-"Montes… .. Montes." A man was attempting to wake Catalina who was deeply asleep on the sofa of her office."Montes!" this time he shook her shoulders with more force. This caused the woman to shoot up so fast that her head struck the man's forehead with her own. Both drew back moaning in pain, hand over injury.
-"Such a thick-headed woman." the injured man muttered. "Why do you even own a house if you practically live here?" He demanded
-"Why good morning Mustang, I am so happy that the first thing I am seeing today is your pained face." She responded. Then sitting up on her couch, she explained. "It was late and I was too tired, Plus I have extra clothes and there are showers here." Catalina was now stretching while the Colonel was still sitting on the floor. Smiling she said
-"So, what's up Mustang? It's been a while, I've missed you." She teased with a wink, but deep down she really had. She motioned him to take a seat.
-"I heard you met Fullmetal at the Tucker residence yesterday." He began to speak casually.
-"Tea?" She interrupted, he nodded.
-"I wanted to ask you a big favor, please let me know if it will be too difficult." Catalina boiled water instantly with alchemy and was placing the jasmine leaves. "You've heard that there is a murderer named Scar running around and we have very little information on him. Those boys are an easy target for him. I know as for staff you technically cannot so easily assign low ranking officers, but would you be able to find them escorts?" His eyes followed the general's movements as she began to approach the table with a smile.
-"Alphonse's voice is one of a 6 yr old despite being a preteen turns out that a soul's voice cannot mature without a body." Catalina placed the teacups on the table and poured the promised tea. "Why didn't you tell me, that's a heavy load to carry on your own." She whispered with emotion.
The Colonel flinched. -"You have a much heavier load than mine, Montes. You'd only worry too much and devote too much of your time to them. That's unfair to the rest of the alchemists."
-"Roy." Her voice made him flinch more than the warm temperature of the tea that hit his tongue. -"Ever since I've advanced in the ranks you've become more distant." Her eyes pierced his. -"But I concur, thank you for caring for me." Sighing she glanced at the robins outside of the window. "Major Armstrong could use a successful mission to help him gain respect in the military again. Lts Ross and Brosh are under Maes, he'll lend them to you. Now, let me fill out the paperwork since there hasn't been sufficient evidence on Scar to justify escorts, I'll pull the strings."
-"You know it's scary you know most every soldier in Amestris." Roy laughed.
-"You're exaggerating, only those currently operational in Central and those who were." She frowned when she realized how that wasn't helping her. -"It's not as scary as your mini skirt dream."
-"How is that even scary? I swear Montes you-
-"Catalina." She corrected, the colonel huffed in response.
-"I swear Montes that you bring that up whenever you can." He got up while adjusting his coat. -"Thank you for your time, Montes, I am always in debt to what you've done for me and my subordinates." Suddenly his knee received a light blow.
-"tHanK yOu FoR yOuR tImE, mOnTeS." She mocked. "When are you going to speak to me like we're friends again? Like one of the dudes, man?"
-"You're obviously not a dude."
-"I was! To you and to Hughes and … Heathcliff." Catalina paused. "Fine not as one of the dudes, but speak more casually to me, will you? We've been friends for a decade, darn it." At the last part her hand went up to scratch her head, but the Colonel mistook it at another attempt to hit him, so he grabbed her arm. Offended, Catalina tried getting out of his grip, which seemed to confirm his suspicions of her trying to hit him. This went back and forth until Montes got tired and threw him unto the ground, Mustang brought her down with him. Soon the two were wrestling. Ironically a poor low ranking officer opened the door at the right time for them to just fly past him and past the door, still wrestling.
-"You're such a jerk, Mustang!" Rang throughout the hallway.
-"You're crazy!" A response called back.
By the time they had realized they weren't in the private comfort of an office, Montes had been swooped up by big, gentle hands that placed her into a cradling position while the Colonel was simply being helped up by his friend Maes and 1st Lt Hawkeye.
Major Armstrong, while cradling the Brigadier General, listened to her protests while attempting to soothe her. On the other hand, the Colonel was receiving reprimands. Offended, Mustang retorted again stating how immature and unprofessional Catalina always was. When he had finished, he looked over to see that Armstrong had now put the general on his back and they were making their way back to what seemed her office.
