And Over Again
by Ramasterharper
Disclaimer: I once claimed I owned FMA, several shots in my direction later, I changed my mind
A/N: The story switches time periods between before the series and after the series, SLIGHT SPOILERS for after the series.
Major Riza Hawkeye scanned the ballroom full of military officers, members of Parliament, politically influential people, and other government officials. Formal wear was the clothing of the evening so the room was divided into men dressed in black suits and blue dress uniforms, with a mixture of colorfully dressed women most of whom served no purpose other than arm décor. Hawkeye on the other hand was anything but arm décor. While security was not officially her duty tonight, some incompetent and impossibly young Major who's father was a senator or something had drawn that duty, she was not about to relax and leave the life of her charge in the hands of another. A quick glace toward the center of the room confirmed that her superior was right where she had left him. General Mustang was listening to a Senator talk about his combat experience in the military, which consisted of a patrol where they were all ambushed by deer. While Mustang pretended to be interested, Hawkeye could see all the way from across the room a look in his uncovered eye that begged for rebels to attack the party so he could get away from the man.
Hawkeye looked over the other guests while making her way to one of the ballroom's giant windows. All seemed to be concentrated on the party rather than a possible ulterior mission such as an assassination. The guards stationed evenly around the room, a far more competent Captain had placed them while the Major tended to other matters, all were doing their job, standing guard over the officials while remaining as still as possible to keep a professional air. Several guards turned their heads occasionally, either looking at the food longingly or at the women in dresses with similar expressions.
Suddenly, Hawkeye's trained sniper vision noticed something unusual and her body froze as her mind worked out what it was. One tall man with the tan skin usually associated with the Ishballian people and dark sunglasses that covered up his eyes was by one of the windows with barely contained fury on his face. Hawkeye's hand flinched toward her side arm. Could an Ishballian have slipped past security bent on extracting revenge for the crimes committed against his people? Her eyes flashed to the rifle slung over his back while her hand continued to the sidearm. No one could have possibly snuck a rifle pass security, even the Major in charge wasn't that stupid. Another flash and she noticed his blue uniform. An Ishballian posing as a member of the military? No, he wasn't posing she decided as she moved her hand away from her side arm. He was standing at attention with an immaculate dress uniform with second lieutenant bars, almost a spitting image of the picture they show in the Army's regulation book. He was clean shaven, with hair cut to regulation length. The only thing not standard issue on him was the pair of dark sunglasses he wore. Hawkeye decided to investigate and made her way over.
Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye scanned the room with her eyes, checking for suspicious activity. The military brass and various politicians hovered around in front of her. She gripped the strap of her sniper rifle tighter, it was the only way to express her anger while on guard detail, for the partiers could not possibly see the red forming at the corners of her vision.
"Is there something the matter Lieutenant?" a cheerful voice asked. Hawkeye cursed herself before snapping to attention. The red had blocked out part of her vision, allowing someone to sneak up to her from the front while she looked away.
Her eyes snapped to the speaker. A Major with spiky black hair and sea green eyes covered by glasses was smiling pleasantly at her. "Sir, no sir. Nothing is the matter sir."
The Major raised an eyebrow and seemed to widen his smile. "Just one sir is fine. Tell me Lieutenant, if nothing is the matter, why do you look like you are going to kill someone?"
"Sir! I assure you I would never…!" the tall young Lieutenant protested. Hawkeye was surprised by his reaction, it had been a joke, even if part of it was an inside one only she knew. Then it occurred to her, if this Lieutenant really was an Ishballian, then he had probably gone through his entire career with people wondering if he was going to stab them in the back when they turned around.
"Relax Lieutenant, it's just an expression," she calmed.
"Very well sir," said the Lieutenant while regaining some of his original composure, clearly not sharing the humor.
"What is your name Lieutenant?" she asked.
He snapped to attention. "Second Lieutenant Corsair, sir."
"Come with me Lieutenant Corsair," she ordered lightly and turned on her foot.
"Excuse me Major Hughes, but I'm on guard detail…" Hawkeye replied uncertainly.
"Oh don't worry Lieutenant Hawkeye, we are just going to the other side of the door," Major Hughes said over his shoulder. "Don't worry, its just to give us some privacy to talk freely without having to keep our voices down while keeping an eye on the party." With that he continued onto the giant doors. A split second decision later, she followed.
Hawkeye stood there waiting for Corsair to join her. He did, slightly shutting the door behind him, leaving it open wide enough that everyone would know nothing pleasurable was going on and also so they both could keep an eye of the ballroom. He stood there at attention waiting for the verbal onslaught he expected.
