Chapter 1: Apprehension and Conviction
Standard Disclaimer Applies
Beneath the underpass on Willow Street is where you can find him. Everyone said so. You might have to climb a bit and it's hard for some people, they said; but if you look very carefully in the darkened shadows underneath, he will be there.
Fair-haired, gold eyes, and a somewhat diminutive stature—each description sought out was a variation of what had already been said. There was never a direct route or direction of where he would be, which would be frustrating if one had been looking for the teenager with a certain purpose.
If there was anyone who knew their superior officer's frame of mind best, it was First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. Most of the higher-ranked soldiers always teased her, constantly referring to the woman as, 'Colonel Mustang's faithful assistant,' or something akin to the forward. With all due respect to her comrades-in-arms, (all of whom she was able to effectively silence by intimidation, namely by means of impending firearms), she preferred to regard her presence as a necessary precaution. They were, after all, heading into Altarian territory.
Altaria: the nation furthest northwest on the boundaries of Amestris, if one could even call it a nation. War against the neighboring kingdom across the ocean, Ilion, had weakened a once thriving state of trade, business, and economy. Crime, homeless, and those of meager education wandered the streets aimlessly; or, in some others' case, with reasons fueled by grudge or hate. What had become of the previously flourishing territory that Amestris called its own? How had its admired, powerful capital city, Rizenbul, suddenly transformed into a mere town? Even with local agents investigating the mystery of what had happened in the past hundred years of Altaria's lifespan, little was known as of late.
"It's probably better if the army wasn't involved in such trivial matters like this," the Colonel had remarked to Hawkeye wryly. "After all, the Central sector especially doesn't require an extra case on its hands right now. We need to concentrate on the case with the Kazutaka family, after all."
She, of course, silently disagreed. Such an ordinary mission of inspecting the well-known Kazutaka family's history to discover who could have had reason to murder Kazutaka Tachi, the famed president of Ozokaki Electronics Inc., didn't require as much effort as Mustang was implying. Hawkeye deduced that her superior was taking this extra assignment far too lightly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken so carelessly about their target.
"Edward Elric. Recently turned seventeen years old last October, and has been living in Altaria since birth. Physical appearance: blonde hair, gold eyes, about 165 centimeters in height--"
"He's rather small for his age, don't you think?" -1- Roy Mustang interrupted the lieutenant in the middle of reading the information out loud from their given parchment.
Hawkeye repressed a faint sigh of exasperation over the disruption, ignoring the higher-ranking officer when he began to lean over her shoulder from the backseat of the van. "I suppose you're right…but is that truly relevant, sir?"
"Never mind me, I was only commenting on something I noticed." Roy's expression was unreadable, onyx eyes glimmering with an emotion hardly fathomable. He almost fell back into his seat when the vehicle braked at the upcoming red light, but natural grace kept him composed. "In any case, you're welcome to read on."
From the driver's seat, Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc shot the blonde female an equally bewildered visage. Noting her ally with the partly annoyed and partly concurring glance, Riza resumed the analysis.
"Biological parents—none to be known, since his late mother died three years ago and his father has been missing for many years." After a good, long stare at the paper, Riza turned to the colonel, brown eyes unnaturally wide. "S-Sir, Edward's father is…Hohenheim Elric?"
Roy conveyed a rather smug expression to the unusually surprised woman. "I would have thought that you might have noticed their surnames are the same. Besides that, once you see the photo of Edward in the folder, you'll catch the resemblance as well, I'm sure. Here."
One gloved hand gently held the manila file to her, blood red array glinting in the overhead night lamps out on the road. Though it might have seemed a small detail from the viewpoint of a stranger, Hawkeye knew what power was contained within such an alchemic symbol. She of all people knew the Flame Alchemist best, and simply put, absolutely no one in the military tried to, nor did they want to, dispute that fact.
Hawkeye undid the seal on the manila file, nails primly sliding beneath what could be called a 'paper lock'. There arose a pregnant silence between the trios unbroken by mundane sounds from each individual. Havoc, while still driving, dug out a cigarette from his pocket and, noting the rain clouds covering the blackened sky, decided to wait until they arrived to light up. Riza finally managed to open the folder, duly pulling a small photograph from its interior. Roy kept watch on his female subordinate until the picture was unveiled, then slowly leaned over again in order to scrutinize with her.
