Hana Marthers sighed in agitation as she pulled on the collar of her blue military uniform, staring up that the Central Headquarters in disdain; she had become accustomed to the loose fitting clothes she had been wearing for the past month and a half while she had been away from Central on assignment. She sighed again, feeling trapped as she pulled her long brown hair up into a neat bun as opposed to a messy ponytail she'd been wearing it in while in the deserts of Ishval as she walked into the building, nodding at different co-workers as they smiled at her.
"Have you heard of the new state alchemist?" she heard a soldier ask another, raising as eyebrow as she listened to them.
"Yeah, he's just fifteen and he didn't need to use a transmutation circle from what I heard!" the second soldier replied. Hana hummed to herself quietly at this, making a mental note to ask Colonel Mustang about it, after she took care of what she needed. She walked up the stairs towards her superior officer's office and smiled when she saw her best friend here, Riza Hawkeye.
"Riza!" she called out, running over to the older girl, smiling at her. Riza smiled back and nodded at Hana.
"I'm glad you've returned safely. How was your trip?" Riza asked, watching the other's blue eyes sadden a bit.
"It was fine…but things are the same as they have been for years now. Nothing's changing." The brunette whispered quietly, hanging her head. Riza placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a small smile.
"Hey, come on. You joined the military to help the Ishvalan people, right? You can't do that if you're letting the past get to you like this." she whispered to her, smiling a bit more when Hana slowly nodded and smiled back.
"Is the Colonel in his office? I need to speak with him."
"Yes, he's waiting for you actually." Riza told her, pointing towards Colonel Roy Mustang's door. Hana smiled at her friend once more before she walked over to the door and knocked on it.
"Enter." came the voice of her commanding officer and she slowly opened the door and walked in, saluting to him. Roy Mustang saluted back before nodding. "At ease, soldier."
"Colonel." she replied, nodding to him. Roy nodded in return before lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on his hands.
"Report."
"Nothing's changed, Sir. Nothing is getting better for the Ishvalan people, they're still living in small ghettos that aren't sheltered or protected. Nothing's changed for them…" she trailed off quietly, sighing. Roy merely nodded before standing up and walking around his desk to stand in front of her.
"Good to have you back at Central, Hana. Now, I need you to go to the library and help Fullmetal with whatever he needs." Roy told her. Hana quickly clued in that "Fullmetal" must be the new State Alchemist; she waiting a moment before biting the bullet.
"Permission to speak freely, Sir?" she requested quietly. Roy raised an eyebrow but nodded.
"Granted."
"I…I think we need to do more for the Ishvalan people. After all, we're the ones who started the war; it was an Amestrian solder that shot that innocent child, that started the entire war. We need to help them rebuild their lives and-"
"Stand down, solder!" Roy ordered suddenly, his black eyes glaring at Hana.
"But, Sir, I-"
"There's nothing we can do, our orders come from the top; from the Fuhrer himself." Roy said, shaking his head when the woman tried to speak again. "Go help Fullmetal. Those are your orders from me."
"…Yes, Sir." Hana replied, her blue eyes blazing as she forced the words out before turning and leaving, anger filling her entire being. Riza watched her friend storm out before turning to see Roy standing in the doorway, watching Hana leave as well.
"I take it she tried to suggest we help them even more again?" Riza asked as she went to stand next to Roy. The colonel nodded, sighing quietly.
"You know, Hana. She'd kill herself if she thought it would the Ishvalans in any way." Roy replied, shaking his head. "Hopefully having her help the Elrics will keep her occupied for a while…especially until we find Scar."
XXX
Two weeks. It had been two weeks that Hana had been wasting on researching the Philosopher's Stone, something she thought no one needed to find. But that's what the Fullmetal Alchemist, also known as Edward Elric, had wanted her help with. She now sat at a table in the library with the aforementioned alchemist and his younger brother, Alphonse Elric. All she knew about them was that Edward had an automail arm and leg, Alphonse never took his armor off, and that they wanted the Philosopher's Stone for…something. Hana sighed as she suddenly stood up, shaking her head.
