'ELLO~! Doibz's back! So hey! Lookie here! Another chapter added a day early! Hurray! Actually, I'm going to be away for the next week for READING WEEK (No more coding! Or stupid boring classes!) with no internet starting tomorrow so I might as well post the new chapter today! Yays~! So CHECK IT OUT! SOMEONE IN THE STORY'S GOING ON AN ADVENTURE! Lolz, kinda, but not really, just in the beginning and for only a short time, too. It'll continue on in a later chapter but not for a little while.

Also, MORE P.O.V.s! That's good too! But whom? You'll find out sooon~

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, if I did, my life would be complete and awesome, but sadly, it is not. All I own are my OC characters, nothing special.

~Doibz

When I first joined up to work in S.A.F.A., Février and I weren't as close as we were now, but it soon changed when we were sent off on our first assignment together after Ramon and I's little 'game' we had earlier on. I remember it quite well because it was my first assignment where I went east through the desert to the country called Xing. It was the longest duration mission I've done to this day actually.

Our mission was to find a small group of Xingese immigrants who were sneaking back and forth across the desert into our country and see what they were up to and where from Xing did they come from. At first, it was originally intended for just Février, the Head of S.A.F.A., to go on his own, but at the last minute Bradley requested me to join him. His reasons was for me 'to gain experience', as well as 'to familiarize myself with their country and customs for the benefit of ours'.

I still think it was to 'smarten me up', but that's just my opinion…

Our plan was to travel at night to escape the heat along with the caravan, especially as we were in our black uniforms, and stay at least half a day's travel from them. We were only permitted to carry the necessities with us, such as food and water, for each of us, just enough to last until we reach the border of Xing anyways. On our way to rest a place called the Xerxes ruins, which is about at the halfway point to Xing, we started to chat with each other, of course, since there wasn't very much else we could do in the middle of night.

"Hey, Fév," I called out to him. "How did you come to join S.A.F.A.?" I asked.

"It's a funny story, actually…" He said with a snort as he unzipped his bullet-proof vest and his jacket, letting loose a silver necklace with a silver coin-like pendant dangle freely. "I actually used to be a thief…"

My head spun over to him as my eyes widen. "A thief?" I questioned doubtfully.

"Yeah."

"I don't believe you."

"And why is that?" Février said as he turned his head over to me with a cheeky smile on his face. "Is it because of my adorable face? C'mon, admit it. That's something you'd say, right?"

I furrowed my brows at this I raised my arms up. "Mature. I was going to say mature." I said before I raised my eyebrow. He does kinda look a little adorable… I shook my head at this before I turned back to Fév. "Anyways, how come you were… a thief?"

"Well, like I said earlier, it's a funny story…" He said turning his head back in front of him to the rolling sandy dunes that stretched for miles and miles away as far as our eyes could see in the darkness. "I may not look or act like it now, but I was quite a delinquent. It wasn't like I had anyone to tell me right from wrong."

"You mean…?"

"Yeah. That's right. I was told my mother died giving birth to me and my father was too young to even know what do with me, and, well… you get the picture." He began as his voice started to get lower. "Since I never had anyone to tell me what to do, I kinda got into a bad crowd, and I started to get into the habit of stealing things. At first it was just small thing like food and clothes," He then snorted as he shook his head.

"What?"

"Then one time, I broke into Bradley's estate."

My head spun over to him. "YOU DID WHAT?!"

He started to chuckle as he continued on. "Yeah… It wasn't the brightest idea in the world, I know." He then snorted as he dropped his head down. "I still remember that night like it was yesterday… I was almost killed by Bradley… That was the scariest thing I've ever been through."

HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE MAN?!

"So how did you learn about S.A.F.A. in the first place?" I asked trying to dispose how this guy's right here with me functioning properly.

"Surprisingly, Bradley was impressed in my skills of avoiding his sword and even sneaking in his mansion without alerting a single guard in and out of the mansion during their night-watch. He complimented me on it actually. That was when he told me about S.A.F.A. and he asked me to join in. So, yeah, I took it and that's where we are now."

I smirked at this as we arrived in the outskirts of Xerxes a few hours before dawn. Before long, we set up camp inside some old ruins and rested our weary feet from treading through the sand for days. As Fév was making a small campfire for the two of us, more questions came to mind, one in particular that came to mind ever since I joined S.A.F.A.…

"Hey, Fév, how did you even become the Head of S.A.F.A.?"

