Roy yawned as he walked through the halls of Central Command on his way to Führer Bradley's office. It was rare that the Führer asked a junior officer to join one of his meetings. A month ago, he would have felt a tinge of excitement; the Führer inviting him to a meeting with the senior staff had to mean a promotion was on the horizon. However, today he didn't particularly care about adding a thicker stripe to his uniform.

As he neared the Investigations Office, Roy kept his gaze pointedly ahead and tried not to think about the lieutenant colonel once in charge of that department. Someone stepped out of the office as he walked past the door and collided with him. Papers tumbled to the floor.

Sheska adjusted her glasses and gasped when she realized who she had bumped into.

"Colonel Mustang!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry, sir! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said. He bent down to pick up the papers she dropped.

"Sir, please don't worry about those, I can pick them up-"

"It's all right. Here."

The mousy office worker accepted the stack of papers and looked at him nervously.

"If you don't mind me saying, Colonel," she said, "you look exhausted. Are you sure you're all right?"

Roy scowled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Sheska bit her lip and averted her gaze. Fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, she said, "Well, it's just...Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was a good friend of yours wasn't he? He used to talk about you. And I heard him talking to you on the phone all the time. I was surprised you didn't take any leave when...you know..."

"Aerugo and Creta declared war on us. I can't afford to take time off."

She nodded and said meekly, "Of course not, sir. But still, you have my condolences."

Roy cringed inwardly; enough of Hughes's subordinates had told him they were "sorry for his loss" in the month since Hughes died that he'd begun avoiding the Investigations Office whenever possible. Rather than express his annoyance to the young woman in front of him, Roy thanked her.

They don't know what else to say to you, sir, Lieutenant Hawkeye told him after he'd complained to her.

"Now," he said. "I have a meeting to get to."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Sheska said and jumped aside. "Sorry for keeping you, sir!"

As much as Sheska's comment about how tired Roy looked irked him, she was right. Roy hadn't slept well since he'd read Hughes's name on the list of casualties from the South City train station bombing last month. He tossed and turned for hours. When Roy did manage to fall asleep, his dreams were full of screams, explosions and an oily black smoke that made his lips sticky. The last time he'd had nightmares with such vivid sensory details was in the few months after he'd returned home from Ishval. Now, however, the nightmares were punctuated with Elicia Hughes screaming for her father.

When Roy arrived at Führer Bradley's office he paused before the closed mahogany door and tried to clear Hughes from his mind. He took a deep breath and straightened his jacket. He knocked.

Lieutenant General Storch, Führer Bradley's adjutant, opened the door, revealing six men sitting around a long table with Bradley at the head. A map of Amestris and the surrounding countries sprawled across the middle of the table and green, yellow, blue, red and white flags sat in clusters on the western and southern areas of Amestris.

"Thank you for joining us, Colonel Mustang," Bradley greeted. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, sir." Roy took the only empty seat and sat next to Brigadier General Clemin. Clemin frowned and gave Roy a sideways glance but Roy ignored him. He looked at the epaulettes of the men sitting around him; a thick band of gold flanked by two thin gold stripes adorned each shoulder. Four of them also had one or two stars.

"Colonel, I'm sure you've been informed of the details of Creta's attack on Wellesley yesterday," Bradley said.

Roy's mind had been so focused on Aerugo's attack on South City that Bradley's question confused him momentarily.

"I know the attack was alchemical in nature," he said slowly. "And it wiped out most of the troops stationed there."

"That is correct. Creta demonstrated that their alchemy has advanced further than we were previously aware."

Roy thought he detected a touch of nervousness among the generals; for over a century, Amestris's alchemical prowess had given the nation an advantage over its neighbors when it came to war. Only Basque Grand seemed unfazed by the leveled playing field.

"If Creta intends to use alchemy against us," the Führer continued, "I feel it is necessary to deploy the State Alchemists."

"Understandable, sir."

"Colonel, I have a question for you," Bradley said with a friendly smile. "In your opinion, will the Fullmetal Alchemist be useful to us in battle or will he be a hindrance?"

Roy hesitated, surprised. "What do you mean, sir?"

"From what I understand, you've threatened to report him for insubordination on a few occasions. Will he take orders?"

Edward usually disobeyed the rare orders Roy gave him. Lieutenant Hawkeye, however he listened to. In fact, Roy realized Ed wasn't rude to any officers besides him. That brat.

"He'll straighten up, I think, with the right motivation," Roy answered.

The Führer smiled again. "That's what I wanted to hear. The Fullmetal Alchemist will join you and the rest of the State Alchemists. Thank you, Colonel."

