Dogs of the Military

"Hey Roy! You have to go report to Colonel Grand! He has a new assignment for you!"

Roy lifted his head from his cot. Not today… Kimblee was shaking him awake with a devious smile. That man just loved to annoy him. Scratching his head in displeasure he sat up and looked at his tent-mate with sleep clouded eyes. The stench of smoke, used ammunition and the Mess filled his tainted sense of smell. Mustang threw his blanket of his uniformed body and stood up, ignoring the other man. He was supposed to get today off to sleep after being up all-night maintaining the burial fires so that they could burn the dead of the enemy in a quarter of the time. He felt slightly sick but he was glad that he was incinerating those who had already died instead of being the cause of it. He cringed at the day when he would be used for more destructive tasks.

"What? No grumble or complaint? Well, well Major Mustang do I dare think you are finally getting into the spirit of things around here?"

Zolf J. Kimblee's manic grin made his skin crawl. What he wouldn't give for a new roommate. This one was too blood thirsty and cheery all the time. It was horrifying when the war had started but now it was just a dull dislike. Roy had seen to many real horrors to let this man even faze him slightly. He merely shrugged on his coat and left the explosive specialist to his… whatever he did in that tent when alone. Roy didn't want to know.

He walked along the neat tent rows with his hands in his pockets. Smoke was thick in the air as piles of debris were burned downwind of where he was. He shook his head; honestly, does no one there understand how fires work except him? He had half a mind at yelling at whoever thought it would be a good idea to smoke out their whole encampment but stopped himself. He was too tired and still had to go see Grand.

"I really hate that man."

"Hate who?"

Maes Hughes came up beside him with a big grin on his face. Somehow, amidst all the death and suffering, Maes was always able to see the brighter side of the situation. Roy didn't know whether to hate his friend, or praise him. Either way, they both found they enjoyed each other's company in the academy and now sought to re-establish the old camaraderie from their youth. Roy knew they took different paths after graduation but he was happy to see any familiar face. Maes always made him feel less strained.

"Colonel Grand, he woke me up for an assignment. I was supposed to be sleeping but now here I am, walking around like a zombie."

Maes laughed and patted him on the back rather roughly. He was merry, too merry to be around without coffee, or a long stick.

"Don't you wish now you weren't an alchemist? I don't have to deal with that nonsense!"

"Whatever Hughes, that didn't even make sense. Don't use double negatives. I'll see you in the Mess hall after I find out what I'm being dragged into."

The bespectacled man gave him another rough pat before whistling his way toward the large, foul smelling tent that could only be the Mess. Sometimes he wondered if the songs were true, that all the asshole soldiers that miraculously got to go "home" were actually in the soup. Maybe that's why the soup was the tastiest entrée…

He finally approached Colonel Grand's command tent. It was a pristine white cube with a pointed top. How was it that his tent wasn't soot streaked like the rest? It was almost black the day before. Roy ran his gloved hand through his hair and announced himself since there was no where to knock. The flap opened to admit him in.

"Mustang, I have to go so I leave you to show our newest alchemist around. He is to lodge with Armstrong for now until we can find him a better location. So show him how to get there and any other place he would need to know. He is your responsibility for the next two weeks. Dismissed."

All Roy could do was blink and stepped aside as the large man walked promptly out. He was foggy as to what actually happened when a hand grabbed him under the elbow and steered him outside of the office-tent. He was hit again with the smoke streaked air and cough slightly. Roy thought with all the exposure he had, he'd be used to the tainted air.

"Are you alright there?"

Golden eyes peeked under him into his vision. Roy hadn't realized he was bent over. The dark-haired man straightened and looked at his new shadow. His vision went clear over a blonde cowlick before he adjusted and looked down. There were those gold orbs again, framed in long ashen lashes. They looked into his for a long moment before the smaller of the two spoke.

"You just going to look at me all day or do you speak?"

Roy smirked, liking the added fire to such startling eyes. The blue uniform the blonde was wearing made them stand out even more.

"All of us dogs can speak, I was just wondering when they let little children into the war, squirt. Did you get your blues custom made?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD RUN HEAD ON INTO ENEMY FIRE AND SURVIVE BECAUSE THE GUNS CAN'T AIM SO LOW! I am not a god-damn kid and these are standard issued just like yours!"

Birds took off from a nearby dead tree. Roy wanted to laugh but settled on another smirk. He knew his eyes were twinkling with unbridled mischief.

"Why, I didn't say any of those things."

"You're a bastard, you know that? I can't believe I got stuck with you to show me around, bastard."

"I have a name. It's-"

A gloved hand was raised into his face.

"Don't care. Just show me where I sleep and eat and you can go. I won't say a thing if you don't."

Roy didn't know why but this feisty blonde shrimp was the most amusing thing he encountered in the whole war. He wasn't just about to let such entertainment walk away. Maybe the war wouldn't be so mind numbingly bad after all, if he got to meet up with old friends and meet new people, like explosive midgets. He laughed in his head and bent down so he could look they other in the eyes.

"And miss out on all the fun? Not a chance. What's you name then? I'm not exactly fond of the pet name bastard for others. It seems such an angry word."

He got a stunning glared followed an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, you can call me Fullmetal I guess."

"Fullmetal… heavy name. Think you can bare it here?"

Fullmetal grinned at him in a predatory fashion, showing more teeth than any mouth should possess.

"Of course I can, Bastard. Now where is the Mess? I'm starved."

To Be Continued...

Hey everyone. Welcome to the newest fic of my crazy world. I hope you like this little intro.