Hello people here is a new chapter for all you people the next chapter after this or so is mainly going to focus on Riza so enjoy^^

Chapter 10

The city is huge. Was one of Riza's many thoughts as she walked through Central for the first time. Before she hurried out of the Fuhrer's mansion she had managed to change into the cloths Mrs. Bradley had given her. Riza thanks to Mrs. Bradley now had on black pants a grayish tang top along with a tan jacket that covered her marred back. The boots Riza were given felt heavy on her feet having not worn any kind of shoes in years. Now as she walked through the city the no one would be able to tell she was once a slave. Except for her still bandaged hands and face, but everyone gets hurt at some point so no one paid her any mind. At most the only thing that made the former slave stand out was her clear amazement at everything around her. One might think she was a tourist.

Well sort of not a slave. Riza had to remind herself. She had to pay off the money eight thousand dollars. Riza gripped the money Mrs. Bradley had given her along with her birth certifcate in her pocket. The Fuhrer was right about one thing how was she going to get a job. She couldn't even read who would hire her.

Riza shook her head. Finding a job was important, but Riza has not seen the outside of the mansion grounds for years. When the Fuhrer had told her that she could be let free if she paid off the money she was worth. She had been fearful Riza thought it might be a trick. When it was reveiled it wasn't a trick she had worried on how she was going to survive on her own, but now away from the mansion Riza felt free. Truly free and it felt great.

Exploring into a park which Riza assumed was Central park. She had heard of it from handlers talking of how they were going to take their families here. Wandering the green fields Riza could see why they would take their families here. It was beautiful the grass was the brightest green Riza has ever seen. Flowers of all kinds scattered all over the park. There were patches of trees where birds chipped happily in a chorus with the crickets and other life within the park. In a small pond frogs croaked to each other as if they were people conversing at dinner time.

Riza nearly overwhelmed by all the things took a seat under a tree. Loving every moment of her new found freedom. Riza remembered why her and her fellow slaves used to fight for freedom so hard when they only got beat in the end. Freedom was beyond words the people walking by not really paying any mind to the beauty around them did not understand how precious their freedom was until it was taken or they never had it in the first place.

A small butterfly landed on Riza's hand as she sat. Smiling at the small creature Riza lifted her hand and coaxed the small being to crawl onto the palm of her other hand. Riza didn't know many things but she believed this was a monarch butterfly. The orange coloring brought her to believed this. The little insect seemed quite calm in Riza's hand.

"There you are!" A small voice cried out. Riza looked to see a young child running up to her. The young girl was maybe three years old she was carrying a small net Riza thought might be for catching insects. When the girl came up to Riza she realized the child was addressing the butterfly not Riza herself.

"Stop flying away butterfly." The girl huffed upset that she was unable to catch the butterfly. Riza smiled at the toddler still holding the butterfly.

"Maybe if you stop using the net he'll come to you." The girl looked to Riza her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"But if I don't use the net Mr. Butterfly will fly away."

"Ya but he has to no one likes to be caged up." Riza used her free hand to take the net from the girl placing it on the ground. "This butterfly wants to be free, but I'm sure he'll play with you if you visit the park." Riza coaxed the butterfly into crawling onto the girl's smaller hands. The girl smiled brightly holding the butterfly the happiness shining off her might challenge the sun for who is brighter.

"Really? You'll play with me?" She asked the butterfly who contently relaxed in her hands.

"Elicia! There you are." A young woman clearly the girl's mother ran up to them. She was panting obviously from running after her daughter who chased after the butterfly.

"Look! Mommy this nice lady caught Mr. Butterfly, and she told me if I don't use the net Mr. Butterfly will play with me see." Elicia held the butterfly up to her mother who knelt down and planted a kiss on the girl's forehead.

"Thats great Elicia just don't run off like that again mommy was worried."

"Its okay mommy this nice lady was with me." Riza almost blushed she'd been called may things being called nice lady was a first for her.

"Hello I hope she didn't bother you." The mother directed her attention to Riza she held out her hand which Riza took awkwardly just now realizing her bandaged were beginning to soak through with blood most likely bleeding from when Bradley crushed them under his boot.