A small smile came to his face as his face was illuminated by the fire's flames flickering and cracking in the darkness. "Years ago, since I've joined S.A.F.A., I was partnered up with the last head of S.A.F.A.. He was the oldest and most experienced member of S.A.F.A. had in years…" He said as his eyes lowered to the small flames of the campfire. "He taught me everything he knew about our duties and our responsibility as assassins for Amestris… As well as…"

When he trailed off like that, it was obvious to me where this was going. "What happened to him?"

It took Fév a moment to put his words together, but he eventually spoke up. "We were on an assassination mission in Drachma." He began. "Our mission was to kill a general who was known for leading numerous attacks along our borders to the north, this was when the non-aggression pact agreement was just put into place, too. Just when we were about to complete our mission, he was shot from his blind-spot in the middle of a huge snowstorm. I tried to save him, but the snowstorm was just too intense for me to do so… and he refused me to carry him through the snow."

"He said that I shouldn't risk my own life to save an old fart like him, that he already done his part in life." Février continued as a small smile came to his face, reaching up to the coin he wore around his neck, the fire flickering into its reflection. "He then told me something that each of the Head of S.A.F.A. had said from one assassin to another… His resignation and his successor for his position as Head of S.A.F.A.."

He then shrugged his shoulders and let the necklace fall to his chest. "And that's that. He died after naming me his successor back up there… Buried under feet of snow. I wouldn't be surprised if the snow preserved his body…"

I couldn't help but to feel the sense of respect Février had for his former Head and partner radiate off him. In my opinion, anyways, it seemed that this man that he spoke of was something more to him, like the father-figure that he never had. It touched my heart. With this in mind, a smile came to my face. "At least he went in peace." I told him, making him smile at this.

"Yeah… He always did like the snow for some reason…"

"What's wrong with snow?"

"It's too damn cold and wet for me."

I snorted at this. "I'd rather be in a snowstorm than out here in the desert. I don't think you've noticed or anything, but I'm getting a sunburn on my forehead by just stepping out into the light."

"It's not like we have a choice where our missions will take place now, do we?"

"One can wish, can't they?"

Février rolled his eyes at this as he turned his head away from me with a smirk on his face. "We might as well get some rest before the caravan starts to move out again."

"Yeah, right…" I said lying down on the hard stone ground as I put my pouch under my head as a pillow. Just when I closed my eyes, a thought came to mind making me reopen them and turn back to Février. "Hey, Fév, one more question," I began making him turn his head over to me. "Just out of curiosity, if something were to happen to you, who would you make as the new Head of S.A.F.A.?"

Fév crossed his arms and took a moment to ponder this with a sigh glancing down to the necklace resting on his chest. "Hm… You know, I never really thought about it until now…" He began. "But it's hard to say. Everyone has their own unique skills and strengths… and weaknesses…" He held out a hand and flicked a finger out. "Let's see, Mars is too lazy to lead a team and would prefer to stay behind and provide us all our gear, Ramon's too independent to want to be a leader… I wouldn't dare let Leo take charge of the coffee pot, never mind leave him in the S.A.F.A. room alone…" I snorted at this. The last time we had coffee that Leo made, he nearly blew up the coffee maker 'cause he thought that it was broken, and so he decided to use alchemy to 'fix it'. That only ended up with everybody and nearly everything in the room covered in coffee grinds. How he did it on such a simple task, no one knows. "And Birdy's pretty quiet the majority of the time…" He then let out a troubled sigh.

I furrowed my brow at him from not hearing my name being called out. "What about me, in my current position?"

"In your current position, you're a rookie." He simply replied quickly – a little too quickly to me, anyways. He then smirked at me. "But in my opinion, you have a better chance."

"… What do you mean?" I asked.

"It's because you're still a rookie, which means you have plenty of time to grow and get stronger." He said before he cocked an eyebrow at me as he held his necklace up to me. "That is, if you'd be serious in becoming the next Head…"

That was when I noticed for the first time the design on the coin. Engraved was the symbol for our organization, the symbol of the caged dragon. It was similar to the dragon engraving that the State Alchemist pocket watches had engraved, but instead, the dragon's head was lowered, as if it were bowing it's head, while the rest of its body was wrapped around an upside down triangle. It was the symbol that we S.A.F.A. assassins bore on our left arm of our uniform (although Mars wore hers' on an armband since she wore no sleeves). Its bowed head symbolizes our loyalty to the State, and the body wrapped around the triangle represented that we serve the State, bounded to it with our lives. Only when we die can we be free from this service.

