You know how this works. I don't own Roy (don't I wish), I don't own his staff, and I don't own Central. Pretty much the only things I do own are the plot, my character (General Ree), and the academy (yeah, that was me). Quick background, I brought Hughes back (yeah, saw that coming, didn't you?) because he's too awesome to die. The grave can't stop him! He will definitely be featured in chapters to come. Well, that's enough of that, let's get this party started.

As our story begins, we see one Colonel Roy Mustang furiously signing papers, muttering to himself.

"Damn it, don't the higher-ups know I don't have time for this," he shouted.

"Sir, you spent the last half hour polishing your desk," said a small voice from the corner. Mustang rounded on it angrily. Master Sergeant Kain Fuery looked at Mustang with a look on his face that said 'Did I say that out loud?'

"Well, Fuery, I wasn't aware that wanting to have a clean desk was a crime these days!"

"Sir, your papers…," another voice contributed. Second lieutenant Jean Havoc was seated at his desk with a cigarette in his mouth. He had just saved Fuery a few minutes of degradation at the hands of the colonel, and he knew it. He smiled at Kain and went back to work.

"Damn it," Mustang shouted again as he went back to the stack of forms awaiting authorization. "I did not join the military to do paperwork!"

A woman appeared in the doorway. "Colonel?" she said.

"What, what is it now?" Mustang yelled in a voice that did not welcome bad news.

"There's someone here to see you," Riza Hawkeye said, calm in the face of his anger.

"Who is it?" he asked impatiently.

"No name was given, but I'm told it was a general by the guard at the gate."

"Damn it, and this place is a mess," he shouted. He started giving orders to his staff. "Havoc, take this broom and start sweeping, Fuery, go do the windows. Hawkeye, go polish the door knobs." He knew it was a little extreme, having his staff clean the office, but the maintenance sure as hell hadn't been doing there job lately. "Somebody remind me to hire a new cleaning crew."

"So," a voice said from the door, "this is your new post. Don't tell me you don't have your staff on clean-up every day. You always did have trouble with keeping clean."

Mustang, facing away from the door, put his hand over his eyes. "General…" He sighed.

"What's the matter Roy, aren't you glad to see me?"

"General Ree?"

"That's right, General Ree. I got promoted."

Mustang grinned. "It does have a certain ring to it," he said as he turned around. "It's been too long, Windbag."

"Has it? I've lost track. Come here, Pyro."

Mustang walked over to the general and put his hand out.

"A handshake? I haven't seen you for two years and you offer me a handshake? You always were just that lame, weren't you?"

"I thought you said you had lost track," Mustang said.

"Come here and give your old friend a hug," the general said impatiently. "Well, don't just stand there, Roy, introduce me."

"Men," Mustang said to the room in general, "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine from the Academy. Apparently, this is General Arika Ree, the Wind Alchemist."

It'll get better, I promise. It's a work in progress, and it's still taking shape. For anyone interested in the continuation of this train wreck, I'll try to update tomorrow. Not to drop hints, but I'm going to put in my first fight scene tomorrow, don't miss it. It's going to be fun.