Maes interrupted his thoughts with another reprimand. "Mustang, when are you going to treat her like a friend again?"
-"You too? How am I not?"
-"You're full of it." Hughes sighed. "You've become distant ever since she's been advancing the ranks. Which is understandable at work, but to avoid her in outside functions as well? It's a miracle she still even considers you trustworthy."
-"She's my superior officer, Montes deserves respect, not familiarity."
Both Riza and the Lt. Colonel groaned and simply left his side.
-"Do you feel better Ms. Montes? I can feel my shoulder beginning to dry." The major asked as he carried her.
She chuckled. -"I am sorry I am such a wuss. I should be used to him being such a jerk to me. I am also almost 30 but I behave like a 16-year-old… … Oh! Sgt, you're still here." Catalina exclaimed upon seeing the low ranking officer having stayed put waiting for her. While climbing down she asked how she could be of service.
-"Shou Tucker ma'am, he has requested that you come at the soonest opportunity. He says he's been successful."
The Brigadier General was now riding in a car, in fresh clothes, eating some fruit as breakfast despite it becoming the evening hours. As the driver neared the house she saw two figures she recognized as the Elric brothers. Asking for the car to come to the stop, she cranked the window down and yelled at them. They both turned with a defeated look, one with blood on his face. Montes' heart sank, and with quick palpitations, she understood what had happened.
-"Boys get in quick, time is of the essence." She ordered, they obeyed while she ordered the driver to speed towards Central. -"The moment you arrive you go directly to Colonel Mustang's office and report what you have seen. I will make some calls and he'll be put under house arrest. This time his crime won't go unpunished, I have enough evidence this time… … I have enough evidence." Her voice began to break at the end.
-"How do you know exactly what is going on?" Edward asked with a bit of a demanding voice
-"Two years ago Mr. Tucker transmuted a talking Chimera who we took into custody to study. In the last moments of its life she said 'Shou, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, no more hurting. No more. Nina…. Nina.' I knew it was his wife. But that wasn't enough evidence, and somehow everyone bought that she had left him. I don't know how he proved her leaving him, but I've been monitoring him ever since… .. which proved to be useless." Montes mourned with the last sentence.
At that moment they arrived. When getting off, the General wiped Ed's face with care and asked his younger brother to not leave his side, soon after they ran off each with a determined face.
-"What do you mean I have to stay here?!"
-"Brigadier General Montes, you must stay here with Fullmetal." Colonel Mustang said severely.
-"We don't want you to see her like that, Cati." Hughes jumped in. -"Stay here and fill out a report with the Elrics. You both need each other right now."
Before she could insist on the contrary, Alphonse's voice in asking her nicely to stay made her change her mind.
They spent the evening into some hours of the night keeping each other at first, pitiful company. The time at first bitter became with a more nostalgic feel as the three shared their stories. She sympathized with their story, and the brothers felt the warmth of her kindness so much it seemed that it had a healing quality to their hurt. In turn, Catalina felt her heart be understood when she spoke of her broken dreams of becoming a Zoologist before entering the military and further leaving it again when she was promoted to Brigadier General in hopes of aiding Roy's Fuhrer ridden dream.
-"He's such a jerk, why do you even sacrifice so much for him?" Edward retorted
-"Ed, he's done much for me as well before and after the Ishvalan War."
-"I don't believe it."
-"Well, another day I'll tell you how I got dubbed "The guardian angel of Amestris" it's really thanks to him because I think we've had our fill of tragedies today." She smiled faintly
-"How is that a tragedy? It sounds like a compliment, they must love you, Ms Catalina!" Alphonse responded with innocence.
-"Haha, it is. I protected soldiers and helped put an end to more bloodshed in Ishaval, but it cost me. I had to come to learn the truth about my ex. I'm not sure if you remember who the Crimson Alchemist, the scum of the earth comrade killer? I was the one who put him behind bars with Roy-boy's help." She added the ridiculous nickname at the end of the statement to end with humor instead of dread. The boys were silent for a moment.
-"I think why he avoids you, you know." Edward blurted out,
-"Brother!"
-"What could you ever mean, Ed-y-kins, Ed-y-poo, Ed-y-bug? "
-"OH STOP, it's disgusting me." The boy was wringing in his chair.
