Kanda

Wednesday, August 12, 1908

The scorching wind howled furiously, lifting mounds of hot sand into the air and hurling it into the faces of the soldiers whom so numbly marched toward the desert. All heads were hung, eyes staring unseeingly at the white ground. Only one soldier, whom led the party, held himself high with a smile on his face. The man carried only the rank of a major, yet with his powerful and proud posture, one might have mistaken the blissful fool as something as high as a colonel.

Second Lieutenant Genna Takeshi hid her look of disgust towards the man by tucking her chin into her chest and looking straight down at the sallow, grainy earth. She could hear the subordinates of the major mumbling among themselves around her, obviously sharing similar opinions. How could a man act so cheerful during such a sickening time? Genna's frown spread across her face; maybe the guy was crazy, and he'd kill them all in his bloodlust. Nobody here would put that past him.

"Maybe we can get this over with quickly," Muttered an older, stocky man beside the lieutenant. "The major, without doubt, will attempt to drag this on longer than need be. But…"

"Don't get your hopes up," Said a brunette soldier nearby.

"Who is this guy, anyway?" Genna asked, distaste in her voice. A couple of faces glanced up in surprise.

"You don't know?"

"Haven't you heard?"

"Ha! You'll find out soon enough."

"He's-"

The voices came to a stop as the party halted, their destination before them. A huge city, with the sounds of many Ishbalans within the boundaries. This was undeniably the biggest civilization in the Kanda district. The soldiers gawked up at the tall buildings, having not expected to come across a place so big.

"Here we are!" Cried the cheery major, turning to face his raiding party. "Men…" The man paused, gold eyes looking over the group and landing on Genna. She flinched away from his gaze, and he grinned. "And woman. I trust you all know what to do? I will take a few soldiers with me to the western side, and the rest of you can have your fun on the east. When it's time to leave, I'm sure you'll know. Now, I'll take…"

"He speaks of this as though we should be enjoying it!" Hissed the stocky man as the major called off names. "Murder is not playtime."

"I feel sorry for you, having to be under his command. Major Mustang, if nothing else, feels compassion and remorse." Genna told the soldier.

"Lucky you!" He lowered his voice before going on. "If we could only get close enough to kill this guy without him using his alchemy crap on us… We wouldn't have to listen to the psychopath anymore!"

"Alchemy? What kind?"

"You'll find out…"

"Sergeant Edwards, First Lieutenant Juan, and… Second Lieutenant Takeshi."

Genna jumped as she heard her name called out by the major. The stocky soldier pat her on the shoulder before hurrying after his comrades into the east half of the city. Gaping after him, Genna tried to keep herself standing. No way! Why did she have to go with the crazy guy?!

"Hurry up, Lieutenant, we haven't got all day!" Shouted the major, already leading his group westward. Shaking her disbelief off, Genna started after him. Might as well deal with the situation, and if they all got killed, well… Nothing could be done. With a sigh, she picked up her pace and caught up with the soldiers.

Boom.

Debris flew everywhere, the shockwaves of the explosion pushing back the soldiers whom had stood around to watch. The group all threw their arms protectively over their faces, save for one man. Rather, the major musingly stroked his chin, observing the blast almost critically.

"Whoa…" A soldier looked over his arm at the result. The whole western half of the city had collapsed, all in that one explosion. The others began to look up as well, also staring in awe at the flattening buildings. Genna Takeshi's face fell at the destruction. How could this be possible?

"All in one shot!" Laughed a soldier near the second lieutenant. Genna recalled his name, First Lieutenant Juan. His toothy smirk seemed almost characteristic- not to mention nauseating. "That's the major for you! Look at all those Ishbalans! All that…"

"Hmm…" The major had turned away from his work, still seeming thoughtful. His group looked up expectantly at him. "…Not very beautiful…"

Beautiful!? Thought Genna incredulously. The alchemist had just killed hundreds of people and he was worried about beauty? She looked to the ruins of the Ishbalan city. No matter what, this scene… Nothing could make this scene beautiful, or even pretty. The sight of the city could only be described as disgusting and saddening.

