Ahem. After much anticipation, er, just plain waiting, the fourth section!
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Seal Four
As Hughes and Quinn passed through the gates back onto Central's streets, a male's baritone voice called out for Hughes. They both turned to find another black-haired man approaching, followed closely by a woman with short blond hair. Both were attired in the blue military uniform. "Have you seen the Elric brothers yet this morning?" the unfamiliar man asked, ignoring Quinn.
"We're going out to find them," Hughes replied.
"Well, when you find them, remind Edward to see me for his first assignment. I can't wait around all day," the man stated acidly.
"Will do," Hughes replied as the man glanced at Quinn with distant eyes, and then simply turned and walked into HQ. The blonde followed suit, and Quinn and Hughes began their quest.
"Sorry about Roy," Hughes said as they turned a corner. "He can be in a real pet sometimes."
Quinn chuckled. "I can tell. A friend of yours, then?"
"Absolutely. One of the best I've ever had." It occurred to Quinn that this man might have untold numbers of pictures of his best mate, as he did with his child. "Me and Roy Mustang go way back."
"Who was the woman with him?" she asked, trying to shift the subject before Hughes became too nostalgic.
"Oh, that was Riza Hawkeye. Best sharpshooter in the military. She tries to keep Roy in line."
"Are they involved?"
Hughes laughed. "Riza might shoot you if she heard you say that. No, they aren't. Besides, I believe military code forbids departmental relationships like that." He suddenly got a twinkle in his eye. "Although I always tell Roy he needs to find a good wife. You wouldn't happen to be single, would you? I could always set you two up on a date..."
Now it was Quinn's turn to laugh, although the sound was laced with bitterness. "Widowed," she supplied.
"Oh." Hughes winced. "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for." Quinn paused as Hughes glanced down a street before they continued. "It was...almost two years ago. We hadn't even been married a full year when he died."
"How did it happen?" Hughes asked when she hesitated.
She raised her face to the warm sunlight peeking over the buildings. "Honestly...no one knew for sure. He was part of a team building a hotel on the other side of town when part of it collapsed and...crushed him. But no one knows what caused the collapse, and no investigation was ever commissioned."
Hughes looked like he wanted to ask more, but his eyes lighted on their quarry, who was questioning an owner of a restaurant. "There he is," Hughes said, pointing. "The kid in the red jacket, that's Ed. The armor next to him? That's his younger brother, Al."
Quinn stared at the red and black clad figure as they approached. "Isn't he a little short for a twelve-year-old?"
Before Hughes could voice a warning, the blond boy suddenly turned and rushed at Quinn, screaming, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD BE SQUASHED BY AN ANT!"
Quinn stepped back as the fuming boy swung a fist at her. Amused, she caught his wrist with the next swing and pulled him down to the ground.
"Brother, she didn't say that!" While Quinn guessed a young boy was inside, the armor was overlarge and sounded hollow as it clanked toward them. "Oh, Major Hughes!" he said as he sighted the man, who had partially hidden himself behind a pole.
Hughes peeked around. "Oh, hi, Al." He stepped up as Ed continued to smolder while Al helped him stand. Hughes made introductions with Ed still peeved. I need to remember not to say anything about 'short' or 'small', Quinn thought. The boy didn't lighten his mood in the slightest until Hughes said, "I've got some information for you about your friend Winry."
"What is it?" Quinn perked up as well.
"Apparently a girl matching her description was seen last night at the train station. There was some kind of commotion then, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. You could ask questions at the station, though."
Ed was practically leaving before Hughes had finished talking, but Quinn called out. "Wait, I can spare you the trip."
He turned quickly, impatience obvious in his golden eyes until Quinn informed them of her fight at the station with an Ishballan alchemist who had threatened a girl for information.
"But where is she now?" Ed demanded.
"She boarded a train headed for Risenbul, I believe," Quinn replied. "The man escaped, though."
"Brother, we can just call Auntie Pinako to see if Winry's there," Al said excitedly.
"That's easily done," Hughes added, indicating a phone in the restaurant they were near. The brothers rushed inside, and Quinn could see Al making apologies to the owner while Ed dialed the phone furiously. If they had this reaction to their friend being missing, Quinn could only imagine what they might do if she had been kidnapped for ransom or information.
"Did the man give any reason for going after Winry, aside from getting to Ed?" Hughes asked, breaking her out of her brown study.
Quinn shook her head. "No. Just that he was looking for the young State Alchemist. He didn't even seem to know Ed's name."
Hughes frowned, watching the brothers as they appeared to relax. "An Ishballan alchemist...I have a feeling the higher-ups aren't going to like this one."
"I imagine not."
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Review if it pleases you! Next section will be along sometime.
TheFerryman'sDaughter
