95For once in his life, Edward was early. He was never early. But he'd slept a lot on the night train to Central, meaning he decided to send Al back to the dorms upon their arrival and decided to pay a visit to Mustang's office first thing that morning to drop off his report.
Apparently, he was the second one here- aside from Mustang himself. There must have been inspections coming up, if the Bastard was here this early in the morning working.
The door to Mustang's office was closed, and Ed walked through the empty desks of the outer office, thinking about how early in the day it was and how odd it was to be here before all the other office members.
He was about to kick through the door to Mustang's office in true Fullmetal fashion and scare the hell out of Colonel Bastard, when he paused. He heard a voice on the other side of the door. Mustang was talking to someone?
"I know that Hughes. Yeah, I know it's from over my head, but I don't have to like it. I don't want to send him. He's just a kid."
There was a pause, and Ed realized Mustang must've been on the phone with someone as he listened to their reply.
"He may be a state alchemist, but he's only been here six months. He has a terrible attitude, hates authority, and this is BIG, Hughes. This report is a matter of national security- if he messes it up he could be tortured or killed. This intel is sensitive- very sensitive- all the higher ups have been clamoring for it. This could make or break my next promotion."
Ed hung back still. He knew Roy was talking about him, and that stung slightly. Sure, he was pretty rude and he had an attitude most times, and yeah his reports were a little sloppy sometimes, but he thought he'd been doing pretty good as a state alchemist, considering he was only thirteen.
His wounded pride aside, Mustang sounded concerned- something he hardly ever heard from his superior. Whatever it was, it had to be big.
"It's not like I'm sending him to investigate about a rumor on a rock in some backwater town, Maes. I'm sending him across the Drachman Border. He's not field agent, he's an alchemist. Yes, I know they won't suspect him. But if he finds trouble- and it's Ed, he always finds trouble- I'm going to have a hell of a time helping him. Once he crosses that border- he's on his own. They're not going to let me send anyone in after him. And his brother can't go with him either this time. So no, I'm not happy."
Ed frowned, forehead creasing and his hand clenching, crumpling his report, which he held in it tightly. They were sending him across the Drachman border? It was fall, so it wasn't unseasonably cold, at least, but still, he didn't like the idea any more than Colonel Bastard.
Especially without Al. He knew he was a good fighter, but the thought of going to a foreign nation without his brother was daunting. The base of his spine tingled. Mustang had said he'd be alone- nobody could come help him if he needed it.
What would happen to Alphonse if he didn't come back?
He quickly shook himself out of those thoughts, however, steeling his expression and himself. He'd been through far worse before. There was only one option- he'd have to come back. No room for failure. There never was.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know. I'll talk to you later Hughes. See you." there was silence. Mustang must've hung up the phone.
Ed waited a few minutes in the silence, before he was sure Mustang wouldn't think his conversation had been overheard, before kicking the door open and strutting into the room like nothing was amiss at all.
He slapped his report onto the man's desk with fervor, flashing that trademark smirk he had. "I got my report, you bastard."
"Any promising results?" Roy looked nonplussed as he rested his elbows on his desk and interlaced his fingers, cradling his chin on them.
"No. But I'm gonna find it." Ed snarled.
"Is that why you're here so early?" Mustang cocked an eyebrow.
"Maybe. You have any more leads for me?"
"On the stone, no." Mustang pursed his lips, sifting through the paperwork and finding a folder. "But you've been assigned a mission."
"Gimmie." Ed was already grabbing the folder, but Mustang held it out of his reach. He frowned. "Sit." he pointed a gloved hand at a chair.
Ed frowned by pulled up a chair, sitting down and glaring at Mustang. "Can't I just have the folder?"
"Not this time, Fullmetal. I'm briefing you for this mission myself. This isn't about the stone, and I wouldn't have chosen you for this mission, but it's been given from higher up, so my opinion doesn't matter here."
Roy handed over the folder, and Ed started to flip through it.
There were pictures, and maps- he wasn't going to be crossing into Drachma at Fort Briggs. That was surprising.
