Author: RealityBreakGirl/aquietwritingcorner
Word Count: 692
Rating: T
Prompt: FMA Big Bang 2021
Warnings: Child abuse/neglect
Characters: Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, Jean Havoc, Heymans Breda, Vato Falman, Kain Fuery, Black Hayate
Pairing: Royai
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Family
Chapter: Prologue of7
Summary: Tasked by Fuhrer Grumman to investigate a suspected alchemic incident, General Mustang's team finds themselves stranded in Hawkeye's hometown. Needing a place to stay, they find themselves taking shelter in her childhood home. However, her past can't stay buried there, and as revelations come to light, they also bring embers of danger with them. Sequel to Embers in a Wounded Heart

Prologue

Mustang stared down at the unassuming envelop in his hands, standing just inside the shelter the front of Central Command provided from the driving rain. The envelop felt heavy to him, even if all it contained was a set of orders for him and his team, as well as a few sets for varying departments they'd need to consult. Just a few pieces of paper, but they felt like they weighed much more to him as he held them with his aching hands. Was it the endless rain causing his hands to ache, or what these orders entailed?

Ever since the Promised Day, trouble had been popping up in small pockets. An anti-government group here. Rogue alchemists there. Societies determined to get to the truth of what happened within their government. It had been a mess, and Grumman had been keeping Mustang and his team busy with it—especially when it came to dealing with anything to do with alchemy. While Mustang understood the reasoning behind it, it still felt like he was being slowed down.

Mustang needed to get to Eastern Command. He couldn't get started on what he had set out to do without starting there.

But Grumman had other plans for him, especially as a pattern seemed to be emerging, a pattern indicating a group that was gathering alchemic knowledge, some of it very high level. Mustang's team was perfect for dealing with that sort of thing. They had the experience, they had the knowledge, and they had the skills.

So why did it feel like something was going to go amiss? Was he just being paranoid because of Riza's tattoo? Or was this more of a gut feeling warning?

He never liked it when Hawkeye and other alchemists got mixed up together. There was always a risk that they would find out about the tattoo and take advantage of it. Some alchemists had proven themselves trustworthy—the Elrics, Armstrong, Marcoh, the Chang Princess—but with the secrets she carried on her back, anything that had to do with a group of highly suspect alchemists left him and her both on high alert. These cases were worse, because there wasn't enough evidence to know if they were all connected together or not.

At least the four people who knew how to make a philosopher's stone were all accounted for.

Mustang looked out at the city from where he stood, not quite yet on the steps that lead down from the building, but standing just under the shelter of the roof. The weather wasn't even fit for waterfowl anymore. It had been raining for weeks, all across large portions of the country. The eastern and northern parts of the country were getting it the worst, although Central was dealing with it as well. The North had practically frozen over, rural areas were having their roads turned to mud, and in Central there was standing water and overloaded sewers. It was like the entire rain system had stalled out over them and wasn't moving.

It rather fit his mood, honestly.

He sighed as he tucked the orders inside his coat. Whether he liked them or not, orders were orders. They needed to travel southeast of East City, to a town called Womiob. The safest way to travel at the moment was going to be by rail. He wasn't about to risk his team on the unstable roads. It would make carrying some of their gear a little more difficult, but it would be the wisest course of action. He'd have Hawkeye make the arrangements. Although, going over the route in his mind, he realized that would take them back through Awrout, which she probably wouldn't be happy with. But if they were just passing through, it should be fine, right?

With a sigh, Mustang donned his hat and stepped out into the rain. Hawkeye was currently waiting for him in the car, probably wondering why he hadn't come down the steps yet. He'd explain the situation to her first, in the car, and then to the team when they got back to the office. It would be fine, he was sure.