**Ed P.O.V**

        Al and I had just rolled back into Central after the mess in Liore. Father Cornello: self-proclaimed prophet, miracle-worker, and full-blown scam artist. He had the whole town fooled, waving around a Philosopher’s Stone like it was divine power. Took us nearly dying in the process to find out it was a fake. Figures. All that fighting, all that effort… for nothing but smoke and mirrors.
        I was still brooding over it when the car pulled to a stop in front of Central Command. Al and I trudged up the steps to Mustang’s office, where Hawkeye met us with her usual calm smile.
        "Welcome back, guys. Go on in, the Colonel is expecting you." She gestured us in.
        Inside, Mustang sat behind his desk, hands folded, smirk plastered across his face.
        “Well done in Liore, you two. Nice work.”
        I huffed. “Yeah, no big deal. It’s not like we did it for you.”
        He gave me a flat look, then changed tack. “The Philosopher’s Stone; another false lead?”
        Al’s armor shoulders slumped. “Yeah. After all that, it was just a fake.”
        “Even so, the power it gave off was real. He transmuted a chimera right in front of us,” I muttered. “I still can’t figure out how he pulled that off with a dud stone. Bio-alchemy’s not my specialty.”
        “It might help if you consulted some specialists.” Mustang rummaged in his desk and dropped two files on the desk.
        I narrowed my eyes. “Okay. What’s the catch? You want something, don't you?”
        He scowled. “Don’t doubt my motives. I’m repaying you for Liore. A favor’s better than being in your debt.”
        I snatched up a file before he could change his mind.
        “The Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker,” Mustang explained. “Heavy research into chimeras.”
        I tossed it down and grabbed the second.
        “The Healing Alchemist, Nicole Tucker. A specialist in biological alchemy and Xingese Alkahestry.”
        I blinked. “… Didn’t know there was a female State Alchemist. That’s… pretty awesome.”
        “The first and only,” Mustang said. “She was also the youngest once. Until you.”
        Great. Another reason for someone to hate me. “She’s not gonna hold a grudge about that… right?”
        Mustang smirked faintly, which didn't make me feel any better.
        "Who can we meet the soonest?" Al asked.
        "Lucky for you two, they’re family. Father and daughter.”
        A military family. Oh, this was gonna be fun.

~~~***~~~***~~~

        On the way, Mustang filled us in. Shou Tucker had earned his certification a decade ago through chimera research. Two years back, he’d made a name for himself when he created a chimera that could speak.
        “…But it only said one thing, 'I want to die',” Mustang added grimly. “After that, it refused to eat anything and died.”
        “That’s awful,” Al said softly.
        I grimaced. “And Nicole? Please tell me she didn’t earn hers in the same nightmare-fuel way.”
        Mustang hesitated before answering, his gaze sliding toward the road ahead. “Nicole earned her title for her healing work: stitching flesh, reattaching limbs, pulling soldiers back from the brink. She’d been a prodigy, granted certification at an age when most kids were still in school.”
He was quiet for a long moment before adding, “I was there when she demonstrated why she deserved her certification to the Führer. She-” His hand twitched faintly. “- she cut away her own forearm, in front of everyone, and reattached it. Perfectly. Not a scar, not a flaw.”
        Ed’s eyes widened. “She did what?”
        Mustang’s voice dropped, heavier now. “She wanted them to see she’d risk her own life to prove she could heal others… and that she could heal herself well enough to keep going. That she wouldn’t just fall after the first wound.”
        Al shifted uncomfortably, his armor groaning. “That doesn’t sound like a celebration. It sounds… desperate.”
        “No,” Mustang said. His tone carried steel beneath the calm. “It was reckless and dangerous, but effective. The Führer stamped her papers on the spot and named her the Healing Alchemist. She walked out smiling, but I could see it... Her legs were ready to give out. She nearly collapsed in my office when she got that watch.”
        His eyes narrowed slightly, his hands tightening at the wheel. “That day, I told her Central doesn’t need martyrs. It needs soldiers who can live long enough to finish the fight. But Nicole… she’s determined to be both.”

