Archive of Our Own

The castle looked different than Ed remembered, though maybe that was just because he knew he was walking into what could very well be a trap. Still, he couldn’t shake the sense of unease as he walked towards the gate, watching carefully as though anything could jump out at any moment.

Two guards stood at the entrance looking bored, though they quickly snapped to attention as the brothers approached.

“Sorry, sir, but we can’t let you into the castle without permission,” one of them said. “The King is not taking audiences today.”

“Oh, I’m one of the King’s alchemists,” he said quickly, pulling out his watch to show to the guard. “This here is my bodyguard, Alphonse. We were invited to the celebration.”

Al nodded once, saluting to them both. It was a routine they’d perfected over the years since they’d figured out that explaining Al’s armor as a guard was easier than saying they were brothers.

The guards saluted back before exchanging a glance.

“I’m afraid you’ll still need to show your invitation before you’re allowed in, sir,” the first one said. He sounded genuinely apologetic, at least, and so Ed decided against just forcing his way in.

“Yeah, yeah, sure, except… I lost it?” Maybe they’d go easy on him since he was just a kid.

The first guard groaned in annoyance while the second one glared.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t let you in if you don’t have your invitation.”

Well, there goes that plan. And the last of my patience.

Ed was already having a bad night, and his temper was infamous at the best of times. Still, he took a deep breath and tried again, trying to keep his annoyance from slipping into his voice.

“Look, just check the list, I’m sure I’m on there! I’m the Lord of Full Metal, after all!”

The guards grumbled for a second before the first one sighed, 

“Apologies, sir. You are correct; you are on the list, as is your bodyguard. You’re free to go in.”

He let out a huff. “Right, thanks!”

He brushed past them and faintly heard Al apologizing to the guards as he hurried ahead. He marched in through the gates, hurrying into the castle itself. Inside, he was met with a loud, crowded room.

“What do people even do at these things, anyway?” Ed wondered aloud before shrugging. “C’mon, Al, let’s go over there.”

He made his way over to the drinks table with Al right behind him, and let out a loud sigh.

If I’d known it was going to be this boring, I wouldn’t have come even for the plan.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Al exclaimed suddenly and Ed spun around to see he had collided with a knight already standing there.

“You must be the Lord of Full Metal,” the young knight exclaimed, ignoring Ed’s loud protests. “I’m sure the Captain would like to be informed about your arrival, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Hey, wait a minute, I’m the alchemist here, not- wait, did you say the Captain? Captain Mustang?”

The knight nodded. “Yes, he’s here at the banquet tonight. All alchemists were extended an invitation. Did you not know? I’m sorry, I can go get him for you.”

Ed exchanged a look with his brother. Of course that bastard would be here tonight, I don’t know why I expected any different. Dammit, he’s probably going to give me a lecture about not staying up north and I don’t have time for that tonight!

“Oh, no, that’s okay, we can let him know ourselves!” he said hastily, waving the knight’s concerns aside. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your… exciting time here tonight!”

The knight looked down at the drinks table and back up again before shrugging, obviously not wanting to get more involved in whatever was going on. “Of course sir, have a good evening.”

“Right, you too!”

He hurried away without another word, not quite looking where he was going. He stopped abruptly when he bumped into 

“Oh, hi Sir Hawkeye!” Ed said nervously. “I didn’t expect to run into you here!”

“Edward? Alphonse? What are you two doing here? I thought you were still up north.”

Ed exchanged a look with his brother before shrugging and putting on an innocent smile.. By the look on Sir Hawkeye’s face, she wasn’t fooled at all.

“Oh, well, we got the invitation for this celebration and thought we’d check it out! I’d hate to turn down a chance for free food.”

“Right,” Hawkeye said after a moment, unamused. “Well, I’ll be sure to let the Captain know you’ve arrived. He’ll want to speak with you, of course.”

“Oh, no, that’s alright Sir Hawkeye,” Ed said hurriedly, even though he knew Hawkeye wouldn’t fall for it. “I’ll just go say hi to him myself! Wouldn’t want you to trouble yourself or anything!”

He laughed nervously and Al sighed next to him.

“Brother…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Fine, let the bastard know I’m here. I’m sure he’d find out anyway or something.”

“Of course he would, Edward,” Hawkeye said with a slight smile. “He always has his ways, after all. But I’m sure you’d rather he finds out from me than from some noble from the crowd, right?”

“Right!” Al said hastily while Ed’s face paled slightly. “Thank you, Sir Hawkeye!”

He elbowed Ed when he didn’t respond and Ed shot him a glare back.

“Ow, that hurt, Al!”

“Brother…”

“Oh, right! Thank you, Sir Hawkeye,” he grumbled and she didn’t quite manage to hold back her laugh. “I’ll make sure I talk to him or something.”

“Thank you, Edward,” Hawkeye replied, and she looked so genuinely grateful that Ed almost felt bad. “I know he teases you, but I think he really would like to hear from you. Even if he expected you to still be up in Briggs.”

Ed sighed loudly. “Yeah, fine. It was nice to talk to you again, Sir Hawkeye.”

She smiled softly. “Likewise, Edward. And it’s good to see you too, Alphonse.”

With that, she walked away to find the Captain and Ed groaned into his hands. He really wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.

“The Elrics are here, sir,” Hawkeye said as she passed by, and Roy nodded once, thoughts already racing.

Well this certainly changes things. We didn’t count on them being here.

The plan had accounted for the Briggs men, but the Elrics weren’t supposed to be coming with them. They were supposed to stay up north and keep an eye on Kimblee’s actions, not return to the castle so quickly.

Dammit, Fullmetal. Roy scowled. Can’t you just do as you’re told for once?

He’d have to find a way to meet with them without being caught, otherwise the whole plan could end up jeopardized.

Something must have happened, to make them come back here. I’m sure it can’t have been just the invitations - he’s smart enough to realize that this is a trap - so what the hell was it?

His train of thought was interrupted by a loud bang - the doors flew open and a familiar blonde Commander strolled in, glaring at the room.

Ah, the Briggs soldiers have arrived, he thought to himself, watching as they filed in. This should be good.

