"Hughes, I'm not their father," Roy Mustang said to his best friend who sat on the couch in his office, eating an apple. The Lieutenant Colonel looked to his superior, and grinned. Maes Hughes had a smile that could even make a gunned down, dying man grin in his last moments. He's a tall, carefree man. He has a scratchy little beard that matches his slicked back, black hair. His golden eyes are covered by a pair of rectangular glasses. He was like a Beagle. He was playful and goofy. But he did have his serious moments where nothing could break his concentration for hours.

"Maybe not," came his thoughtful reply. "But you are the closest thing they've got."

"That's not my fault." Roy argued.

"So? You could at least act like you care about them. You know you do. It couldn't hurt to set an example for them. They're the next generation."

"You think I don't know that?"

"What is it this time, sir?" First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye walked into her superior's office. Riza Hawkeye has long, blonde hair she keeps up. Her face is always thoughtful, content. She has chocolate brown eyes and the heart of a Golden Retriever. No one wants to get on her bad side, though. They learned during the Ishbal Rebellion. She was one of the best snipers, known as the Hawk's Eye. It's ironic that it's her last name.

"Ah, Lieutenant. I'm so glad you're here! I do hope that you have my paperwork for me. I'm sorry I can't talk to you, Hughes. I've loads of work to do!" He walked to his coworker, and took the monstrous stack of paperwork that he knew was his. Hughes scowled, but stood up all the same.

"And here I thought you might want to talk to me before I had to go back to work next week. I guess I was wrong…" he said, fake misery in his voice. He stretched, throwing his apple into the trash can. He put a hand on Hawkeye's shoulder before stretching. "Well, I hope you come over and see me in Central soon. It gets kinda lonely without another man to go drinking with. And Elysia misses her Uncle Roy. Gracia would like to see you too! Oh man, Roy! If you saw them, you'd be so surprised! Elysia's gotten so big! You won't believe it unless you see it! She-"

"Ah, paperwork!" Roy sang, quickly signing a few of the papers.

"Fine, I can see I'm clearly not wanted here!" Hughes pouted playfully. "I'll catch ya later, Roy. You too, Riza." He said before gently closing the door behind him.

"Seeya, Maes." Roy said quietly after his friend left.

"Sir?"

"He's such a dork, Lieutenant." Roy said before dropping his pen.

"Those are due to the Brigadier General in 15 minutes."

His hands worked faster than lightning to get it all done. Smoke came from the pen and the paper.

Roy Mustang. The Siberian Husky of the military. You can work him and work him from dawn until dusk and he never tires. He follows orders obediently. Some of his orders he was reluctant to carry out, but did so anyway. He was well built and strong. Roy Mustang has messy, raven black hair and onyx eyes. He wears the blue uniform of the State Military. He has a fearsome reputation as both the Flame Alchemist and Hero of the Rebellion. He has set goals to strive for. And he will stop at nothing to reach it.

"So, Lieutenant… Want to go get a drink or something later? It's been a rough week on me. I'm sure you've had it as well."

"I think that would be nice, sir." She replied gently.

"I'll come by your apartment at… Say 1800?"

"Sounds good." She returned her attention to her own paperwork.

Roy turned around the corner to the Riza's apartment complex. It was a few stories high. He was lucky he didn't have to climb any stairs to get to his friend's apartment. He knocked on the wooden door. There was no answer. He tried to open the door. It was locked. He sighed, and bent down to get the key she kept under the welcome mat. He unlocked the door and opened it. "Riza? You ready to go?"

He looked around. Something was amiss. Black Hayate, Riza's protective dog, wasn't sniffing him, or trying to grab his attention. He whistled for the dog. The dog did not come. "That's weird…" he muttered to himself as he walked further into her apartment. He heard a whine come from within the kitchen. When he opened the door, he found the black and white dog on its side, next to his food bowl. He smirked. "Did you have too much to eat?" He pet the dog's side. The dog whined again. When he lifted his hand, there was a red substance covering it.

He looked around, horrified. Riza wouldn't let anything or anyone touch her friends, let alone her own dog. "Riza!" He called frantically. Still, no answer. He ran to her bedroom, against the back wall of the apartment building. It had a window on the wall that allowed her to overlook the countryside. When he burst through the door, the window was open. Roy looked down and noticed a trail of blood from the bed to the open window. The lamp her grandfather had given her lay on the floor, shattered in a million pieces. The nightstand wasn't where it's supposed to be. It's too far from the wall. The mattress was somewhat off the bed. These were clearly signs of a struggle, if only subtle signs. But Roy knew Riza well. She always had everything organized.

And on the windowsill, he noticed a small blue feather. He picked it up, examining it closely. "It's a calling card…" he thought aloud. Black Hayate in the kitchen bleeding, Riza missing… He looked past the feather to the miles and miles of vast countryside.