It's kinda sad when you think about it.

I turned my head away from him with the thought in mind. At the time, I couldn't see myself to be the Head of S.A.F.A.. To me, it sounded like a lot of responsibility for someone who just recently joined a secret force of assassins. He's right to say that I was a rookie, but he was also right when he said that I still have time to gain experience and knowledge…

It was just a manner of time… if I wanted to that is.

"Okay, I know I said 'one more question' earlier, but," I began turning my head back to him. "How did Bradley come to name you 'Février' in the first place?"

"When I snuck into Bradley's mansion years ago, it was in the middle of February."

"…Seriously?"

"Yep."

"Is that how he picks names for people?"

" Y'Never know… Could be worse, Red-Head."

"… Did you just call me 'Red-Head'?"

"So, what about it? I could name you worse, Mars made a few… if you want-"

"I don't want to know…"

When I arrived at the train station after leaving the hospital once learning of Ed and Al's trip to Dublith, I decided to call in to S.A.F.A. and let Février know that I'm heading south with the Elrics as well as what happened as I waited for the Elrics to get here. When I did, though, I was surprised that he didn't pick up the phone. Very unusual of Février not to pick up, unless he was maybe called out for an emergency…

"Weird…" I questioned as I put the phone back on the receiver.

"What's up?" A voice called out from behind me, making me jump as I spun my head around to see Février standing outside of the phone booth with a devious grin on his face and his hands in his pockets as he was dressed in his casual wear.

I placed my hand on my chest as I caught my breath. "Holy crap, DON'T DO THAT, you scared the shit out of me!" I said before I glared at him. "You seriously need a bell on you…"

Fév snorted at this as he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not called the 'Silent Stalker' for nothing."

I made a face at him. "Oh my God, you're such a creep." I said shaking my head at him. His cheeks were dusted pink upon realizing my joke.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Fév retorted with frustration as I let out a grumble. He then rolled his eyes at me before we started to get serious. "So, what's going on now? Heading somewhere?"

"Edward and Alphonse are going south to visit their old teacher in Dublith. But before we go there we're stopping in Rush Valley for a quick stop for their friend who's tagging along with us."

I noticed Février's smile turn to a frown as a concerning look came from his usually cheery bright blue eyes. "Dublith?" He questioned before he realized something. "That's the place where you've went missing for a week a few years back, right?"

"Yeah… it is…" I said turning my head away from him as I crossed my arms over my chest. "It shouldn't be too bad this time, though. I think I'll behave myself and stay on the down low once we get there."

"Why can't you do that on all of your assignments instead of being… like that?" He questioned as he gestured me with a twirl of his finger directed at me.

"Shut up! I am who I am, and I am awesome!" I said before I calmed myself down. "But before I go, do you mind checking out a few things while I'm gone? Some important things?"

Fév's eyebrow rose up at this. "Depends on what they are, I guess so."

"A friend of mine by the name of Colonel Hughes is checking out some information about those guys with the Ouroboros Tattoos. Could you keep an eye on him for me while I'm gone?"

"I suppose so…" He said taking it to mind. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, there's a team of researchers who were working under Marcoh back at the Fifth Laboratory a few years back…" I began as my eyes narrowed. "I was told by Bradley earlier today that they all went missing just before the whole place was blown to smithereens… mind confirming their whereabouts?"

I noticed the look of curiousness in his eyes as he finally nodded his head to my request. "Sure, will do."

"Hey, Colonel!" A voice called out, making me and Fév turn our heads to see Ed, Al and Winry being escorted by Uncle Alex and his subordinates as well as Gracia Hughes and her daughter was with them.

I turned my head over to Ed with a frown on my face as I uncrossed my arms. "What did I tell you guys, call me by my name, not my rank!" I said with a snort.

"Oh, right, sorry 'bout that…" Ed said before he turned his head over to Février next to me. "Oh, are you friends with Rae?" He asked him.