Slowly, he made his way over to stand by them, listening as they talked among themselves.

“I didn’t realize the palace was so large,” one of Armstrong’s soldiers whispered in awe and he smiled. Everyone had the same reaction to seeing the castle grounds for the first time and it never got old.

“Your family manor is quite the same, is it not, Commander Armstrong?” he asked, drawing her attention to him at last. “I’ve heard tales of the Armstrong family estate, though I’m afraid I’ve never gotten the opportunity to see it for myself.”

“Captain Mustang,” Olivier began with a sneer, “Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the castle?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the North?” he retorted. “I thought Briggs wouldn’t survive without you, yet here you are.”

“Briggs men are well trained,” she answered. “They don’t need me to babysit them, unlike your men.”

He bristled at that. How dare she-?

“My men do perfectly fine by themselves, thank you very much,” he said through gritted teeth. “And to answer your earlier question, I’ve been allowed some leave, as have the other alchemists. I figured it would be a good opportunity to meet some new people.”

“Never miss a chance to try to climb the ladder, Captain?” Armstrong’s eyes were knowing.

“Aren’t you the same, Commander?”

She smirked and didn't answer.

“So about your family estate, Commander,” he said after a moment of silence. “I’d like to see it sometime. Perhaps you could show me and my men around, give us a tour?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” she answered. “Just don’t expect anything special. Now piss off, Mustang.”

He laughed and didn't leave.

"Care to dance, Commander?" Roy asked with a smirk. "I'm sure all eyes would be on us if we took to the floor."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're as terrible a flirt as always, Captain," she replied. "Are you sure your dog would approve? Wouldn't want her to get jealous, after all."

He gritted his teeth at her phrasing. It's all for the sake of appearances, he reminded himself, though his smile perhaps came out too sharp.

"Oh, she's got no time to worry about me now," he answered, a fake grin plastered on his face. "She's the King's personal guard, you see. Wouldn't even notice a thing."

Olivier's eyes widened briefly before she controlled her expression once more. "Oh?" she asked, finally taking Roy’s hand and reluctantly letting him lead her to the dance floor. "And how did she secure such a high-ranking position? I thought begging for promotions was your thing, not hers."

"It seems I got a bit overconfident," he admitted, making a big show of his reluctance. "I was... reckless, and she was not so. I suppose I should be angry - there are few people they trust with the Prince's life, after all - but I'm merely proud."

“You’re too soft for this, Mustang,” she growled, though he could see her considering his words carefully. The song ended and he laughed loudly.

“And yet you still danced with me, Olivier,” he said with a smirk. “Are you sure you’re not the one growing soft?”

“Why you-!” With a shout of frustration, she stalked off the dance floor, the crowd clearing the way for here within seconds. Everyone knew better than to get in the way of a furious Commander Armstrong, and he could feel their stares on him as he just continued to laugh. As long as it looked like he asked her to dance just for the satisfaction of humiliating her, he didn’t care what the rumours said. And well, if that was part of the reason, she didn’t have to know.

Olivier stormed away from the crowd towards the gardens with a fearsome glare on her face, searching for Sir Miles as she went. She had some information to share with him. So the Prince is Pride, then?

Loathe as she was to admit it, the soft-hearted fool of a captain played his game well. Even with his knight in danger, he still managed to get all the information necessary across in the span of a single dance. She’d be perfectly content to let everyone believe they hate each other, but if she admitted a grudging respect for him to herself, well, that was no one’s business.

Miles joined her in the gardens a few minutes later and she smirked. He was smart enough to keep up the ruse of her anger but she hadn’t expected anything different. Briggs men really were well-trained.

“What was it that Captain Mustang was speaking to you about while you were dancing?” he asked, tone that of pure curiosity. “It seems he is quite good at getting under your skin. Are you sure it was wise of you to invite him over to the manor earlier?”

“Oh, I’m sure the fool Captain will last less than five minutes in my family manor,” she replied with a smirk. “Just the reminder of how much further I’ve made it in the ranks than him should be enough to drive him off.”

“And yet you still danced with him?”

“Well, he told me his guard dog wouldn’t be around to get jealous and I naturally wanted to test that theory, of course.”

Miles’ eyes widened slightly.

“The Lady of the Hawk’s Eye? I’ve always… admired the stories of her marksmanship. Perhaps I should introduce myself to her.” Even though Olivier knew the slight excitement on his face was mostly for show, she detected just a hint of honesty in his words as well.

“Oh? Is that so? Well perhaps you should ask her to dance. I’m sure she’d like a break from merely standing by King Bradley’s side all night.”

“King Bradley? She was promoted to be his personal guard?”

“That’s correct,” Olivier said, a smile growing on her face as she considered her next words. “Perhaps if you get the opportunity to dance with her, the Captain will grow jealous. We both know how protective he gets over his subordinates, after all.”

“Is the plan to anger him before he even arrives at the manor, Commander?” Miles asked with an amused smile. “It seems quite unlike you to get so ahead of yourself like that.”

She merely smirked in response and they settled into a comfortable silence, the sounds of the party coming through the open door behind them.

“The Elric brothers seem to have followed us here,” Miles said after another moment, casual tone to cover his concern. “Perhaps they were more homesick than we realized.”

Olivier narrowed her eyes.

Those boys… they were meant to stay up north in Briggs, so why the hell are they here? Dammit. This changes things. They have a way of getting mixed up in things they shouldn’t be.

“I’ve almost grown fond of them, those boys,” she said aloud, knowing Miles already shared her thoughts. “Perhaps I should offer them a place to stay. My family’s manor is big enough for a whole battalion, after all. I’m sure we could accommodate them.”

“It sounds like your manor is going to be quite crowded this week, Commander.”

“Of course, you’re invited as well, Miles,” she said with a laugh that was more for show than not.

“It sounds like you’ll need me to help keep everyone in line, Commander,” he replied. “Of course I will be there."

“Are you implying I am incapable of keeping them in line myself?” Olivier asked, eyes narrowing into a glare while Miles’ face remained as emotionless as ever.