"Do you hate parties Lieutenant?" she asked in a careful voice.
He seemed surprised. "No sir, I do not hate parties."
"Do you hate generals Hawkeye?" Major Hughes asked. Hawkeye hesitated. He seized on it. "Don't you hope to be one someday?"
For the first time, Corsair chuckled. He reached up and took off his sunglasses, revealing crimson eyes. "With all due respect sir, there is no way they would let an Ishballian become a general in this army, even if he were only half." So he was half Ishballian, that explained the eyes and skin color, and how they let him into the army. He must be the only one of his race serving in the military, even if it was only half his ancestry. She also knew he was right, it was a miracle he had been able to become an officer at all.
"No, you're right Lieutenant. Women in the military are uncommon, women officers are rare, and I've only heard of one female colonel and she was in supplies. I guess a female general would not happen, sexist as it is." Major Hughes shrugged in such a way that he showed that he knew it was wrong, but knowing little could be done about it at the moment. "Tell me Lieutenant, if not to become a general, why did you join the military?"
"To serve and defend my country sir." It was the standard line, and while in Hawkeye's case it was true, the Major seemed to know there was more to it than that. "Also I come from a military family. See my grandfather was a General…"
"My father was an officer in one of the early exploratory expeditions to Ishbal, before the war was even thought of," Lieutenant Corsair answered, a little uncomfortable about discussing his family. "That's how he met my mother. I've grown up on military bases my entire life. The military is the only life I know."
"I see, then why does this party seem to disgust you so much Lieutenant Corsair?"
Corsair hesitated to answer. "Permission to speak freely Major Hawkeye?"
"Granted."
He paused while working out what he was going to say without shouting. When he did speak, it was with barely concealed fury. "Sir, I recently was reassigned here from the Drachma border. I left friends behind, some alive, some buried, back there. I know it wasn't a war officially, but to us that were fighting it was. At times, we didn't have warmth, we didn't have shelter, and we didn't have food, but we fought through it. We fought because we were told that it was necessary for the security of our nation. Then I was assigned here, to watch over the men who decided the fate of my comrades and me, who decided if our lives were to be sacrificed for the good of the nation. Except they aren't sacrificing anything themselves. They have a buffet of food the leftovers of which would have fed my starving platoon for a week. They are warming themselves by massive fires when we were told that there was no wood available to burn to prevent people from suffering frostbite. In Drachma, men would stay awake at night, talking about how they wish they could just look at the girl back home again, while these men have paid escorts at their beck and call. It isn't right sir. Why should we have to give our lives so they can live comfortably?"
"With all due respect sir, I was a sniper in Ishbal. I lost friends and enemies and have too much blood on my hands to ever wash away. We had trouble getting water, while the higher-ups chug wine. We would have sand stuck everywhere with no water to wash with, while these men will go home and take long baths. We were the ones that sacrificed, we are the ones that are haunted by the memories, while these men claim a great victory and that all the sacrifice was worth it." Hawkeye took a deep breathe before continuing. "Quite frankly sir, I don't see how it was worth it." She paused ready for a lashing.
Instead Major Hughes sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I know Lieutenant, I know only to well." He took off his glasses and cleaned them. Putting them back on, he looked her in the eye. "Listen Lieutenant, come by my office tomorrow, there is someone I want you to meet," he said and then glanced out into the ballroom, focusing on a group of people listening to an extremely young lieutenant colonel with black hair and strange gloves on his hands tell some tale.
"Who sir?" Corsair asked uncertainly.
Hawkeye looked through the opening of the door into the ballroom, once again catching sight of General Mustang. "A man who has similar beliefs and a plan to change the system."
"With all due respect Major Hughes, it sounds like I'm being recruited into a conspiracy," Hawkeye replied somewhat alarmed.
The Major laughed. "You might be, Lieutenant, you'll just have to show up to find out what kind. I'll see you tomorrow Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."
Major Hawkeye moved toward the door but Lieutenant Corsair interrupted. "Sir, what makes you so sure I will come tomorrow?"
"Because believe it or not I've been in your exact position Lieutenant." As she pushed open the door she added, "Just be glad Iwon't force you to look at pictures." She reentered, heading toward the man she met in Major Hughes' office all those years ago, leaving a wondering and very confused Lieutenant behind.
A/N: Corsair is a OC, but he isn't the point of the story so don't care. You've already wasted time by reading this, why not waste more by REVIEWING.