If this were any other day, Selim would be ecstatic about being called into Führer Grumman's office.

If this were any other day, they would being playing a heated game of chess, or recollecting some nostalgic, dust covered and sentiently tinted memory of his late father, the previous führer of Amestris.

If this were any other day, the expression on Grumman's face would resemble that of a man in the prime of their youth, not that of a defeated old man, as if he was just stripped of everything.

There was no twinkle in his eyes. There was no warmth in his painfully obvious fake smile. He looks like a soldier who just lost a war.

That was the first thing Selim noticed. The next major difference he noticed was the lack of security in the room. Usually, there was always at least one officer in the room with him at all times, even if it was just the two of them.

There wasn't a single officer in the spacious room that day. No bodyguards, no high ranking guest, no officer's looking to get paperwork singed. No one. Not even in the hallway outside the room. 'Hmm..' Selim thought to himself. 'That's.. strange.' He tried his best to try to avoid the word scary.

It's been a total of fifteen minutes since Grumman called him in, and during that time, he was seated a table, served with cold tea, as Grumman did paperwork at his own desk. At first, he tried making small talk with the teenager, however his mind was definitely somewhere else, for a few minutes later all the old man's desire to even pretend to act normal died out. All that was left, was silence.

It was a type of silence went above and beyond awkward. It was deafening, painful almost.

'Something's not right' Selim concluded dully. After a minute of gathering up his courage to defeat the silence, he finally spoke. "Is, um, e-everything okay, führer, sir?", Selim questioned meekly.

'Damn', He mentally cursed. 'I need to sound more confident. If I'm going to rule this nation one day. I ne-' His thought, however, was cut short by a random, countering question by Grumman.

"Selim, my boy - would you say that you enjoyed your childhood?"

Caught off guard, he could only blink. "Of course sir," is all he managed to get out.

"Good.. I'm happy that you feel that way." said Grummand. He was smiling now. 'Actually smiling' thought Selim 'Not some fake grin, but an actually smile..' But however real the smile may have been, Selim couldn't help but notice how sad his smile seemed, how sad he seemed.

"Is everything alright sir?"

At that, Grumman looked up at the young man sitting across the room and said, "Come here, son - "he said, nodding to the seat across his desk, " I suppose you're too smart of a child to not notice all theses unusualties happening around you." His tone was serious and not reassuring in the slightest.

As Selim got up so sit down by the führer, Grumman got up to close the windows. He then closed the blinds, and sat back down. He looked over his right and left shoulders and did an overall scan of the room. When Selim was seated, Grumman decided to waste no more time and get to the point. "You're in danger, son." he whispered.

"Wa-what?" 'I'm in what!'

"You're in danger" he repeated.

'What the hell?What's going on? What the fuck is he talking about!' Selim didn't know what else to think. His mind was spinning. Yes, its true that the führer is know to have a great sense of humor, however, Selim knows that he would never take it this far. 'Would he?'

Selim's face must have foretold his exact thoughts, because in responds to his mental debate on just how crazy Führer Grumman was, Grumman shook his head wearily. "I'm afraid this is no joke.." he said underneath his breath.

"What's going on?" Selim questioned. He feared that he would regret asking as soon as the words left his mouth. His fears, unfortunately, were correct.

"Your mother.. she..The higher ups... They-they.." Grumman couldn't finish.

"They what!" Selim had had enough. He want, no, he needed to know what is happening if it involved his late mother. Her death all those years ago had been a shady one. He needed to know. He didn't care that he just yelled at the leader of the nation, no did he care about his loss of manners as he slammed his desk. He knew that what was happening was real, Grumman only had such a serious demeanor when he meant business. He just needed to know.

"I can't.. I'm so sorry.. "

"Why can't you! Please, sir, I need to know.. if its this serious.."

Grumman looked at the young man's face and it resembled that of a child who just awoke from a nightmare. Little did he know that he was about to enter one. Irony's is bitch, eh?

Grumman's expression darkened. He lowered his head and and picked up a file from his desk. After all the efforts he and Selim's mother had gone through to make sure the file never reached him, handing it to the boy was like a bullet to the chest. It hurt. "I'm sorry, Selim." was all he managed to say.

Selim took the file uneagerly. The first thing he noticed was that it was heavy. 'About six inches thick.' he concluded.The next, was that it had his name on the top. It was also labled, Homunculus#1-Pride Files.

He gulped and took a leap of fate as he opened the large file. However, as soon as he opened to the first page, he cursed at his natural curiosity. 'I cant..' After a heated self debate on whether to read the paper or not, Selim gathered up the rest of his courage and gave himself a mental slap, 'Come on damnit! It's a sheet of freaking paper, for Christ's sake..'

He began to read.

BIRTH NAME: Pride

HUMAN NAME: Bradley, Selim.

AGE: 16

RACE: Homunculus

"...What?", Selim breathed silently in disbelief. "This can't be right.." Selim had no idea what to think. "What the hell is this."

Grumman sighed. The dread he imaginated he would have this day was nothing near what he was feeling right now. "It's you're official annual 'check-up'." Grumman reported back emotionlessly.

"They do one on you every year; as a homunculus, they need to keep you in check."

"As a what?" Selim asked, although he already knew the answer. Selim eyed the official looking document over again, careful not to focus on that word.

That word.. A word he's heard countless times, both in his alchemical studies and private conversations between high ranking military officials he just so happened to over hear.

'Homunculus, an artificial human.'