Fév smirked at him. "Oh wow! I never thought I'd meet the Fullmetal Alchemist in person so soon!" He said with a excited smile on his face as he held out his hand to him, in which Edward took before he was nearly shook around by Fév's flailing arms, making me laugh silently to his sudden change of behavior. "It's an honor to meet you, my name is Colonel Matthew Fantuz, I work with Sparrow under the Fuhrer."

I noticed that Uncle Alex was turned to him as his face showed signs of surprise to see another S.A.F.A. member with me as Ed and Al introduced themselves to Fév. "Aren't you… a little young to be a Colonel?"

I spun my head over to Fév to see him hold back a scowl from Edward's abrupt question. I could see in his eyes 'I hate you', and that he wanted to say 'Oh yeah? Well aren't you a little small to be in the military? Why don't you go take a hike, tiny-tyke'. He then let out a huff. "Well, truth is, I'm actually older than I look, but that's no big deal. Everybody make that mistake." He then straighten himself up before he turned his head back to me. "Anyways, I hope you have a safe trip, and keep in touch with me."

"Yeah, will do." I said waiving him off as he excused himself from the group. I then smirked as I called out to him in Aerugoan. "Entonces, ¿qué te parece? (So what do you think?)"

"No le gusta! (I don't like him!)" Fév replied quickly in a casual manner with a smile on his face and a small waive with his hand, making me snort.

"What? What did you guys say?" Ed asked me looking back and forth between me and Fév, unsure if he should be offended or not.

"Nothing, nothing. Don't worry about it." I said waiving him away, even though he narrowed his glare at me before he turned away from me.

After we said our goodbyes to Uncle Alex and his subordinates, Ross and Brosh, as well as Gracia Hughes and her daughter not too long after, Ed, Al, Winry and I were bound off for Rush Valley, much to Winry's delight before we head off to Dublith.

"So why is it so important that you guys suddenly see your teacher?" Winry asked Ed and Al.

"A couple of reasons," Ed began. "For a little starter, I'm tired of getting my ass kicked…"

I snorted at this as Winry got upset about the topic. "Wait, is this some kind of combat teacher? Why don't you quit fighting?!"

"Oh, that'd be nice! But sorry it's not as simple as that, okay? This isn't only about our fighting, our core needs a little work, too. Right, Al?"

I turned my head over the seat towards the two bickering as Alphonse spoke up with a nod. "Exactly. We feel that seeing our teacher will help us grow and make us stronger on the inside."

"Yeah, and we're gonna need as much strength as we can get…"

"What's reason two?"

"To see what she can tell us about the Philosopher's Stone."

"And to ask her about the 'truth within the truth'. We haven't gotten any closer to figuring it out. There's a chance our teacher knows something about it."

"Let's just hope she'll give us a chance to ask her… You should be more worried about explaining your appearance to her, Al… Considering… Considering…" Ed said as I could practically see the air around the two brothers get gloomier as they both started to panic with each other. "She's gonna kill us once she finds out what happened…!"

"It would have been nice to at least have a girlfriend before I died…!"

"Maybe you guys should get a new teacher…" Winry asked as I snorted at this.

I am sooo looking forward into meeting Ed and Al's teacher. This is going to be really interesting to watch, and I'll be getting a front row seat, too! I can't wait to get to Dublith!

~Février's P.O.V.~

"Cela devient ridicule… (This is getting ridiculous…)"

The more I started to read the list of names and comparing them to another list of missing reports, the more questions came to mind. Ever since Red asked me to search in this earlier today as well as keeping an eye on what Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was looking into, I questioned why she wanted that and why did Bradley revealed this information to her in the first place…

And I questioned what the hell was going on here as I've gotten my first headache in years.

It was late at night, near midnight, and I quickly snuck in and out of the Investigations Department and stole a copy of the list of Doctor Marcoh's research team from the Fifth Laboratory as well as a folder of recent missing reports. I took the folder and reports with me to a nearby park and I hid in a tree, using the lamppost lights to light up the documents enough for me to read. After I finished reading the reports in which all of Marcoh's research team's names were on it – just a few days before the laboratory crumbled – the all said names were filed under 'missing'. To even further my search, I even sought out the research team's residencies as well, and true to the reports, none of them were spotted. Confirming her suspicions, I started to question what she was trying to tell me through this information.

I know she tends to keep her information to herself when she should be confronting me about them, but I'm starting to get frustrated with this.