-"What do you say, is it really disgusting Phonse-y-mopsy, Phonse-y-boo-boo, Al-bear?" In response the boys were laughing so hard at each other that the three didn't hear the door open along with the Colonel's voice.
-"I said I am to escort Brigadier General Montes home, now!" They all stopped and eyed him.
-"Why you gotta yell, god-daddy Roy?" Catalina said with a dead expression, which resulted in more roaring from the brothers. -"God-momma Cati hears well enough, thanks."
-"If I had known that you'd called me that when we became Elicia's Godparents, I would've never accepted." He groaned. "Now come on, before I have Havoc take you."
Our dear Cati lay in bed not being able to sleep. Her thoughts jumped around Nina, the Elrics, and lastly Roy who so kindly had apologized on the ride home. She smiled, reflecting on how at least she had gained a little of his friendship back. That, and the Elric's trust.
The more and more she stayed awake, the more her thoughts turned to Nina. Roy refused to give her details, and that only added to her anxiety about the situation. Catalina simply did not believe Nina was safe. Nina was going to die soon, she felt it, she wasn't going to survive. After another two hours of the same trail of thoughts, she got out of bed, not bothering to change from her pajamas, a grey tracksuit, and rushed over to the Tucker Residence.
A blood bath. That is what was before her. She was trembling from running in the rain, or perhaps due to the scene, either way, Catalina sprinted inside just to find more dead soldiers. The young woman followed the trail of bodies upstairs just in time to hear a slow, deep voice asking if 'daddy' was hurting. There was no response, instead, an unfamiliar voice was heard calling the one who had just spoken an abomination. If only her legs would carry Catalina faster, she thought as she flew up the last steps. Once up, she flung herself to the left and found the room where the talking was taking place. She had run so quick her tremblings legs didn't respond as quick as her brain wanted them to, causing her to hit the door frame and stumble into the room.
Catalina looked up from the door frame that was holding her, seeing she had caught the attention of a creature who had the body of a dog with the empty eyes of a soul who was hurting. The creature began to say her name, again deeply and slowly, with tears in its eyes but was interrupted by a hand that placed itself on top of its head. The moment that hand made contact with the creature, a flash and red explosion filled the room.
-"N..NINA!" Was cried out in agony. A loud thump was heard soon after. Her legs had finally given in. The woman was crying inconsolably, right hand over her mouth to shush her loud gasping. The one whose murdering hand belonged to noticed the woman in anguish, studying her. Walking closer he found that she must be family of the abomination he had just delivered from pain, how else would she know the thing and where it lived? She donned no military clothes or weapons, and it seemed like it was the first time her eyes had laid on blood for she was trembling uncontrollably. Not only that, but he heard her speak in a language he did not recognize.
-"No need to mourn for it, woman. It is no longer in pain." The man stained in blood told her. He was about to leave but stopped at her side. He spoke, looking at the door and almost left again when he heard her try to stand. He looked at her again but this time astounded at the bracelet that freely danced around her left wrist.
-"That bracelet is Ishvalan. How do you have it?" His voice was as cold as the rain that dripped from her clothes.
-"My friend… ... my poor… poor friend, Heathcliff." She spoke in between gasps, and whilst glancing at the two dead bodies she finished her sentence. "Poor friend is dead, just like my Nina."
Scar is what they called this murdering man.
Scar, accepted her answer with respect.
-"It hurts no more, Ishvala accepts the creature as Ishvala has accepted your friend. They rest." Scar spoke still with a cold tone but was meant to have warmth. With that, he left.
Catalina was left on the floor. For what it seemed like an hour, she still felt unable to move her legs. So how was it that she was now by Nina's side? Without realizing the woman had crawled over and was now resting her hand, caressing the creature every few minutes. After 20 minutes of this, Catalina heard shouts outside. The squad that had come to switch places with the squadron outside had found their fellow soldiers slaughtered. These men speedily made their way to where she was. One asked if she was alright, the other placed their coat over her drenched clothes.
-"Ma'am, please respond! Are you alright?! Did you see who did this?!"
-"Scar, and somehow he didn't kill me."
Please review! Was the chapter slow? Did I not make some things clear?