Here comes my generic Disclaimer (with a Scottish accent): Fullmetal Alchemist obviously doesn't belong to me. This story is an AU but I hope it'll be enjoyable.
This is a another update this week since I won't be able to update for awhile.
Make sure to press the review button at the end. I want to know what you guys think!
Also, thank you to all the readers and to those who have reviewed. Want a cookie for your trouble?
...-…
1:00 a.m.
His feet sloshed on the flooded pavement, creating waves of water everywhere he stepped on. The once famed General of the military stops to catch his breath, looking back at the empty streets of downtown East City, only to find nobody. The rain soaked him to the bone and he shivers but not from the piercing cold daggers of the rain, but from terror. He continues his sloppy trek down the barren, almost ghost like streets. He couldn't see anything in front of him; the deluge from the heavens above created an impediment on his sight. He turns at a corner but only to be stopped by the "monster" that was chasing him.
He tries to scream but his vocal chords are working against him. He is paralyzed and his body numb. His own shadow stands up before his very own eyes and wrapped itself around his neck and mouth, its feel coarse and lifeless. The gray haired man struggles and at the same time grabs on for dear life as it begins to cut off his air circulation. Then it loosens its grip on him, freeing his mouth from its hold. He could no longer feel anything.
"You little bastard! You said you would spare me!" He yells, but his voice is hoarse and faint. His lips start to quiver as he makes out a dark figure in front of him, and he denies his all ready doomed fate. It throws him roughly on the ground, below where the dark figure stood. The street lamp above them flickered, until it burned out, as if it too feared the creature.
"You humans grow too comfortable in the roles we put you in." He could hear the echoes of its footsteps as it closes in on him. "Do not worry General Raven." It once again grapples Raven's neck tighter and enclosing his mouth from the cold air. "I will make sure you won't be missed."
…-…
Pelam Park 9:30 a.m.
Riza reads the newspaper she had bought earlier. The famous General Raven had died earlier this morning, his head displayed on the gates of the military building, his tattered body later found in a nearby garbage dispenser. Her tight grip on the paper created wrinkles on its side and the two boys stares at her with concerned caramel eyes.
She scans the area and the once busy park is left desolate, probably from the recent murder. There is only a man sitting on a bench, watching his daughter playing with her gigantic canine friend, near the swings. A forlorn smile smeared his face as he leans back on the bench, never taking his eyes off of his daughter.
"That's a huge dog Brother. I bet you can ride him." Alphonse meant no harm but his comment struck a nerve. The blonde boy steps back from his fuming brother. "Brother, I meant we can ride him. Yes, that's what I meant Ed." He rectified his previous statement. This seems to calm Edward down since he lowers his fist.
"Hey! Can we go on the swings?" Edward eyeballs the swings area. He's glad it's empty. The park swings in Resembool was always occupied by bratty children. He once pushed a kid off the swings out of anger. Edward got in trouble but he figured it was worth it. He waits for her approval and readies himself in a running position.
Riza smiles for the first time today since she woke up with a splitting migraine. "Sure but stay within my sight." Edward wasted no further and ran to the swings.
"Race you Al!" He breathlessly shouted, but he's already ahead of his brother. "Brother! You cheat!" Al chases after his brother, already knowing he'll get there in last place. The little girl sees the Elric brothers coming her way, her brown eyes sparkles with elation that there are other kids in the playground besides her dog, Alexander.
Her cute frilly indigo dress is slightly stained from the dewy grass and from chasing her dog. Alexander growls and jumps on Edward as soon as he got closer. "Get off of me you elephant!" The white dog sniffs the older Elric, rubbing his wet nose all over the boys face. He barks and licks Edward. "Gross! Get off you crazy horse!"
Alphonse saw the whole thing and arrives in first place. He tries to help his brother but the big lug wouldn't move. "Sorry about Alexander but I think he likes that little boy." Edward shakes his arms around angrily at the little boy comment. Alphonse just laughs at his brother's futile attempt of escape. "Hi. My name is Alphonse. That's Edward, my big brother." Alphonse stretches his arm out for a handshake. She happily accepted it.
"I'm Nina and this is Alexander. He's my buddy!" She hugs her furry friend and the dog replies with a low bark. "Hello! Can somebody get this big furry thing off of me?" The dog obeys his young mistress' fingers and dutifully returns to her side, licking her lovingly. Edward grits his teeth and wipes off the slop of saliva away from his face. He glares at his little brother then at the furry monster that almost drowned him with its spit. Alexander barks, as if the canine understood Edward's anger at him.
