Another disappointing chapter, I know. I just wanted to close up that event with Roy. Ed's next, and please read and review! If there is anything you want to see more in my writing or whatever, then don't hesitate to tell me! I treasure every review/critique!
Disclaimer: Don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.
Brigadier General Roy Mustang's phone rang through the office, startling the soldier from his sleep. He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly and answered. "Hello?"
"Hey, Roy! Have you seen Riza lately?" Lieutenant Catalina said over the phone.
"Yeah, a couple hours ago. She left earlier for a... date." he said, yawning at the end of his sentence to cover how much he disliked saying 'date' when referring to Hawkeye. He was glad he had sent the rest of his soldiers home earlier with the Colonel, or they would have bugged him about sleeping on the job.
"The date was with me. I'll be in Central for a couple days and I needed a key to her apartment. She was going to go home and take Hayate for a walk while I was working. I went to her apartment and she wasn't there, but Hayate was." Rebecca explained worriedly.
"Wait, the date was with you?" Roy asked. Then he shook his head. "Nevermind that. Maybe she just went to dinner or something." he reassured. Hawkeye could surely take care of herself.
"Riza doesn't go to dinner. And if she had, she would have brought me! Come on, Roy. You sure you haven't seen her?" Rebecca sounded very serious , making Mustang fear something was wrong as she suspected.
"Positive. Where could she have gone?" he said. Suddenly the phone beeped, telling Roy there was another call. "I have to go. Call me if you find anything, or if she's fine." he said. Then put the phone back on the receiver and lifted it again to pick up the other line. "Brigadier General Roy Mustang here." he said formally, like he should have before.
"Roy?" Grumman questioned.
"Fuhrer Grumman? Something wrong?" Roy asked, surprised the Fuhrer would be calling him so late.
"One could say that. Someone saw someone with the exact appearance of my granddaughter in a bit of trouble. Could you come down to my office?" Roy froze at his words. Rebecca had truly been on to something, and now his only goal was to find out what kind of trouble Riza was in, and how he could get her out of it.
Roy knocked on the door of the Fuhrer's office and walked in immediately after. Inside was just Grumman, not surrounded by his usual guards, and a tall man.
"Ah, Roy. Come, sit down." said the Fuhrer. "This is Brad Tenant. Brad, could you tell the Brigadier General what happened this evening?" while the order seemed to be a question, it was really an order. The chestnut-haired man nodded.
Brad gave a small summary of what he had told Riza Hawkeye, about a girl going missing and a solider being killed. "Then this blond woman in a military uniform came over and started barking instructions and asking questions." Sounds like Riza already, thought Mustang dreadfully. "Then this voice came from the alley asking to exchange the girl for her. The woman agreed and a girl ran out. I think her name was Elicia." Brad paused when he saw Roy's face twist in surprise and anxiety. Whoever this voice was, they must have a lot of insiders. "The two hugged and the woman told the girl to go home, and so an older women took her. Anyway, the blond soldier told us to leave, which we did, and then entered the alley. I didn't hear any screams after, but I stuck around anyway. She never came out, so I called the military and was instructed here after I gave her description."
"Could you tell me what you told them?" Roy asked seriously.
"She was average height for her age, I presume. Her hair was blond and up in the back, and she had brown eyes." Brad reported.
Roy Mustang moaned with frustration and worry. "Damnit! Sounds just like her." he growled to himself. "Could you take me to the alley where she was lost?"
"Come now, Mustang." said Grumman. It was obvious he was worried about his granddaughter, but he was good at hiding it so only Roy would realize it. Roy supposed this was a good thing with him being Fuhrer, he has to keep cool on the job. "She would be long gone by now. We will wait."
Roy remembered Edward Elric, and how he had been obviously upset that they were just waiting for something to happen... until someone else got hurt. Roy hadn't thought about real consequences, about one of his own being the victim, especially Colonel Hawkeye. Roy no longer wanted to just wait for something to happen. "Sir, with all do respect, I would like to investigate this somehow." Grumman lifted an eyebrow.
"You are already on a case. You work on that." the Fuhrer said, to Roy's dismay. "Now you are dismissed. Thank you Mr. Tenant for telling us."
"Anything to help." Brad said, nodding his head in respect. "Thanks for listening Mr. Fuhrer, sir."
Grumman nodded as well. "Brigadier General, could you please escort our guest out?" he asked, turning to Mustang.
Mustang accepted the order and left the office, the chestnut-haired man following. "Thank you for warning the military about my subordinate." he said as he walked down the hallway.
"My pleasure." he said. "She must mean a lot to you for you to care so much." he continued with a glance at Roy, who just continued to walk.
"She has had my back for a long time. Helped me through a lot."
"Right. Well, thank you for showing me the way out." said Brad when they reached the Central Headquarters entrance. "Maybe I will see you again one day." he said, and left the building. Roy let out a sigh and turned to go back to his office.
"Rebecca?"
"Roy! Whats the deal?" said a hyper voice from the other line. Her voice was enough to make Roy tired, but nevertheless he explained to her what he was told. A moment of silence followed, then, "Riza wouldn't get kidnapped." said a disbelieving soldier. Roy knew she was right, his strong subordinate would not be taken out in combat so easily. He wouldn't be surprised if she was stronger than himself.
"Alchemy?" Roy asked, mostly to himself. He then wondered if he should tell Ms. Catalina about the previous events and the stakeout. He decided he would word it vaguely, "Other events tell us there is an alchemist around who isn't a fan of the government." he said.
"Riza may be able to beat anybody using a gun, but I don't know much about alchemy..." said Rebecca, defeated. Her voiced showed obvious worry for her best friend, an Roy wished he could help.
"We'll find her. She can take care of herself, whether or not the enemy is an alchemist." Mustang finalized. "Take care of her dog for her, and I'll handle everything."
"Sure, Brigadier General." Rebecca said, and she hung up the phone. Both friends would be thinking about it through the night, Roy was certain.
"You are already on a case. You work on that." Roy recalled Grumman saying. He couldn't help but smile at the Fuhrers hint. He would never let just anybody handle this situation, especially where his granddaughter is concerned. Grumman had an idea, and Roy Mustang had a feeling he was right.
Thanks for reading! Hope it wasn't terrible. And sorry if phones didn't beep when someone else called back in the time of Fullmetal Alchemist. I didn't know how else to do it... hehe.