Chapter 2: How was I supposed to know he was a sadomasochist?
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for those not associated with Full Metal Alchemist.
The train ride was relatively quite despite Lieutenant Vash's curiosity for the colonel he was traveling with. Vash may have been anxious to know the colonel's story, but he didn't want to wind up like those men who tried to assassinate the Fuhrer, a cold tingling sensation going down his spine as he remembered the charred remains of the men as they lay twitching in pain. Without anything else to do, Vash started to continue writing the novel he had been working on for a good part of the year, but he had tried to keep it a secret from most of those in Fuhrer's guard as he was afraid of people reading over his shoulder. He only pulled the notepad out to write now because he was positive that Colonel Guile was sleeping, even though he kept his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. During a certain part in his romance novel, the part with a very intimate scene, Vash felt the presence of someone reading over his shoulder and he turned to see Colonel Guile leaning over his shoulder as if to look at his reading.
"Please sir it's not ready yet for anybodies eyes to see," pleaded Vash as he closed his book.
"Actually I was just about to tell you that we've reached our stop," announced Guile as he picked up his luggage and walked out of the train car, cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he started to charm up one of the stewardesses.
"It's been so long that I don't know if I could pick him up from a crowd," said Riza as she let her eyes train over the crowd while Roy did the same thing. "I guess he wouldn't have changed that much and he was the tallest Lieutenant back then so maybe we can make him out here."
"I think I've just found him," said Roy as he pointed towards one of the people getting out of the train, a tall man of seven feet and wearing dark sunglasses in the same manner as the killer "Scar." "Who's that person who's with him?"
"That would be Lieutenant Vashov Ranoche," replied Riza as she saw the famous lieutenant (famous for his novels and his ability to do paper work in the blink of an eye among other things) stumbling down the steps. "He's a good shot, using a six-shooter that is only half loaded due to his love for gun tricks, but he doesn't seem like the hardened gun-shooter that he's known for."
"Let me guess he's here to keep an eye on the good colonel," asked Roy as he ran his hand through his black hair.
"That is correct sir," replied Riza as she looked at the report in her hand and the dossier on both Colonel Guile and Lieutenant Vashove. "I don't think we have anything to worry about from the lieutenant, but I don't think the colonel is quite sane yet because of the some of these reports of disturbances that he answered. Particularly, the fact that some of his resent ones involve rebels being captured with their bodies covered in bones, some having their whole body burnt, but are still left alive and fully conscious."
"I figured that whatever reason they had for sending the lieutenant, it didn't mean any good for me," said Roy with a sigh as he waited for the colonel to move closer to his position and Roy started to feel uncomfortable as the man got closer. "Colonel Guile Stryker, it's been to long since we last saw each other, I think it's been about a decade or two since I testified against you in court."
"Do you still hate me, General Mustang," asked Guile as he looked at the flame alchemist, his eyes concealed by the dark sunglasses, just like a mask. "I guess it is hard to forgive me after I brought all of the alchemists into that war, even though they had been talking about bringing in alchemist for a long time before. What I said when I proposed the use of us was nothing new and you know it."
"Yes and I've had nightmares about that war, and you know it," replied Roy as he leaned back on his cars, noticing the change in Guile's aura from a normal, indifferent aura to a lamenting bluish grey aura. "I don't think there is a single alchemist who has gotten nightmares from that war and what was it all for colonel?"
"At first it was revenge," replied the colonel as he took pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. "I can still remember that night when I found the ones who burned my house down. I can still remember how much they screamed when I first set them on fire and the way they squirmed around until the fire finally died down, leaving their charred bodies behind, but they were still alive. After that I saw that the only way to end general suffering is to end the war quickly, no matter how many deaths should be caused by winning that war. If alchemists didn't participate in the war, then that would have dragged on with greater casualties and that would only continue the suffering of everyone. I never said that it was a good decision, but it was the most logical decision at the time and for all the blood spilled we were able to win piece for our state."
"I can understand your reasons for doing what you did, but it still doesn't change the fact of what you did and who you did it to," said Roy as he opened the door for Guile and Vash. "Please gentlemen, why don't we all get to the command post so we can get started on our investigation?"
"Yes, thank you general," said Guile with a quick salute and then he climbed in the car followed by Vash.
Colonel Havoc thought he could get away with a little smoke since Riza wasn't there and his hand had been fingering the cigarette in his pack for the good part of the hour. He took the cigarette out and then pulled out his lighter to light the cigarette while he waited for his general to get back and to see the infamous Colonel Guile, whom Havoc had heard about while serving in the war and had been through one of the towns he'd burned to the ground after he had been there. The sight could sometimes give him nightmares, but generally his dreams focused on getting that someone special to him and when he was rejected it was the same as living his nightmares. Right when Havoc had just gotten a puff of his cigarette, a gunshot rang out through the conference room and he looked up to see a very annoyed Riza holding up her smoking gun and he took the cigarette out of his mouth to see that the tip had been blown off in typical Riza fashion, only taking off the surface and not half the cigarette.
"I hope you don't follow the habit of smoking Colonel Guile," said Riza as she looked over at a tall man with short blond hair and dark sunglasses. "I will not allow anyone to smoke in this office and anyone who does will see just how good a shot I am with my pistols. Consider yourself warned colonel."
"Yes sir," said Guile snapping to attention in a very strict manner. Riza couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or if he was nervous from how trigger happy the lieutenant general was. "I'll just go out to smoke then, when I'm allowed to of course."
"Smart man," commented Riza as she looked at Havoc. "You could learn something from him Jean. Who knows, maybe he could teach you a thing or two about getting women."
"He's only been married once and from what I hear his reputation prevents him from having many relations with females of that nature," retorted Havoc as he sat back in his chair, but he found that they had been blown off by the above mentioned colonel, who packed a very big looking revolver that had the barrel of a semi-automatic.
"Listen up and listen good, Colonel Havoc," said Guile with a very murderous look. "I don't have very many relationships of that sort because I am loyal to the memory of my late wife and child. How could I love another after losing the woman I loved once."
"Stand down, Colonel Guile," commanded Riza as she looked at Roy whose hands were ready to snap out fire the minute he disobeyed, but Guile did as she ordered. "I'm sure that Havoc meant nothing bad by it, he was only just saying another one of his stupid words that don't mean anything, isn't that right, Jean?"
"Yeah, sorry about my very ill-conceived comment, I hope I haven't made myself too much of an ass in your eyes," said Jean as he bowed to Guile.
"Well I shall drop it no, but never again should I hear that comment Havoc," warned Guile as he turned to look at the reports and speculations of the office and he found one particular theory a bit distasteful. "Who the hell thought that it could be Ishvalan rebels who did this?"
"I did, sir," said a young lieutenant. "We have reports that there is still some movement of Ishvalans in the north who still feel bitter about how the war ended."
"Did you eat a bowl of retarded for breakfast," asked Guile as he cocked an eyebrow at the paper pushing lieutenant. "This attempt had some serious report and those rebels you mentioned are no more than a petty mob, unfit to even be called a militia. It's either a plan to take power or a plan from the separatist forces. Either way, we must keep a more watchful eye on the general and the lieutenant general. "
"And why would that be," asked the above mentioned general.
"Sir, in either case you'd be one of their targets," replied Guile as he looked at Roy Mustang.