“Of course not, Commander,” he replied, and she detected a hint of a smile in his voice. “I’m merely stating that in the event that you require a break from the headache they’re sure to give you, I will be there to keep them all under control.”

She smiled despite herself. “Of course. What would I ever do without you, Miles?”

“Carry on despite your headache?” he suggested with a smirk, and she laughed loudly.

“Perhaps Mustang would not be the only one I would be arguing with that day,” she answered before scowling again. “That fool of a captain, I bet he knew the Elrics were here and yet he spent the whole dance smirking instead of passing on anything of note.”

“Oh?” Miles asked with a knowing look in his eyes. “Nothing at all?”

“Just a fairy tale about a Prince,” she scoffed. “He seemed real proud of himself for it, too.”

The slight widening of Miles’ eyes was the only indication he gave that he understood. They fell into another silence, this one distinctly tenser than the last

“Where is that idiot brother of mine?” Oliver demanded after a moment. “Miles, I want you to find him and tell him to extend my invitation to the Elric brothers.”

“Yes, sir,” Miles said with a salute and a smile. “And perhaps I’ll get a chance to ask Sir Hawkeye for a dance while I’m at it.”

“Be sure to extend an invitation to the manor to her as well while you’re at it,” Olivier called as he walked off. “Perhaps she’ll be able to make her fool of a Captain’s presence more tolerable.”

“I have not missed the stuffiness of nobles, Al,” Ed said to his brother as they wove through the crowd, keeping an eye out for Commander Armstrong as they went. “I mean, they’re all so fake . Why can’t they just say what they’re really thinking?”

“Because that would be impolite, Fullmetal,” came a familiar voice from behind him, and he groaned, turning around to see Captain Mustang. “Now care to tell me what you’re doing here? I thought you were still doing research up north.”

Don’t cause a scene, don’t cause a scene, don’t cause a-

“Well maybe I’m just faster at doing research than you expected, did you ever think of that? Oh wait, it’s because you’re so slow , that must be it.”

Dammit. He could almost see his mentor’s glare and hear the disappointment in Sir Hawkeye’s voice.

“What was that you little brat? I’m afraid I didn’t hear you all the way down there.”

“Who are you calling little, you bastard of a Captain!”

“Okay that’s enough!” Sir Hawkeye’s voice carried as commanding an edge as ever, causing silence to fall over the room before the chatter slowly picked back up again. “You two need a moment to cool off. You can come back inside when you’re ready to behave.”

“See, look at how fake everyone is,” Ed hissed to Mustang as they were escorted out to the gardens. “They’re all pretending they weren’t watching us.”

“I didn’t expect you to know much about castle etiquette,” Mustang whispered back with a smirk, “but I think I might have still set the bar too high.”

“Why you-!” he cut himself off, catching the glare from Hawkeye.

“Sir, please stop provoking him,” Hawkeye said before freezing. Ed glanced between her and Mustang in confusion.

Clearly there’s something going on here… what’s the Captain so worried about? I know Sir Hawkeye was assigned to be the King’s personal guard, but is there something else? Did he forbid them from speaking?

The moment passed too quickly for him to notice anything more and he scowled. I guess I’ll just have to ask Mustang myself.

He stormed outside in a huff, followed closely by Mustang.

“You and Hawkeye-” he began, only to be cut off.

“Well now that we’ve been dragged out here, mind telling me what you’re doing back here, Fullmetal? You were supposed to stay in Briggs.”

“And I thought you were supposed to b-”

“Fullmetal,” Mustang interrupted again, face stern. “Did something happen up north?”

He opened his mouth to brush it off, but something in the Captain’s face stopped him. It wasn’t the usual frustration or anger he showed when Ed tried to pick a fight with him, nor was it fully the commanding look he wore when he needed a serious report. It was… concern? In all the years they’d known each other, Ed couldn’t remember a time the Captain had ever shown his concern so openly.

“Well…” he dragged out reluctantly, looking down at the ground. “I… may or may not have gotten… slightly impaled?”

“What?!”

He winced at the shout, preparing for the inevitable lecture that would undoubtedly come. But when nothing but silence followed, he looked up to see the Captain’s mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

“Uh… Captain?”

Ed almost wanted to reach out and pinch the guy just to make sure he was still there. He seemed to snap himself out of it after a moment, however, and just like that he was back to his normal bastard self.

“You got impaled , Fullmetal? Would you care to tell me how, exactly, that happened?”

“Well, I-” he stopped himself after a moment. They were right next to the castle and there was almost definitely someone keeping an eye on them or listening to their conversation.

As if sensing the reason for his hesitation, the Captain sighed and nodded slightly, gesturing back towards the doors of the castle.

“I understand, Fullmetal. We should go back inside before anyone thinks we’ve either killed each other or started conspiring. And I’m sure your bodyguard is worrying about you right now. Perhaps we can catch up more later.”

Ed nodded reluctantly, turning and beginning to trudge back to the castle.

“And Fullmetal?” came Mustang’s voice from behind him again and he stopped, turning his head slightly to show that he was listening. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks, Captain!” he shouted back over his shoulder. “And you don’t need to worry about us causing trouble or anything. We’ll stay out of your hair, don’t worry!”

As he was leaving, he thought he heard the Captain’s voice behind him say: “That just makes me worry more, you know that, right?”

He snickered to himself. Yeah, I know Mustang.

He pushed open the doors to go back inside the castle and talk to Al, but as he locked eyes with his brother, he watched as the towering suit of armor slowly fell backwards to the ground.

“Al? Al!” Ed pushed through the crowd, trying to get to his brother’s side as quickly as possible. “Get out of my way!”

But no one seemed willing to listen to him, instead crowding closer and closer around the fallen suit of armor.

“Everyone, calm down!” Sir Hawkeye shouted, her voice easily carrying over the shouts and conversations. “Let Sir Elric through to his bodyguard.”

He shot her a grateful look and she smiled tightly in return as he hurried over to his brother’s side. The soulfire eyes were dim and he nearly panicked, scrambling to check the blood seal before realizing there was still a crowd around him.

Hawkeye seemed to notice, looking out over the room and shouting commands once more.

