New chapter, please read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of it's characters.
"Look, you two, we're here!" Winry said, her face up to the train window as she smiled with excitement. Ed and Al exchanged sorrowful smiles themselves, their minds running through good and bad memories of their adventures.
"Ed, who did you call to pick us up?" Al asked curiously when he realized he had yet to ask.
"I tried to call Lieuten- I mean, Colonel Hawkeye, but she wasn't there. So I asked Armstrong." Ed said, laughing as Al's face fell.
"You asked Armstrong?" Al moaned dreadfully.
"Hey, he's the only one that would want to come out here to pick us up considering we don't have a car." Ed reasoned followed by an admitting nod from Al. "Besides, the Major is a good guy," he paused, putting a hand to his face, "even though he's extremely annoying." he was almost starting to regret his choice, but even then he would probably be the only person not busy st the time, and they would have been trapped.
The three stepped off the train and into a bustle of busy people in the station of Central. All three friend's looked around until Winry spotted what they were searching for. "Major!" she cried, waving for him to notice them.
"Winry? And the Elric brothers!" Armstrong cried as he put a hand to his forehead in a salute-like fashion to make sure it was really them as they ran towards him. When they were standing in front him, they were welcomed by a tight, muscled-filled, embrace.
"Can't... breath... Major..." Ed croaked from within the hug and Mustang placed them on the ground.
"Oh, you three have grown out of your youth and into adulthood! How I've missed the three of you!" Major Armstrong then bursted out sobbing happy tears. It was apparent he would never change.
"You too, Major!" Al said, a bright smile on his face. At first, the idea of Armstrong being the one to pick them up was a dreadful thought, considering his high emotions to everything and his general habit of being annoying, but now Alphonse accepted his happy attitude, lifting the nostalgic mood to a happier one.
Armstrong then drove the three to the Military hotel, where Ed and Al shared a room and Winry got the one next to it. She then went visit Gracia and Elicia while the brothers wanted to visit Mustang. They got to the door and Al knocked lightly.
"Come in." said a gruff voice from inside.
"Hey, Brigadier General Jackass. Hm, that has a good ring to it – better than Colonel Shit." Ed said, although unlike the past times he had called Mustang vulgar names, he didn't mean them, and wasn't angry. Old habits just died hard, it seemed.
"If it's isn't Fullmetal and Al." Roy said, looking a little shocked to see the two boys.
"Not Fullmetal anymore, Mustang." Ed said informatively. Roy just grinned and nodded, but didn't say anything. Everyone knew Ed could no longer preform alchemy since he got his brother out of the suit of armor he had his soul in. This was knowledge difficult to comprehend, even to Mustang when he signed Ed's papers saying he was no longer in the military.
"Oh, Ed and Alphonse Elric. Nice to see you boys, it's been a while." Riza Hawkeye said as she walked into the office with two coffees in her hands. She handed one to Mustang, who accepted gratefully.
"Colonel Hawkeye, nice to see you too!" Al said happily. Riza may be strict but the brothers had seen her in her most emotional times, making her seem a little more human than a stoic body guard. Al remembered the time Colonel Hawkeye had thought Roy was dead, and he was just glad the two were still together considering they made a great team... and Riza was the only one who could control the Brigadier General.
"Colonel, I thought I sent you home." Roy said, a little puzzled.
"The Fuhrer asked me to give you these papers to sign before I leave." Riza said, holding out a couple of papers which Roy took.
"Great, more paperwork. By the way, how is your grandfather?" he said. He received a puzzled look for Ed and Al both for a moment. "You boys never knew? Fuhrer Grumman is Riza's grandfather." he said in a matter-of-fact tone. The brothers looked a little surprised for a moment, but the knowledge didn't really change much, aside from the fact it was impossible to see the two related with such different personalities.
"He's good." Hawkeye said, then she saluted, "I'll be leaving again, sir. Thank you." Roy nodded and Riza smiled at the brothers. "Maybe I will see you again soon." she said and left after the two nodded in agreement.
"She still staying by your side?" Ed asked when she was gone. There were so very few occasions he had seen either one of them without the other close by.
"My best subordinate." he said, not taking his eyes off the door.
"Hey, Brigadier General, where is everyone?" Al asked, noticing the room was devoid of all Roy's subordinates.
"No one's told you guys? There have been large amounts of disappearances lately, both soldiers and civilians." Roy Mustang groaned and laid his chin on the desk. "And more missing by the minute." he muttered.
Edward smiled at the General. "The big ranks getting to you, old man?" he said mockingly. Without letting Roy answer in protest, Ed asked, "Any way me and Al can help?"
Roy paused for a moment, "Maybe, but I can't think of anything right now. Everyone's going on stakeout tomorrow at a bar where most people were last seen before disappearing. I'd invite you two, but you're not over 21." Roy said and Ed gave him a disappointed look in response. While having a little break from all the adventures he had been on were nice, a part of Ed yearned to go back into action. "Unless," Roy started, lifting his head up from his desk. He had a look of slight hope on his face. "you two want stay at the two entrances. Apparently the person the missing people are always with usually wears a black cloak." Roy muttered something unintelligible about civilians not noticing weird things around them. Then he continued, "You two could try and catch them as they leave so there isn't to much commotion inside the actual bar. And you could tell my team when they enter, if you see them."
Al nodded excitedly at the idea. Ed guess he was happy since he never got to do anything "fun" in his own body, and now he could. Besides, Al could still use alchemy when Edward couldn't and it could be very useful.
"Good. I wont be accompanying you for this mission, so it will just be you two, Hawkeye, Havoc, and Breda. Meet them there at about five. It's Joey's Drinks." Roy informed the two.
"You know, I bet we could pass for 21, right Al?" Ed said slyly with a grin.
"No." Roy growled, putting a hand to his forehead. "Now go, I have work to do."
"Sure you do, Mustang." Ed turned and waved a hand at Mustang, making the Brigadier General chuckle a little. Al waved as well and the two walked out of the office.
"Whaaat? Why?" Winry pouted when the brothers denied her.
"Winry, please." Al pleased, "We don't know what will happen. Besides, we're probably just going to sit there for a while anyways, and even then there's a chance nothing with happen."
"Come on! Ed... please?" Winry looked to Ed with pleading eyes which Ed had to admit made it hard to say no. Nevertheless, he couldn't let her be put in danger like that. He shook his head and Winry pouted once again. "Oh fine! You two are so stubborn sometimes!"
"Whatever. We still have the whole day tomorrow to hang out." Ed said, and then let out an exhausted yawn. "I'm going to bed." he announced.
"Me too. 'Night Winry." Al said as he got up from the hotel couch.
"Good night." Winry said, and she walked out of the room to go to her own bed. All three friends wondered what tomorrow would bring them - a new day, a new adventure.
Thanks for reading! By the way, next chapter is in Riza's perspective, since Roy wont be there and I want it to be at the stakeout.