Chapter Six: The Public Eye

The brave men and woman of the 61st stood proudly against the wall, listening intently as General Mustang outlined their mission for them. Major Riza Hawkeye could hear him just finishing up, as she walked down the hall. "Those are your orders," the general's voice commanded authority as he spoke, and all five soldiers stood as strong as stone as they listened to their commander.

When the general heard Hawkeye's footsteps in the hall, he turned to look at her. She nodded her head as she walked, with a tender smile on her lips. "I tracked him down, general," she started quietly. "He said he would do it, under the condition that no one on his team be taking side orders from anyone else in the military."

Mustang couldn't help but notice that Hawkeye was alone. There was no Fullmetal Pipsqueak walking the hall next to her, which made him curious. "And where has Colonel Elric run off to?" There was a slight hint of agitation in Mustang's voice, one that few other than Hawkeye knew him well enough to pick up. Clearly, he had hoped she would bring him back here.

Hawkeye sighed. There really was no getting around this. "The colonel has taken off. He said he needed to write a letter, and he wouldn't say any more. He also said he'll be back here sometime tomorrow. My guess is that he has gone to clear his head."

Mustang sighed and rubbed his forehead. This was so like Ed, disappearing without a trace and coming back later. At least this time, he had given advance notice of when he'd be back. Turning his attention back to the men, Mustang ordered, "Alright, men, I expect to see you back here tomorrow at noon. And if anyone sees the colonel, I would appreciate it if you would report back to me. Dismissed!"

The troops started down the hall, but one lingered behind. Lieutenant Grueder, with his rifle shouldered around his left arm, raised his right as a gesture that he had something he wanted to say. "Permission to speak freely, general?"

Mustang sighed. He knew someone would ask this, and he already knew what was coming. He watched Lieutenants Massner, Panzlef, Dubois, and Sinclair depart down the hallway, and hesitated a few seconds before he responded. "Permission granted, lieutenant. And your answer is yes, that kid was the colonel you will be taking orders from. He's more talented than his age might lead you to believe. That kid is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. I'm sure you've heard the stories about that one."

"With all due respect, sir," Mustang had grown to hate those words. Nothing good ever followed them. "We're going to be taking orders from that bite-size midget?"

Elsewhere, seated with his back against the concrete wall that bordered the Central HQ, Edward Elric felt a sudden, intense feeling of rage and loathing well up inside him. He wasn't sure where it was aimed at or where it had come from, but for some reason he couldn't quite grasp, he suddenly had the desire to hurt or maim someone.

"That bite-size midget," Mustang responded, "has seen more–"

"RRRRAAAARGHHHH!" Both men could hear a roaring voice in the distance, as though someone had become so consumed by rage that he couldn't help but unleash it.

There was a silence for a few seconds, before Mustang managed to gather his thoughts again. "...that was strange. As I was saying, that man has seen more field time than your entire unit, Lieutenant. He is a veteran of the war in Liore, and I don't mean the early days. Colonel Elric has handled more than his share of combat, and has seen the best and worst this military has to offer. I am sure you've heard the rumors surrounding the Ishballim called Scar, a few years back. That man is one of very few to face Scar and walk away. I would suggest you show him some respect. He has more than earned it." With those words, Mustang started down the hall, following after the others. He left Lieutenant Grueder to think over his words, and hoped there would not be any further incidents.

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"I can't believe it. He looks so young." Erwin Panzlef wondered whether or not his eyes were betraying him, as he walked the hall with Eva Massner. Dubois and Sinclair had already gone ahead, but Erwin wanted to hang back for Josef. The three of them were inseparable in their spare time.

Eva nodded her head, pressing her back against the wall and tilting her head up in thought. "I heard he was certified as a State Alchemist when he was only 11 years old." Erwin laughed at first, but then caught the serious look in his friend's eyes. "That would explain why he looks so young. I mean...let's face it, he can't be any older than any of us." A shudder passed through her body, which caught Erwin by surprise. "And the things I've heard...it's enough to give you nightmares."

"Wait," Erwin probed, "what are you talking about?"

Eva turned her head back and forth, making sure there was no one in the hall before she spoke. When she did, her voice was noticeably quieter than Erwin had grown accustomed to. "You've heard the stories, haven't you? The Fullmetal Alchemist? They say he single-handedly brought about an insurgency in the East. I've heard rumors that he still associates with those rebels, and some of the witnesses claim he was responsible for the sudden transmutation that took the lives of almost 1,000 of our soldiers."

Erwin's eyes blinked rapidly in confusion. "Wait, hold on a sec...I'm sure General Mustang wouldn't assign us to someone with such...questionable loyalty...would he?"

Eva shuddered a second time. "The man who murdered the fuhrer AND his entire family in his own home? And is it a coincidence that Colonel Elric led a one-man assault on the capitol building shortly before that? I'm telling you, it was a tandem strike to topple our government. They probably just found some cracks to slip through after it failed."