"Well? What do you think of it?"
The inquiry almost went unanswered, as Riza gently fixed her gaze upon the photo. "He certainly does look like Hohenheim…especially his eyes. His son inherited those bright gold eyes, and it truly does show. Although…"
Roy inclined further, face almost touching the blonde's ear, wondering why Riza's visage seemed ready to positively burst with emotion. "…'Although'?"
One screeching brake later and Roy went tumbling into the covered middle compartment of the front seat. With his hands sprawled out unceremoniously over both a disgruntled Havoc and a professionally irritated Riza, the dark-haired colonel cleared his throat—and the sweat sliding down his neck was not out of nerves, nor because he was anywhere near being nervous or anything of the like—while turning his head to their driver, a tentative smile displayed.
"So…why, may I ask, did you suddenly stop like that, Havoc?"
It might have been funnier if he had not been the one at risk of receiving the man's wrath, but Roy had to admit that Havoc's eyelid twitching behind his own hand was quite a sight to behold. The steely reply did not invoke a humorous sentiment from Roy, however, despite how amusing the situation may have been.
"…Fury ran in front of the car, Colonel. I wouldn't have stopped—but he got overexcited to see us, as usual."
"You mean overexcited to see you." Roy smirked. "He usually wants to run in the opposite direction when it comes to me. Perhaps I shouldn't have given him the duty of meeting us out here…"
This time, it was Hawkeye's turn to clear her throat, although the sound came out even more forced than Mustang's. "Ahem…pardon me, sir, but…y-your hand is…"
A few cursory glances at Riza's flushed face, fingers twitching to release the handgun from its holster—and worst of all, his own hand, which had somehow landed ever-so-conspicuously on the woman's thigh—and Roy immediately drew back, struggling to regain proficient control of the countenance that he knew would soon explode into color.
"Ah, you'll have to excuse me, then." The words came out as less of an apology than they did a repentant murmur, scarcely perceptible. "Now, considering its raining, I suggest that everyone watch their step when getting out of the—"
Passenger seat door slamming shut, Havoc opened the backseat exit for the colonel, cancer stick hanging loosely from taut lips. "Sorry about that, colonel…I didn't know you were going to be so clumsy. Although…you know, seeing Hawkeye embarrassed like that was pretty damn funny!"
Roy resisted the urge to snap and project his expiration toward a more positive goal. Smart-mouthed soldiers were not satisfactory for the military after all, right? "Yes, Havoc. Very funny."
Realizing how glaringly sarcastic Mustang had become, the Second Lieutenant made a mad dash for the sidewalk, ducking under one of Warrant Officer Cain Fury's umbrellas. Once Havoc took the protective object from Fury, the smaller male went stumbling through the now-beginning rainfall, halting directly in front of the approaching colonel.
"Taisa…here, I brought you an umbrella!" -2- Fury bowed fervently once Roy took the item from him. "A-And I'm extremely sorry about what I did before…I don't know what I had been thinking, running in front of a moving vehicle like that—!"
Patting the nervous officer on the shoulder, Mustang showed little compassion outwardly. Yet despite the stony visage, Fury knew the gesture was meant to be comforting; forgiving, even.
"Don't trouble yourself over it. After all, it's raining out. You might want to get inside yourself before you get too wet." Roy's wan smile caught Fury's attention for a bit longer than intended—by the time he gained sense of himself, the umbrella was shielding them both. "Actually, that goes for the both of us."
Feeling a bit better than at the beginning of their conversation, Fury gratefully led his superior out of the street, following the guiding flare of Havoc's lighter.
All of their boots went sloshing against the wooden floorboards of their assigned inn; and once inside, Hawkeye immediately made way for a nearby receptionist desk. Havoc was still outside, smoking beneath the canopy above the motel's entryway. Fury decided to stay back with the Second Lieutenant, standing faithfully beside the older male, much akin to a small puppy protectively watching its master, adoring and admiring from afar. A mental image of the like didn't make matters much better, and Riza was soon smiling quietly at the mere thought. Dogs and thinking of them constantly served as a reminder of the little puppy she took care of back home, Black Hayate.
