Chapter 16 : You're his accomplice

Amestris, Central City, The Central Command, Officers' conference room...

Several senior officers were seated around a table with several documents in their hands and among them at the end of the table was a man with black hair, an eye patch and a dignified facial expression, he was Führer Grumman or formerly Führer King Bradley.

"Our troops completely crushed the rebellion in the south. Officers Mustang, Isaac McDougal, Solf J. Kimblee and Basque Grand distinguished themselves in these battles." Said a blond officer reading the document from his hand.

"How many 'stones' can we produce from this battle?" asked another officer in his 50s.

When the man says these words an uncomfortable silence occurs in the room for a brief moment before the blond officer says:

"183."

Bradley, who had so far been silent, then took the floor.

"Give me the news from town, Teb."

"The town of Teb for nearly two months has been occupied by a new Ishval resistance group calling itself First Hope, according to our spies at their head is a fairly young man in his 20s calling himself The Boss, his name is apparently Gagan, he's an alchemist and has great skills in hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship, our informants have also reported that Aerugo has made contact with them and recently supplied them with weapons."

"They are currently holding General Armstrong and several of our alchemist scientists prisoner."

But while the officer was talking he was interrupted by Bradley.

"Who are the alchemists closest to town?"

The blond officer took another document and read it a moment before saying:

"Führer, the nearest alchemists are: Solf J. Kimblee, Jack Crowley and Basque Grand."

"Supply them with new stones and give them the support of 400 soldiers, I want you to exterminate every Ishval in the city." Says Bradley with a look that sends shivers down the blond officer's spine.

"Yes Führer!"

. . . . . .

In a large room, James was sitting on a chair reading a notebook, in front of him were five men with some bruises on their faces, one of whom had an apparently broken arm tied in bandages.

Behind them standing was a fairly young man with short white hair and a scar on his right cheek.

James, who had finished reading the notebook, looked at the five men and said with a smile.

"Your work is more than satisfactory, in just three weeks you've managed to improve my circle."

"It wasn't very complicated sir, the circle you gave us was made by a beginner, although on the whole it was passable, it had many flaws that reduced its effectiveness." Said the man with the broken arm with a smile, but the white-haired young man behind him hearing this, suddenly kicked him, rolling the man on the ground for a while before he moans in pain.

"Speak only when authorized to do so." Says the white-haired man.

"Calm down, Maha." Said James scratching his head, Maha was his most zealous subordinate at work which sometimes gave him headaches, but his loyalty to him was truly unquestionable.

He bowed to James.

"Sorry Boss!"

James looked at the five scientists and showed them the transmutation circle drawn at the end of the notebook.

"But unfortunately one of you has created a rift in my circle, if I hadn't seen it earlier and tried it straight away, I'd already be dead."

"Maha give me your gun."

Maha pulled out of his belt a pistol of fists that james took before looking at all the alchemists again.

"I hear your hearts beating fast, but of the five of you, the one with the most irregular heartbeat is you." Said James as he pointed to the alchemist with the broken arm.

"Are you the one who tried to kill me?" Asked James.

"It wasn't me, I swear!"

*Bang*

Suddenly a shot rang out and the lifeless body of one of the alchemists fell to the ground.

"I know it wasn't you."

He said to the alchemist with the broken arm who was shaking on the ground.

"But you're his accomplice."

*Bang*

"Maha you can go, escort the other three back to their cells."

"Yes, Boss."

Maha left the room with the three alchemists.

His gaze turned to the bodies of the two alchemists for a brief moment and then to the weapon in his hand.

"Killing doesn't even make me tremble anymore, I've really changed, sometimes I wonder why I do it all."

"Haha now I'm talking to myself again." He said laughing, but in his laughter there was a certain touch of sadness.

A few minutes later a group of people came to clean the room before leaving, leaving James, who was concentrating on reading the notebook alone.