The room was cold and the air seemed almost stale. Although not many people came through here, everything was in order. Each instrument had it's designated place, whether in a drawer or out on a tray. The metal counter tops that lined the walls were undoubtedly clean as they reflected the fluorescent lights from above. There was the undeniable smell of hospital. That sterile stench that usually sent people's nerves on edge.
Walls that were so white, you would have sworn they must have a fresh coat of paint from not too long ago. But the illusion of the spotless surroundings ended at the double doors leading out into the hallway. Lights flickered every so often and the floor and walls were grimy. Boxes and broken medical equipment were stacked against the one side, still allowing enough room to get through.
There was the grating sound of wheels, squeaking across the dull tile floor. It seemed to be getting closer and finally stopped in front of the doors. The tall individual paused for a second, wiping off the sign on the wall outside the room. Even though the hallway was in disarray, this person was as meticulous as his work place. Thus he dusted off the green sign that read 'Exam Lab 32'.
Once the man was pleased with his efforts, he continued to his task as he pushed the stretcher into the room. The cool air hit him which was a relief compared to the heat outside. Bringing the stretcher over to one of the exam tables and he paused, removing his glasses. Cleaning them off on his white lab coat, he placed them back on his nose before regarding the troublesome pest he'd just carted in.
Letting out a snort, he smirked knowing that despite the blond's size, he was going to be heavier then he looked. Moving him onto the table would definitely take some effort. The light overhead reflected in the steal of his right arm. Although he was unconscious now, the gentleman hovering over him already knew how difficult he could be. With a wicked grin pulling at the corners of his mouth, he cracked his knuckles, moving towards the sleeping teen.
"This will be interesting," he promised himself.
oOoOo
"So he has gone rogue after all. Hmm, no surprise there really." The Flame Alchemist sat back in his seat, glancing over the papers on his desk.
"It sounds like the higher ups want this resolved pretty quickly, before any more rumors leak out." Lieutenant Hawkeye picked up a picture of a tall skinny man with thick glasses and short black hair.
"Winston Ferguson. He was certified as a State Alchemist but they found out some of his practices weren't very ethical. He wanted to figure out how to bring fallen soldiers back to life, which is dabbling in human transmutation. On top of that, he was using military funds for his personal work."
"Who are you gonna send after him?" Roy let out a sigh and scratched the side of his head.
"That's were I'm having some trouble. I know who I would usually send but this guy's dangerous. They've already tried to send regular officers in with no results. That's how this ended up coming to me."
"It sounds like he's going to be a problem." Hawkeye placed the picture back in the folder. "Are they afraid of him recruiting?"
"Possibly. If someone is offering soldier's eternal life, what's to stop them from joining then?" Just as he leaned his head back, the door was forced open across the room. Only one person had the audacity to not knock and Roy didn't bother to bring his head up to see who it was.
"Honestly Edward, it wouldn't hurt you to knock like everyone else," Riza stood from her seat and headed for the door, passing him on the way. As per usual he was in a fowl mood as he trudged over with some papers under his arms.
"So what is it this time?" The Colonel's tone was flat and had an annoyed sound to it.
"It was another dead end. Are you just sending me to random places to get me out of your hair?" Roy brought his head up and leaned his elbows on the desk. Ed didn't take a seat but remained standing in front of him.
"Please, if I wanted to get rid of you, I'd send you on a mission that would take you much longer to come back from."
"Yeah well it would be nice to confirm the leads before I get there. This one was just an ambush. You're lucky I got out with my life." A slight grin pulled at the corner of the Colonel's mouth.
"You know how impossible it would be to confirm every lead. And while I'm glad you have no intentions of making a Philosopher's stone on your own and want to check if there's any other method out there, you still only have the leads I give you."
Edward balled his hands into fists, only to remain silent. His angry gaze dropped to the file opened on the desk. Several words jumped off the top page and he focused even more on it. Before he could read any further, Mustang closed it and pulled it back towards him.
"What's that about?"
"It's something I don't feel comfortable discussing with you."
"Oh come on, there was a whole part about human transmutations. That sounds like a great lead."
"I said no. This is something I don't want to send you in on. It's too dangerous. Got it." Edward straightened up with a huff. He continued to glare down at his superior.
"Whatever." With that he dropped his report on the desk. Slouching his shoulders and stuffing his hands in his pockets he headed for the door.
"You're not even gonna wait for me to dismiss you," The Colonel inquired remaining in his seat.
"Was there anything else?"
Roy let out a sigh, wondering what was really bothering his subordinate. Unfortunately he had enough on his own mind and was getting a headache.
"No that's all, you're free to go." With that the door was slammed closed, leaving Roy Mustang alone in his office. "Why do I have a bad feeling he's not going to do what I asked him to?"