"So Nina, want to go on the swings?" Alphonse offers kindly. Edward recovered quickly and occupies one of the swing seats. The dog walks behind him and pushes Edward with his head. A bit startled, he leans forward but allows the dog to push him. "I never see Alexander so friendly with someone." She takes a seat next to Alphonse and they swing.
"Brother has a way with dogs." He gets off his swing and helps Nina by pushing her. "Thanks Alphonse!"
…_...
Edward gave Riza quite a scare when she heard him scream but relaxed when she saw him playing with the dog. "Are they your boys?" She swivels her head to the man that just spoke. His tired eyes look at her. She nods and takes a seat beside him, not minding the bench's wet surface from the night rain.
"Children are the only joy left in this violent world." He lowers his eyes to the ground, that same heartbroken smile never leaving his face. "I was debating whether or not to take my little girl out because of the murder but we always go to the park during this time. It wouldn't be fair to her."
"Did the military send you to find me?" He doesn't move his head. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he awaits a respond.
"No. I just want to talk." He chuckles bitterly at her response. The laughter of the kids echoes in his ears. He shuts his eyes. "I was told that you would be here." He breathes shakily, as if he's in pain. "You were there, in Ishval, with Doctor Marcoh." His whole body tensed.
"Yes that's a name I haven't heard for a while." He sits up and looks back in the direction of his daughter. "Well since you want to talk, I might as well get something off of my chest. I'm guessing you were a soldier in Ishval." She can't deny it and voiced out a yes.
"The Ishvalian war or whatever you want to call it was no war and even if it was, it was a one-sided one. The Ishvalians stood no chance." Regret seeps out of his voice. "I stayed even when I knew it was too late to save my wife." He sounded faded and dull. Riza tilts her head in confusion but remains quiet, hoping he'll elaborate on what he said.
"Decades ago, before the Ishvalian war, there was this man. His research led him to a breakthrough discovery than can alter and create new genes, without any sacrifice, without any pain." He pauses. "He told me he only did it for his daughter. She was blind but he was able to fix her. Her eyes were enhanced into an inhumane sight. The military soon found out about his research and let's just say he was coerced into being involved with the military. He was able to create a being free of harmful genes, free of death, in short a perfect being." Her eyes widened. No one is perfect. "Its blood had all the answers and it was able to reproduce, giving its offspring its blood, its DNA."
"So what happened to this perfect being?" She asks. "He let it go." He answers dully.
"Let it go? Where did it go?" He shrugs his shoulder. "Your guess is as good as mine. After that, he also disappeared and Marcoh and I were forced to replicate his research since we worked so closed to him." He sharply mutters. "We made something all right, but it wasn't perfect. It had the same regenerative abilities but it wasn't…" He cuts of his sentence. "…never mind. After that, we didn't hear anything else from that project since Marcoh and I were ordered to do other things and next thing you know we thrown into the war." Tucker clutched his head, shaking it feverously.
Riza could see the children running towards their direction.
Nina hugs her father's leg. "What's wrong Daddy?" Her childish voice calms him down and he pets her head gently. "Nothing, Nina." The Elric brothers arrive right behind her. Tucker surveyed the boys and his face almost had the look of surprise but he noticed that Riza was looking at him. He clears his throat. "I think it's about time we leave, don't you think so Nina?" She made a disappointed sound. She didn't want to leave her new friends. "Okay Daddy." She turns to Alphonse and Edward. "Nice meeting you Edward, Alphonse." Alexander once again bombarded Edward with sloppy wet licks and barked at Alphonse cordially.
"Wait Tucker!" Riza calls out. His walking halted as he turned his head turn to its side.
"Who was he? The researcher?" Maybe if she could find out the man's name, she can investigate him and even find out where he is. The events that Tucker had told her, it must be related to the Greed and what he and others are. If the man had started all this and it led to the creation of Greed and the others, he might know an easier way of dispatching them. Getting in touch with him is imperative.
"He called himself, Hawkeye."
…_...
The East Apartment Suites. 20th floor.
"Go poke her something Al. She's creeping me out." The brothers watch Riza from the distance. They seated themselves on a small makeshift island in the kitchen. "Throw something at her." Alphonse hits his arm. "What? She's been like that since we got home. Maybe we should call Mustang." His brother agrees with him. Then the phone rings and Edward rushes to it.
