(A/N: Unfortunately, some series end shortly as this is the last episode in the Alpha series... )

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA

What If...(The Series of Alpha)

Episode V: "Early Negotiations"( Pt. 1)

"Jean, can you please try not to snore. We all have to report to the interrogation room within five hours," Riza said, trying to block the snoring by covering her ears and throwing balls of paper at him. Even Alex could not ignore this as he was constantly turning.

"There has to be a way to cover that vile noise. Have any ideas?"

"I have one...but it won't be pretty. It will require sneaking into Colonel Mustang's office, but I can handle carrying Lieutenant Havoc."

Riza turned, looked at Alex and said, "No way, I'm going to sneak inside his office and put him there. You know what will happen if-"

"Look, it's either that or I'm going to give him an unpleasant wake-up call."

"Just wake him up."

Alex stood up from the chair and walked over toward Jean while cracking his knuckles. When he was in front of him, he carried him and threw him out the door. Afterwards, Alex locked the door and went back to his chair.

"I said wake him up, not throw him out."

"Sorry, but it must be done."

Alex sat back down and fell asleep, but Riza stood up and opened the door. Jean walked back in, dusting off his uniform.

"What was that for?"

"For snoring loudly. Next time, I'll make you go asleep quietly."

Jean looked up at Riza and saw her lying back down on her pallet. Aside her was her gun in its holster. Quietly, he walked over by her and before he knows it, SLAP!

"Havoc, go to sleep!"

He walked over by another chair and sat on it, falling asleep. Few hours later, Alex woke up when he heard a loud click. When he woke up, he went over to Jean and said, "Wake up, somebody is in here with us."

"Not now, Alex. Wait for five minutes."

Alex shrugged and walked over to Riza; when he woke her up, Riza pulled him toward her and whispered, "You better have a good reason waking me up."

"Someone is in here and I'm going to find out who it is."

"That's not possible. We locked all the doors but that one. If somebody wanted to go in, then we would've heard it."

"True, but it came from the hallway. I'll wake up Havoc about this matter."

Alex pushed Jean, who was snoring again, out of the chair. Jean crawled away from him and said, "Please, I just can't stop! It's a bad habit!"

"No it's not that. We need your assistance in investigating this place. I have a feeling that we are not alone," Riza said, picking up her gun and taking it out of its holster. Jean stood up, dusting off his uniform again and walked toward the light switch. However, Alex blocked that.

"If we turn on the lights, then our cover is blown."

"Then how are we suppose to see?"

Alex grabbed a flashlight that was on a stool below the switch and turned it on. Riza stood up from her pallet and said, "Let's hurry up so we can go back to sleep."

First, they went to the first section and found nothing. Then, they walked over to the second and third section and found nothing. However, when the three walked out from the third section and heard a voice, they stopped.

"Please, you guys have to help me. He won't leave me alone!"

Alex flashed the flashlight down and saw a black cat. The cat, A.K.A Envy, backed up a bit and put his paw on his face. "Lower the light down, it's too bright."

"You're that talking cat that the colonel was talking about."

Envy looked up at Riza and told her, "Yes and boy I was lucky that I escaped from him! Now I got a new problem on my hands. Another state alchemist is chasing me and I need some help so please can you guys spare me?"

"What does he look like," Jean asked.

The three listened to the cat and when they was finished, Alex nodded his head and said, "Hmm...so, you are telling us that Hughes was chasing you for...seven hours straight."

"As far as I know, he was still chasing me. Heck, I was not able to stop to rest for at least three minutes if I found a hiding spot. I gave him back his family photo and now he wants me to go home with him!"

"Don't worry, he has a nice family. What is wrong with him? Besides, he has been chasing you for seven hours straight. Wow, when I saw him run, he didn't last for a hour," said Jean.

"Oh you don't understand. I used to be a...human, but then some how I changed into a cat and now I can't turn back."

"Well look on the bright side, cats has nine lives and they make great companions to many people," said Riza.

"Thanks for the compliment, but I'd rather be a wander. Can you guys help me?"

"To be honest, no. If we were caught dead with an animal inside HQ, Mustang will be furious. In addition, we have to stay here, but we can hide you if you want."

"Fine, hide me."

Before the three could think of a place to hide the cat, Maes rushed up to them and takes hold on the cat.

"Hey guys, thanks for finding the cat for me."

"(Cough) it, I should've kept moving."

"How did you get in? We locked all the doors but the front one," said Jean.

"Hmm, the real question is how did you three get a key to HQ? Last time I checked, only superiors can only have the master keys." Maes was still smiling, but he said that in a more serious tone than he did. He took out the master keys, showing them the way that he got in.

"You've been promoted too," Jean asked.

Maes took out a memo, showed it to Jean, and replied, "See this, this means that I'm Roy's superior, however, I'm not responsible for you guys, that's his job. If I'm not mistaken, Riza you should have one also."

"No, I didn't get one, but what's with the promotions lately?"

Maes gave Riza a memo and told her to read it. Afterwards Alex flashed the light on the clock and said, "We should be going back to sleep now."

"Yes, just in case that the colonel actually come here early," said Riza.

"But guys, you can't sleep inside HQ."

"C'mon can this be a small exception. We have to be here by five so by the time we made it back home, it will be almost five," plead Jean.

Maes sighed and said, "All right, but the next time it will cost you or I just won't allow it."

After everybody thanked him, Maes walked out of HQ with Envy and Alex and Jean returned up front. Before Riza returned with the two, she rushed after Maes and gave him a pocketknife.

"Thank you for letting me borrowing this. It came in handy."

"Then keep it, you may need it again."

Envy looked up at Riza and said, "Yeah, and I'm going to follow you little friend's advice. As I said, I used to be human but some how I turned to a cat and I cannot change back. However, I may give this a chance."

(A/N: Will Envy like living with Maes and his family as a cat? How will Riza, Jean, and Alex deal with the interrogation with their colonel? Will Winry force Ed to do something unpleasant? All of these questions and more may be answered in the Beta series! Yeah...that sounded very awkward, but hey, I am trying. Chao.