"With all due respect, sir," Roy said, "I don't believe it's advisable to put Elric on the battlefield."

"Oh? And why is that? He's a rather skilled alchemist and has plenty of hand-to-hand combat training, does he not?"

Roy swallowed. "He's never killed before, sir, and I'm afraid he doesn't have what it takes. Perhaps he'd be more useful in a lab."

The Führer's smile seemed etched onto his face. "No, Colonel, that won't be necessary. I'm sure Edward Elric will be a real asset to us against Creta and Aerugo."

"Forgive me, sir, but I have to dis-"

"I only had one question for you, Mustang, and you answered it," Bradley interrupted. His smile shifted into a scowl and the look in his one eye was enough to silence Roy. "Now, I'll ask you to refrain from giving your input unless I ask for it."

"Yes, Führer. I apologize."

Bradley's smile did not return, but his expression softened considerably.

"Colonel Mustang, I want you to command the 11th Alchemical Battalion," Bradley said. "Eight State Alchemists including Edward Elric will be under your command and I trust that your time in Ishval gave you the experience necessary to direct their abilities effectively."

Roy's throat felt dry. He coughed and said, "If I may ask, sir, will my primary role be as a colonel or a State Alchemist?"

A smile spread across the Führer's face and he said, "Don't worry, Colonel. None of your talents will go to waste."

xxxxxxxxxx

Ed walked through the pristine white halls of the second laboratory with Alphonse clanking beside him. He wasn't looking forward to what waited at the end of the hall. He wanted to see Nina, of course-she was always so happy when he and Al visited-but even thinking about what her father did to her sickened him. He dreaded each visit.

When they reached Nina's room, Ed took a breath. He never let Nina see how much her new form disturbed him. He and Al stepped inside. It looked like a cross between a little girl's bedroom and a hospital room; against the wall was a bed with pink sheets and a few dolls propped against the pillows. An open toy chest sat at the end of the bed. It contained toys Ed recognized from Tucker's old house-ones that belonged to Nina and ones that had belonged to Alexander. Ed cringed whenever he saw the dog toys. Pictures of butterflies and rainbows adorned the walls. At least the alchemists working with and taking care of Nina tried to make this place comfortable, but the whole space still felt so sterile and clinical.

A woman with deep wrinkles, hair that was still mostly light brown and a lab coat sat in a wooden chair braiding the hair of the chimera at her feet. The woman looked up when she heard Ed and Al's footsteps.

"Nina," she said, smiling. "Some friends have come to see you."

Nina turned her head and jumped to her feet.

"Big brothers!" she said. Her voice was inhuman. Far too deep for the words of a little girl. She bounded over to greet them.

"Hey, Nina," Ed said. He gave her the biggest grin he could and crouched down to her eye level. "How are you today?"

"Good," she replied and wagged her tail. "Doctor Warren... braided... my hair and... big brothers are... here!"

"Your braids are very pretty, Nina," Al told her, bending down to scratch her head.

"It's nice that you boys visit her," Doctor Warren said. "I try to keep her company when I can, but I'm always swamped with finding a way to get her back to normal as well as a few other research projects I'm assigned to. I worry she gets lonely."

"And...how is your research going?" Al asked.

The doctor sighed. "No luck so far. The Sewing Life Alchemist did a thorough job."

Ed nodded solemnly. According to Colonel Mustang, Doctor Warren, the Blood Alchemist, was Central's leading expert in bioalchemy. Ed had hoped that after six months she and her team would have come up with some way to restore Nina to her natural self. Perhaps if he found Doctor Marcoh again...

No, Edward interrupted his own thought. A philosopher's stone was too costly and he couldn't risk the military getting its hands on Marcoh.

"Can I see... my daddy today?" Nina asked, looking hopefully up at Edward.

A knot formed in Ed's stomach. No one knew for sure how much Nina understood of what had happened to her, but no one could bear to tell her that her father had transmuted her with her beloved dog.

"Not today," Ed told her.

The jury had deliberated for about fifteen minutes before unanimously deciding Tucker's guilt and sentencing him to eighty years in a Central City prison. Führer Bradley stripped him of his State Alchemist license shortly after.

Nina hung her head and made a horrible sound somewhere between a child's sad moan and a dog's whine. Alphonse shifted uncomfortably.

"When... will I get... to see my daddy?" she asked tearfully.

"Not for a while, sweetheart," Doctor Warren said as she ran a hand down Nina's neck. "Would you like to go outside?"

Nina nodded sadly.

"Would you like to bring a toy?"

