME TO KICK ASS!" he shouted.

He 'rode' down to the street below, stepping off and running as he clapped his hands again and again, creating new blacktop and concrete animals from horses to pigs to cows, all of which sprung into group attacks on Envy so fast that the beastly subhuman couldn't get back on his feet, let alone fight back.

"What-" a cow clocked him in the chin, making his teeth chatter and bleed. "Are-" another one pinned him at the upper arms. "You-" a chicken bounced off his head. "DOING?!"

On the roof, Mustang watched the whole thing through a pair of binoculars and clicked his tongue.

"That's what I want to know."

Hachiken skidded to a halt before Envy's beaten form. He drew himself to full height, the light shining on his glasses and giving him a look of dark soulessness that made even Envy shake.

"And now," Hachiken said with an edge of growling, "for my ultimate attack."

He slammed his hands so far into the ground that they must have made indentures, but Envy didn't care about that. He was much too concerned with the enormous mass forming out of the earth before him. So large it was that Hachiken needed to borrow from the animal projectiles he'd already created to keep it going. When it was finished, what stood at Envy's feet dwarfed him by a full measure. Envy's stomach dropped as a terrible feeling came over him, the likes of which no homunculi should ever experience. All he could see were its stubby legs, its wide girth, and its flat plaster snout ready to eviscerate him.

"Pork Bowl," Hachiken addressed the giant stone pig. "ATTACK!"

Envy screamed.

When it was over, the remaining soldiers converged on the scene. Clinging to one another for support, they were bloody, they were worn out, they were victorious, and they looked upon their savior with awe and appreciation and even a smattering of applause from those who could. Even Mustang looked on approvingly.

"Well, Hachiken," he said. "I'm not sure where you got this whole farm animal motif of yours from, but you really did good."

"You were amazing, brother!" Alphonse gushed. "You're a real hero now."

Hachiken placed his foot atop a half destroyed cow. Envy had long since crawled off in defeat, so it was the best he could do for now.

"Oh, I've always been a hero," he said, puffing out his chest. "That's right, I'm Hachiken Yugo! Hero of Central command! Hero of Amestris! Hahahahaha!"

"I'm the hero… I'm the hero… I'm the-"

"Hachiken! Shut up and wake up!"

A pillow landed with a thump on Hachiken's face, and in an instant he was up, scratching at it and gasping for air while Nishikawa hung off the bedpost looking bored.

"Calm down, would you? It's just a pillow. Not like I was strangling you with it."

"Do I know?" Hachiken shouted. "I wake up with a pillow over my head and what am I supposed to think?

"You know, some cultures consider getting a pillow placed over your face while you sleep good luck."

"THAT'S A DIRTY ROTTEN LIE!"

The bathroom door opened, allowing Beppu to step out. Though he smiled pleasantly the joy didn't reach his eyes.

"Can you two please not shout so early in the morning?" he asked. "Some people don't have to wake up quite as early as we do."

Hachiken scowled at the unaffected Nishikawa, but Beppu was right. Anyway, fighting with him wasn't going get him anywhere beyond in the nurse's office with a headache. Best to let it go.

"By the way Hachiken," Beppu asked later on while they were all getting dressed and ready for chores. "Were you dreaming before? You were talking in your sleep."

Hachiken jolted. "Wha- I was not!"

"Yeah you were, buddy," said Nishikawa with a cat-like face.

"Don't you get involved now!" Hachiken cried. It was clear Beppu wasn't going to let it go (and neither was Nishikawa now that Beppu had brought it up), and so he threw up his hands. "I dreamt I was fighting a battle against this giant monster, and I was like an alchemist or something, so I trying to defeat him."

"Did you?"

"Does it matter? It was just a dream."

"Dreams can mean a lot of things, Hachiken," said Beppu. "If you didn't win, it could spell misfortune in your future."

Nishikawa nodded, through Hachiken was sure he was just trying to stir the pot. Hachiken's eye twitched.

"Then you'll be glad to know that yes, I did beat the monster."

"Well, that's good," said Nishikawa.

"You must be feeling on top of the world, Hachiken-kun," said Beppu.

Hachiken pulled his shirt on and went to go make his bed. He shrugged. "Not sure why I would be. After all, it was just a dre-"

Something clanged to the floor as Hachiken straightened his blanket. He would've ignored it, but there was a round, silvery object resting just before his toes wasn't there before now. With fluid, almost hypnotic movements, Hachiken bent forward and picked it up.

"Is this… a pocket watch?"