"Hello." Speaking of which, it's Roy on the other line. "Mustang something is wrong with her-" Riza snatches the phone from the boy's hand. "Mustang, hello" She could hear him panic. "I'm fine. Edward is exaggerating." Edward sits right back on the island stool and crosses his arms across his chest defiantly. He wasn't exaggerating.
"No you don't have to come over. I'm fine. Honest. Yes, Goodbye." She looks at Edward and sighs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you two." She joins them on the island and notices they already started to snack on the cookies they had purchased earlier. "You boys must be hungry. What do you want?" Edward's eyes lights up. "Didn't you buy stuff for spaghetti?" She rummages through the grocery bags for the articles needed to make spaghetti.
"That I did. You boys want to help?" The brothers look at each before enthusiastically emptying out the bags for other ingredients. So for the next hour or so, the trio busy themselves with making the most delicious spaghetti the world have ever seen.
…_
Edward twirls his fork around the long reddish noodles and brings it in his mouth. He makes a sound of approval. "So what did you and Nina's dad talk about?" As Edward spoke, a piece of chewed up noodle wiggles its way of his mouth. "Edward." She starts; her tone dangerous. He mutters a small apology.
"So what were you two about?" Alphonse repeats his brother's question. He can't help but be curious. From where he stood, they were talking about a topic adults wouldn't normally discuss with children. She remains silent and for awhile there, the boys thought she wouldn't say anything. After all, they're just kids.
"Shou Tucker, Nina's father, was a researcher in the military. He implied that his research group had created a super human but he didn't say anything else about it, only that it has this inhumane regenerative capability." The boys have stopped eating; their mouths open like a fish out of water. "Tucker mentioned a name, the name of the man that started the research." She doesn't tell them the name. She is unsure. It could just be a coincidence and it could just be a different man whose surname is also Hawkeye.
"He called himself Hawkeye." Their conversation replayed in her head. There is no way her father was involved in any of this. He is against the military, and he abhorred everything the military stand for. If her father was the research doctor Tucker was talking about then she-
"So you think what Tucker helped create was those freaks back at Resembool? So where's the researcher at? We gotta smack some sense into that guy for creating those bastards." Edward pounds his fist into the palm of his other hand. " C'mon! Let's kick ass!" Alphonse pokes his brother's side. "Miss Riza, so who's the researcher?"
"I don't know." She says. She excuses herself and instructs the brothers to clean up when they're done.
"Sure Miss Riza but where are you going?" Alphonse questions. His brother resumed eating as if nothing happened. He knows better than to ask stupid questions, he'll leave that to his brother. Besides he has a feeling she'll tell them in due time. She's been honest to them so far so why should that change.
"I'm just going to make a phone call. Just put your dishes in the sink and I'll handle them later." Edward's eyes follow her retreating figure until she makes a right towards her room. Alphonse takes notice of his brother's action and becomes suspicious. "Brother, what are you thinking about?" Edward's lips arches up, forming a sinister smirk.
"Nothing little brother."
_...
"The number you have dialed is currently out of service. Please try again later." Irritated at hearing robotic voice for the tenth time, she slams her phone shut and banged her head once on her desk. Several times she tried and every call ended up in a failure. She should have seen this coming. Greed was probably using some sort of prepaid phone and now she can't get a hold of him.
She could call the place where her father is staying at but it has been awhile since she's talked to her father. Maybe that's the only way she can truly be sure. Chances are, her father will just look at her weirdly or berate her for asking something so irrational and insane.
She gives in and skims through her phonebook for the number of the home her father is staying in.
Ring…
Ring…
"Morningdale. How may I help you?" Riza searches for the right words to say. It's been awhile and is afraid of what her father would say. "Hello?"
"I have a father that resides there. His name is Berthold Hawkeye." She could hear typing from the line.
"I see. Your name, Miss?"
"Riza Hawkeye. Is he able to speak right now?"
"I'm afraid not Miss. Although, you are free to visit in person anytime. His mental health has been deteriorating everyday and the presence of his daughter is something he could use." Face to face is an act that she might not be able to do. She ceased any contact with him since she joined the military but she can't get her conversation with Tucker out of her mind. She needs to know.
…-…
Chapter End. Thanks for reading and make sure to review. Write down what you think so far.
Hey can anyone give me a good name for a night bar? I really can't think of one.
Enjoy the rest of your day! :D