After consulting their greeter for the location of what would, later in the evening, be their lodgings, Hawkeye walked to where the colonel sat. The dark stool was large enough for the both of them; she settled herself down beside Roy, patient stare laced with underlying anticipation and sympathy.
"The rain brings back some unwelcome memories for you, I know…" A slender hand touched his own softly; startled, Roy looked up at the woman next to him. "…From what I can see, the rain should let up soon. You won't have to wait for too long."
"Thank you." Even the fondest stare did not go unnoticed by his sharp-witted subordinate—for, after all, that was the intonation behind her family name, surely—and Roy found himself relieved to see the emulated smile form. "I'll be alright, really. I'd hate to mope around and be useless like this for nothing."
"You are useless in the rain, sir." Hawkeye's sternness reappeared, as she stood up abruptly, smoothing down her pants.
Roy did not answer back this time, and Riza had a strange hunch as to why. She would dare not even think it out loud, however, and settled on silence being the company of them both. In a time like this, it was better that way.
Without forewarning, a pair of teenagers came bounding into the building, surprising both the receptionist and both military personnel. Hawkeye would have almost sworn them to be siblings; their twin golden hair and vivid amber eyes matched to the smallest hue, though one was visibly taller than the other. The smaller one with his hair tied in a braid—or was it, 'she,' and, 'her'? Hawkeye considered it for a moment before continuing her examination—clung to the taller one, inhaling and exhaling in shallow breaths.
"…There's been another attack…out on Ruiko Street…someone thought they were…Kazutaka servants or somethin'…" No, the one with longer hair was most assuredly a male; there was masculinity in his tone, despite a somewhat effeminate pitch. "Call the police…or the military…'fore somethin' gets nasty…"
When he slumped against his brother, the other male anxiously began to shake him. "Brother! Brother, please don't die! Why did you have to fight those men for? We didn't need to get involved!"
Suddenly, it occurred to Riza why she kept finding the boy oddly familiar: the one called, 'Brother,' was none other than Hohenheim's son, Edward Elric. But he seemed far too tired out for any interrogation or enlistment, and from the corner of Riza's vision, a patch of growing red staining his shirt indicated some sort of wound.
And certainly, she thought as the notion came to her, Edward inherited his father's brash affinity and the willingness to eliminate injustice. It seems that some resemblances do not just exist in appearance alone, then…
"Al…" Edward managed to hoarsely choke out, determined to stay conscious long enough to speak. "I'm not gonna die, you idiot…just get some help…I'll be okay, honest…"
His eyes shut, and the blonde finally lost consciousness.
Havoc and Fury, who had been watching the spectacle as it unfolded, assisted Al in taking the boy into a back room, which the desk clerk graciously offered to them. Hawkeye felt almost obliged to go with them, and was about to walk down the corridor as well, but Roy unexpectedly called her back.
"Hawkeye! Let me speak with you for just a moment. Then you can go and check up on the boy, I promise." He added the last part rather unnecessarily, really; mostly because her concerned gaze already said that she would have done so either way.
Dark eyes regarded the young woman deliberately. "You probably know what I'm going to ask you, but…Edward truly does resemble his father, doesn't he?"
Hawkeye nodded solemnly. "As you can tell, not just in looks, sir. Although I'm sure you are already aware of that."
"So it seems." Though she never knew Roy to be one for lucid responses, Riza couldn't help but notice that the current reply was particularly unclear. "And yet, there's something else about the youngling that is different…"
"Sir? Is something on your mind that I should know about?" Now there was certainly cause for concern; the colonel never trailed off in his sentences in such a nervous manner, and even rarer was the execution of it alone.
As though shocked himself at his eccentric behavior, Roy quickly snapped out of the contemplative stupor, sighing while walking toward the hallway leading to the guest rooms. "It's nothing, Riza. It's probably only my imagination is all…"
She too sighed, but for different reasons. This was shaping up to be another long night.
FOOTNOTES
-1- 165 centimeters is about five feet, three inches…which is quite small, considering Edward's age. That was also a little crack at Ed's height—which we all know happens quite often.
-2- I will switch between this and colonel in the story, as well as with the names of the characters, (which, as you may have noticed, I already started in this chapter), mostly in the cases of Roy and Riza. Also, the taisa bit is to remain faithful to the original series; so please don't think that I am attempting fangirl Japanese and trying too hard to make the fic bilingual, because I'm really not. This, along with other Japanese terms that are true to the FMA storyline, will be added sometime in the later chapters.