“Sir Armstrong, come help Sir Elric bring his guard out of the room. There is a private room just down the hall where he can recover in peace and quiet, away from the staring and noise.”

The last part was said with a pointed look at the gathered crowd who began to grumble and disperse. Sir Armstrong pushed past them all and picked up Al - or the empty armor he now was - and hurried out towards the hallway.

“Right this way, Edward Elric!” he called out behind him, and Ed scrambled to his feet with no choice but to follow.

Riza watched as Sir Armstrong carried Alphonse’s armored self into the hallway, Edward following close behind. With a deep breath, she walked back to her spot behind the King, careful not to look at the crowd. It wouldn’t do to be caught looking for the Captain, not when she had already risked too much talking to him earlier.

“You’re Riza Hawkeye, right?”

A sudden voice shook her out of her reverie, and she schooled her expression to hide the shock on her face, not wanting to be caught getting distracted.

“I’m Sir Miles, from Briggs,” the man in front of her smiled, holding out a hand to her. “Do you mind if I steal her away, Your Majesty? I’ve heard much about the Lady of the Hawk’s Eye, though I never believed I’d get a chance to meet her in person.”

King Bradley looked at the two of them, seemingly contemplating the request for a moment. “You mean to take away my only means of protection, Sir Miles? And I thought assassins were meant to be subtle.”

Miles, to his credit, didn’t falter, his smile only growing wider. “If the rumours are to be believed, you’re quite able to protect yourself, Your Majesty. But I understand if you’re unwilling to take that risk. You have been in power for quite a long time.”

Riza nearly gasped at the sheer disrespect, but she caught herself just in time. Briggs men truly are as audacious as the stories tell. She held her breath, waiting for his response, but the King only laughed.

“You truly are as brash as they say, Sir Miles. Very well, she’s all yours. Though I expect she’ll be back after one dance and nothing more, understood?”

“Understood, Your Majesty,” Miles smiled. “Now shall we dance, Sir Hawkeye?”

Riza took his hand with a small but grateful smile.

“Of course, Sir Miles,” she said as they walked to the floor. “I would be delighted.”

“So, Sir Miles, was it?” Riza asked, mind racing. “I’ve heard that name before. Are you one of Commander Armstrong’s men?”

“That I am,” Miles answered as they danced, carefully steering them towards the center of the room. “And you’re one of Captain Mustang’s men, correct?”

“I was,” Riza said cautiously, making sure to keep her eyes on his face so they didn’t wander. “But then the King selected me to be his personal guard. I suppose he heard tell of my skill.”

“It would not surprise me if so.” Miles smiled at her, and she got the sense it was more genuine than the one he’d given her before. “Stories of your marksmanship during Ishval have spread even up to the isolated north.”

She winced. “So they’ve heard of my deeds even up there, have they?”

The smile dropped off of Miles’ face and his eyes turned serious as he met her gaze. “Yes, Sir Hawkeye, they have. And I’m sure that you can imagine why I, in particular, am aware of them. But rest assured that this will do no harm to our professional relationship. I understand what you are doing here and I can respect your Captain’s plan.”

She didn’t bother asking which plan he was talking about. Even if Miles did truly respect the Captain’s wishes for Amestris, they both knew there was something far more important that had to happen first.

“Thank you, Sir Miles,” she said eventually. “Give my greetings to Commander Armstrong as well, will you?”

“I’m sure the Commander would love to speak to you herself, if it’s no issue. Perhaps tea at her mansion? I’m sure she would not mind.”

Riza winced. She knew what he was truly saying, of course, but the invitation hurt nonetheless.

“I’m afraid I must decline,” she said with a sigh, “though I appreciate the offer greatly.”

“Understood, Sir Hawkeye,” Miles said, putting on a great show of disappointment. “I must admit, I asked partly in hopes that you would be able to mediate between the Commander and Captain Mustang. I’m afraid that any conversation between those two will only end as it did tonight.”

“And yet he’s still been invited over? How bold of the Commander.”

“I believe she thinks that if she annoys him enough, he will simply leave rather than continue to deal with her.”

He shared a brief smile with her, both of them exasperated but amused by the antics of their commanders. The song ended then and Riza let out a brief sigh.

“I suppose I’d better get back to my post,” she said, shooting Miles a brief but grateful smile. “Please, if you get any stories out of the Captain and Commander’s conversations, do let me know. It would be a welcome distraction from the monotony of court.”

“Of course, Lady Hawkeye,” Miles answered with what could almost be considered a bow. He led her back to the King’s side. “Here, Your Majesty. She is as skilled at dancing as she is with a bow.”

“Well I should hope so,” the King replied, sounding amused. “Does the dance floor not flow the same way as a battlefield? One must always be aware of themselves and their surroundings at all times, after all. I’m sure much of it is instinct.”

“Do you dance, Your Majesty?” Whether the question was borne of genuine curiosity, Hawkeye herself wasn’t sure. Still, though, anything to distract him from whatever the others might be doing.

“Why yes, of course I do! Though if you’re asking me to dance now, I’m afraid I must decline. It would not do to get distracted now, would it?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Hawkeye replied, noting how Miles had already slipped back into the crowd. “I wouldn’t even consider it.”

Al shot back awake with a gasp, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling.

“Al? Al, answer me!” a voice was shouting, and it took a moment to place who it was.

“Ed?” he asked tentatively. The shouting was replaced with a gasp and a quieter but still frantic voice that he couldn’t quite understand. “Slow down, Brother! I can’t understand you!”

Abruptly, the voice stopped again and Ed’s face appeared in Al’s vision.

“Al, what happened? You just collapsed out of nowhere!”

Al sat up slowly, trying to remember exactly what his brother was talking about. A thought occurred to him suddenly in a flash and he jumped up, almost hitting Ed on the way.

“Do you think my body has started to reject me?”

Ed’s face fell, though Al knew there was no way he hadn’t already considered the possibility. “That must be it. But don’t worry Al, we’re going to get your body back.”

Privately, Al wondered if his brother was saying that to reassure himself more than Al at this point. But he’d never say that out loud. Instead, he nodded confidently. “Right.”

I believe in Brother.

