When the group of high ranking officers returned to the office around 12:45, a small group of MPs were waiting outside the door with several files in their arms. Mustang lead the way and they vanished into the inner office with Hawkeye close at hand. Winry uneaily settled down to work, glad that she was finished with the loudest parts of her work.
Mustang sat behind his desk wearily but kept it from showing on his face. The fact that the MPs were here meant there was another case.
"There's been another death," the tallest MP began, confirming the Fuhrer's suspicions, "Another alchemist. We found his body just short of the Red Light District."
"Just short?" Mustang questioned.
"Yeah," the second MP affirmed, "In front of a bar. The proprietor is..." He trailed off, checking one of the files in his arms before continuing, "Mdm. Christmas."
"Has anyone been to question her yet?!" the Flame Alchemist demanded.
"Yeah, about an hour ago."
"Who?"
"I believe that it was... Denny Brosche."
"Good," Mustang breathed a sigh of relief, "Continue."
For the next two hours, they discussed the specifics of the case. Mustang breathed another sigh of relief when the group left, but felt the tension running up his spine again when he looked at the files that they'd left behind. This was the third killing over the last few months and he'd lost count of how many over the last two years. Each one was the same. An alchemist would turn up dead and each one would look like a suicide, leaving no evidence of another person behind except for one key thing. A symbol drawn underneath of the gun clutched in a lifeless hand.
And unfortunately, there were never any witnesses. Riza finally returned after what seemed to be an eternity with a cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a mug of tea in the other.
"I think it's time for a break, Sir," she announced, placing the warm beverage in front of her CO while holding her own mug.
"Col.," Roy began, "What if... What if everything we're trying to do doesn't work out and everything just comes crashing down around us and things end up worse off than before?"
"Well, Sir, I think if that happens then the world isn't ready to admit its own faults and human kind will have revealed its hubris beyond a doubt. ...But I don't think that will happen, Sir."
"How can you be so sure Riza?" Roy asked, trying to keep his despair from overcoming his tone.
"Because I'm following behind you, Roy," she replied, abandoning her mug to walk around the desk, "I've pledged myself to your cause, and I won't allow you to abandon that path, Roy." The Col. put her arms around her superior and the two stayed that way for another few moments.
When Riza and Winry went home, the mechanic continued to work while the Col. took up a post in the kitchen at the stove. Winry got out a few tools and set up on the coffee table after checking to make sure that it was sturdy enough. After an hour, the Col. finished dinner and called the mechanic in to eat. They ate in relative silence and went their separate ways after eating.
The next day was met with Winry staying behind at Riza's apartment and a promise to go to lunch with the group of soldiers. Days following were met with a similar pattern until a week had passed. At that point, a visit was payed to Edward once again.
"Where've you been, Fuhrer Bastard?" Edward demanded when the group walked in, "Too busy inflating your own-" Ed cut off as coughs began wracking his small frame again. Blood splattered the wall and Ed lied there limply for a moment as Hawkeye hit the call button. "Sorry," he sighed, "I thought I was okay for a while there."
"Edward..." the Fullmetal Alchemist looked up to see Winry looking back at him and sighed again.
"Don't cry, Winry. I'm not worth crying over." Her response to his self-degenerate comment was a wrench to the wall behind him yet again.
"Yes you are you baka!" she shouted, stalking up to him, "You have just as much worth as anyone else in this room, possibly even more! Don't you dare tell me how to spend my tears!" Edward opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment a nurse walked in and instead he turned away, frustrated at his weakness.
I promised that the next time she cried would be tears of joy, he thought to himself as the nurse took his blood pressure, But instead she's cried an ocean of tears over the stupid things that I've done...
Mustang watched the nurse attending to Edward with his own pair of hawk eyes and wondered where he'd seen her before... She didn't exactly stand out, dark blonde hair and simple brown eyes, but her face was so familiar. He was sure that he'd never gone on a date with her because he would remember that, but he was also sure he'd met the woman before... It was only when she asked Edward to sit up so she could listen to his pulse that he remembered.
"You were the witness!" he blurted out, pointing at her.
"Excuse me, Sir?" she questioned, turning to look at him with narrowed eyes.
"That first suicide! But... Your hair was a different color..."
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, Sir. But I'm afraid I need to continue my work and if you disturb this patient you'll be escorted from the building." Mustang took a step back until he was leaning against the wall near the door. Once the nurse turned back to Edward, he slipped out into the hallway to make a call.
"Hey Jacqueline!" he greeted as the phone was lifted on the other end, "Listen, I've got to cancel our date tonight. Some bozo has been following me around all day and I can't shake her..."
"But Roy," a high pitched voice replied on the other end, "You promised you wouldn't leave me tonight..." The Fuhrer shivered slightly before replying.
"I know Jacqueline, but maybe it's for the best. After all, this bozo might try to follow you as well."
"Alright Roy," the voice replied, "But only if you promise me another time."
"Anything for you Jacqueline, anything at all."
"I'll hold you to that, Roy," the voice answered before hanging up.
Roy slipped back into the room to see the wall being cleaned and that the nurse hadn't even noticed him slip out. Good. That meant that Havoc's cover wouldn't be jeopardized. After all, Roy Mustang would never date a woman with a voice so unrefined. Never. That's why Riza meant so much more to him.
The nurse brushed past him and he watched her go, suddenly remembering.
Her hair had been red.
AUTHOR'S RAMBLING REPLIES
199: Why you no work spell-check? Oh wait, I know! I'm on *pauses for dramatic intent* an iPad! Pardon my French ladies and gentlemen, I do believe I just used a swear word! I'll go fix that, thank you for pointing it out. And mechanics are pretty close to the same to me, but it's worse when my dad tries to talk in binary at the dinner table... *head-desk* Does another quick update forestall my inevitable demise?
Karmadella1234: *Does a jig* Yay! I've survived the crazies! But I see them again tomorrow! *Shrieks in fear and hides behind the teddybear she's had since she was two*
Jmlliana: I'd like to thank you for your quick reviews. They give me inspiration to continue to write and help me to believe that I don't suck at this. *Glomps current inspiration* HEY EVERYBODY! THIS PERSON IS THE REASON I'M UPDATING! GO READ THEIR WHATNOT!
QueenCari1129: I'm sure that this chapter does not help your curiosity. *Grins like a Cheshire Cat*
ShadowSnowdapple: Now that I'm continuing to write, I can say that I kinda missed reading everyones reviews. It's pretty awesome knowing that more than one person likes me as an author because none of my friends are really in to anime and none of them like to read what I write. *shrugs* Oh well, such is life.
A/N: Thanks for reading and have an awesome life until I update again (which is probably going to be the day after tomorrow unless I feel really guilty because I missed school on both Friday last week and yesterday (Yes, I'm in high school) and I have a lot of crap to catch up on...) so keep an eye out on Thursday. I am however donating my entire study hall to writing, so who knows. Certainly not me. Maybe God... Yeah, God knows when I'll update because He's cool like that. (Make fun of Him and it is your eternal life that will suffer, not mine.) (...But I guess I don't have to worry because only about 6 or 7 people actually read this... And none of them are mean enough to make fun of God. Because as I said before, He's cool like that.) :D