"What are you trying to tell me…?" I muttered as I crossed my arms over my chest with the files and folders resting on my lap, thinking of possible reasons in my head.

Just as I was about to climb out of the tree and head home for the night and ponder this another day, I stopped once I heard a set of footsteps coming towards my area nearby, making me climb up higher in the tree to hide in the thicker branches. I turned my head down to see a man in a military uniform running towards the phone booth nearby, when he turned his head to the side, I recognized the man as Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, the man that Red wanted me to keep an eye on for her while she was away…

I then noticed the red drops of blood on the ground leading up to him before I realized that he was attacked and was heavily injured on his right shoulder.

As he was trying to get a hold of somebody from the other line I watched as a dark-haired woman, also dressed in a military uniform, come up from behind him and aimed her handgun up to his head. I watched him turn his head around to her as the two exchanged a few words and before long I saw a small red spark once the woman tapped her left cheek…

"… What the hell was that?" I muttered as I squinted my eyes towards the two, noticing that Hughes was getting nervous and frightened. I would too, mind you if I knew what was going on.

I then turned my attention to the woman in the uniform and I lost my breath once a red spark appeared changing the dark-haired woman to a blonde woman in casual clothing before my very eyes. As Hughes turned around about to take this… this thing down, he stopped and hesitated to the woman before him before she shot him.

He fell backwards to the bottom of the phone booth before the thing changed again, this time in the shape of that scrawny man in black that Red had a picture of.

As the man walked away from Hughes' dying body, everything that I believed what is what is turned on its head. I had my doubts about it, even after that day when Red reported it in, but now with this new evidence, that picture, what I just witnessed…

I'm speechless. I can't even think of a word to describe this level of doubt other than fear itself.

"Red, you've gotten us into some deep shit here…"

~Rae's P.O.V.~

I jerked my head up from a dead slumber some time later and I turned my head outside of the window seeing that the train we were on was at a station. As I rubbed my eyes away from the sleep, thinking that we're still gonna have a long way to go left, Winry stepped into my booth with a huge smile on her face, which only said one thing to me…

"Oh, you're awake! Right on time. We're here in Rush Valley!" She said as she started to get excited to get off the train with an excited giggle.

I couldn't help but to smirk at her eagerness as I stood up to see Ed and Al following the overly excited mechanic off the train, and once we did…

"RUSH VALLEY!" Winry said before she started to squeal with joy, dancing around as she started to look around the whole town seeing nothing but automail here and there. I turned my head over to Ed and Al to see them sigh at Winry's behavior as she started to run around to each shop seeing their wares, acting like she was a little girl on a huge shopping spree, which I think that's what she thinking about anyways.

The moment a couple of street side automail mechanic noticed Ed's arm and leg were made of automail, Ed was completely swarmed with mechanics left and right before they started stripped him down to nothing but his underwear. I burst out into laughter wishing I had a camera with me as I reached into my wallet and pulled out a five thousand cenz[1] note and waived it in the air, whistling at Edward as I chanted 'Take it off!' a couple of times.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Edward screamed at me shielding himself as his face turned beat red, redder than his trademark coat, making me laugh even harder.

At that moment, I decided to reserve that one note I pulled out as Ed's first stripper's note…

That is if I could find it…

Strangely enough, my note disappeared from my fingertips; even Ed's pocket watch was gone, too. Ed, Al and Winry started to panic at this, although I was more worried about my note than his watch, as a couple of mechanic nearby said that someone by the name of 'Paninya', a pickpocket who's likely to have stole Ed's pocket watch and my note for Ed. When Ed asked them where he could find her, they said that they'd tell him if he let them look at his automail, which prompted Edward more than happy to threaten them with a makeshift blade he used to make with his automail arm.

The two men pointed us off to see a man by the name of Dominic, an automail mechanic who lives up in the mountains where this Paninya-girl lives with. After when we treaded through the mountains in the hot heat, and me getting my forehead sunburnt in the process, we finally found her and caught her at Dominic's property, we were invited inside by his son and his pregnant wife, Ridel and Satera.

After when we were properly introduced to the whole household of people in this automail shop, after Ed was stripped again for the shop owner Dominic to see his limbs as well as Winry being denied to be taken in as an apprentice, we were invited to stay out here for the night due to the trouble we went through as well as the downpour outside. Just when things were getting quiet for the night, Satera started to go into labor with her child making everyone in the household go into a bloody panic.