Someone cleared their throat and Al looked around the room for the source of the voice.

“Oh! Hello, Sir Armstrong!” he exclaimed, looking to his brother for an explanation.

“Sir Armstrong was the one who carried you in here after you collapsed, Al,” Ed explained and Al nodded slowly.

“Thank you, Sir Armstrong,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “I don’t know what we would have done if anyone had realized I was hollow.”

“No need to thank me, Alphonse Elric. I was simply helping out a comrade of mine.”

“That, and Sir Hawkeye ordered you to,” Ed added, though his heart didn’t seem into the teasing.

“Edward Elric, do you honestly believe I would have simply left your brother lying there had it not been for Sir Hawkeye! How disgraceful.”

Ed just laughed and Al focused on the noise, using it as a grounding point. Sir Hawkeye… she had been the one to order his brother and Captain Mustang outside after they had another one of their infamous spats. And Ed had been beside him right before that, looking for…

“Ed!” he exclaimed suddenly, and both his brother and Sir Armstrong turned to him in alarm. He held up his hands and waved them frantically, realizing his mistake. “No, no, nothing’s wrong. I was just wondering… Did you ever find Commander Armstrong?”

His brother shook his head, but Sir Armstrong’s face lit up with realization.

“Oh, that reminds me - Edward and Alphonse Elric, I have a message from my sister! She would like to invite you to stay at the Armstrong family manor while you are in Central.”

The Armstrong family manor? We can’t stay there, no matter how nice it sounds. We have to find everyone as quickly as possible!

“What? Oh, we can’t- I mean, we wouldn’t want to intrude,” Al corrected himself quickly, though Armstrong’s eyes narrowed nonetheless.

“Nonsense, Alphonse! I’m afraid I must insist! The Armstrong manor has been passed down our family for generations! It is a wonderful place, I’m sure you must see it! Of course, it would also be a good time to share stories. I’m sure you both have a lot to say about your adventures since we last met, no?”

Ed groaned and Al winced. Trust Sir Armstrong to manage to make them feel guilty about turning down an invitation and tell them to spill their secrets in the same breath.

“Well, I guess if we have to…” Ed said hesitantly, though it was clear he’d rather do anything but.

“Really?!” Al tried not to sound too excited but failed miserably judging by the look on his brother’s face.

“Al, we can’t forget that we have to meet up with Teacher and Hohenheim as soon as possible,” Ed warned, though his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Fine, we’ll go to the manor. Happy now, Armstrong?”

“Absolutely delighted, Edward Elric!” Sir Armstrong said, beaming. “I’ll be sure to give my sister the excellent news at once!”

They watched the door for a minute or two to make sure no one else was coming in before Ed knocked on Al’s armor to get his attention.

“Al, can I take a look at your blood seal? I want to make sure nothing’s damaged it.”

“Huh?” Al asked, still somewhat dazed from whatever had happened earlier. “Oh, yeah, of course!”

He sat down on the ground to give his brother a better view and watched as he inspected the seal carefully.

“It looks perfectly fine…” Ed said slowly. Normally that would have been a relieving thing to hear, but now it only brought dread.

“So does that mean… is the armor really rejecting my soul?”

Ed’s face fell again and he nodded hesitantly. “I think so, Al.”

Al stared at his hands dejectedly. What if my body rejects me again during an important fight? What if I get someone killed because I can’t help them? I can’t stand the idea of anyone being hurt while I can stop it. Never again!

The room seemed to spin around him again, though he couldn’t tell if it was from his body or the panic this time. Ed seemed to notice something was wrong and spoke up again quickly, trying to reassure him.

“Hey, don’t worry about it so much, Al! Even if it is rejecting you, don’t worry. We’ll find a way to fix this! Hey, maybe teacher or… Hohenheim will have some ideas!”

Al nodded enthusiastically, trying to force the same level of optimism as his brother. “Yeah! I’m sure they know something, at least!”

“Right!”

This time, Ed’s smile seemed a little less forced.

The Armstrong manor was more crowded than it had been in over a decade and Olivier was already fighting a headache at the noise.

“I heard it was Sir Ross that was working with Sir Grumman’s part of the plan,” a knight piped up and Olivier watched curiously as the Captain’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but was interrupted before he could speak.

“Oh, and Sir Havoc passed on a message to give to you, Captain Mustang. Says he wants to know when he’ll be getting the money for all the supplies he’s given us or something?”

Mustang’s eyes widened even more. “Ross? And Havoc? They’re involved in this too?”

Olivier scoffed quietly, though she couldn’t blame him for getting emotional. He’s a sentimental fool alright, but he’s a loyal one too.

“Yes, sir!” the knight answered enthusiastically and Olivier rolled her eyes. Now it was time to interrupt this.

“Does anyone else have anything to report?” she asked, acting as bored as possible.

We have to be careful about how much we go about sharing. Did everyone else suddenly forget that we’re being spied on?

“Well since you asked so nicely,” Mustang began with a smirk and she fixed him with a glare that didn’t deter him one bit, “I do have some news you might find interesting.”

“Spit it out, Mustang, we don’t have all day,” she growled and he laughed.

“I hear a certain hard worker from Briggs has followed you here,” he said, still smirking.

“Could you be any more specific for once in your life, Mustang?” she ground out, though it wasn’t for much more than show.

He laughed again. “Nope, sorry Commander! Guess you’ll just have to figure it out yourself!”

She turned away with a scowl.

“And what about you, Elric brothers?” she asked, directing everyone’s attention to them. “What are you planning here in Central?”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about us,” Edward said, and Olivier narrowed her eyes. Those boys were up to something. “Al and I will be fine, right Al?”

The younger Elric nodded with a noise of affirmation. “Brother’s right. Don’t worry, we won’t get in your way at all.”

“Well, that’s that then! We’ll just be on our way!”

Mustang made a noise of protest that went ignored as the brothers left the room, waving back at everyone as they went. There was a brief moment of stillness as everyone watched them leave before it was broken by the voice they all expected.

“Did you know,” Mustang began, and Olivier turned her glare on him. His eyes were stormy and his voice dangerously quiet; he sounded angrier than she’d ever heard him, and they’d had more than their fair share of arguments. “Did you know that Edward got impaled while up north?”