"Geeze, Eva, they're just rumors." Erwin scratched the back of his head, not sure how much credit to give her words. "I mean, according to rumors, the ghost of the wanted criminal Scar can be seen terrorizing the courtyard on the night of the full moon. You really shouldn't pay so much attention to these things."

The mention of Scar's name sent yet another chill down Eva's spine. "Don't get me started on Scar. They say Scar was leading an insurrection in Liore, until Colonel Elric murdered him, stole his wife, and proclaimed himself King of the Savages!" There was a wild panic in her eyes now, and Erwin couldn't help but laugh.

"King of the Savages? Now you're pushing it."

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It was late in the afternoon when Colonel Edward Elric returned to Central HQ. No one knew where he had gone, only that when he returned, he didn't speak a word to anyone. He retired back to his office, passing wordlessly through the door, and slowly took a seat behind the desk. The room was still bare as it had been before, but no one questioned his silence. Lieutenant Marie Sinclair, however, couldn't help but wonder what was going on with his attitude. She'd been put off by his initial freaking out, and the way he'd stormed out of HQ. Now, she had to know what it was that had him wound up so tight.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," she whispered to herself, standing just outside the door to the colonel's office. She had gotten together the nerve before, but it had faded as soon as she found herself so close to a man who had already proven to be quite volatile. But she knew she couldn't afford to be frightened. She gathered her courage, then knocked quietly at the door.

When there was no answer, Marie knocked again. The eerie silence was beginning to gnaw at her, and when another minute passed without answer, she slowly turned the knob in her hand and eased the door open. The room within was dark and silent, with the only light coming from the open windows behind Col. Elric's desk. "Excuse me...colonel?" She could see him, back behind his desk. A sheet of paper lay before him, and a pen held delicately in his right hand softly tapped the desk as he thought. "Um...I knocked, but...you might not have heard me..."

When he heard the door open, heard Marie's voice, the colonel tilted his head back up towards the door. She felt a chill in her heart when his eyes fell upon her, and for a minute, she felt that she had made a terrible mistake. She had heard so many horrible stories about some of the State Alchemists in this place. Basque Grand was a horror story in his own right. Zolf J. Kimblee, she had the displeasure of meeting during the war in Liore. Adrian Thorne...that name sent chills down her spine every time she thought of it, that alchemist she knew better than any. Even Roy Mustang had a few horror stories surrounding him with the men. And the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric...it had been only four years ago that he was wanted for treason, for his connection with the horror that befell the unit in Liore, for the deaths of an entire battalion of men. As his eyes settled on her, a chill ran down her spine, and she took several seconds composing herself before she could speak. "Sir...I, um...I just...um..." She took a deep breath, trying to get herself together, before she tried once more. "Colonel, I just thought...well, I thought..."

"Is this about my height?" The colonel's eyes narrowed, sending another chill through Marie.

"No, not at all!" she threw at him. "I just...well..." She took a deep breath and gathered her strength. "I just wondered if everything was okay. The way you ran off earlier today suggested that there was a problem with the unit, and I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to get everything straightened out." She stood up proud, with her shoulders back and her legs together, just as she had learned so many years back. Standing at attention to address her superior officer.

The colonel raised an eyebrow as soon as he saw her stance, and for a second, she was afraid that she'd done something wrong. "Um...why are you standing like that?"

Marie almost had a heart attack the moment she heard her colonel's voice. Had she done something wrong? What would happen if she'd messed up...she wanted to make a good impression, she wanted to... "I'm sorry, sir, is there something wrong with my stance?"

The colonel laughed, a sound that brought both confusion and relief to Marie. "You look like a statue, and that can't be comfortable. Look, I don't know what they've taught you, but I don't care how you stand when you talk to me, okay? Keep pulling yourself that tight and you're going to break something, and trust me when I say that's not a pleasant experience."

"Um...yes...yes, sir." Marie loosened herself a little, relaxing her legs, but that was the most she could bring herself to do. She wondered if this was some sort of test

"Look," the colonel started, "there's nothing wrong with the unit, so don't worry. General Mustang and I just don't see eye to eye on too many things, and if you make that into a height joke I will hurt you. I've...well, let's just say I've had a pretty bad history with the military, especially when it comes to having trained soldiers watching my back."

"I heard about Liore." Marie's voice acted before she could think, and as soon as the words were out, she clapped her hand in front of her mouth. She could feel her heart stop, and when the colonel narrowed his eyes at her, she felt she could fall down and die right there.

"How much do you really know about Liore?" Colonel Elric asked. It was a question she hadn't expected to hear from him, and one she wasn't sure she knew the answer to. She had heard plenty, but there was a probing tone to the colonel's voice that made her wonder what he knew, and what she didn't.

