Just as he thought, she went back with the thing that was wailing. It was wrapped in a white cloth, battered and bleeding.
"Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, I want you to put that thing back this instant! That monster could be dangerous..."
"What monster, sir?"
The cloth was pulled back, and there he saw it: a little boy with golden hair and eyes, crying out loud in her arms. The lieutenant colonel then put the torch up and examined the boy from head to toe. Perfect. His body parts are perfect. A perfect ordinary boy like this can't be born out of alchemy. He thought that he was just an ordinary lost boy or a child abuse victim until he saw a tattoo that looks more like a runic circle on his little skinny back. He then stepped into the dark room and with the help of the torch, he could see clearer. As his eyes were fitting in with the light, he saw traces of blood on the floor. The further he went through the room, the clearer the mystery is getting.
"This can't be...these traces of blood was a runic circle...and the shape is similar to the boy's tattoo! That child...That child is born out of alchemy!"
He then ran out of the room, and leaned on the wall. He closed his eyes and focused on the memories of the files that he read on the train.
Hohenheim was a really great alchemist. Rumors said that he was the first alchemist who attempted to perform alchemy without transmutation circle and once he created the philosopher's stone. For an alchemist his size and the legendary stone, it is possible to create a boy out of alchemy. But for what reason he created a boy?
"Second Lieutenant Hawkeye"
"Yes, sir?"
"I want you to go to the nearest doctor in town and take care of this boy. I will stay here for a while to gather proof and information"
"Proof and information? You mean..."
"Yes, that's right. He is the monster that I feared before, the thing that the Fuhrer told us to look for. That boy...is the result of the first ever successful human transmutation attempt"
"No... I can't believe it! Even an alchemist as good as my father can't make such perfect human transmutation!"
"Hawkeye, look; we're dealing with Hohenheim, an alchemist that is far greater than your father...no, an alchemist that is far greater than any state alchemists in Amestris. Plus, he got the philosopher's stone. Making a boy like that is as easy as a pie for him"
He finally convinced her to look for a doctor, despite of the rainstorm that was getting harder. The house was pretty old and the rainstorm could knock it off, and the child really needs help. So off she went with the little boy in her arms wrapped with her raincoat so he won't get wet. He was helplessly crying because of the glaring thunder.
The sky was dark. Nobody was out in such weather except her, all alone, running with all the strength she got. Her boots were wet, she felt so cold, and her ears almost exploded hearing the booming thunder mixing with the drip-drop of the raindrops and the splish-splosh of her footsteps. But she has to hurry or the boy will die. Along the way, she turned her head left and right trying to find a place that might have a doctor in it.
Thirty minutes passed away, she kneeled down, protecting the boy with her body. She was soaking wet, her uniform was getting heavy, and she was out of breath. He was getting wet, and they are now far, far away from the house. She didn't know what to do, until she saw a clash of light in the middle of the darkness. She focused on the source of light and saw a silhouette of a house. She walked closer and her sight was getting clearer. There was a board displayed on the front. With her eyes that were soaking wet, she hardly read the letters that were carved on the wooden board.
"Automail Makers... Rockbell Prosthetics"
Prosthetic makers... maybe there's a doctor too... they're dealing with human body anyways, she thought, as she stepped onto the wooden terrace and knocked on the door. The first reply she received was a dog's bark, and then a creaky grandmother voice saying "Coming!"
The door slowly opened and she saw a stunted old granny, showing a great disappointment on her face right after she realized that it was a military person bothering her in the storm.
"What do you want here? As you can see, we have nothing for military folks like you"
"Um... granny, I don't need your help... this boy... he..."
She tried to speak between her gasps, but before it was too late, she gave the boy to the granny.
"Please... help... him..."
She fell on the floor as soon as the granny grabbed the boy and everything went black.
Meanwhile, back in the old house, Roy was still in the study, searching for information about the transmutation of the boy they found. As he stacked the scattered papers from the floor, he saw a dusty folder that was buried before. He grabbed the torch and put the lights closer to it, and saw a name carved on the front
"...Ed... Ward... Elric"
Opening the folder carefully, he then flapped through the dusty yellow papers of handwritten texts. He quickly closed it and put a small grin on his face
"Bingo"
Morning came.