Hopefully, the military ranks I pulled together to establish the characters are correct. I sincerely hope so; I was researching them throughout the whole way, just to make sure that they wouldn't be butchered or incorrect. Roy's was rather easy; I never have trouble remembering his, but Riza, Havoc, and Fury were different matters altogether. Here's a little list if you couldn't follow, or if you wanted to know yourself what each of them are ranked as:
Roy Mustang— Colonel
Riza Hawkeye— First Lieutenant
Jean Havoc— Second Lieutenant
Cain Fury— Warrant Officer
Also, if anyone was wondering, the prologue was a scene from what is to happen later on in the story, NOT what Edward has gone through in the fight mentioned in this chapter. This is actually like a flashback to the prologue…you can think of it that way, or just keep what I said above in mind. Whichever you pick is really up to you.
REVIEW REPLIES
ShinkuKihaku: You aren't so far off from my situation, Shinku-san. I myself have only seen six episodes of FMA, and while it is rather embarrassing to admit, (it's never good to start a fanfic when you have little knowledge of the series, especially an AU one), but I had to begin this idea. I'm glad that you think it is in character, though; and I'm also glad that someone else can be hyperactive with me. Evil pink monkeys are awesome. :P Thank you for the review!
Lluvia-the-Wolfgirl: Ahaha…well, here's some more of the fic for you, okay? And don't kill off Envy! He's an important villain in this story, and we can't have a reviewer killing him off, besides! At least, not yet. (Although I agree; the magically transforming pen is wicked awesome. :D) Hope you like the chapter, look for Envy appearing again later on, and thank you for the review!
Phe Phe Minoda: I won't make excuses; after reading over the prologue, I can see why you would think it is rushed in places. And I must apologize for that. –Bows in apology- However, I will try my hardest to make the action scenes better from now on. The constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, though, so many thanks for both that and the review. :)
Karu Leonnese: It wasn't actually because I liked writing the cliffhanger, Karu-san! Actually, I thought it would be appropriate; leave the reader with something to be anxious for, not to mention the story of what actually occurs afterward, and how Edward came to fighting against Envy, will all be explained throughout the story. Well…then again, I always did want to try writing an opening chapter like that. –Grins- I'm glad I got you to read something new, then! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, too; and sankyuu for the review!
Ochako107: Yeshu, it's the story that you read over—only this is MUCH different from the original three parts of the chapter I let you see of this. :P And you of all people know that Ed's always thinking about his brother; they really care about each other, and those bonds will surely be tested throughout the course of the story. Also, the dog comment has meaning to it—Edo is a, 'dog of the military,' remember? (Although in this chapter, he's GOING to be a dog of the military soon enough. The prologue was what happens later on, obviously.) Hope you'll enjoy the new, revised version of this story, (it might be Roy/Edo like the other one I started with the same title, although I'm leaning toward Roy/Riza…might even be a triangle, who knows? Like Sanzou/Hakkai/Gojyo! XD), and thanks for the review!
Cringe: Many thanks for thinking this story has a good beginning! I was hoping to invoke that sort of reaction. :D Nevertheless, I am striving to make this fic even better as the plot starts moving along…I have lots of things planned for all the characters to go through, and they won't all be pretty. But I assure you that they'll all be very exciting, so please stick around. –Smile- Sorry for leaving it off at such an, 'evil cliffhanger,' but I wanted to give every reader a taste of what is to happen later on in the story before it happens, you know? Oh, and I read your bio, Cringe-san; if you're lucky and I decide on it, expect Roy/Ed in this fic before long. I like the pairing, too; and we're DEFINITELY going to have Al/Winry, so you can be happy for that in the meanwhile. :) Thanks for the review!
I've been having quite the writing slump lately, but I'm slowly getting out of it. This chapter took me a while to ground out, unfortunately, so Covenant took an especially long time to get updated. Sorry for the wait, everyone, but I hope you've enjoyed the chapter. –Smile-
Please look forward to the next one soon, (hopefully), and please review if you feel inclined to! Comments, praise, and constructive criticism are all welcome.