The major turned on his heel to look at his party, arms spread wide. "It's a job, so make it beautiful! Make it perfect! Accompanied by screaming, be merciless and overwhelming!" This statement earned the major stares from his comrades. Was this guy serious? Did he listen to himself? "Now, let's go to the next…"

"Uh… Um…"

"Wai… Please wait, Major-" Juan began, only to receive a glare from his superior. The major grabbed Juan by his coat, throwing him out toward the only remaining part of the east side of the city. The first lieutenant only managed a pathetic cry before suddenly, his body shuddered and exploded. When the dust cleared, Genna could see the major dragging Juan's mutilated body away from the damage.

"Please pay attention," Said the alchemist, looking annoyed. "Isn't it your job to protect me?"

Genna wanted to protest, but a quick glance at Juan's remains made her bite her tongue. She wasn't here to protect this man- it was her country she was defending. However, she would have to keep her mouth shut if she wanted to protect anything. Obviously, she had been right- the major killed one of his own. The only explanation could be insanity!

"Ah… My jacket got dirty… Oh well. To the east, then!" Announced the major, leaving Juan's body on the ground before walking eastward. Muttering, the other soldiers hurried after him.

"Wait!" The major spun around, his group hesitantly slowing to a stop. What now? "I can take care of the rest on my own. Your job now is to check this part of the city for survivors. When we retire for the night, there should be no survivors! Get it done, then." The alchemist dismissed the group with a wave before returning to his journey to the east. There were many sighs of relief, as the soldiers were glad to be rid of the maniac. Genna, however, stayed where she stood.

Why would the major go off on his own, unless he had something to hide? Suspicion rose in Genna's thoughts as she watched her superior go. Something didn't seem right, after the man had chosen a group to come with him and then abandoned them. Before she could decide against it, the lieutenant followed the major, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Following the alchemist proved harder than it originally seemed. With his long legs, the major walked a lot faster than Genna. Not only that, but he possessed the tendency to make sudden turns, as if following a path that only he could see. After arriving in the still-standing eastern side of the city, this habit made the lieutenant's self-assigned task harder. The major would disappear behind random buildings, twisting through the maze of terror and death with no apparent intentions of stopping.

Finally, he did stop. Gratefully, Genna hid in the shadow of a house a few metres away. She bent over to catch her breath, green eyes still watching the major carefully. He seemed to be contemplating something, looking up at the strong-looking building before him. Then, to Genna's disbelief, he found a foothold and hoisted himself up onto the side of the structure. Stifling a gasp, Genna watched as he scaled the three-or-four story building with apparent ease. In seemingly no time at all, the major reached the top, pulling himself onto the roof.

Scowling, Genna walked to the place where the major had stood moments before. She attempted to climb up like he did, almost like a monkey, but her short body served no use for stretching out toward the cracks that she would use as foot- and hand-holds. Instead, she scrabbled up the side using the nearby window ledges as well as the breaks in the wall, which took considerably longer. In the meantime, she could only listen to the cries of Ishbalans to have any sense of what was happening.

"A soldier?"

"A transmutation circle!"

"A state alchemist!!"

Genna heaved herself up onto the top of the building. The major was kneeling, palms pressed firmly on the roof. He had discarded his jacket by the edge, so the lieutenant could clearly see his toned muscles… and something around his neck. By the looks of it, a string necklace had been tied around the alchemist's throat. Attached to the thread- something small and glowing, deep red in colour. Genna recalled seeing something similar, but she didn't have time to remember where. The major's side of the building bulged, the energy from his hands moving down toward the earth. Like in an earthquake, the ground ripped open. Next, it blew up.

"Get down! Brother!"

"Ah!!"

"Run!"

The screams of Ishbalans caused a spasm in Genna's body, the terrible sound sending a shiver down her spine. Collapsing to the ground, she gawked at the result of the explosion. This had turned out even worse than the last one! A line of flattened structures ran on for miles...