"Look, I can't take it anymore, guys. I need a break so I'll check some books out and keep looking later, okay?" she told them, getting a single nod from Edward before she picked up a few of the books and went to check them out; she grabbed two others on the Ishvalan war to read through yet again to try and understand why no one in her country wanted to help them. Once she had checked the book out and put them in her bag, she left the library and began to make her way to her home before she heard a loud explosion. She whipped around, seeing smoke rising from an area to the South and quickly took off running. When she arrived she went wide eyed at the sight that greeted her.
"Don't let him escape!" Roy Mustang was shouting as soldiers began to work quickly at digging at the rubble.
"What happened here?" Hana cried out as she walked over to Roy, staring up at him with wide blue eyes. Roy stared back before sighing, knowing he couldn't keep anything from her anymore.
"There was an Ishvalan, the one that's been committing the murders of the State Alchemists. We had him cornered but he escaped into the sewers by…well, you can see what he did." Roy said, nodding towards the collapsed street and the hole that dropped down into the sewers below. Hana stared at all of it in horror before she slowly looked back up at Roy.
"When were you planning to tell me about this Ishvalan, Colonel?" she asked quietly. Roy stared right back, not missing a beat as he answered.
"I wasn't. The plan was to capture him and try him for his crimes without you knowing." Hana felt as if he'd slapped her before she slowly backed up.
"What…YOU KNOW I JOINED THE MILITARY TO HELP THEM! AND YOU'RE KEEPING THINGS LIKE THIS FROM ME?" she screamed, her blue eyes blazing as she stared at him with the most hate she'd ever shown towards him.
"Stand down, Hana. Now." Roy ordered, glaring right back. Hana slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver pocket watch with the Amestrian country's symbol on it, staring at it. The watch symbolized her status as a State Alchemist.
"I became a State Alchemist so that I could help the Ishvalan people after what we did to them thirteen years ago. I wanted to help the children, the mothers and fathers, as many of them as I could…but I can't even help one man while I'm in this military."
"The man you're trying to help is committing the murders of State Alchemists! If you think you can help him without repercussions, you're sorely mistaken! You will be stripped of your rank, Hana!" Roy yelled at her, black eyes watching her closely.
"My rank?" she asked quietly, turning her cold blue eyes on her superior officer before she suddenly pulled her arm back. "MY RANK MEANS NOTHING!" she screamed before throwing the silver pocket watch at his feet. Roy stared at her before she quickly ran to the hold in the ground and jumped down, disappearing from his sight.
XXX
Hana smiled as she sat in the tent, working quietly. She cut another piece out of her old uniform before stitching it back onto the makeshift bandages she was making for the trip she knew she'd be taking. She was wearing a loose pair of pants under the long skirt that Ishvalan people typically wore, as well as a shirt that was given to her by the village people. She smiled over at the sleeping man on the bed, glad that his wounds were not bleeding anymore before her eyes moved up to the X shaped scar on his face; she knew he was the one that had been killing State Alchemists but she was not worried for she was no longer a State Alchemist herself. She recalled the meeting that had been held when she had shown up at this ghetto, looking to be accepted by the Ishvalan people.
The Ishvalan refugees that lived in the ghetto had gathered in a circle, Hana sitting next to the Elder before he had nudged her forward gently so she could explain her case and reasons for being with them.
"My name is Hana Marthers. A lot of you might know me from my work in the Amestrian Military as the Flowing Water Alchemist; I had joined to help your people rebuild their lives. I'd hoped that by having at least one person in the military that cared, more would begin to do the same. That…hasn't happened unfortunately, and I couldn't even help one man while there." she began before she was cut off.
"He's here and he's safe now. He's healing." a small boy smiled at her, wanting to reassure her that the Ishvalan that had been hunting State Alchemists was safe in a tent here in the ghetto. Hana smiled at the child in thanks, nodding her head.