~~~***~~~***~~~

        Mustang had knocked on the door as the three of us stopped in front of the Tucker Estate, waiting for someone to answer the door.
        "Man, this house is huge!" I said, looking up in awe.
        As I stared, I heard the door creak open, and a large shadow had suddenly completely covered me. Before I had a chance to even react, I was tackled by a bundle of white fur, squishing me into the ground.
        "Daddy, look! There are people here!" a little girl squealed.
        “Nina, I told you to tie Alexander up,” came a tired male voice.
        The dog bounded off. I scrambled up, brushing white hair off my coat. Mustang introduced us, and Shou Tucker apologized profusely before ushering us inside.
        “Nina, fetch your sister,” he told the girl.
        We were guided through a cluttered sitting room. Books lay stacked like barricades, dust rising with each step. The place smelled stale, like the air hadn’t moved in years.
        We sat at a long table as Shou fussed with tea. A side door creaked open.
        A girl entered, black tank top tucked into military-issue pants and boots, long brown hair spilling over her shoulders. She moved with an easy confidence, stopping briefly by her father before carrying cups to the table.
        Her green eyes swept over us, sharp and unflinching. They locked on Mustang. He shifted in his seat. She let him sweat for a beat before flashing a bright smile, “Colonel Mustang. Long time no see. And who are your guests?”
        Mustang cleared his throat. “These are the Elric brothers. Alphonse. And Edward, the Fullmetal Alchemist.”
        Her gaze snapped to me. A smirk curved her mouth. “The Elrics, huh? I’ve heard plenty. Especially about you, Fullmetal. Central couldn’t shut up about how the youngest State Alchemist ever had just joined their ranks.”
        Cold sweat pricked my neck. I jabbed a finger at Mustang. “You said she didn’t hold grudges!”
        He avoided my eyes, sweat beading on his temple.
        Nicole burst out laughing. “Relax, I’m just teasing. You don’t have to act so mousy.”
        “Who’re you calling mousy?!” I exploded, waving my fists.
        Mustang shoved a palm onto my head, holding me in place.
        “Good to see some of the rumors are true, hot-headed and short-tempered,” Nicole said slyly.
        I ground my teeth at her grin. Luckily, Shou stepped in, hand on her shoulder.
        “Edward, Alphonse, it’s a pleasure. As the Colonel said, I’m the Sewing-Life Alchemist. And this is my daughter, Nicole, the Healing Alchemist.”
        Mustang sipped his tea. “The brothers are interested in bio-alchemy. They’d like to see your research.”
        Nicole brightened. “Of course. I’ll happily share what I can. But healing is complex. Most people can’t pick it up. Still, if it helps more people get treated, I’ll try.”
        Al and I glanced at each other, hopeful.
        "Oh yes, I certainly wouldn't mind," Shou added smoothly. "However, if you want me to show you the tricks up my sleeve, it's only fair you show me the tricks you've got up yours as well...it's the code we live by, Equivalent Exchange. Now, why are you interested in Bioalchemy?"
Nicole side-eyed her father, anger radiating off of her, but she stayed silent. The air grew tense for a moment, Mustang opened his mouth, but I raised my arm to stop him. I looked up at Al, who nodded before turning back to the Tuckers and telling them about how we tried to bring our mom back, and the price we both paid.

~~~***~~~***~~~

        "You transmuted your Mother at 11 years old? I see... That's what earned you the title of Fullmetal Alchemist... You two have had rough times for someone so young..." Shou looked down for a moment before finally speaking up again. "I can't say if it's going to be of any use to you or not, but why don't you go ahead and take a look at my laboratory?"
        Nicole excused herself to fetch supplies while we followed Shou. The rest of us got up and followed Mr. Tucker to his laboratory.
        "Wow..." Al was speechless.
        "It's kind of embarrassing, really... I'm fairly highly regarded for authority on chimera, but the truth is, it hasn't been really going quite well lately." Mr. Tucker said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
        Al and I looked all around at the different chimeras. All kinds of different combinations, some making ungodly noises as they thrashed in their cages. Specimen jars of animals, limbs, and organs lined the bookshelves that were placed all around the room. There were tons of pages covered in drawings and notes pinned all over the walls and scattered sporadically across a large testing table.
        We took our time reading through some of Mr. Tucker's notes and looking at some of the caged chimeras. We even picked up a few jars to take a closer look at them, but something about random organs being in these jars made my stomach do a flip.
        Once we were ready to move on, Mr. Tucker then walked us down another hall and to a set of double doors, which he opened to reveal a library.
        "This is my library. Feel free to look around until Nicole gets here."
        "Amazing! Let's dive in! I'll start with this shelf." I exclaimed, running over and pulling a book off the shelf.
        "Alright, I'll try over here," Al replied, walking over and doing the same thing.

~~~***~~~***~~~