Soldier Blues

IX

When Roy received the summons that morning, his mind flicked to every task he had done the day before and wondered what he had screwed up enough for the Brigadier General to call him to his personal office. He worked himself up, hiding his uneasiness under a mask of indifference, and wandered aimlessly through the halls of Central Command in hopes he would just be forgotten. Unfortunately for Roy, Envy was waiting for him outside the office doors as he wandered by, and the Brigadier General’s lips curled into a horrible feline grin. He simply pointed at Roy, condemning him, and did a ‘come here’ motion with just the tip of his index finger. Caught, Roy had no choice but to go into the Office of Doom and suffer. He followed Envy into the room, gaze anywhere but the green-haired man’s back, and stopped in the center, saluting the Brigadier General when he finally sat behind his desk. For a while, Envy sat silent, fingers steepled before his mouth as he stared at Roy for the longest time. Only when sweat had broken out on Roy’s forehead did the green-haired man smile. It only made Roy sweat more.

“Did you know,” Envy began innocently as if he and the Lieutenant Colonel were just having tea, “that my brothers are in Central?”

Roy choked. “W-what?”

Envy hummed. “They arrived this morning. I sent Greed to get them before trouble arose.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Roy growled, clenching his fists.

“Get in line.” Envy snapped. “I can only think of one reason he’s coming here and nothing but the truth is going to deter him. Thing is, Edward cannot know the truth.”

Roy swallowed. Here was the opportunity to back away, to say ‘No, thank you’ and get the hell out of there. But he squared his shoulders and held his head high. He told himself it was to advance in the ranks, to get ahead, but what really drove him was the chance to see those gold eyes again. Envy stared at Roy for a long while before he finally nodded.

“What I’m about to tell you,” Envy began, “goes no further. If my superiors found out, this whole place would be eradicated. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

Envy took a deep breath and let it out so very slowly. “When Edward was born, Amestris was in a state of turmoil. Separatists were going after anything and everything they could including non-combative villagers. Our father, the bastard, was a famous scientist who spent his life trying to discover a way to create a powerful weapon to bring peace. He succeeded and failed at an alarming rate until he discovered how to keep the weapon in a stable state.

“With that, Amestris was able to wrest command from those who opposed them, but the destruction wrought was so great my father took his weapon back from the Fuhrer and the military and sealed it up. Fifteen years later, another war, this one with no real reason save for Amestris invaded her own lands and had the usual resistance army fight against them. It seemed ridiculous to me until I saw my brother in our camp.”

Roy swallowed. “What do you mean?”

Envy frowned and leaned back in his chair. “Why would Amestris purposely start a new war? We were prospering. We had peace except at our borders. So why start a war on the inside?”

It took Roy a moment to put the clues together. “The weapon.”

“Exactly. If they could draw out the weapon, then they could figure out how to make more. Amestris would be unstoppable.”

“So what’s this have to do with Edward?”

Envy leaned forward and said nothing, just staring at Roy for a long time. Roy’s eyes darkened as he tried to put the clues together, but they were like puzzle pieces to a different puzzle altogether. Only when it clicked visibly in the Lieutenant Colonel’s black eyes did Envy lean back with a grim smile.

Roy stared and simply shook his head. “It can’t be.”

“It was the one place no one would ever think to look until it manifested.”

“Edward can’t be the weapon.” Roy whispered as though saying it would make it true. Envy’s silence confirmed everything. Roy swallowed and stood up straight. “What do I have to do?”

“It depends on how willing you are to save him. Don’t answer unless it’s by your own choice.”

Roy’s teeth clicked shut. He couldn’t answer hastily. This wasn’t a decision he could retract if it got too hairy. And it wouldn’t be Roy’s own life he was risking. Could he, in good faith, condemn everyone on Central? Not only his friends, but innocent civilians? On the other hand, if he didn’t, then Edward would be used as a weapon against Amestris’ enemies whether they attacked first or not. He could condemn the entire world if he chose to do nothing. It was that which decided him, and he strode forward, slamming his gloved palms on his superior’s desk.

“What do I have to do?”


Edward grumbled as he sat wedged between Greed and Scar. Alphonse sat across from him, looking apologetic at the same time amused as he sat beside the woman whom had introduced herself as Marta. Her partner, Dorochet, drove the truck; beside him sat a man who could probably equal if not best Scar in physical strength. His name, as he gave it, was Loa. All three were Greed’s flunkies. Edward looked at his boots. They were good, though. They’d managed to separate and corner Edward, Alphonse, and Scar one at a time and drag them to a waiting truck where Greed sat smoking a cigarette. The bastard actually grinned and waved at his captives before they were put in the truck. A few botched escape attempts later, the truck bounced along toward Central Command, and Edward was crammed between two men who were twice his size. Not to mention each had an iron grip on his wrist to keep him from trying to escape again. Anger kept his mouth shut and he glared daggers into the truck’s bed as if his predicament was somehow the truck’s fault.

“Greed,” Dorochet said suddenly, “front gate’s coming up.”

“Alright.” Greed transferred his hold on Ed to Marta and somehow climbed from the back of the truck into the cab, wedging between Dorochet and Loa. Scar’s hand clamped over Edward’s mouth and nose, hoping probably to suffocate him into silence. Edward took shallow breaths to get what little air he could until the truck started moving again and gasped for the precious oxygen when Scar released his hold.

The truck grumbled to a stop a few moments later. Dorochet and Loa jumped out of the cab as Greed turned to pin Edward with a stare. The blonde boy could only swallow and nod, though he had no idea what he was nodding for. Only then did Greed give the order to let everyone out of the truck, and they were quickly herded to a side door in the building.

Through hallways they went, until finally Loa, Dorochet, and Marta split off, going to complete the tasks they’d been dragged away from. It held a more significant meaning to the elder Elric, because he knew Greed wouldn’t have kidnapped him and Alphonse unless it was important. Greed led the trio through what seemed to be a maze, until he finally stopped Scar and Alphonse from going any further.

“This is as far as you two go,” Greed said softly.

Alphonse looked terrified. “Why?”

“Just go back home and stay there.” Greed’s words did nothing to alleviate Alphonse’s worry. Scar set a hand on the boy’s shoulder in what seemed to be a comforting gesture. He said nothing, but it relaxed Alphonse enough to make Edward tense. But the elder Elric said nothing, knowing this would be his brother’s battle. He could influence it greatly, but above all else, Ed just wanted Alphonse to be happy. Al looked toward his brother and only got a smile and a shrug.

“All right.” Alphonse said almost defeatedly. “I’ll go. Be careful, Ed.”

The elder Elric gave a lopsided grin. “You got it.”

Alphonse’s reply was a watery grin, but he allowed Scar to take him from the tunnel and his brother, leaving Edward alone with Greed. The black-haired man heaved a sigh.

“C’mon,” Greed motioned for Edward to follow him. “Circumstances have changed.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”