A/N: This is my very first fanfic ever. EVER. So please be brutal, but gentle. I'll take your suggestions and apply them to the next chapter ( or maybe even this one). Cool? Cool.
Disclaimer: I own Fullmetal Alchemist. Yeah I said it. Come and get me you legalise bastards! I'm right here! (just kidding ha ha ha. Please don't fine me.)
Chapter 1: Cold Flame
Roy was putting the final card on his biggest card house yet when he heard a knock on the door. He was concentrating on the card so much that the knock startled him and he accidentally knocked his house over.
"Come in," he said in frustration.
Lt. Russ slowly entered. "Sir. I've just gotten word that some new transfers from Central are on their way here."
"People are still at Central?" asked Roy.
"I know," Ross said with a smile,"thought the same thing too," then realizing Roy wasn't amused, she quickly changed her face back to stern, "apparently they were on a very long-running away assignment, and they've just returned."
Roy sensed that there had to be a reason why she was telling him this, besides just to inform.
"Why are you notifying me so early, Lieutenant?"
"Well…you see…"
"Spit it out," said Roy, frustration entering his voice again.
"We'll…eh-hem…Fuhrer wants you too…personally…escort them around the base."
"What!"
"Yeah…I thought it was a strange order but that's what he said."
Roy grunted, took a deep breath and decided he would once again follow orders without protest,"Very well. Any idea who these guests are?"
"Oh…"she began fumbling through the personnel files she had in her hands, "Yes, let's see…a Colonel Valtas and his team-"
"-Valtas?" asked Roy in a concerned voice.
"Yes, sir."
"As in Avren Valtas?"
"Y-Yes sir. How did you kno-"
Lt. Ross was interrupted by Roy suddenly getting up and storming out of his office. As he walked by her toward the door, she heard him whisper under his breath "This is unbelievable."
"Sir?" called Lt. Ross, but she got no reply.
Later in Fuhrer Bradley's office…
"Lt. Ross just informed me we were getting some guests in from Central," said Roy aggressively.
"Yep," said Fuhrer, "just got back from an away mission to find the place empty. Pretty strange, eh?"
"I suppose, but that's not what I'm here for."
"Then speak, Colonel."
"I'm here to talk about a certain name on the guest list"
"You're referring to Colonel Valtas, correct?"
"Yes, sir…uh, might I ask whose bright idea it was to get Valtas reinstated?"
"Well…it was mine," said Fuhrer.
"With all due respect sir, maybe you should reconsider-"
"With all due respect, Valtas has become a very good officer-"
Roy's face became contorted with rage, "Valtas is a monster!"
"I had him take a psyche exam, he passed with flying colors. He made higher than you!"
"…He did last time too."
"Look Roy…you of all people should know that every now and then… people slip up."
"Slip up? Slip up! You call the senseless killing of 60 innocent Ishbalan civilians a slip up?"
"It was a war, Roy."
"It was a massacre!"
"Valtas stays and I will hear nothing else of it."
"But sir-"
"Nothing else of it!"
"Wait," Roy said as if he had just realized something, "You have an ulterior motive in this, don't you?"
"You're pushing it Roy."
Roy slammed his hands in Fuhrer's desk, "He doesn't deserve to be an Alchemist of the State!"
"Don't you mean 'dog of the state'?"
A look of shock came across Roy's face.
"Come on Roy, I am Fuhrer. I know everything that goes on in this base, and every other base for that matter. And you wonder why you haven't move up in rank, with a treasonous mouth like that."
Realizing that he was defeated, Roy gave Fuhrer a quick(and very condescending), "I'm sorry for wasting so much of your time on such a trivial matter, 'so you say it, so it shall be done'." Roy turned around to leave then stopped and turned around abruptly, gave a half-ass salute and said "Good day to you sir."