"I'm glad he's safe. After this is over, if all goes well, will you show me where he is?" she asked, earning a nod in return. Hana nodded and continued on. "I realized that I couldn't help anyone by being in the military, that I was being held back by rank and orders and restrictions, so I quit. I just left and ran here as fast as I could. I've come here with a request." Hana took a deep breath, not knowing how the reactions would go. "I'd like to join your people and help you from this side."
Many of the Ishvalans looked at each other, some nodding while others looked angry at the idea; but no one spoke yet. The Elder raised his hand to gain the attention of the people and nodded once he had it.
"If you are against or for Hana Marthers joining us, you may speak your mind now. We will ultimately decide as a whole." A male Ishvalan stood slowly, looking around at his people.
"How can we allow her in? She is Amestrian, they are the ones who have done this to us. Not to mention, she also admitted that she was a State Alchemist!" he said, slowly sitting back down as a woman rose next, shaking her head.
"She may be Amestrian and a former State Alchemist, but she has tried to help us many times, I can vouch for that. I was here one day when she brought three children that had been lost into the ghetto so that they would be taken care of." she sat down as another man rose.
"Hina is right. This girl has tried to help our people since she joined the military, I've heard of her deeds and attempts. The problem is none of the other Amestirans are willing to listen to her!"
"That may be true," another female rose as she spoke, "but she's still Amestrian!"
"She tried to help him!" the small boy suddenly stood up as the female sat down, walking towards Hana. "She tried to help the man that's hurt but they kept her busy so she couldn't. They prevented her from helping him, or any of us. Right?" he asked looking up at Hana. She nodded slowly, smiling sadly.
"That's right."
The Elder suddenly raised his hand, gaining everyone's attention. "If there are no more comments to be made, I believe we should decide what to do. Unless anyone wishes to add anything." Hana slowly raised her own hand, sighing quietly.
"I just want to say that I've done my best in the military to help you. When I would be on assignment in Ishval, I'd stay in ghettos and help the group that was there in any way I could. I'd like to continue to help you all from outside the military in any way I can." she told them honestly before smiling at them. "But no matter what, I will respect your decision."
Hana smiled as she recalled how everyone had decided to allow Hana to join their community, though some had decided slower than others. She continued her task of creating makeshift bandages before she heard a groan before she grinned and moved over to the side of the bed. She watched the dark skinned man move slightly, his eyes slowly opening to show his red irises.
"You're awake, thank God!" she cried, smiling as she moved to get him some water. She held it to his lips but only received a glare in return.
"Get away from me." his voice was slightly hoarse and Hana shook her head.
"No, you need to drink this, okay? It'll help your voice." she smiled as he slowly relented and drank the water; she set the cup down as he tried to sit up, hissing in pain. "Let me help." Hana whispered, placing an arm around his back as she helped him into a sitting position.
"What are you doing here, Amestrian?" he demanded, glaring at her. Hana simply smiled at him gently.
"I've become part of your community here, but I wanted to help you the most." she said before moving back to her task of making bandages. "I know you'll want to leave as soon as you can really move, so I'm preparing. I'm making bandages now and when the time for us to leave gets closer I'll be packing some food and water for the trip to wherever we go." she smiled at the man again, seeing his red eyes watching her carefully.
"Why?" One word that had so many possible answers to it. Hana sighed quietly and started to try and explain.
"In Amestris I was always being held back by others who didn't want to help your people. I eventually got sick of it and left, came out here and found you. I like the way things work out here better; there's respect for everyone equally and everyone listens to others, no one drowns one person out. Unlike my country." The man listened to her and slowly nodded, taking in the look of her; she looked like an Ishvalan woman except in place of dark skin and red eyes, she had pale skin and blue eyes. She had fully accepted the way his people lived.
"Alright. Once I heal, we'll be leaving this ghetto and moving out." Hana simply nodded before standing to go get the man something to eat.
"My name is Hana by the way. Hana Marthers."
"…I don't have a name." was the reply she got.
"I heard one for you. How about Scar?" she asked. She walked out, not seeing the way he'd looked at her quickly as she did so.