I stared at the car. I had just bought a broken-down piece of junk from an elderly man, struggling to pay hospital bills. It couldn't take me too long to make it into a replica of my Bonnie, right?

I was using my American counterpart to research how much I'd have to modify this piece of junk, and I was surprised. I might as well try from scratch! But I had a base of the car, and I could quickly transmute it into my car. All I had to do was ...

"What are you doing?" Hughes asked me.

I jumped, scattering my notes every which way. "Dammit, Hughes!" I snarled. "I'm trying to make something for my Alchemy assessment in a few months! Can't you just give me a break and let me do my research?!"

Hughes just laughed at me. "You're acting like Roy when that time of year comes around! Of course, he usually makes stuff up so he passes."

I grinned. "Really? Well then, I could just do that and work on this on the side. But if I don't work on this, there's no way I can help this country and their vehicular problems!" I gestured to the paper that listed everything wrong with the junker I had bought. Hughes looked at it and swallowed, shaking his head.

"You know, you never told me your story last month. I'm dying to know!" Hughes poked me by the shoulder blade. "I'd like to hear it!"

I shot him a scowl. "I don't recall saying that!" I snapped. "But if it'll get you to stop pestering me, then sit down and I'll tell you."

Hughes just sat beside me, careful not to crinkle any of my notes. "Well, go on."

I started gathering my papers as I began, "Well, before I start into anything, I'm going to say this: I come from another world, in a time that's yet to come. More like the future from another world. This world is where science has developed much like Alchemy did here. In that world, there's no such thing as alchemical transmutations. Just reactions.

"The majority of everything in my home world is advanced. Our cars are more sleek and aerodynamic, also engineered to save gas, therefore allowing more miles to the gallon. The tires are more wide, allowing for more control of the vehicle. The majority have automatic transmissions, where you don't have to physically shift gears. We have more technology than you do here, and our medicine is more advanced, too. Due to this, the population of the world had reached over seven billion a few years ago. People have lived to over a hundred!"

I paused, now absorbed in sorting my notes again. "There's so many things that I can't explain to you because it's hard. But I can try to explain some of the technology that's available to people in my world. We have these phones that we carry in our pocket. No, I'm not talking about that ten pound thing on your desk, I'm talking less than a pound. They're usually mostly useful when they have a signal provided by a company that helps you to call from anywhere. Think of it like a portable phone that you can carry with you and use to talk to people all the time. However, they have their downsides, since they run on a battery, a portable power source." I looked up at Hughes, who was giving me a fake smile.

I sighed, shaking my head. "I know, it sounds far-fetched." I finished sorting my notes. "But it's true. I can prove it to you when I've got this done. I'm just hoping I can make it in time."

"It's not that I doubt you, but it does sound like a dream."

I froze. Wait, I still had my cell phone in my bag! It was at my apartment, but I know I have it. "Wait right there! I'll be right back, with proof of my world!" I dashed out of his office, earning me a chuckle.

When I got back to Hughes' office, I skidded to a halt. "Hughes!" I called as I entered. "I told yo-"

"Oh, my daughter's the cutest little thing!"

I groaned, shaking my head. Of course Hughes would be talking on the phone about his family. Once again. I decided to ignore him and turned my cell phone on. While it was coming on, I used alchemy to repair the broken screen on my iPod and tried to turn it on. However, it refused and I put it back in my bag. "Well, that's a bummer." I mumbled. While I waited for Hughes to hang up, I returned to my notes. A Model A was almost exactly like what I had bought, so I should be able to modify the body to the sedan style of my car. But the engine and the workings of the two were different. My car had many parts to it, and I doubted that this car had a catalytic converter. Not to mention the major difference in horsepower and engine style. I would be busy for a while. At least it was something I enjoyed doing ... sort of.

The process would take me a while, and I would need more materials. I'd need the whole washer fluid assembly, Air Conditioner compressor and Freon, among other things. Plastic for the cooling fans, lots of wires, and more plastic and rubber. Not to mention the metals inside a catalytic converter!

I groaned, putting my head on the books for today. "This is going to take forever!" I complained. "Besides the extra metal, the rubber, the precious metals, the engine is going to have to be redesigned, along with the radiator, and ... Oooohh ..."

Everything went black.

"This is what you spent this past year on, Imitation?"

I nodded, finally having finished with my car. The transmission cooling lines had started leaking oil, which put me back about a month while I worked on tweaking the engine. "I've taken a lot of time, research, and effort into making this beauty here."

"Care to give us an explanation?" the General asked.

"Well, what I've done is ..." I went into a detailed explanation into how the engine worked, showed them the electric start up, which got their attention. The quieter engine made them start talking to each other, and when I tried to explain all the workings, they stopped me.

"I know you've put a lot of work into this. But we're not mechanics. I'd say you've passed with more than enough this year." The general quickly signed the forms, and I smiled evilly. I figured he just didn't want to hear the details on how the sensors communicated. As the officers and personnel left, I started checking the transmission lines. I still didn't trust them with the repair work I had done. My head under the hood, leaning over the engine ... It was bound to happen sometime.

So I did the first thing that came to my head. I straightened up and slapped them across the face.

I had to admit, the black oil streaks on his face added something to it. The look of shock, though ... Man, I would never hear the end of this.

"Hey, er, Graves." Hughes pulled out a handkerchief and tried to wipe the oil off his face. When I started to laugh more, he gave up. "Just wanted to let you know that there's a rumor going around that the Chopper's been getting restless. Same way of killing, with bodies mutilated and bled out. Almost like meat ..."

I sighed, taking the cloth from his hand and using it to finish getting the oil off. "Sorry about slapping you, sir. I warned you that I was easily startled. And don't you worry about that killer. I was doing something other than tinkering with my new possession." I patted myself on the back for being such a FMA-know-it-all. I knew what his shop was, and when it was open. I just needed the location. "You wouldn't happen to have a map of the city, would you?"

"You've been living here for how long, taken more than enough patrols, and still need a map?" Hughes sighed and shook his head. "You're hopeless with directions, you now that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. If you don't mind, I'll be in the office, looking a butcher." I turned, pulled my hood down and stopped about six inches from the latch. I adjusted my hold and jerked my hands back, effectively latching the hood. I made sure that my car was locked and went into command. Within a few minutes, I had the directions I needed to find Barry.

Good luck, and I do hope you know what you're doing.

I smirked. "Oh, I do."