Riza opened her eyes slowly, and quickly finds herself that she's still at the Rockbell Prosthetics, lied on a stretcher in the patient's room. She then managed to stand up and get her coat. Putting them on, she then walked out of the room and found her superior at the door.
"Oh...M-morning, sir..."
"Morning, Hawkeye"
She then shoved out of the door and let her superior came in. As she tried to get herself fully awake, she tried to remember what happened yesterday until she remembered about the golden-haired boy that they found.
"Um...sir, about that boy..."
"He's save and he's healthy. You can see him outside after breakfast. He's playing with Winry, the Rockbells' daughter"
She then washed her face at the basin, and managed to find her breakfast on the kitchen table. A butter croissant and a glass of milk. Better than nothing, she thought. She then finished them and after she put the dishes back on the basin, she walked towards the main entrance and opened the door. As she feels the fresh morning air and the warm sunshine of Resembool, she heard children laughing. The boy was there with the girl, playing tag with Den the dog. As she saw him rolling on the grass with Den, laughing happily with Winry, she let out a sigh, a relieved sigh. She was relieved that the boy was okay.
"Edward!" Roy suddenly called out from the back, surprising his subordinate. The boy looked up, followed with an innocent smile and his sweet childish voice replied back, clear and loud.
"Edward? Is that his name?"
"Yes, I found a file about the details of his transmutation last night and from there I knew that his name is Edward Elric. I'll check the details later on the train before I handed it to the top brass"
Right after he called for him once more, Edward quickly jumped up and ran towards him. He then lifted him up and tossed him in the air. Riza just smiled at them and they both looked like as if they were brothers – no, could be father and son. She never saw her superior like this. Nobody in the military knew that he could be that kind with kids.
A few hours later, when the sun was up, the three of them prepared to leave. Edward must go with them, as he is the main reason why the two military folks from central came all the way here to the quiet little village in the east.
"NO! EDWARD CAN'T GO!" Winry suddenly shouted, when they were about to go on the train. Edward, who was being held by Riza, just innocently stared at his new best friend.
"Don't be ridiculous, Winry. The military folks came all the way here to get him" Granny Pinako tried to calm her down, as she started to cry and wiped her tears with her granny's apron.
"NO! I DON'T WANT HIM TO GO! FIRST, THEY TOOK AWAY MOMMY AND DADDY AND NOW THEY WANNA TOOK AWAY MY NEW FRIEND!"
Roy and Riza knew what she meant. The Rockbell doctors were quite famous around military folks in Ishbal War period, especially to the flame alchemist himself. Roy kneeled down, and looked into Winry's weeping eyes
"I promise, I'm gonna take Edward back again sometime... Or if you have a chance to visit Central, I'm going to make sure that you had some time to be with him"
"Really? Then can we play again?"
As the little girl started to smile, he smiled back, followed with a nod. The little girl cheered, and Edward smiled too. The train was about to leave, so they quickly went in and had a seat. As the train started to move, he waved to his first best friend until she was gone by the distance.
In the train, the passengers stared at the two young military personnel sharply. How could they not, if it's a young man and a young woman in military uniform, high-ranked for people their age, known as Ishbal war heroes, and a little boy which somehow seemed to be mistaken as their son.
Hours later, in that very uncomfortable situation, suddenly a freight train passed down the opposite track, and the scaring noise woke the little golden-haired boy, which later on continued with a loud wail. Riza was surprised hearing him cry. It was a bit late, and most of the passengers were sleeping. She was afraid that his wail bothers everyone. Clueless on what to do to calm him down, she tried to wake her superior up.
"Sir, wake up! The boy is crying and I don't know what to do!"
Cold sweat was dripping all over his body. He was awake, but he knew if he wakes up, a bigger trouble would get into him. Ignoring his subordinate whose holding Edward on one hand and shaking his body up with another hand, he kept pretending to sleep. She didn't dare to scold such little boy, and if she did he wouldn't understand and cried more. She tried to rock him, but he's still crying. She felt that one louder wail and her eardrums were about to explode. As she sits next to her superior, he calmed down. She realized that Edward wants to be with the Lieutenant Colonel, so she carefully put him next to the sleeping Flame Alchemist. Edward managed to climb up to his laps, and lie himself on his chest. Roy realized that there's a funny little thing crawling and tugging on his uniform, and when he opened his eyes, he was surprised seeing that little boy clinging on his military uniform.