Hi, my name's Raelisa Sparrow. I'll be turning eighteen this coming new year. I live in a little place called Central in this 'wonderful' country of Amestris with my relatives. I work with the State Military with the title as Lieutenant Colonel as my rank as I work for none other the Fuhrer himself, King Bradley. I guess you can say I'm one of his grunts, but hey, it's a pretty good cushy-desk job…
Just kidding. It's actually a 'little' more complicated and serious than that. Y'see, my title as Lieutenant Colonel was given to me by Bradley as more like a cover up for my real duty. In the office, I may be known as Raelisa Sparrow, but when I'm out on my top secret mission ordered by Bradley and by Bradley himself, I become… Red: The Black Widow.
I really actually work for a small secret force in the military called the Secret Amestrian Forces of Assassins, or S.A.F.A. for short. Never heard of it? Well, that's the point of it. Our job is more dangerous than anything you can think of in the military. We are the ones who fight in silence to protect our country of Amestris from the threats that occurs. We are the ones who does the impossible, the unthinkable without a second thought to protect our country and it's countrymen.
Myself, and my fellow Assassins are assigned to do our job quickly, cleanly, and smart without anyone finding out about us – friend and foe alike…
So again, I am… Raelisa Sparrow aka Red; the Black Widow. My job is to serve and protect this country by any means, seek out my enemies… and babysit a certain somebody…
Yeah, from being one of the fierce assassins the S.A.F.A. Force has ever had and I'm stuck doing the State Alchemist Inspection, or babysitting as I like to call it. What a fall…
Let me explain the general gist of my tale from the beginning when I first applied to S.A.F.A.…
As you can maybe already tell, I wasn't born into a luxurious household… okay so I was, but I wasn't raised to wear dresses or sit around and drink tea to be like one by that means. You'd think my mother would be in some sort of way, but once you see her, you'll understand plenty enough. In fact, it was my mother who made me who I am today, which is kinda scary if you don't know the two of us.
My mother was the one who taught me how to fight, to not have any fear come across in front of me no matter what I face, to be strong like the men she commanded around us – maybe even stronger. I started at an early age of seven. That was about the same time when I started to get interested in alchemy as well. Day after day throughout the years, my mother taught me how to fight on my own by day as I taught myself the ways of alchemy by night – or until I've gone to bed.
By the time I was about twelve years old, I was already out with the men on the field participating in their field exercises up in the North, and I learned how to survive out in the coldest environment ever. It wasn't until a year later that King Bradley had found out of my tutelage under my mother and he came to see me at my home in Fort Briggs…
"I've heard rumors about a talented young woman from the North… But I never expected her to be living in a place like this…" Bradley said before turning his head over to me. "Or that the young woman is only thirteen years old of age. I suppose that someone with her talents could only have been taught by someone of the likes of you, General."
"Thank you, sir."
"I wonder… Does she have any plans to use her talents in the future?" Bradley began. "Because if not, I think I have a wondrous proposition for your daughter, that is if you're interested… Have you ever heard of S.A.F.A.?"
And so on that day, my mother agreed to put me in S.A.F.A., once I've met requirements and standards held by the Fuhrer himself – privately, of course. I was put through numerous tests from survival exercises to judgemental tests, even strategic tests. And believe me when I say that was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I thought my mother's training was rough.
I remember the conversation with the Fuhrer in his office the day I was officially named a part of the S.A.F.A. Force like it was yesterday. I've never been in his office before this day, but I vividly remembered the chill that ran down my spine. It was like nothing I've ever felt, it was worse than I got whenever I made my mother angry, much worse. A feeling that haunts me to this day…
"Armstrong?" Bradley questioned before he turned his head up to me. "By chance are you related to Major Armstrong and them?"
"Yes, sir. He's my uncle."
"Ah, that answers my question with your relation with the General as well. And yet you go by the name of 'Sparrow', why is that?" He asked curiously while turning back to the piece of paper – my file – in his hands.
I felt my stomach turn once he asked that question, but I managed to answer him. "It's my father's name." I began standing tall with my hands behind my back. "It is to avoid publicity as well as hostage negotiations. I mean, the Armstrong family is one of the famous families in the country…" I then smirked and laughed inwardly. "Then again, my mother would rather keep word that she has conceived a child to, you know, keep her current militaristic standing and image as it is today."
The Fuhrer snorted at this comment about my mother as he placed my file on his desk before clasping his hands together, holding that smile on his face. "Well I must say, your file looks good, very good. And your skills for this important position is what we need. Everything is clear on my end."
"So this means…?" I urged him to continue.
"Yes, it does. Congratulations, Sparrow. Welcome to S.A.F.A.." He announced as he stood up from his chair. "By here on-out while under duty, your codename will be known as… Red."
I looked at him as if he was serious about this. I knew where he gotten that name from. I mean, I was standing there in his office in a blue military uniform with my violet hair, instead of having it pulled up into a high and spiky ponytail on my head was now dyed red, having my hidden bangs fall over my forehead and over my eyes slightly all while having my hair pulled back loosely in a ponytail.
I raised my right hand up to my hair. "Sir, are you implying to my hair color you asked me to change while on-duty?" I asked him, trying to hold back my tone. He just started to laugh.
"Is it offensive to you?" He asked. I dropped my head in defeat.
"No, sir…"
Of course, you can't complain to the leader of the country. One, that's just stupid to think that the Fuhrer would really care that much about complaints. And two, arguing with the Fuhrer would be just as useless as telling my mother to 'chill out'. Trust me, it does not work one bit.
Bradley stepped away from his desk and stepped over towards the open window with his hands behind his back. "Now then, even though there will be times you'll be on your own, everybody in the S.A.F.A. Force is given a partner that you'll work together in accomplishing your missions." He began before turning his head over to me. "You'll be introduced to your new partner as well as the others once we're finished here. Just a reminder that you'll both be tested on how well you two do on your upcoming mission."
I started to question this statement. A mission already after such short notice…?
"Well that concludes this interview. There's your uniform on the table behind you in that parcel. I suggest you put that on before you meet the other assassins. You're dismissed."
"Sir." I saluted him before I turned my heel to the table behind me and took the brown parcel with me on my way out of the Fuhrer's office.
That was over three years ago. And since then, I've been on many different kinds of missions, from reconnaissance, to hits, to stalking. Everything really, and I've met so many people along the way, the good, the bad, and even the 'strange', alike. Not everything was all fun and games though, I've been in a couple big messes that ended up in the hospital a few times, and received a few angry phone calls and some unexpected 'visits' from my mother. I even lost a good friend of mine as well…
But enough dwelling on the past for now anyways. Right now though, it's time to tell my story of a certain State Alchemist and his brother's travels, as well as my tale of people that came and gone throughout the years…