She nodded again and walked over to the toy chest. She deliberated between a rag doll and a red ball and eventually picked up the red ball with her mouth.

"Is it strange that I hoped she would pick the doll?" Alphonse whispered.

"No," Ed replied. "I did too."

For the thousandth time, Ed wished he had put together the pieces about Tucker's first chimera and Nina's mother's disappearance sooner.

Doctor Warren led them to a grassy square behind the Second Laboratory. A few benches offered resting spots beneath the shade of the smallish trees dotting the lawn. Tall poplars formed a border, shielding them from the view of the rest of the city.

Nina loved tag as much as ever, even if she did display Alexander's affinity for fetch on occasion. She chased Ed and Alphonse around the grass and laughed when she caught Ed.

"Tag!" she laughed and bolted away. "You're it!"

"Oh no, he's going to get us!" Al said, running away.

Ed couldn't help but laugh too as he ran after them. Alphonse looked so silly pretending he was running his fastest and Nina was so excited. Living in a laboratory couldn't be pleasant, but he hoped Nina was at least somewhat happy. Doctor Warren treated her like a little girl, not the monster Ed and Alphonse had worried she would. Nina seemed in good health. Maybe she could live a happy life after all.

Suddenly, Nina stopped running and lowered her nose to the base of a tree and sniffed up and down the trunk.

Well. Maybe someday.

After a few minutes, a man poked his head out the door.

"Doctor Warren?" he said. "First Lieutenant Hawkeye is here for Mr. Edward Elric."

Ed stopped running. "The Lieutenant? What does she want?" At least she was alone, Ed thought. If the colonel had been with her, his presence would have been announced rather than hers, right?

"She says Colonel Mustang wants to speak with you. She's here to pick you up."

"Dammit," Ed muttered.

"Are you...leaving?" Nina asked, looking between Ed and Al.

"I'll stay, Brother," Alphonse said. "Go see what the colonel wants."

"Alright," Ed said. "I promise I'll come back soon, Nina."

"Okay," the chimera answered. "Hurry...so we...can keep...playing!"

Ed smiled. "I will. Don't you worry."

Nina wagged her tail and started running again. "You can't catch...me, Big...Brother!"

"I bet I can!" Alphonse laughed and ran after her.

Lieutenant Hawkeye was waiting by the front doors.

"Hello, Edward," she said warmly.

"Hey, Lieutenant. How did you know where to find me?"

She smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You always visit Nina on Tuesdays when you're in Central."

"Oh," Ed said, feeling dumb.

"It's sweet of you, Edward."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go."

"Isn't Alphonse coming?"

"He's staying with Nina. We barely got here."

Lieutenant Hawkeye nodded. "Sorry I interrupted your visit."

"It's ok. You have orders."

In the car, Ed asked why Mustang wanted to see him.

"He didn't say," said the lieutenant.

"He must be pretty desperate for an excuse not to do his paperwork if he wants me to come to his office," Ed joked.

Hawkeye chuckled. After a few minutes of silence, she asked, "How is Nina?"

"She seems like she's doing okay. Doctor Warren and her team make sure she's comfortable. I just wish she didn't have to live in a lab."

"I wish she didn't either."

Hawkeye walked Ed to Colonel Mustang's office. Ed wrinkled his nose as they walked through the Central Command Center. Ed and Al used to spend a lot of time in Central City because doing research was easier when they were close to so many resources, but after the colonel's promotion to Central, Ed convinced Al to travel around the East and North areas with him.

His subordinates' desks were empty but the colonel was at his desk twirling a pen in his fingers. He looked different; he had shadows under his eyes and he looked...thinner, perhaps? The changes were small, but Ed hadn't seen him in over a month and they surprised him.

"Sir? Edward is here."

Mustang looked up. "Ah. Thank you, Lieutenant. Have a seat, Fullmetal."

Ed propped his feet up on one of the desks and leaned back in the chair.

The colonel frowned, but didn't tell him to get his feet off the desk.

"Did you need anything else, sir?" the lieutenant asked.

"No. Thank you."

She sat at her desk.

"Have you made any progress in getting your bodies back?" Mustang asked. No mocking tone laced his words and he sounded genuinely interested, which only made Ed suspicious.

"Not really," he answered. "What's it to you?"

"You might try being less flippant with your superiors," Mustang said. "You won't be able to get away with it for much longer."

"What do you mean? I only ever talk to you and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes."

Mustang stared at Ed for a moment.

"What?" Ed demanded.

"Nothing."

Ed rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Colonel? I want to get back to the second lab and finish up my visit with Nina."