Several others in the room blanched, but she just fixed him with a cool stare.

“Was I supposed to be aware of their whereabouts and actions at every single moment? I was under the impression that they worked best with no one else to get in the way.”

“Oh I have had enough of your bullshit, Armstrong! Those boys were under your care and you’re telling me you didn’t even know Edward almost died?”

“Do you expect me to coddle them, Mustang? They lost that right the moment you recruited them. They’re not helpless children.”

Mustang stood up abruptly, fury written all over his face, and she scoffed.

“Oh please, Mustang. Take responsibility for your actions for once in your life. You got them into this situation, didn’t you? I don’t see you doing much other than sitting on your ass right now.”

“My knight is the one out there right now, and it’s her life I’d be risking if I acted. I will not hear this from you, Armstrong.”

“Like I said before, Mustang,” Olivier scoffed again, “you’re too soft for this.”

The Captain let out a noise that could only be described as a growl, storming out of the room without another word while everyone stared after him.

Olivier smirked. “Anyone else have any objections?”

When no one responded for a few moments, she rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please, don’t tell me you’re all cowards like him. We’re wasting valuable time while you all gape like fish.”

At that, everyone snapped to attention.

“Yes, sir!” they all said at once, and she rolled her eyes once more.

“Let’s move out-” she started, but that was as far as she got.

A bellowing shout was all the warning they got before the walls of the manor caved in and knights began pouring through the hole. There were at least two dozen of them, and behind them all stood a hulking figure, towering above all the rest.

Sloth.

With a growl, she raised her voice over the noise.

“Do not cower, men! What is one homunculus to us? What is an army to us?! We are from Briggs, we will not back down from this fight!”

Her words were met with a resounding cheer and she smiled grimly. If we die, we die as fighters.

“Commander Armstrong, look out!”

The shout came from Sir Miles and Olivier looked up just in time to dodge out of the way of a massive fist. It slammed into the ground, sending debris flying, and she raised her arms to shield her face.

“For such a big guy, he’s quick,” she heard a soldier shout, and looked up to see him towering over her once more.

“Where the hell is my idiot brother?!” She dodged again, drawing her sword and advancing against the knights that had begun to overrun them. She cut one down and turned to another before feeling a hand on her ankle. She looked down and her eyes widened in shock as she looked closer at the knight. Most of its body was covered in armor, but its blood… nothing could hide the green tint. And even despite the injuries it had endured, it was still moving like nothing had happened at all.

What the hell are these things?!

While the plan had merely been to stage an argument to drive him off, all the anger and frustration Roy had felt back in the Armstrong manor had been real. Loathe as he was to admit it, Commander Armstrong had been right when she said that he’d been the one to recruit them both in the first place - he’d had the same thought himself for years, of course - but hearing it come from her of all people had made him angrier than he had any right to be. Edward had gotten injured under her command, after all, and she hadn’t even known, nor had she batted an eyelid when he’d told her.

It also hadn’t escaped his notice that Edward had failed to give any explanation for his impalement. There was only one real possibility he could piece together - Kimblee had caused his injury before escaping, returning to Central or somewhere nearby.

You better know what you’re doing, Fullmetal.

He groaned as he left the manor grounds, thinking of all the ways the plan could go wrong. The list had grown even longer with the Elrics in the area, especially if that meant Kimblee was running free.

Dammit. I hope Armstrong has figured all of this out, at least. It’s not like I can go back and warn her now. Even if we hadn’t had that argument, I don’t have time.

He hurried through town, flagging a carriage driver to take him to the outskirts. Hawkeye will kill me if I’m late to this.

He refused to acknowledge the thought that if he didn’t show up in time, she would probably end up dead herself. He ran through the plan in his head again as he got closer to the edge of town, making sure he didn’t forget a single part of it. Just one misstep would likely kill them both.

It was dark by the time he arrived, and Roy hurried into position, fixing his eyes on the end of the road for the carriage to arrive. It didn’t take very long at all, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered that if he’d been just a few minutes slower, he’d have been caught.

He took a deep breath, watching as the carriage approached the spot they’d marked earlier. He raised his hand, carefully calculating how far the flames should go and accounting for the carriage’s movement. And then he snapped, a streak of fire flashing through the air towards the carriage. As expected, the horses spooked at both the noise and the flame, rearing up while the driver struggled to calm them down.

Come on, Hawkeye… Don’t let me down, not now.

He watched with bated breath as the carriage careened out of control to the cliff edge, looking for any sign of his knight. They’d known the plan was risky, sure, but he’d had faith in their ability to pull it off. But now, as he watched two figures struggle for control of the reigns, he felt his original fears begin to resurface. He trusted his knight, of course, but they hadn’t anticipated the carriage driver being trained in combat.

Eventually, Roy watched as one of the figures threw the other off and he flinched for a moment, fearing the worst until the remaining knight cut the straps harnessing the horses to the carriage and hopped onto the back of one, barely managing to escape before the carriage flew off the edge.

He let out a breath, stumbling a bit from the adrenaline but catching himself before he fell. He watched as his knight approached slowly and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

“Hawkeye,” he said, his voice almost coming out choked. “I’m glad you made it.”

“Did you really give up on me that easily, sir?” Hawkeye asked reproachfully, and his shoulders slumped in relief when he saw that she looked relatively fine. Exhausted, maybe, but unharmed. “And yet you were the one to lecture me on doing the same.” 

“I didn’t give up, mind you, I was merely concerned,” he said, turning away with a huff. “I worried that unexpected conditions would jeopardize our ability to pull off what was an already-risky plan.”

“I understand, sir,” she said softly, and he looked back with a sad smile. “Now shall we carry on?”

He nodded once. “Right. Sir Grumman should have the Queen by now. We should head back to Central and make sure everything is going smoothly before we continue.”

She smiled knowingly. “While I don’t doubt the ability of the Elric brothers to get themselves into trouble, I’m sure they know well enough not to interfere in this, sir.”

He scowled and she laughed quietly.

“Alright, sir. We can head back to check on everything.”

