& Dedicated to the victims of the Fort Hood Shooting, November 5th, 2009 &

Climbing out of the open door, Colonel Mustang lamented on the task at hand. Of all the duties that he was entrusted with as a Colonel of the State of Amestis, this was the one that he despised the most. Not the grueling paper work, nor the tedious investigations he had to undergo with his team, or even the long, pointless seminars presented by the higher ups. He would fill out a thousand reports, take on all the assignments he could handle, even be the one to present one of those meaningless seminars, just so that he wouldn't have to write a single letter like the one he held in his hand. He would fill out an unnamed number of those letters if it meant he wouldn't have to knock on the door in front of him.

But he had to; those were the duties of the colonel.

He sighed in anticipation of the sorrowful task, and straitened his formal black sash. Looking over to his Lieutenant, she nodded. Reluctantly he brought his hand up to the wooden door and knocked three times. A young woman with the evident swell of a baby protruding from her stomach opened the door, looking quite oblivious. Mustang couldn't bring himself to speak. All he could think about was Gracia Hughes.

Deftly, he handed the sealed white envelope to her. The young widowed woman looked at the envelope, then at Mustang, at the silver bird on his shoulder, then at the envelope again. Suddenly the realization of what happened slammed down on her, the gravity of the situation pulling her to the Earth, leaving her on her knees.

Helplessly, tears formed in Mustang's eyes, and, tearing himself away sight, he gave a quick bow and left. As his Lieutenant opened his door for him he looked at her, the water in his eyes was clearly showing. Without saying a word he climbed back into the car. When his Lieutenant got in the seat next to him and started up the car, he turned to face her once again.

"Lieutenant, what would you do if… if General Hakuro knocked on your door, what would you do?"

"I promised to follow you, even to hell, sir."

With a nod he leaned back in the chair and prepared himself for the next name on the list.