A/N: So, I e had this written for a while, but I lost the notebook I had it in…Anyway, it's a little out there as well. Its longer than Feury's because of his age. I through Falman back decades before the beginning of FMA
Chapter 3~Warrant Officer Vato Falman
Vato Falman was by far the oldest member of Roy Mustang's platoon. Growing up in the poorer parts gave him a perspective none of his colleagues could possibly understand.. He had lived the life of hard knocks, working hard to bring in any money that he could. Being the oldest of six boys, he had to help his widowed mother provide for their family.
Falman was a good kid who got along well enough, staying out of trouble anyway. However, caring for five younger brothers was quite a task. He worked a minimum wage job, lying about his age at ten. Despite Vato's hard work and good intentions, the few dollars he managed to scrape up wasn't enough to keep his family afloat and he was forced to turn to less than honest means of providing for his family. Vato Falman was a thief.
When he turned twelve, one of the neighborhood kids taught him to sneak things without getting caught. Though, at first, he only got necessities, as time passed, he moved on to bigger and better things. By the age of fifteen, he was able to steal large and expensive items without being caught.
While grateful for the better living standards, his mother and brothers noticed a significant difference in him. He had quit his jobs and went to school regularly. He had always been able to learn something and remember it forever. It was one of the few reasons his teachers passed him.
As the years went by, Vato had graduated top of hi s meager class and was offered many prestigious scholarships, all of which he refused. He was an expert thief and had no intention of working ever again. He had only graduated school because he felt like it.
When his mother found out he turned down all of the scholarships, she was heartbroken. It was clear that, though he denied it, he was a kleptomaniac. He came home with the most random things and just left them, never looked twice at any of this spoils.
His brothers began turning their backs on him; refusing to eat the food he brought them. Soon after, his youngest brother, who was eight, died because he refused to take the medicine his oldest brother had stolen for him. The death hit him hard, and he finally understood the impact his thieving was making on his family.
It was then that he began trying to live an honest life.. It was to late for college, at the age of twenty-three, he should have been a year out of college. He had but one other option. Joining the military as an intellectual, he understood the challenges he would have to face, but at the age of twenty-three, he could hardly be called an old man.
In all honesty, before the day of enlistment, he had no intention of really getting a lot of time on the front lines. He most definitely had no intentions to become an officer. No his goals were much more trivial in his fellow soldiers' eyes. He merely worked for the money. To be able to provide for his family, to not let his brother's death be in vain.
His early years were unstable, but by twenty-six, he had a steady flow of money going to his three youngest brothers and mother. The second oldest boy was now twenty-one, had graduated school, and was attending college on the side of his job as a businessman. On occasion, he would make brief visits during his vacation, but, for the most part, he spent his time working at the records department or library for a little extra money.
He led a simple, yet enjoyable life as head of the military's library and archive manager in Central headquarters, but it would be a flat out lie to claim he never stole at all. In fact, he had a tendency to snatch the smallest and most unnecessary things he saw in store windows. Despite this, he considered it a great feat that he only took little things after even his youngest brother had finished school.
When some extremist group shot down his mother and two youngest brothers, Vato realized only he and his thirty-eight year old brother remained of their once happy family. After a quick funeral, he left his brother to deal with all of the little things. However, in honor of their memory, he prevented himself from stealing even little things.
It wasn't until seven years later that Vato saw his brother again. It turned out that he worked at a hospital in a little town near Central, a hospital many military men frequented for non-critical cases.
After catching up with his long lost brother, he also met his sister-in-law and his little nieces. They would meet at a little coffee shop conveniently located between Headquarters and the hospital at least once a week, if their schedules allowed it.
For the first time in years, he was genuinely happy, but, of course, all good things must end. His brother became deathly ill, catching an illness from the hospital. He died shortly after, at the age of fifty-one. After six years of bliss, Vato found himself alone once more.
When he went to get the old picture of his family, taken when even his youngest brother was still alive, his sister-in-law forced him to leave, claiming that he wasn't actually related to her late husband.
At the last moment, he was able to snag the picture without suspicion. With that small act came the realization that he had no reason not to live the easy life. Despite this, he continued to work in the military, stealing from, not only his fellow soldiers, but officers as well. If he saw something he wanted, he took it. As the quiet librarian, he was never suspected, until the day he came up against a force he was far out matched by.
On a sunny day in April, Vato remembered an interesting prop that the alchemist tended to leave on his desk, and he knew that he wanted it. He knew his target, Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, always seemed to be off in his own world, often leaving his office unlocked. It would be an easy job.
It was that day that that Vato found out the Flame Alchemist was not nearly as dumb as he looked. In fact, he had underestimated the man to such a degree that, upon entering the office, he was pinned to the wall, his arm twisted uncomfortably behind his back.
The Colonel had suspected the thief had been the book worm all along and had every intention to turn the man in, however, upon learning of his ability to retain information, Mustangs interest was aroused. He was faced with an ultimatum,: join Mustang's team or be dishonorably discharged and have his name and appearance circulated.
After weighing his options for a total of two seconds, he agreed to the arrangement. He easily fit into the team and genuinely enjoyed his co-workers antics. Not only was he granted full access to the Militaries many files, the Colonel seemed not to care when the rumors of the military thief were stirred up once more. On occasion, he was even sent on missions to retrieve certain things for his boss, with only one rule; No stealing from anyone in Mustangs platoon, a rule he could easily follow.
A/N: So here it is. It moves pretty fast, but I always thought that Falman was maybe 55/56 when he worked for Mustang. Anyway, review if you have ANY kind of thought on this chapter. Breda is coming up next.