I don't own the Six-Million Dollar Man. Or was it five? Hmm… Anyway, this chapter's going to be rather short. Before you go starting any angry mobs, keep in mind that the chapters are based on episodes of FMA. When an episode finishes, so does a chapter. Enjoy!

"We can rebuild her." Quoted Linry. "We have the technology. We can make her stronger, smarter, and faster than ever before."

"Did you have to say that?"

Alice lay on an operating table, covered in a long white sheet. Gathered around her were Mrs. Rockbell, Edan, and Linry. Leroy had stepped outside, for reasons unknown. They carried a variety of tools, some surgical and some not. Let's hope they don't get mixed up, huh?

Alice sat up. "Uh, before you start sawing me and whatnot, tell me what this operation is for."

"We're attaching an artificial arm to your body, since you lost the first one during your little experiment."

"Actually, I used my arm to affix my brother's soul to a character. I lost my appendix and gall bladder during the 'experiment'. Weird, really. I saw them float out of my body and dissipate."

Edan stood. "Your appendix and gall bladder? The two organs you don't need?"

Alice nodded.

Edan started toward the door. "Excuse me."

Outside, he screamed so loudly, that everyone was nearly deafened.

Edan reentered the house. "Okay, I'm fine now."

Linry picked up a saw. "Right, let's begin.

"Wait!" cried Alice. "I'm still awake."

"Sorry." She took out her wrench.

Alice's hair stood on end as she remembered what happened to her brother. Her eyes went wide, and rolled back in her head as she collapsed onto the operating table.

Linry picked up one of her arms and let it fall limp on the table. "Who needs anesthetic?"

She cracked her knuckles and they got to work.

The operating table shook crazily as Alice thrashed. Tools fell to the ground.

"Please stop thrashing, Alice! We have to make sure that the automail is secure!"

"I don't think she's thrashing because you're attaching the automail to her nerves. She's thrashing because you've put both of your tool boxes on top of her. She can't breathe."

"Oh. Whoops."Linry quickly removed them.
Leroy hefted a trunk large enough to hold a half grown rhinoceros. He brought it to the floor with a thud that shook everything for a radius of three miles.

Some distance away, a dire situation was taking place. What started as a bank holdup suddenly turned into a hostage situation. The culprit, desperate to get away from the police, had grabbed a teller in a headlock and put a gun to his throat. The police had dispatched their best sniper to deal with the robber. However, a problem appeared: the night before, the sniper had downed more alcohol than legal in many countries on a bet. Indeed, then man in question was currently trying to light the end of his Remington M24 SWS, complaining about the size of the cigar he had received.

Note the position of one of his fingers: curled around the trigger. After the drinking contest, force of habit was all the guy had left. This becomes important as soon as the shockwave from Leroy's luggage reaches the drunken officer.

The miniature quake knocked him for a loop, and then faded. This bump caused the man to accidentally pull the trigger, firing a bullet into the robber's thigh. The thief collapsed in pain.

"Hey, look," slurred the officer. "I won!"

The initial brunt of the shockwave had floored everyone in the Rockbell house.

"Watch it!" Linry helped her aunt to stand. "Who knows what consequences such a shock could have?"

"My apologies." Leroy opened the trunk. "So, I suppose you're wondering why I came to this town."

"Not really."

"In any case, I have come to make you two an offer. In two months, the military will be conducting a test, welcome to all comers. Whoever passes this test will become an Author of the State."

He pulled two cards from the trunk. "Here are two admission tickets to the test. If you would like to join the military, report to Central City in March."

Edan stared pensively at the card. "Alice, what do you think?"

"As long as Leroy is there, I'd go to the ends of the earth." A few valentine hearts floated up from the ground as she grinned.

"Should have known. Sounds tempting, Mr. Mustang, but I think I'll pass."

"Suit yourself. But I just want to mention that Authors have complete access to Central City Library, including all the restricted books on fanfiction from which one could learn how to, I dunno, restore the bodies of their sibling and them."

"Well…"

"Plus, we have really good health and dental plans."

"Since you put it that way, I'm in!"

"Good." He pulled out two enormous application forms from the trunk. "Fill these out, please."

The Elric siblingshad difficulty writing their applications.

"Why on earth do we have to know our great-aunt's favorite color?" Alice tugged at her ponytail in frustration.

Edan scratched his head. "I'm going to put 'woodchucks would chuck five pounds of wood' if they could chuck wood. What about you, Alice?"

She didn't reply. Alice had stumbled upon the most unusual question of all. "'What is your mental problem?' I don't have a mental problem."

"Oh, that's not good. Being crazy is a requirement for being an Author or high ranking military member. Why, look at me! I'm a ravin' pyro!"

He lit a house plant on fire. Luckily, Linry was around to put it out, as well as tie the Author up.

Alice adjusted her glasses. "Still, I'm not crazy."

"Sis, you keep a list of people's names entitled 'Exact Terrible Vengeance for calling me short'."

"And you, big brother, used to eat bugs to terrify the other kids."

"It was first grade! Can't you ever let me live it down?"

Alice giggled. "Never."

There was a lot of preparation involved in leaving for Central City to become State authors. For quite some time, the Elrics honed their writing and fighting skills under an instructor. On they day before they left, they decided to burn their childhood home, in order to put their old lives completely behind them. Unfortunately, they found that someone had beaten them to it.

Someone with dark hair and a penchant for lighting fires.

So… how about some reviews?