The major laughed. Genna hardly heard him. Her full attention was on the death in front of her... In awe, she couldn't pull her eyes away. Subconsciously, however, she noted her superior's excitement. She would loathe him later for it.

"Lieutenant?"

Genna looked up in her surprise as she heard her rank called, expecting to see the deranged alchemist looked down at her with those yellow killer's eyes. But the major still stood where he had been, at the other end of the building, not even looking at her. Slowly, she rose to her feet, confused.

"Did you enjoy the show, Lieutenant?" The man looked over his shoulder, appearing amused as he noticed the fear on Genna's face. "Beautiful, was it not?"

"How..."

"It's a pity you had to see, though. Nobody can know that I have this." He held up the red stone that he wore around his neck. Then, he frowned and seemed to remember something. Smiling again, he went on. "Oh! Forgive me for being rude. You don't know my name, do you?"

The major paused, striding nonchalantly over to the lieutenant. Genna shrunk under his gaze, an image from her nightmare flashing in her head for some reason unknown to her. Maybe the alchemist's long, black hair reminded her of the shadow... But no silhouette could appear as menacing as the muscular young alchemist that approached her, his ponytail fluttering in the strong wind, demon-like eyes narrowed maliciously.

"I'm Zolf J. Kimbley." Something clicked in Genna's head as the major spoke.

"The Crimson-" The lieutenant cut herself off with a gasp. Of course! Why hadn't she realized earlier? The Crimson Alchemist, Zolf Kimbley, who specialized in the transmutation of explosives. He was also known for using his own subordinates as raw material... Not to mention Genna had apparently seen something she should not have. Falling back onto her butt, she tried to scramble away. The edge of the roof came too quickly.

"You catch on fast," Kimbley chuckled, stopping a few inches from Genna. "That's good, saves me an explanation. Now, let's get this over with."

Genna ducked away as the crazed alchemist tried to put his hand on her head. She warily glanced at the strange transmutation circle on his palm; the lieutenant didn't understand alchemy at all, but she had seen those circles do their worst. There was no way she would let Kimbley blow her up so easily as that! Putting her rising adrenaline to use, Genna threw herself to the side and away from her potential killer. Pulling herself to her feet after a sloppy front roll, she looked around for a place to run. She could attempt jumping off the building... but her chance of survival seemed unlikely.

"Ah, I like it when my victims try to make it hard. Those who are so determined to live... no matter how futile their attempts. What a great day you're making this for me, Lieutenant." Said Kimbley cheerily, following Genna as she followed the perimeter of the building in an attempt to get away. He was starting to make her really sick, but the lieutenant kept her mouth shut. There must be some way for her to quickly climb or drop to the ground without breaking her neck!

She decided to risk a jump. A pile of relatively flat debris lay just below where she now stood... If she could land on her feet, Genna would be able to hop off the wreckage and find help- maybe even a hiding spot. Kimbley was too close... without waiting for second thoughts, she leapt, the air whistling as she plummeted toward the ground. A stab of pain told her she had found the pile, but not as she wanted. Her leg twisted oddly beneath her, obviously broken. Trying to ignore it, Genna rose clumsily to her feet and limped awkwardly off of the debris.

Kimbley followed shortly, landed like a cat on all fours. Panicking, Genna tried to run, only to fall forward when her leg gave in. The rubble scratched at her face, her nose slightly bent out of place after hitting the rock floor. With a moan, she rolled over onto her back, lifted to head to look for her attacker.

"You shouldn't have done that," The major commented as he approached her, a rare frown across his features. "You hurt your pretty face."

"Shut up!" Genna cried weakly. "Stop acting so nice and polite when you're going to kill me!" She crawled backward as she spoke, trying desperately to find a way out of this inevitable death.

"Arrogant, are we? Thinking you can get away in that condition." Kimbley's smile returned as he watched Genna struggle to retreat. "As a soldier, shouldn't you fight back when the enemy attacks? That's what I've been taught, anyway."