"I'm Gracia Hughes." Gracia's happy motherly demeanor relaxed Riza. Gracia being the first person outside the mansion Riza was meeting she couldn't help but be nervous at first. However the woman had an aurora around her that Riza bet could calm anyone down.

"Riza Hawkeye." Gracia smiled but then her expression changed to concern. Instead of letting go of Riza's hand she held it gently and flipped it seeing the blood soaking through the bandages.

"Are you okay?" Riza took her hand away as if she'd been bitten.

"Yes I'm fine." Riza's robotic slave tone returned it was just natural to do so no one except for Roy has ever cared if she was hurt or not. Gracia stilled frowned Elicia had gone off again to a flower patch playing with the butterfly she was within sight though.

"Well, you should still see a doctor. If you don't change those bandages it might get infected under there." Riza just nodded Gracia smiled softly while getting up.

"Why don't you come with us you can join us for lunch, and I may not be a doctor but I can help you." Riza's head snapped up to the woman the offer surprising her.

"You don't have to do that-" Gracia waved her off.

"Nonsense besides Elicia likes you."Motioning to the little girl playing with various butterflies in a flower patch not to far away so not to disappear from her mother again.

"Okay but you really don't have to. I'm fine." In reality Riza's hands burned in pain a constant throbbing going through it. Her face pained her as well Riza did her best to ignore it though. Gracia held out her hand to Riza to help her up.

"Come on Elicia we're going to go home and make some lunch." Elicia jumped from the flowers causing dozens of startled insects to scatter. The little girl picked up her net then took her mother's hand.

On the way out of the park Gracia told Elicia Riza would be joining them which the young girl seemed elated. To have the one who showed her how to play with butterflies without them running away with them.

The Hughes residence was certainly not as big as the Fuhrer's mansion. It was a simple two stories house made for the small happy family who lived there. On the way to the house Gracia had tried to coax some information about Riza out of her, but she may as well have been talking to a wall. Any questions she asked Riza answered vaguely or avoided the question entirely. Although Riza did enjoy hearing about Gracia's life it seemed like heaven. She had a loving husband who loved Gracia as much as she loved him. They had three year old Elicia who was probably the most adorable child Riza has ever seen.

Once inside the house Gracia asked Elicia to go play while she started lunch. The excitable child complied happily. Before Gracia started assembling lunch for the three of them she beckoned Riza over to her. Guiding Riza up stairs to a bathroom she pulled out a few medical supplies from a cabinet.

"Okay lets see if we can patch you up." Carefully removing the bandages covering her hands Gracia gasped at the bloody burnt mess underneath.

"You really don't have to do this I'm fine." Riza said through desperately trying to hide the horrible pain that cursed her hands.

"Like I'm going to leave you like this." Gracia huffed this woman was a mystery to her. She seemed almost afraid to accept Gracia's help. To Gracia it didn't seem like her refusal to accept help was just from trying to be humble. The woman seemed afraid of every person. On the walk home Riza tensed up when ever someone approached from behind and even the front, and now Riza tensed under Gracia's touch.

What Gracia didn't know was that Riza was desperately trying to stop doing such. Only she had only just recently started meeting people who's intent was not to cause her pain. Well one person who didn't want to cause her pain the person being Roy, but it calmed Riza a bit thinking that the passer byes on the street wouldn't hurt her without reason.

"How did this happen?" Riza froze should I tell her? She seems nice enough and she is offering me a free meal, but what if she approves of slaves? Gracia began rewrapping Riza's hand after cleaning and treating them. While the former slave tried to end her mental conflict.

"I...I was a slave." Gracia's eyes widened before she could say anything Riza kept talking.

"If you support slavery thats okay. I'm...I'm not on the run or anything. I'm sort of not a slave. You see-" Riza continued to nervously ramble about the events that brought her here. Graica finished with Riza's hands placing a hand on her shoulder silencing the nervous woman.