He let out a sigh, glancing back at the cliffside one last time. “Hopefully that was enough to slow them down, at least. Alright, let’s head out.”

By the time they made it back to Central, the sun was beginning to rise and a few people were already out on the streets. Roy grimaced. It would be a lot harder to sneak through the city unnoticed now. They’d just have to make it quick. He scanned the area quickly for the carriage that was supposed to be approaching by now and froze when he spotted it.

“There, Hawkeye,” he said quietly, nodding in its direction. “Do you see what I see?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, already reaching for her bow.

The Queen’s carriage, while perfectly on time, was being followed by a large group of armored knights, some of them even clinging on to the sides of the carriage and throwing it precariously? off-balance.

“Now, Hawkeye!” he said to his knight quickly as the carriage passed them by, snapping once to block the path of some of the soldiers in the back.

Swiftly, she fired a shot towards the nearest knight. It struck true, not that he’d ever had any doubts, but though the knight fell off the carriage to the ground, it stood back up again, oozing strange green blood. Hawkeye gasped and he let out a curse, reaching for his gloves once more.

Is this the immortal army Commander Armstrong heard about? My fire should work, but I can’t risk it, not when they’re on the carriage like that.

“Looks like our plans have changed, Hawkeye,” he said with a grim smile. “Shall we go hunting?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Are you sure it was a good idea to not tell them what we were planning, Brother?” Al asked. “I know you don’t want to get them involved, but I think they might be in more trouble if they don’t know.”

Ed sighed. “I know, Al, but if they do decide to come after us for whatever reason, we’ll just be leading Captain Mustang right to them.”

“Brother, you know he’s going to go after them for what they did to Sir Hughes anyways. Maybe if we had just told them our plan, he’d be more prepared.”

“Mustang’s revenge is exactly why I don’t want him anywhere near this, Al!” Ed’s expression was a strange mix of anger and fear. “If the Captain ever finds out who killed Sir Hughes, I don’t think we’ll be able to save him from himself.”

“Brother…”

“It’s not that I don’t want Hughes’ killer found, Al!” Ed explained frantically, misinterpreting his voice. “Of course I do. I just don’t want it to be the Captain that finds them.”

“Brother, don’t you understand? If Captain Mustang finds out that someone else knows who killed Sir Hughes, he’ll do anything to get that information from them!”

“So what, you think he’s already too far gone? Is that it?” Ed clenched his fists by his side though Al couldn’t tell if it was out of anger or fear.

“No! I’m saying that someone will need to be there to pull him back! And we can’t do that if we’re not with him!“

They both fell silent for a moment and Al watched as first realization, and then horror, flickered across his brother’s face. Both were soon replaced by determination, though, and Al felt the tension ease slightly.

“Then I guess we’ll just have to make sure we find him,” Ed said, and Al sighed.

“Brother…”

“I know, Al. We’ll just have to find him while we’re down there.”

“No, that’s not it. You didn’t tell them about Kimblee, either! What if he goes after them!”

Ed winced.

“You don’t need to worry about the bastard Captain,” he said with forced cheer. “Besides, I’m sure he’s already figured out that Kimblee’s back here.”

“Yeah?” Al wasn’t quite reassured by that, even if his brother sounded confident about it.

“Yeah, of course! I’m sure he picked it up from how I was talking or something, like how he always seems to know everything! Besides, we’ve got no time to worry about him now. Look, there they are!”

He pointed ahead of them to a small clearing and Al followed his finger to the people standing there.

“Teacher! Dad!” Al shouted before noticing the third person standing next to them. “And… Greed?”

“What are you doing here?” Ed asked distrustfully, and as frustrated as Al was with his brother, this was something they agreed on.

“Had a change of heart,” Greed sneered, the expression still looking foreign on Ling’s face. “Is that really so hard to believe?”

“Well-” Ed began, and the smile dropped off of Greed’s face.

“It was a rhetorical question, kid.”

“Hey, who are you calling a-”

“Brother,” Al cut in, not willing to listen to one of Ed’s rants, “we don’t have time for this right now.”

Ed’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Yeah, you’re right Al. But- why are you here, Greed?”

Greed glared in annoyance. “It’s like I said. I had a change of heart.”

“What, did Father not pay you enough?” Al winced at the sarcasm, though Greed seemed at least amused.

“I’m Greed the Avaricious. Nothing anyone could pay me could ever be enough.”

Al shot a helpless glance at his father, though he seemed too distracted to notice what was going on. His teacher, likewise, seemed distracted, though she was staring at something behind him with intense concentration.

After a moment her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to shout.

“Look out!” she called out, and Al spun around quickly just in time.

The shadows around them began to writhe and he watched in muted horror as they snaked across the ground and through the air.

“Run!” Greed shouted out to the brothers, already halfway across the clearing with Izumi and Hohenheim. “It’s-”

The loud sound of a tree cracking cut him off as it toppled and fell in the middle of the clearing, separating the two parties. The shadows converged in front of Ed and Al, the form of a young boy rising out of them.

“Prince Selim,” Ed said grimly, and Al gasped in recognition. “Finally come to join the party?”

“Oh, I was already here,” Pride said with a grin. “You just didn’t notice me.”

Al lunged forward in a hurry as he watched a shadow hover in the air above Ed.

“Ed! Look out!” he exclaimed, hand outstretched, and his brother whirled around, hands poised to clap.

Selim laughed. “Oh, relax, I wasn’t going to hurt him. We need him alive, after all. I just think you should all stay still .”

Shadowy tendrils burst to life all around them, surrounding them and reaching out to hold them in place. Al dodged out of the way of them and watched in horror as his brother was restrained in place. He raised his hands to clap, but his vision started to fade and he cried out in horror.

No! Not again! Not now! This can’t be happening!

“Brother?” he asked quietly, and he couldn’t recognize his own voice. His brother’s eyes widened in horror and he reached out a hand as though to catch him, though he was too far away.

“Alphonse!” he shouted, and it sounded like it was coming from underwater. “Al, wait!”

The sound of Pride’s voice echoing throughout his armor was the last thing he heard before he faded out of consciousness yet again.