"Well," Marie started, "I was stationed over in East City during the war in Liore. If I recall correctly, the people in Liore rose up to try and overthrow the government. We were sent in to quell the insurrection, which took a lot longer than it probably should have. I didn't see much of the conflict, since I was mostly taking care of our wounded. But some of the wounds I saw...I mean, we had men talking about devils fighting in the streets of Liore." Her fists clenched in anger as the memories began to come back to her. "I lost my brother in Liore. The unit he served in was massacred. The only survivor was traumatized, telling wild stories of a devilish witch who turned her fingers into lances, before he died from the horrible gashes through his body." She remembered that day so clearly, she could still smell the blood.

"...escalating the conflict..." the colonel muttered to himself. Marie was surprised by the tone of his voice. He didn't sound surprised or angry to hear about the massacre. A paranoid thought struck her, that perhaps he had already known. But she shook that off. She couldn't afford to be doubting her superior officer, especially not before she'd really had time to get to know him.

"Yes, sir," Marie confirmed. "It was not long after that, we declared open war against Liore. I never went to the front lines, so I can't say for certain what the battles were like. But from what I heard, the people there were more animal than human. I hear they fought bitterly, but...I have to admit, I never understood what they were fighting for."

"Survival," the colonel offered. "When an enemy marches unprovoked into your home and begins killing your people, all you can do is fight back."

"UNPROVOKED!" Marie exploded, before she was able to gather herself. "...I...I apologize, sir, but...my brother died because of their ambush. With all due respect, sir, Liore started the fight."

"Sure," the colonel conceded. "Liore made the first move. Just like Ishbal started their war, right."

"An...interesting comparison, sir, but yeah. I suppose Liore isn't much different from Ishbal, is it?"

"You have no idea," the colonel sighed.

Marie could feel herself beginning to calm down with the colonel's concession. The anger was fading, and she was starting to feel self-conscious about her moment of insubordination. "Sir...I apologize for my earlier explosion. I stepped out of line, and I will accept whatever–"

She heard herself interrupted by the colonel's laugh. "What did I tell you about being so stiff? Don't worry about it. Now, if I could have a little peace, I'd like to finish this letter. We leave tomorrow, right? You should get some rest. If these chimeras are anything like what I've handled before, you'll all need it."

"Yes, sir!" Marie brought her legs back together and saluted once, before turning for the door. But before she left, her eyes caught sight of the letter resting on the desk. Three names caught her eye but only one really took her by surprise. Winry Rockbell, Pinako Rockbell, Rose Thomas...as she slipped through the door back into the hallway, she couldn't help but wonder. Rose Thomas...Rose...wasn't that the name of the prisoner of war from a few years back? She still remembered...

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Night fell, and activity died. The halls of Central HQ were dark and silent, and there was not a sound coming from inside its premises. Not a light could be seen, save for one on the third floor, near the dormitories. A single window was open, and if one were close enough to look, they would see two figures speaking in the pale light. A man with long, green hair that came down from his head in spikes. Pale white skin that covered his body, and dressed in black shorts so short one could argue it a skirt, and a tight black top that barely concealed his muscular chest.

As the man paced in the silent office, a woman sat firmly atop the open windowsill. Her right leg crossed over her left, with pale skin to rival the man's. She was dressed in a long, black skirt with a slit running down it, and a silky black tank that did little to conceal her assets. Her soft, crimson hair curled under her ears as she listened to the man speak.

"Everything is happening just as I said it would," the man spoke with a grin. "The bastard's back, and he'll be leaving for East City tomorrow. I want you to run ahead and tell that idiot beast man to have his beasts ready. It will be good to keep him on his toes, and I'm sure he'll be rusty, if what I've heard about the last four years is correct."

The woman turned her head, looking out the window. "Greed's been looking forward to this. I just hope the chimeras aren't too much for him. She's so hoping to get him all to herself."

The man laughed, a sound that chilled the woman's heart to hear. "That kid is like a cockroach. You can squash him as hard as you want, he'll always come back. The beasts are merely the warm up act. I'll squash him myself when the time comes." The crimson woman could see the man's fist clenched, and for a second she saw the familiar hatred flash across his eyes, before he composed himself. "But that is a matter for later. How is your project going?"

A sultry grin crossed over the woman's face, and her attention was turned once more out the window. "It couldn't be easier. If there is a larger well of frustration and pent-up desire, I haven't found it. She's almost ready to blow, and I'll be sure to be there when she does." She looked back at the man, and he could see the sincerity in her menacing grin. "Trust me, this one will be a cakewalk. Elric is doing all the work for me. All I need to do is offer a shoulder and an ear, and she'll be ours before you know."

There was something in her eye, however, that made the man suspicious. It was only moments before the man was in her face, and she felt an old tinge of fear beginning to rise inside her. "Do not blow this, Lust. I want that bastard to suffer, and I will not have my vengeance ruined by hasty action. I didn't claw my way back from the clutches of those damned Keepers only to watch my vengeance get stripped away. I have been denied TWICE OVER, I will not lose this one too." Lust found herself terrified, staring into the hateful, merciless eyes of her master. But the moment passed, and the man turned away from her. "I'll just have to make this bastard suffer threefold, for those plucked from my grasp."