Eventually the only one who had the most medical experience here was Winry so she was charged with doing the delivery as Dominic went out to get the doctor from the bottom of the mountain. After a long and tedious time went by, for me anyways, the baby was born happy and healthy. When everybody calmed down after the birth, Ed finally confronted Paninya and forced her to give back his pocket watch, as well as my missing note.

"This is yours, right?" Ed said as he handed the hefty amounted note to me, making me smile as I took it from him.

"Well, yes and no." I told him as I stepped over to a table and pulled out a pen and wrote 'Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist's First Stripper Note' on it and showed it to him, making his face turn red as his red coat as he tried to take it from me even though I raised my arm up over my head. I looked up at the holy item. "You know what, I could keep it make a huge profit off of this… I should go in the middle of Central and announce 'Come one! Come all! See the one and only, authentic bill that Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, was given when he stripped down to nothing but his tighty-whities! Only one thousand cenz[2]!'" I said changing the tone of my voice.

"NO! YOU ARE NOT GETTING THAT BACK AFTER I DESTROY IT! GIVE IT TO ME, YOU PSYCHOPATH!" He said as he tried reach up and get it with no luck thanks to his height difference.

I brought my other hand out to his forehead and pushed him away as he continued to try to take my now most treasured possession EV-ER. "The only way you'll ever get it is if you strip for me-" I then gasped as I turned my head down to him as the greatest idea in the world came to mind. My head spun down to Ed as I had the biggest puppy-dog eyes in my entire life plastered on my face. "Edward, I know what you should get for me for my birthday…!"

"NOO!"

The next morning before we left Dominic's place, Winry was encouraged to go seek out an engineer and a friend of his down in the town that would be interested in having her as his apprentice.

With just Ed, Al and myself left for the journey as we left Winry back in Resembool, we continued our journey to Dublith, a place that I haven't been to for a long time now…

~Février's P.O.V.~

The day of Hughes' funeral came to and I watched the entire service from across the graveyard with a pair of binoculars at hand. There were a number of people there, both military and civilian alike. There were a few people I recognized there, Hughes' widowed wife and daughter, of course, as well as Red's uncle and her client Mustang – even the Fuhrer was there as well to attend the service.

Throughout the entire time I watched the coffin being buried under earth, I could hear Hughes' daughter cry out in tears. And it made me feel sick in my stomach… But not in the way you would think.

As the Head of S.A.F.A., I know that our responsibility is to help our country from the shadows, without being seen or heard, like we never existed at all. Our duty is to save the people of our country, to protect them, and yet, as S.A.F.A., we cannot intervene and help them personally or out of courtesy without revealing ourselves to the world. Just the knowledge of our existence to our most trusted and loved ones is risky as it is. As long as we are kept a secret from the public, it's the only way of protection this country got. The night when Hughes died, I couldn't do anything to help him, other than be a 'witness' and notify the military of his death in that phone booth as a civilian no matter how much I wanted to help him. I couldn't jump in and defend him. Instead, I just watched him die by the hands of that thing…

That is why I feel sick to my stomach.

It sickens me with all these rules that we are to obey while in the line of duty as S.A.F.A., it's been like that since I've joined this group, too. And now, as the Head of S.A.F.A., the only thing I can do is follow and respect the rules like the Heads before me.

By the time the sun set that evening, I noticed that Red's client, Colonel Mustang was doing some of his own investigation on Hughes' murder. I was told by Red and Mars a while ago that the two of them were quite good friends, and from Mars' report on Mustang, friends since their days back in the military academy. I understand how he would feel after losing his friend. I have, a few times, all of them throughout my entire service in S.A.F.A.. I could feel his pain that he felt.

It's something that I don't like one bit.

I followed Mustang as he went to each point where Hughes was seen all the way up to his death in the phone booth outside the Investigation Department. He seemed to notice that Hughes found out something very important to go outside to use the phone other than using the ones inside, that much I know. But why? Have he found something out the guys with the Ouroboros Tattoos that Red asked me to also look into? Something that important he doesn't want to risk the military finding out about?

Frustration started to overcome me as I watched Mustang from the rooftop overlooking the phone booth. Before long, a woman escorted Red's uncle, the Strong-Arm Alchemist to talk with Mustang. The three of them moved from the area into an alleyway nearby and had a chat with each other for a few minutes before Strong-Arm Alchemist left the two. I followed them…

"Hey, you!" A voice called out, making me turn my head down to Mustang and the woman accompanying him. "I've noticed you've been following me around… There's no point in hiding anymore."