Hours later Roy found himself in the mess hall. It was morning when he'd gotten Fuhrer Bradley's orders. After their 'conversation' Roy had gone back to his office to find something to busy himself with while he cooled off. After a few hours of meaningless paperwork he decided to take a walk. It was midday now and he was starting to feel hungry, though his still present frustration prevented him from realizing it.
"Hey there Roy!" said a cheery voice from behind him, he turned around to see Lt. Hughes and Lt. Havoc (in a rare without cigarette appearance).
"You seem down,"observed Hughes, "I have the perfect thing to cheer you up." Hughes quickly reached in his pocket, pulled out a small picture and shoved it in Roy's face, "Isn't she beautiful!" It was a picture of Hughes young daughter, Eliza, whom he constantly obsesses over.
"Y-Yeah," said a startled but not surprised Roy.
"This is us at the park," continued Hughes" Look at her in her little straw hat. Isn't she adorable? My little Eliza…" said Hughes, cuddling the picture.
"Weirdo," said Havoc, "c'mon Mustang, let's grab a seat before people start thinking we associate ourselves with this guy."
"Good idea," said Roy.
As they were sitting down Roy was greeted another voice, this one was female, "Hello Colonel."
"Hawkeye, you look ravishing," Roy said without actually looking up to see how she looked at all.
Hawkeye blushed a little as she sat down.
"Heard about your little verbal bout with Fuhrer. At this rate you'll never be promoted."
"If that's how one acts once they've worked their way through the ranks, I'm not sure I want to anymore."
Roy paused a minute then spoke, "if you know about me and Fuhrer, then I can only assume you know why I was in there in the first place."
"Could it be the reinstating of the now Colonel Avren Valtas to the State Alchemists?"
Both Hughes and Havoc choked a little on their food when they heard this.
"You can't be serious," said Havoc once he was able to swallow.
"Yep," said Hawkeye, "and their transport is due any minute."
"Sheska is gonna have a fit when she hears about this," said Hughes.
"Sheska?" everyone said, surprised that Hughes would mention Sheska at a time like this.
"A few months ago she found a book chronicling Valtas' actions in Ishbahl. She's been obsessing over him since, and she just got over it. When she hears he's coming here-"
"You'll be getting an ear full for months to come?" asked Hawkeye.
"Y-Yeah," Hughes hung his head in unwanted anticipation.
" Awww," Roy said in imitated simpathy," well, at least you still have-"
" -Mustang!" Roy didn't have to turn around to recognize the voice of General Gran (also known as the Ironblood Alchemist). Roy rose to his feet and turned around in proper salute, as did Hawkeye, Hughes, and Havoc.
"Yes sir?" said Roy.
"Fuhrer has orders for you to go to the train station to retrieve Full Metal."
Roy thought to himself Couldn't one of the lower officers do that? Besides, what happened to his orders to escort Valtas? but all he said was " Yes sir," and he immediatly turned to leave.
"As for you Hawkeye," Gran said as he turned to her, " you have orders to greet and escort our new transfers from Central, Colonel Valtas and his team."
"Yes sir,"she said.
Gran then turned to Hughes and Havoc, "since you two don't have anything better to do, accompany Lieutenant Hawkeye.
They both saluted again and in unison said, "right away sir."
Hawkeye walked down the hallway to the entrance outside with Hughes and Havoc in toe. Just as she walked up to the doors that led outside she stopped.
"You guys ready?" she said without turning around.
"Ready as we'll ever be," said Hughes.
"Then let's go," said Havoc. He then lit a cigarette he pulled form his pocket and opened the door for Hawkeye. She put her hands in her pockets and nodded in thanks as she walked through, but as he started to walk through himself (he didn't feel like holding the door open for Hughes) Hughes rushed pass him before he could leave the door. Just as Havoc walked outside and down the steps, the transport convoy carrying the Colonel came into view down the road.
"Are we sure we want to do this?" asked Hughes.
"We have orders," said Hawkeye.
"We could talk to Fuhrer again," said Havoc.
"Not now," she replied.