"Its all right if it helps you calm down. I don't support slavery." Gracia smiled while Riza attempted to recover from her shock still not used to seeing or meeting anti-slavery supporters.

"Really?"

"Really now hold still." Gracia tried to remove the bandage covering Riza's cheek. Only for Riza to grab her wrist to stop her.

"I'd prefer that you didn't look at that. Thank you for treating my hands though." Gracia frowned.

"If your face is anything like your hands it should be treated."

"You're not going to let me leave this room till you treat it are you." Gracia smirked Riza sighed letting go of her wrist. Removing the bandage Gracia could see why Riza wanted this wound to stay hidden. The Amestrsian dragon symbol marred her cheek. By Riza's reluctance to show it made it clear it was not put there with her consent.

"How did this happen? Is it okay if I ask you that." Gracia now knowing that Riza was once a slave. She could only imagine the pain the poor woman has gone through.

"There isn't really a big story behind it. I disobeyed and they wanted to remind me who I belong to." Riza left out the part where this happened because she was trying to defend Mustang by not telling Archer anything she knew about him. Gracia finished cleaning the burn instead of re-bandaging the burn she opted for letting it get some air.

"You're lucky my husband isn't here he would probably pester you for your life story." Gracia stated with a slight laugh thinking of her husband's goofy actions. The statement getting a small chuckle from Riza as well. Going back to the kitchen the mother began making some lunch for them. Riza followed taking a seat at the table within the kitchen.

"So how long have you been free?" Gracia took a small bowl of apples an began cutting them into small slices.

"Not long at all just this morning they let me free sort of."

"Sort of?" Riza nodded.

"Yes, I have to pay off what I'm worth or else I go back into servitude." Riza frowned saying it reminded her about how she needed to find a job, and how difficult it was going to be.

"Do you have a way to get the money?" Riza's frown deepened she shook her head. Before anything else could be said Elicia bounded into the kitchen excitedly asking if lunch was done.

It wasn't long before lunch was complete and the three enjoyed the wonders of Graica's cooking. Which Elicia declared happily that her mommy was the best mom and cook ever. Overall Riza enjoyed the meal being a slave one usually ate alone to protect their food. Eating with a family was something new to her and she found it relaxing. Defiantly more enjoyable than the lonely meals she had as a slave. Well if you could call them meals all slaves ever got were a few pieces of old bread max.

After lunch was over Riza made her exit. To Elicia's sadness the little girl wanted to play with Riza, but Riza insisted she had to leave. While Riza left through the front door Gracia spoke.

"You can stay a little longer if you don't have any where else to go." Riza smiled she wanted to stay, but something in her just told her she had to make it on her own.

"No I couldn't impose on you any more than I have." Gracia sighed feeling she wouldn't be able to change Riza's mind.

"Okay just remember you're always welcomed here." Riza nodded heading out the door.

The Fuhrer's mansion

"Uhh Fuhrer sir, we have reports that yet another slave facility has been abandoned by its slaves." A soldier reported to the Fuhrer. He groaned placing a hand over his eyes rubbing his temples.

"Very well soldier you are dismissed." The soldier saluted then left. The Fuhrer turned back to the dozen of reports all over his desk. All of them reporting on how slave factories, facilities, and farms are all being abandoned by the slaves who work there. What was itching the leader of the country was what they were up to. Sure slaves have rebel before, but they have always just done random acts of violence against the government or their owners. But this they are acting as an organized unit. This could be major trouble. One slave acting out on their own anger against their enslavement wasn't a problem. Hundreds working as one mass they could take over with little to no difficulty. The military might be able to handle foreign invaders armies even, but an enemy from within one that out numbers the military. That were armed to the teeth could easily be the death of him and many other higher officers in the military.

Sighing the Fuhrer pulled out an old file. He never thought he might need to enact this plan, but if it comes down to it he just might have to.

Formal Plan of Motion #76

Complete termination of all slaves involved within a rebellion

note the Fuhrer has not started this plan yet just in case anyone was not sure but he might so oh no! anyway reviews are loved^^ see ya' next chapter