Beijing, China. 2034.
"Thank you for meeting me, Edward." The man was cloaked in shadows and cigar smoke as he set down his tumbler of whisky delicately on the rich wooden desk before him. "Please, have a seat. I have a new assignment for you."
'Jeez this is straight out of a crime boss movie' Thought Edward. It made him feel on edge. He had done some work for Mr. Kimblee in the past, all cash transactions delivered in person in fat envelopes of unmarked bills. He expected the new assignment to be more of the same.
One of Kimblee's henchmen showed Edward into the dark office, guiding him to a gold-studded leather chair. He cautiously seated himself across from one of the most powerful black market arms dealers in the world. He was the reason ISIS was the threat that it was. Edward respected his business savvy, but disagreed with pretty much all of his methods.
Kimblee's henchman offered the box of cubans to Edward, who chose the fattest one. The henchman clipped it and handed it back to Edward, sticking it between his teeth. The henchman flipped open a gold lighter, igniting it for Edward to use. He leaned forward, stuck the tip into the flame and relaxed back into supple leather.
Kimblee slid a manilla folder across the desk towards Edward. Inside was several documents, the first being an eight and a half by eleven photo of a beautiful blonde haired woman. She wore an opened white lab coat over a sleek black knee length dress with high boots. The picture had been taken surreptitiously to it's subject; the woman was exiting a tall office building of Chicago's downtown district. It was clear that she worked there.
"How much do you know about Rockbell Industries?" Asked Kimblee.
"Only that they sell bio-mechanics and that their stock has skyrocketed in the past few months."
"Ever since the release of their latest product, the Automailer. The woman you see in the picture is Dr. Winry Rockbell, CEO of Rockbell Industries and the designer and engineer of the Automailer."
"What exactly is the Automailer?"
"As you'll see in the spec folder, it is essentially a full body bio-mechanical suit that amplifies the power of the person or soldier who wears it. Fully equipped with all the ammunition and fire power any person on the battlefield could wish for, they are extremely efficient at eliminating their target and keeping the wearer safe. Ever seen the movie 'Iron Man'?"
"Yeah, sure." Ed responded while flipping through his folder to study the blueprints.
"Winry Rockbell has made Tony Stark's Iron Man suit available for purchase."
"Jeez, how much do these things go for?"
"Retail for one unit is just under half a million dollars. They are rapidly becoming the new standard in warfare."
Ed let out a low whistle, further examining the contents of the spec folder.
"I have a meeting with Dr. Rockbell in three days time where I will propose a business deal to her. I want Kimblee Factories and Co. to become her Eastern manufacturer and distributor. The meeting will take place in her office building in Chicago. I want you to be there beside me as my representative."
"How exactly would I be representing you?"
"I will propose that she expand production to China, where you will be heading the operation. I want you to work closely with her to gain her trust and her knowledge of everything involving the Automailer. Once we open the first factory here and have the rights to the Automailer, I want you to assassinate her."
"You're aware that I don't usually do long cons. I'd feel better if you'd contact me later with a mark once your factory is opened."
"That won't work. I intend to absorb Rockbell Industries after her death. For that to happen, I need the rights. And who would sign over production rights of their star product to a perfect stranger? Now, I realize that we have never had a dealing like this one in particular, but I must confess: you happen to be the most handsome mercenary I know."
"You want me to seduce her?"
Kimblee's face contorted into a slick smirk.
Edward looked again at the picture. She was indeed beautiful. It wouldn't be hard to feign romantic interest.
"And, since this project is expected to last for a while, I will wire ten thousand US dollars into an account of your choosing every week."
Edward puffed his cigar and gazed across the desk to Kimblee. He could certainly use the money. His brother's condition seemed to be worsening every day. And if he got up to walk away from this, that henchman that so politely offered him a cigar was likely to kill him where he stood. Kimblee wouldn't risk anyone who knew of his plans to live.
Edward took one last puff of his cigar, and stared into the cold, dead eyes of the man across the desk. "Alright, Kimblee. You've got a deal."
A.N. This is my first fic I've ever uploaded, but am very excited about it! I am a HUGE EdxWin fan, and have been really loving the FMA AU's posted on this site, so I decided to try my hand :) I plan to update this story weekly, so get ready for the long haul! Thank you!