“Can you shoot those knights off of the carriage, Hawkeye?” Captain Mustang asked and Riza nodded once.

“Yes, sir.”

The shots would be difficult without a doubt, but she wasn’t called the Lady of the Hawk’s Eye for nothing. She raised her bow and fired once, knocking the first knight away from where it was reaching through the window, before pausing, reaching for her knives instead. She threw them in quick succession, dropping the rest of the knights to the ground before nodding at the Captain.

He raised his hand once and snapped, the knights shrieking as they burned down to a pile of ash. There was a brief moment of stillness before a hand waved out the side of the carriage to show everyone inside was alright. She breathed a sigh of relief as they continued on, but Mustang didn’t seem convinced by the signal.

“I think we should go with them,” he said, and she stared at him.

“What was that about sticking to the plan, sir?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved a hand in her direction, not taking her eyes off the carriage, “but if they got attacked now, who’s to say they won’t be followed again? We can’t risk it, not when so much hinges on this.”

Riza sighed. He was right, of course, but she didn’t like it, not when she knew that every second they fell behind forced them to be more and more reckless.

“Alright, sir,” she said reluctantly and they set off again, following closely behind the carriage.

They followed them to an abandoned building on the outskirts of town before they stopped, Grumman stepping out and leading the Queen not far behind him. Mustang followed close behind and Riza took up the rear, bow in hand though it wouldn’t do much good in such close quarters. As soon as they got inside, however, there came a loud shout from behind them and a dozen regular knights shuffled in, followed by the rest of the constructed ones.

“Do not hold back, men!” the knight in the lead shouted, drawing his sword. “We only need Mustang!”

Riza’s eyes narrowed and she reached for a knife. She didn’t need it, though; the fight was over almost before it started, all the knights groaning and clutching various wounds while the immortal army was left as nothing but a pile of ash. She glanced the room over quickly, making sure there was no one else trying to sneak up on them, before turning her attention to the Queen.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”

It was a stupid question - anyone could see she was more than shaken by what had just happened - but Riza had to ask it anyway. Even if the answer was no, it would get the Queen talking.

“Those… those men…” the Queen said shakily. “What were they? And… and when they said they only needed you, Captain Mustang… They- they said it was the King’s orders.”

Riza winced. This might make it easier to convince her of the coup, but I’d rather she not find out about the King like this.

The Captain seemed to share her thoughts, and he sighed deeply, crouching down in order to meet the Queen’s eyes.

“I do not doubt that the King loves you - for all his other lies, that seems to have been the sole truth - but he is not the man you think he is. Rather, he isn’t human at all. I’m sorry to have to be the one to bring you this news, Your Majesty.”

The Queen raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.

“No, no, that’s not- My husband- He wouldn’t-”

She shook her head vehemently, looking as though she were about to faint.

“You saw those men back there, Your Majesty,” Riza said gently, though she didn’t move from her spot by the door. “The knights attacking your carriage weren’t human. They were made from alchemy under the supervision of the King.”

“And.. and my husband? Where is he now?”

Riza exchanged a glance with Mustang, uncertain.

“I’m afraid we don’t know his status at the moment, Your Majesty,” Riza said softly. There was no use in letting her know about the carriage accident now, especially not when they’d been the ones to cause it.

“And Selim? They were travelling together. Please- is my son okay?”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but we have reason to suspect the Prince is involved in this conspiracy as well,” Riza answered as gently as she could.

“W-what?!” It came out as a shriek, and nearly everyone in the room winced at the volume.

“Your Majesty, please allow me to explain everything,” Sir Grumman spoke up finally, and at the Queen’s reluctant nod, he began to speak.

“30 years ago, my cousin was King of Amestris. He was ordered assassinated by the monsters behind all of this, and your husband, King Bradley, was put on the throne. They covered up the coup, claiming illness stole the royal family. I even believed them myself until I found an old letter detailing my cousin’s suspicions of the plot, as well as my relation to him. I am the last remaining member of the old royal family, and am, as such, the rightful heir to the throne of Amestris.”

Silence rang out in the room while everyone gave the Queen a moment to process everything that was happening.

“When Sir Grumman asked me what I knew of your family,” Mustang continued after a moment, “I informed him of what I knew of the beings known as homunculi. At first, we believed your husband to merely be a pawn in their plan. But then Prince Ling Yao, now the homunculus Greed, informed us of his identity. Your husband is the homunculus Wrath, Your Majesty.”

The Queen looked pale, and if she hadn’t already been sitting down, Riza figured she would have already fainted. “And- And Selim? You said- you said he was a part of this too.”

For a moment, no one spoke, and the Queen seemed to take that as all the confirmation she needed.

“No, not Selim?” she gasped through sobs. “He’s just a child. He can’t- No-”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Riza said gently. “I know this is a lot to take in, but your husband and son have been lying to you this whole time. Selim is the oldest homunculus, Pride.”

At that, the Queen really did faint and Mustang lunged forward to keep her from hitting her head on the ground.

Riza sighed. “I’m glad that she believes us, but it’s unfortunate that she’s learning it all at once.”

Mustang nodded in agreement. “Still, it’s important to get it out there. We need her to know the truth and we need everyone else to learn it from her, not us.”

Riza sighed again and moved to his side to help move the Queen to a more comfortable location. It was then that one of the other soldiers, who had been watching the scene silently, spoke up with the question they’d all been waiting for.

“But… if you’re the last survivor of the royal family, Sir Grumman, what happens if you die? Won’t Amestris just descend into chaos fighting over who gets the phone?”

“Yes, we’ve… considered all of that,” Mustang said with a grimace. “Unfortunately, Sir Grumman doesn’t have any heirs, but- Sir Grumman, are you alright?”

“I’m afraid there’s more that you aren’t aware of, Captain Mustang,” Grumman began, cutting him off. “I don’t have any children, not anymore. But I do have a granddaughter. And she’s standing right there.”

He pointed right at Riza, though he didn’t seem to be able to meet her gaze. Riza barely processed the Captain’s demands to know more or the Queen’s trembling cry of shock, stumbling back until she hit the wall.

W-What?