"She's right" Hughes said with a sigh, "we've got no choice now."
"Oh well..." said Havoc, already halfway through his cigarette.
The convoy had finally gotten to the base. It slowed to stop and all the doors of the vehicles opened at the same time to reveal Colonel Valtas and his team.
Havoc leaned over to Hughes and whispered "Think they practiced that?"
"Probably. Whats the use of even having a convoy if you're not gonna use it to make the most dramatic entrance possible."answered Hughes with a grin.
Hawkeye smiled at this notion.
Several military officersstepped out of the the transports. The first one out was a short dark-skinned man with glasses, the next to step outwas a tall brown haired man, then an unexpectedly hot woman (from Havoc's point of view anyway), then a not as hot but still quite hot (and very well endowed in the chest area. Just setting up some visuals here people.) red-haired girl. Since none of them had the proper stars on their uniforms to be a Colonel,Hawkeye assumed Valtas hadn't gotten out his car yet. Sure enough, one last man rose out ofa vehicle. He stood at the door of the car, as if looking for something. He was about 6' and was pretty slender, the same size as the other men (except the short one, he was about 5'7"), he had deeply tanned skin, much like an Ishbalan, and long black hair that was not quite shoulder length.
"Valtas," they all confermed in unison
"Hawkeye!" yelled the man as he slid over the hood of the vehicle, ran up to Hawkeye and put her in a huge bear hug.
"Its been so long!" he said.
"Avren," she said short of breath, Valtas hadn't let go.
"Oh...sorry," he said. He was only about Roy's build, but the hug hurt a lot more than Hawkeye thought it would.
"Well..." said Valtas, making gestures with his hands.
"What?" said Hawkeye.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your subordinates?"
"Of course. This is Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, head of the Investigation Department here."
"Lt. Hughes," said Valtas, holding out his hand to give Hughes a handshake.
Hughes gritted his teeth as he shook Colonel Valtas' hand," Pleased to meet you Colonel, hell of a grip."
"You too Lieutenant."
"Hawkeye turned to Havoc," and this is-" Havoc cut her off.
"Lieutenant Jean Havoc, would you mind introducing us to your team Colonel?"
"You want to meet the blonde, don't you?"asked Valtas.
"Yeah." he said shamefully.
Valtas quickly ran over to where his crew was standing.
"This, he said, referring to the short man, " is Lieutenant Colonel Zander Kain, also known as the Wave Alchemist, for his abiltity to manipulate the mediums used for wave transfer. Please don't ask me what that means." he the pointed to the brown haired guy," and this is Major Lex Windsor. He... orders the pizzas." The officer's face became bright red, "Next this pretty little number, " pointing to the really hot girl, "is Lieutenant Sophia Harris" he whispered in her ear very loudly " show 'em your fans." She quickly whipped out two Chinese fans, each with and alchemic inside the folded part and on the handle." We call her the Fan Alchemist appropriatly."
"Duh," said Hughes quietly.
"And finally, here is the pride and joy of my team, Lieutenant Colonel Clara Bartlett. Her knowledge on chimeras is unmatched. Except of course by the late Brigadier General Tucker. And thats my team."
"Well," said Hawkeye, not expecting the sudden showcasing of military personnel " if thats all then I'll show you to your quarters."
"Actually, siad Lt. Kain, "I need to speak with Lieutenant Archer right away."
"I'll arrange it right away," said Hawkeye, "well then let's go."
"Ahh, its good to be back" said Valtas.
"Wouldn't say we're as happy to have you back though," said a voice coming from the hallway. They all turned to see Roy, along with Edward and Alphonse Elricemerge from the hallway.
"Mustang." said Valtas.
"No time for chit-chat,"said Roy," Fuhrer's got as assignment for us. All of us."
A/N: Sorry if the chapter was kinda long. You know how it is when you think you're on a roll.
If there is a character with a slightly more...unique description its probably because my friends wanted to be in my story.