"I trust you know about Creta's attack on Wellesley."

"Yeah, it's all anyone on the train coming here could talk about. It sounded awful. But why are you talking to me about it?"

"Because they used alchemy in their attacks. Tomorrow morning, Führer Bradley will give an Executive Order to deploy all combat State Alchemists to fight Creta-Aerugo. The military is sending its dogs."

"'Combat State Alchemists?' Wait, does that mean-"

"State Alchemists they call 'human weapons?' Yes. That includes you, Fullmetal."

Ed hardly believed what he was hearing. He'd always known there was a chance the military would use him as a human weapon, but he never thought it would actually happen.

"They can't send me, can they? I'm too young, aren't I?" Ed asked.

"I don't think the Führer cares."

Ed was stunned. "But he has a kid doesn't he?"

"That won't soften his heart."

Ed's eyes widened and he sat forward.

"You gotta get me out of this, Colonel," Ed said.

"I can't. Not unless you give up your state license."

The silver watch in Ed's pocket suddenly felt much heavier. He pulled it out. He didn't have to read the engraving inside to remember that giving it up wasn't an option.

"I can't do that," he said. "I made a promise."

"You should consider going back on that promise."

"I can't. Al and I have to keep moving forward. We can't do that if I can't access every piece of research the military has."

Mustang laced his fingers together under his nose and leaned forward. He looked at Edward with a cold, pensive expression.

"I really don't think you're cut out for this, Fullmetal," he said.

"You recruited me. You must have thought so at one point."

"I didn't recruit you because I thought you were a killer. I saw that you were a talented alchemist and thought you would benefit from the research privileges."

"Last I checked, you just wanted to impress your superiors with the prodigy you found."

"Almost half of our State Alchemists gave up their licenses either during or after the war in Ishval," the colonel said, brushing Edward's comment aside. "I suggest you follow their example."

"Oh yeah?" Ed said. "And how come you didn't give up your license if Ishval was so horrible?"

Mustang didn't answer, but he didn't break eye contact either.

"You won't last, Elric," he said slowly.

"I bet I will. Come on, you've seen me fight."

"I have. Do you remember when you arranged a duel with me to settle a bet?" Mustang asked.

"Of course I do," Ed scoffed. "You kicked my ass and gloated for a month."

Ed remembered his surprise when Mustang pulled his left hand out of his pocket, revealing another transmutation circle. Later in the medical ward, Ed chided himself for being so stupid. Of course he lost. Of course Mustang had the most tricks up his sleeve. He wasn't the youngest colonel in the military for nothing. But, dammit, the loss was still so embarrassing, no matter how many times Fuery and Havoc reminded Ed that "the colonel's a war hero" or said, "Come on, he's the Flame Alchemist, don't beat yourself up about losing."

"You could have won that fight," Mustang continued. "You had an opening and instead of going for a kill shot, you slashed my glove."

"Oh, and you're upset that I didn't stab you, is that it?" Ed snapped. "Because that sure was hard to resist."

"Don't be ridiculous. But it was a foolish move nonetheless, and resulted in some minor burns as I recall." Again, Mustang didn't sound like he was making fun of Ed. Ed didn't see why not. It was so unlike him to pass up that opportunity.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember how the fight went down," Ed said, rolling his eyes. "Why are you reminding me?"

"Have you ever taken a life, Fullmetal?"

Ed froze.

"No," he answered.

"That's what I thought. From what I've observed, you always disarm your opponents rather than kill them."

"So I'm weak, is that what you're saying?" Ed said, his anger rising. Here came the taunting at last.

"Hardly," said the colonel. "Valuing human life isn't weakness, but it can be dangerous. If you'd shown me mercy in a real fight, I would have burned you alive."

Ed didn't know what to say to that. Mustang had never actually given Ed a reason to fear him, but he didn't doubt that the colonel was telling the truth.

"For once in your life, take my advice, Fullmetal," Mustang said. "Give up your license."

Ed glared at him. Mustang knew full-well that Ed's State Alchemy privileges were all that would allow him to get Al's body back. The colonel had said it himself; the research Ed could conduct as a State Alchemist would be impossible without his state certification. Keeping it was their only chance. How could Mustang even suggest he give it up?

"No, Colonel," Ed said. "I'm keeping my license."

"So you think you're capable of killing, do you?"

"I won't need to. Disarming and wounding have always worked for me before."

Mustang frowned. "I'm not suggesting this lightly. Keeping your license will not end well for you. Take it from a State Alchemist with some experience."

Ed scowled. "I don't care. I'll get Al's body back without killing anybody." With that, he turned and left.