Genna ignored him. As if she could fight back, anyway! She wasn't an alchemist, nor would her hand-to-hand combat skills do her any good. If only she possessed something that could keep Kimbley at bay from a distance... Then she could escape!

Then she remembered something. Certainly, this counted as an emergency, and therefore she could use the weapon Roy had warned her only to use in emergencies... Reaching into her jacket, Genna pulled out a Browning M 1903 pistol and pointed it at Kimbley's chest. The alchemist froze instantly, looking dumbfounded. Obviously, he had no idea what a bad shot Genna was. However, her aim wouldn't matter if the threat alone kept him away.

Of course, with a broken leg, Genna realized she couldn't escape. What could she do? Scream, and hope somebody would come? Attempt to shoot Kimbley? With a burst of terror, she recalled the explosion that tore a road of destruction through the Ishbalan city. If she didn't do something now, the alchemist might try a ranged attack. Shaking, the lieutenant placed a finger on the trigger and looked away.

"What are you doing?" Asked Kimbley. He sounded amused, as always.

"I don't like to watch people die," Genna responded simply, still trembling.

"Look at me, Lieutenant."

Damn nightmare! Ever since that stupid night, Genna had been seeing and hearing the dream in real life. Now she recalled the feeling of déjà vu as the major gave the order. Still unable to overlook a direct command, she forced herself to look up into Kimbley's eyes.

"That's right, always look at the person you're about to kill." The alchemist looked so calm now, with the pistol aimed at his heart. How insane could this man get! He was basically telling Genna to kill him.

"I…" She could see the darkness that clouded Kimbley's golden eyes, and knew that her eyes reflected the same dull look. They both saw the world through a killer's eyes. However, Genna could never be like him. She refused to kill a fellow Amestrian soldier, no matter what the situation! That's what she told herself when she lowered her gun. "I can't… I won't!"

"It pains me to see how weak the military is becoming," Said the alchemist sadly, though he still wore that crooked smile on his face. Clapping his hands together, he knelt down and pressed his palms into the sand. An electric current shot toward Genna, stopping right before touching her. The ground then exploded in front of her, throwing her backward and knocking her gun from her hand. Crashing into a ruined building, the lieutenant slumped to the ground. Blood flowed freely from a wound on the back of her head.

Kimbley strolled over to the defeated soldier, looking amused. Genna forced her eyes open a crack to watch him, her body too broken to even shiver as fear crept through her nerves. All she could manage was a desperate countenance when the alchemist crouched down in front of her. She tried to plead him to spare her life through her watering eyes, though she knew her attempt would be in vain.

"I could leave you here to bleed to death, but that's no fun for either of us, is it? It would be much more courteous for me to finish you now." Said Kimbley, as if to himself. He stared at her for a moment, appearing to be contemplating something, and then reached out with his hands to destroy her.

Crack! Boom!

A burst of flame exploded beside Kimbley, causing the alchemist to flinch away from his victim. Leaping to his feet, he looked around for his attacker angrily.

"How pathetic of you, Crimson. I didn't think you'd stoop so low as to pick on a child."

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Kimbley snarled, narrowing his eyes at the newcomer. Genna lifted her head as much as she could to try and see her saviour. A tiny smile crept across her lips as she recognized the man.

Roy Mustang cracked his knuckles and advanced on the Crimson Alchemist, looking tired but irate. He held out his right hand, on which he wore a glove with an alchemical symbol on the back. As he snapped his fingers, an ember rose from his fingertips. The little spark then erupted into a stream of fire, shooting toward Kimbley. Kimbley jumped aside just in time, clapping his hands together as he did so. Body tense, he slammed a hand into the destroyed building. Its remains ruptured and came crashing down.

"Ah! No!" Roy cried. Even though he had managed to leap away from the falling rubble, the disabled Genna found herself unable to escape. The wreckage buried her, and the lights went out.