Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, FMAB, or any of the characters in this story besides any OCs.

Author's Note: I love receiving reviews and criticism so feel free to make comments! Hope you like it! :)

Roy Mustang sat across the desk from Fuhrer Bradley himself. It was an honor, but he was not surprised to have been one of the recruitees from the Military Academy Summer Program. After all, if they were seeking young alchemists to enlist, who would be better? Roy was gifted in Fire Alchemy and was trained by one of the greatest. No one else had such a profile. In his mind, he was guaranteed one of the State Alchemist positions, so he tried to hide the smugness on his face as Fuhrer Bradley read over his paperwork.

The room was silent, with only the sound of Bradley turning a page or the occasional footsteps passing by the office. Roy's mind began to wander as he waited for the next directions of the State Alchemist Enlisting procedure. He was now beginning to fixate himself on exactly how well Bradley could see or read with an eye patch over his left eye. The thoughts amused him, and made him silently laugh to himself.

"Fire Alchemy," Bradley said. "By the scores from the summer program, you seem to be very talented. I think you're worth being tested for one of the State Alchemist positions. We could use more powerful young soldiers around here." He smiled. "Enemies tend to underestimate youth in the military."

"Thank you, Fuhrer," Roy said, even though in his mind he was thinking "Of course I'm talented."

"Eighteen years old and already going into the military," Bradley continued. He looked up from Roy's paperwork, set the papers down before him on the desk, and folded his hands. "What brings you here, Mr. Mustang?"

Roy smiled proudly as the thought of his goals passed through his mind. "I want to protect the citizens of our country."

"Well, that's a very noble goal, Mr. Mustang," Bradley said with a smile. "I think I know just who to assign you to. I have a talented young State Alchemist here, a Colonel who could use someone like you to supervise. She'll test your abilities and if you pass, you'll be in her unit."

Yes, Bradley thought, hiding his true malice. This accomplishes what is perhaps the most important necessity in my self-preservation: To give Damia Elric something else to occupy herself with. After all, if Mustang uses Fire Alchemy, Dante Lubelczyk can't complain about giving her daughter yet another person to manage. Fire Alchemy balances out Elric's weaknesses, after all.

Bradley glanced towards the door. "Now where's Elric when you need her?" he asked himself out loud. "I know she takes this route. I'll phone her office if I can't call her in here in a few minutes. I'd like you two to meet right now if possible."

"All right," Roy replied. His mind began to wander between the thought of whether or not Colonel Elric would have a strict disposition mirroring that of his childhood peer Riza Hawkeye and her mother.

Fuhrer Bradley stood from his desk and approached his door. He twisted the knob to open it just slightly, preparing to open it wider and call in Damia upon seeing her through the glass pane. Sure enough, not too much more than a minute had passed before he spotted his prey. Oh, how great it was to be Fuhrer and know the exact schedule of your partner-in-crime's daughter.

The corner of his mouth twisted into a smirk before he opened the door and ordered, "Elric, get over here!"

Roy twisted his head towards the door to see a pretty, tall blonde girl in her early-to-mid-twenties reluctantly enter the office. She shut the door behind her and followed Fuhrer Bradley to his desk. Roy felt his stomach sink from the vibes he received from the girl who was Colonel Elric. Even though she did not even look at him, he could sense that she was, perhaps, a cold and ambitious young woman who felt she had better things to do with her time than be a "dog of the military".

"No need to sit down, Elric, as you'll be leaving shortly," Bradley said. "You are aware that we are recruiting new State Alchemists, I assume?"

"Yes, Fuhrer," she replied with a bland, subtly irritated voice. "It's the riot of displeasure amongst us all."

"Well then," Bradley sat down at his desk and folded his hands. "Just as you were assigned to General Armstrong, I feel it is about time that you are assigned the same task. This is Roy Mustang." He gestured to Roy, whom Damia Elric eyed with great distaste. "You are going to test Mr. Mustang's abilities and, if he passes the State Alchemist test, he will be under your unit."

"All right sir," Damia said. She was on the verge of literally biting her lip from saying "I thought eye-patch-man never used this office. Now I have to re-think my routes in this blasted base. Damn it.

Bradley smiled, holding back chuckles. "There is no need for displeasure, Elric. I think you are about to have a lot of fun." He paused. "Mr. Mustang here uses Fire Alchemy."

Damia burst out laughing, followed by her laughter being joined by chuckles from Fuhrer Bradley. "Is this a gift?" she asked, the tone of her voice now excited and even jovial.

After composing himself, Bradley responded with, "I think you deserve something nice for all of your research and abilities, Elric. So yes, you may think of Mustang here as a congratulatory gift for your promotion to Colonel."

A spark of impish meanness flashed in Damia's eyes. "I'll take Mustang to my office and process his paperwork right away, Fuhrer." She did not even look at Roy before she added, "Follow me, Mustang," and left the room.

Roy got up from his chair and followed, both confused and insulted at the laughter. How could he be a joke with his scores being what they were? After all of the work he had put in training and learning Fire Alchemy, how could he be a joke?

"Colonel, why were you and Fuhrer Bradley laughing?" he asked with a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

Without even glancing back at him as they walked down the hall towards her office, Damia replied with, "I use water."

This is a lie, Roy thought. His teacher had told him why Fire Alchemy was the greatest and most powerful form of alchemy around and that was because very few people, if anyone, used Water Alchemy. He was informed of the dangers of Water Alchemy, a technique where no transmutation circle was necessary due to the usage of water particles in the air and even in one's own body. Because of this, many alchemists died trying to learn it, usually vaporizing themselves in the process. His teacher's exact words were that in order for there to be a Water Alchemist, one must not only be truly gifted in the art of Water Alchemy, but be insane enough to attempt learning the skills.

"That's not possible," he growled under his breath.

They had reached Colonel Elric's office. Damia stopped at the door and placed her hand on the doorknob before turning to Roy. She casually shrugged.

"Just wait then," she said. She looked down towards Roy's hands to see his gloves, clean and white with a red transmutation circle elegantly etched onto each glove. She snickered. "Ah, little Fire Boy still needs a circle."

Roy wanted to snap his fingers and send sparks at her head.

Damia opened the door to her office, turning her back to Roy once again. "Well, come on," she said as she entered. "Let's schedule a time to play."