I couldn't help but to smirk at this foolish rookie mistake of being caught. So much of my title as the 'Silent Stalker', I must be losing my touch. But nonetheless, I complied with Mustang's request. I jumped down from the rooftop and I turned to the two.

"Well… This is kinda embarrassing on my part…" I said as I took a few steps towards them until the woman reached into her coat for a firearm and pointed it towards me, causing me to stop in my tracks and raise my hands up. "There's no need to be so defensive. I'm not armed, I don't like carrying around all that stuff you guys do."

"I demand you tell me who you are." He said giving me a glare.

"Colonel Mustang," I began as I unzipped my collar down a bit before I took my hood off my head and turned back to him with an assuring smile on my face. "My name's Février, the Head of S.A.F.A.. It's a pleasure to meet you on this unfortunate day."

"… The Head of S.A.F.A.?" He questioned me with wide eyes as they both lowered their guard. "So you work with Red?"

"That's right. Your friend there, Col-no, Brigadier General Hughes." I corrected myself. "I heard you were good friends with him since you've met in the military academy. I'm sorry to hear him end up like this…"

Mustang narrowed his eyes at me, obviously not comfortable about the subject. "How do you know about him?"

"Red asked me to keep an eye on him and do some snooping around while she's with the Elric Brothers down south."

"About what exactly?"

"One in particular, Doctor Marcoh's research team from Laboratory Five." I paused. "What did the Strong-Arm Alchemist tell you just recently?"

Mustang started to question my subject at hand as he started to come up with something to say. "He said that there's a strong lead on multiple suspects – a group – who is responsible for Hughes' death."

The guys with the Ouroboros Tattoo, obviously. "What else?"

"He refused to talk even when I ordered him to, which means someone higher of my rank ordered him to keep quiet, maybe someone of Senior ranking." Mustang paused. "And he told me that the Elric brothers were researching a legend; the Philosopher's Stone."

As they both started to question each other in the overall subject, I turned my head away from them as I put together all of the pieces of information together…

And it started to make sense.

The Strong-Arm Alchemist said that he was 'ordered' not to speak of something, so I'm assuming that Red was there as well when she told me was about the guys with the Ouroboros Tattoos, Marcoh's research team and their disappearance, as well as keeping quiet about the Philosopher's Stone…

All while being under order to keep quiet by Bradley…

"There's no difference between the two. I will become the Fuhrer of this country." Mustang spoke out catching my attention, making me turn my head over to him as he ruffled his hair up. "And I will take vengeance for Hughes. I will do these things because I have to do them." He turned to his subordinate. "I'm going after the Senior Staff, are you with me, Lieutenant?"

"Do you even have to ask?" She questioned.

Good thing I never told you I knew who killed your buddy then, I thought as I turned back to him with a grin on my face. "So you're gonna rise up and kick Bradley out of his seat, huh? Well, I wish you luck, Colonel. Maybe you'd be the one commanding S.A.F.A. one day."

Mustang turned back to me with a narrowed gaze. "Are you going to tell him that?"

"Tell Bradley that he's going to have some competition for his seat?" I paused before I shook my head and turned away from him. "Nope. As Head of S.A.F.A., I don't really like some of his… decisions. I don't know if Red told you this already, but some of us at S.A.F.A. don't like Bradley…"

~Mustang's P.O.V.~

"See you around, Mustang."

Just when I was about to call out to him to ask him more questions, he quickly climbed up the length of one of the building's rain gutters before he vanished over the rooftop's edge.

The Lieutenant and I just stood there frozen to the sight before us. "That was incredibly fast…" She said with a whisper.

"She said the same thing…" I said before I came to a realization, making the Lieutenant turn over to me. "He and Red both told me 'some of us at S.A.F.A. don't like Bradley'… I wonder what they meant by that…?"

[1] – Since their 'cenz' is pretty much the equivalent to our world's yen, I've decided to do some conversions so we can all get an idea of how much in US/CND funds anyways. As of the day I wrote this, 5000 cenz/¥5000 is about $50 USD/CND.

[2] – Like the first, 1000 cenz = $10 USD/CND