-1Disclaimer: I still do not own any FMA copyrights.
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The Long Road Home
Part 2
The market district of Central was always alive with activity at noon. Merchants of every type lined the streets with numerous items to sell: fresh produce, automail of every grade and design, fine silk imported from the sun city of Lior, and beautiful sculptures and pottery from the newly established Ishbal Province. Major Riza Hawkeye preferred the busy market to any other place in Central on her day off. It merely posed as a reminder for her that many good changes had come from the destruction of the old government including the New World Trade Act.
A vender selling Ishbalan jewelry caught the major's eye as she walked through the stands. The man was old and wore many scars obviously from a violent past, yet his face bore nothing but kindness for the young woman. "Miss! Please come look. You like the jewels before you?" the old Ishbalan asked, his red eyes warm and friendly. Riza Hawkeye examined the jewels carefully. She smiled at the in-depth cut of each gem. The craftsmanship was flawless and the jewels were real. Of all the venders in Central, the Ishbalans were always the most trustworthy. "Funny how history works. I never thought I'd see the day when an Ishbalan would give a member of the military a fair price on real gems," the major chuckled to herself.
The site of the barbed wire and guard towers roping off most of the Eastern prison sectors forced her to acknowledge the bad as well as the good of the new government. The fall of the Fuhrer and establishment of the new government had been met with some resentment. A large chunk of the military had split from the new government and relocated to the Northern Lands calling themselves "Loyalists". There had been a number of outbreaks along the Northern borders and assassination attempts had become a frequency. After all, now there was a whole congress of targets as opposed to just one. The prisons had become quite full… as had the graveyards for the executed.
Hawkeye sighed and continued about her business. No work today; today was her day off, her day to forget the troubles of military life. She made her way through the market, stopping here and there to complete her shopping. She examined some apples, collected an assortment of vegetables, bought a fresh loaf of bread, and purchased a fine roast hen for dinner that night. The major was so engrossed in her shopping, she failed to notice the dark figure approaching from behind, perfectly concealed by the large, bustling crowd. "Hello, Lieutenant," Hawkeye froze as the voice drifted to her ear, "it's been a while, hasn't it?" The voice was cold and unfamiliar. "That's major to you." The conversation was already turning hostile. The voice whistled, "Well look at you! You get a promotion and you think you have authority." Hawkeye didn't like this. This guy knew her before the fall of the Fuhrer. What else could he know?
"Who are you…?" she slowly began to turn but was stopped by a round object in her back. "Let's not draw too much attention to ourselves, shall we?" The voice was calm, in complete control. Riza's mind kicked into full gear. Her mood of ease and relaxation forgotten, Hawkeye listened to the voice behind her, attempting to catch anything that may give her the advantage.
"Take this next right down the alley."
The man's steps were accompanied by a slight clicking noise, wood on stone. The man was relying heavily on a crutch or cane. The clicks came from Hawkeye's left side meaning the cane was on that side. Therefore, the gun had to be in the right hand. "I can use that," Hawkeye thought.
"What do you want…"
"The one person I want to find in Central and the man's a damn ghost. I thought you would know where to find him."
"Who?"
"Mustang."
"He's after Roy?! Is he another assassin? Are the 'loyalists' hitting our military personnel now?"
"What do you want with the Lieutenant General?"
"Lieutenant General? Since when did that man deserve a promotion?!"
For some reason, the man was seeming more and more familiar, but his identity still eluded her.
"The Lieutenant General is a great man far more deserving of a promotion than a coward like you!"
"Coward?!"
Major Hawkeye smiled. She had hit a nerve. That was her opening. Spinning low, a pistol slipped out of the right sleeve of her sweater. A second later, one clear shot rang out in the alleyway. The crutch under the man's left arm split in the middle. The man let out a small yelp of surprise as his weight gave out and he toppled to the side. Hawkeye kept her sights trained on the man's hooded head. "Now, toss your weapon to me slowly. Make any sudden movements, and I'll put three holes in your head. And off with the hood!" The major's tone was stern and intimidating… until the hood was removed. Then her aim faltered.
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Author's Note: Hooray! Second installment! Thanks for the feedback guys. It's nice to know the story is OK so far. This chapter is a bit different in the sense that it focuses a lot more on the events taking place on this side of the gate than the characters. I'm not sure if I like it... Anyways, did my best! Let me know what you think!
BWR