Berthold Hawkeye, his wife, daughter and protege have been settled in the city of Faufas, a hostile border in the west, for two months. He was tasked for the fist time on a militant commission though this one was an exception. It was for building a giant wall, and it took about two months for the two (Hawkeye and Mustang) to lay down the right amount of materials of the wall at the key axis points of the giant transmutation circle. Berthold was keen on finishing early to slip away before war erupted (again) and be forced to face with a situation where he'd use his alchemy, or his conscience.

But the neighboring city of Albupow had a trade block, then hostilities. That was the only city line back to Central. When Hawkeye activated the giant walls for Faufas, he has sentenced his life in the second most hostile border (that's after Ishval). It would be a miracle for Mustang to push through with his deal. There was no escape, they built the wall themselves

Berthold was standing in the public market a few kilometers away from the last train out of the city. It was while holding a basket-full of groceries that he was ambushed by the state in blue clad uniforms with gruff faces and mean looks.

'You're under arrest! Hawkeye!'

His face is punched into the floor making him taste dirt through broken glasses. Berthold inwardly wonders if the government is finally going to force him to give his flame alchemy, that two months was too long to stay in one place

'We know what you've hidden. Now you think you're so smart.'

His face was raised up with the man's gruff hands pulling his hair.

'You were hiding an opium cartel, a multiple offense fugitive , the xingese black for almost a span of a year!'

Berthold's mind draws a blank. xingese bla- excuse me?

'You will be imprisoned, to rot in the darkest jail in the whole of Amestirs, Cental Area's Paumis! And don't think you're wife got away with it, she's strewn packed into the last train last train out of here.'

Central huh? the most impenetrable location from Amestrian borders. A stroke of luck . damn no. no this was not what I bargained for kid. Can't get me out, so you put me in Central?!The blue men stuff Berthold into a staete car and his legs are wrangled stuffy and nervous drained from blood.

This was not what I bargained for mustang. This was not the deal.

Heracles is commonly portrayed wearing a lion's head, a tribute he won after slaying the nimean lion as his first labor. The nimean lion supposedly represented animal passions. When Heracles donned it on his head afterwards, he was able to see through the eyes of his previous passions, but still bear the lion's body on his back. this is why this must be the first labor.

Mister mustang dashed through the cobbled streets quickly, losing himself in the sea of people, of panicked people anxious about finding family or finding a way over walls to get to the train tracks, somehow.

He finds a most unlikely person.

'MISS Hawkeye?! You're supposed to be on the train.'

She slapped him on the face.

'You incarcerated my father!'

'It was the only way miss Hawkeye. (if it not be so obvious). I think I've given sufficient evidence for him to be bailed out. He'll get out. I assure you.'

Her eyes are squinched. 'that was-'

'effective. it was effective.'

(except the part where he doesn't know how he'll save himself. let alone even hide in this tiny town of Faufas undetected, when it's bursting with these mad cretans. god, he wasn't a soldier)

An explosion from afar, gun shots overhead. Miss Hawkeye trips Roy to the floor and wield out a gun to their defense. These people are innocent, why are they shooting? a handgun of all things! She deftly shoots back at hostiles, aiming oddly at their legs.

'let's get out of here, sir'

'alright'

I guess she has experience with the saving. We pass through broad walks and alleys and through shadows and light, with the panic in the distance. We meet dead ends, and I sketched rapid circles. There was a riot of people flooding the Faufas that was gleaming new, near the trains, people were being trampled and suffocated by the pressure of crowds. They could hear people crying. The don't even remember how this started.

Mustang squeezed through the pack (holding unto her wrist) enough to approach a wall section that seemed to be e weaker point (he couldn't remember the design). He drew a big enough circle, a big wide one that could fit people. He activated the circled, it glowed, cracked but failed.

Shit. He rapidly countered, through the hails of people pounding behind him. He drew another circle, he helped build this wall he could punch a hole through. He did. And it crashed loud clear, asunder and he was almost trampled by the flood of people passing through. Miss Hawkeye buoyed him out held him close.

'Maybe this would stop it,' he said pointing at the waves of people.'if enough loading bay gets too crowded or they block the tracks they couldn't possibly operate the trains. they'd have to negotiate-'

A blue flash appears large and dangerous, an explosion unlike any the Roy has seen before. Through the smoke he sees all the wounded civilians it hit, crying weeping in the rubble as a man in a white suit with a long ponytail appears from chaos. His head is hig, so this is a state alchemist, thought Roy.

I'm Kimblee, the man in white waved to the crowd. He ordered the people to shut the damn up. Roy eyes the alchemic rune on Kimblee's hand an eye, that shoots apparently some form of electricity. There's a pressed tension in this crowd. He's heard of this Kimblee, hey say he has a philosopher's stone. Roy has good taste to mimic the technique, finds a white glove on him and sketch a rune pattern that would work on train station's floor.

'No one passes me!' Kimblee shouts. He yabs about being pissed with this nuisance shows no remorse for the people he's hurt. I can easily do this to all of you. No one, will follow is.

Roy thought: what the hell am I doing.

WAIT!

Kimblee shoots a glare at Roy, and with overbearing stares from the population of Faufas, Roy raises his hands up, weaving his way through the rest of the distance between him and Kimblee.

'I-' Kimblee kicks at Roy's knees and shoots his arms into a headlock. Roy swoops down and activates a circle at hi feet. It sinks Kimblee's feet into the ground, he lets out a yelp.

'You NEED alchemists right?' Roy shouts. Kimblee twists harder into the lock, shooting pain through Mustang's arms, up his neck, like a knife.

'You need c-combat alchemists right?' Roy repeats.

Kimblee keeps his glare at Roy's eyes, Roy had his foot and weight on the state alchemist's ankle. The military man eyes was wincing in pain, if this was a battle of will then.

'Get me on that train with her.' Roy begs shouts, points at Riza with his eyes, who was now precariously close, gun ready in her hands.

'We don't need soft soldiers kid' Kimblee hisses.

Roy jerks his body unto the ankle and Kimblee is rendered shocked with pain. Mustang wrestles out of the lock, and slams Kimblee to the floor.

'But your fuhrer needs recruits mr. state alchemist. and I'm pretty damn good.'

Kimblee laughs, a little hysterical. 'so be it.'

Arriving at the train station, I felt relief. I finally did it, I saved them. Sort of.

I whipped around behind me to the giant crowd of the platforms. My arm gripped at nothing. I lost her.

-end of part two-