Chapter I Misfortunes Call

The door to General Roy Mustang's central command office opened quickly as a rather excited Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes entered. He smiled widely waving a small crown of flowers in one hand and a wrapped parcel in the other. The man quickly straightened his rectangular glasses and coughed slightly to get the attention of his best friend who was currently snoring lightly on top of his desk.

Drool was slowing dripping down the Generals chin, landing in droplets forming a small puddle on the paperwork he was suppose to be signing. A pile of expertly made paper planes laid strewn all over the ground and the windows seamed to gleam as if brand new, signaling to Maes that the slumbering man had done absolutely nothing that fell under the jurisdiction of work today. Not that he was surprised…it was a well-known fact that Roy was the number one procrastinator here at central HQ. The Lt. Colonel sighed and then took a deep breath, preparing the yell at the top of his lungs.

"Hey Roy!"

Roy jumped in his seat, drool and paperwork flying through the air. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I love you Riza Hawkeye! Don't SHOOT!" He held his hands defensively in the air, simultaneously ducking under the desk. Maes giggled openly. "You off all people should know that if it were Riza…she'd shoot then yell and that desk would not be able to save you pal. I'm mean you married her." Roy glared at the other man openly, standing to his feet and wiping the drool off his face. "What the hell are you doing here Hughes?"

"Aww…is that anyway to talk to your best man, partner, and over all best friend?"

"Shut up Maes and tell me what you want."

"Well…" Roy knew he was going to regret asking the moment he saw the deranged look in his friends' eyes. "Look…" Hughes said shoving the ring of flowers into the bewildered Generals face. "My darling Elisia made this for me on her first day of kindergarten! Isn't beautiful? You want one too don't you? Well… I can ask my smiling bundle of cuteness to make one for you! She's so skilled! I mean just the other day she—"

"One more word and I swear I'll fry your ass." Roy stated coolly reaching into his desk drawer for his ignition gloves. Maes quieted instantly muttering a quick 'party pooper' under his breath and settling down in a nearby chair. All was silent a moment before Roy spoke again offhandedly.

"Seriously Maes why must you incessantly drabble on about your child like that? It's annoying."

All at once the Lt. Colonels face darkened. "Because my friend. Our children are our future. They are extensions of us. We must cherish and protect them with our lives…" Roy stiffened at his friend's serious tone and began to nervously pick up the paper planes that littered the floor. "Speaking of which…" Hughes continued, "I heard what happened. That's why I came. How is she doing?"

Roy did not look at Maes. "She's coping…"

"And you?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I said I'm fine damnit! Why the hell wouldn't I be?" Roy yelled turning to face the other man with an angered expression. Maes softened his expression. "Because the two of you were so excited when you heard she was pregnant…I even helped you buy supplies."

A tense silence.

Maes sighed softly, resting a hand on his knee then remembering the object in his other hand. "On a business note, still no luck on the case of who keeps breaking into central library and stealing alchemy texts."

Roy shook his head. "We know only one thing. All those books…dealt with human transmutation…"

"You mean whoever took them…"

Roy nodded, "Precisely… whoever stole these books may be planning to use them. Which means are job is just to shoot on sight."

"Hmm…"

"General Mustang! General Mustang!" A very flustered looking Master Sergeant Furey burst through the doors. He panted for a moment before pointing at the window.

"Something's happening at lab five… alchemy…the brigadier General is here…they're shooting lot's of soldiers…dead." The young man lent on the door to catch his breath."

Mustang stood and spared a glance at Hughes who nodded silently. He then walked out the door. Motioning for his men, Havoc and Breda to follow.

Time to do his job.

When Mustang arrived at the scene he was shocked to find so many men dead. An ambulance had arrived with EMTs shoving body bags into huge trucks. Soldiers kept civilians at bay. It looked like hell on earth. "General Mustang sir!" a young recruit saluted him. "The brigadier General is inside sir awaiting your report."

"What's going on here?"

"I don't know sir. It has something to do with alchemy. They were two offenders sir. One was killed and moments after the other went berserk killing quite an amount of men. I believe the Brigadier General has him surrounded."

"Good."

Roy entered the collapsing building, to meet a scene he was not prepared for. A mass of soldiers stood in a circle, weapons posed to the center. The Brigadier General was barking orders at them, but when he noticed Roy he turned to greet him.

"Ah…General Mustang. You took your sweet time. This creature killed half my men!" He grabbed Roy and directed him towards the circle. "A foolish alchemist made it using human transmutation…don't worry we handled him. I just need you to dispose of that thing" he gestured towards the center.

Roy stared in shock. Chalk etching that once might have been a transmutation circle adorned the ground that was now smeared with blood. It created a very ominous feeling, but that was not what shocked the general. Crouched in the center of the circle drenched in blood was a small boy. He whimpered sadly a soft mantra of the word 'brother…' in a coarse but obviously young voice. In his arms he cradled the form of another blood soaked boy, this one obviously dead a small wound to the side of his head marking an instant kill. They both had golden hair and were pale and small. Roy could imagine how soft they would have felt to hold. They were so young…

" They're children…" He whispered voice suddenly so small and far away.

"They're monsters…" The brigadier General answered placing a small riffle in his hands. "You know the rules…shot on sight. It's your jurisdiction so you have to do it. Or do you want to be court-martialed."

Roy gripped the gun in his hand and slowly aimed it at the boy.

"…Our children are our future. They are extensions of us. We must cherish and protect them with our lives…"

What should he do? What could he do?

"It's my job."

Just before the shot rang out Roy swore his dark eyes met sliver for an instant.

As Roy headed out to the crowds a strange old woman he had never seen before met his gaze. For that instant a silent message was passed between them. It was the same thought that held him back in the lab. It paralyzed him.

"Roy."

The general turned to see his wife and best friend waiting for him by a cab.

"Coming" He turned back to the women. She was gone.

"Hurry up or we'll leave without you!" Maes yelled and Roy turned to leave. For a moment a pair of frightened sliver eyes flashed through his mind.

A silent message.

Why?