"The higher ups have been concerned about certain infrastructure and military movements on the northwest Drachman border. We have an agent across the border with critical intel- your mission is to cross the border undetected and retrieve it. You'll be posing as Franklin Ivanov- a Drachman teenager from a border city. You're to meet our agent in a Drachman cafe, recite the code phrase, get the intel, and slip back across the border undetected. This is a stealth mission, Fullmetal. Emphasis on stealth."
Ed's brows furrowed. "Alright, Bastard, since you obviously don't think I'm capable, then why send me at all?"
Roy sighed. "I didn't say you were incapable, Fullmetal. You've just never done these types of missions before. It's... sensitive. Tensions have always been high between Drachma and Amestris, but if you get lost in the mountain passes on your way- I doubt the higher ups will send anyone after you."
"Yadda yadda. I face certain death if I fail. I understand high stakes, Bastard. But why. choose. me?"
"The higher ups have chosen you because they think the Drachmans won't suspect a child as an Amestrian agent." Roy's face darkened. "Most of the missions I give you are quite... flexible. There isn't room for error in this mission. Lives, quite literally, are at stake, and this will affect Amestrian troop movements, as well as your- and my- positions in the Amestrian military. Understood?"
"Yeah, I get it." Ed nodded, still not looking thrilled.
He flipped to the next page. There was a train ticket to Goldenfield City on it- a small command post in a mining town near the Drachman border.
"Any other cheery news you wish to impress upon me, or can I go?"
"Impatient as always, Fullmetal." Roy groused, looking irritated. "I still have more information for you. You're to meet with Colonel Banks at the fort, and spend the night there. They'll outfit you with supplies and maps of the mountain passes to get to the rendezvous point. You'll have 3 days to get in, get the intel, and return home."
Roy slid something across the table carefully. "When you reach the rendezvous point in Drachma and get the intel- mail this postcard. Its arrival will let us in Central know you've arrived without issue and have the information, and if you fall off the map it will narrow our search area a little, knowing you made it to the rendezvous and probably got lost or run into trouble on the way back."
"I thought you said nobody would come looking if I didn't come back?"
"If I can prove you have the intel with you, the higher ups might be willing to let us attempt to retrieve you. I make no promises, Fullmetal. I'm not exactly pleased with the situation either."
"Yeah, well, I am a dog of the military and all. Guess I need to do some tricks." Ed stood, grim and tired of the gloom and doom conversation.
"Hey Bastard-" Ed paused halfway out the door. "If something does happen- take care of Alphonse, will ya?"
"I don't want to have to keep that promise, Fullmetal."
"I don't want you too either, Bastard. But you will." Ed turned and marched out the door, content with that answer. Mustang may have been a bastard, and didn't want to acknowledge the possibility that Ed might not come back- but his answer was enough to let Ed know that if he was gone, Mustang would make sure Alphonse was taken care of.
He sighed, unclenching his gloved fists and heading back to the dorms. He quickly packed his things and briefed Al on the situation. He made sure to minimize the danger- he didn't want to needlessly worry his brother.
"A day to get there, 3 days to complete the mission, and a day to get back. I won't even be gone for a week, Al. Not long at all." Ed reassured.
"I know. I just wish I could come along." Alphonse couldn't keep the dismay from his voice.
"Yeah, me too Alphonse." Ed admitted, brushing his bangs out of his face. "Tell you what- why don't you take some research books from the library and visit Winry and Granny for the week? I'll send you a postcard when I reach Fort Goldenfield- from there, I'll be back in almost no time at all. In fact, I might stop by Risembool and get you after I stop at Central."
"That's a good idea." Al brightened slightly at the notion- Ed knew Alphonse didn't want to be alone.
"Get your stuff, then. We can walk to the train station together." Ed smiled, and Al brightened, gathering the books he wanted to bring with him before they started towards the train station together.
Ed kept up the false cheer until he and Al boarded their respective trains. Once he was alone, he found his own compartment in the train, shutting the door and pulling the mission maps form his folder, trying to commit them to memory.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't concerned. He had to be ready for this- the intel was critical, and he needed to come back alive for Al.
