Paint the Snow Crimson Chapter 5

Upon entering the fort, we had at least seventy men asking what had happened. Before we could answer any of the questions, a booming, angry voice resonated through the fort. "Miles! Malone! My office! Now!" the General ordered from the end of the hallway we were in. With a sheepish look to Miles, we followed her. I heard everyone utter their condolences in advance.

When we were safely secured inside her office, with the door shut, she started her lament. "Where the Hell have you two been!? Do you have any idea the chaos you've begun!? Buccaneer almost sent a search party out for you! What do you have to say for yourself!?" she demanded. Panic-stricken, I turned to Miles, desperately hoping he'd know what to do, how to butter up the Ice Queen. Unfortunately, he suffered from the same loos of words I did. Neither of us knew how to explain what had gone on between us. We avoided the general's icy glare at all cost, looking at the dirty floor. General Armstrong saw our shared looks of speechlessness, her eyes narrowing in realization. "Good job getting yourself laid, Miles," she complimented, earning a wild blush from me and an awkward cough from the Ishvalan. "Just don't let it happen again," she ordered. "Colonel, you and Major Miles were missing for over twelve hours. Every person MIA has to be reported to Central Command. I made the call personally. And who should pick up the phone but Colonel Mustang, your brother," she complained. "I got chewed out because of your disappearance. Go call your brother," she ordered. "You worried him," she added. "Dismissed!"

Without any further ado, Miles and I fled form the Ice Queen's chamber. "That went better than I thought," I commented.

"She's not as bad as you make her out to be," he defended his superior.

"Well, I better go call Roy," I said. "I'll see you later?" I asked. He nodded before departing swiftly, returning to the Ice Queen's lair. Chuckling to myself, I walked to the communications room, only to find my raven haired roommate, already occupying the telephone. It took only moments for me to realize she was talking to her boyfriend, the one and only Jean Havoc.

"But you're a better shot… no you are… no you are… Stop it, Jean!"

"Hey, I need the phone," I said.

"Sorry, Jean," Blackwater apologized, her blue eyes glaring at me as she made no extra effort to hurry up her phone call. "Lightning is being a pest, that's all… Anyway… stop gossiping like an old lady… so what were you saying Fuery and Hawkeye did? Nu-uh, no way he would say that! Are you serious…?"

"Hey, give me the phone!" I reached for it.

"Oh, so the people down in Central know about it? Yeah, she was gone for twelve hours! I thought for sure a tundra bear got her! It turns out she was with this major! I don't know the whole story, but I'm pretty sure they did the nastyyyy," she sang. "But I'm not sure, so don't start spreading rumors, okay?" she continued on with her conversation as though I weren't there.

""General Armstrong told me to call Roy!" I said, still trying to reach the phone and contain my anger all at the same time.

"Jean, I gotta go. Lightning has to call Big Brother," she mocked. "General's orders… no, you hang up first… No you… Seriously, you," she argued.

"No, me!" I finally grabbed the phone and roughly hung it up. Blackwater and I glared at each other for a moment before she slapped me hard across the face, walking away with a huff. Sighing, I dialed my brother's office at Central Command. The phone rang several times. I began to doubt he would answer, until he finally did.

"Colonel Mustang," he greeted formally.

"Hey, this is Colonel Malone," I greeted. "Morning," I said.

"Maya! Where have you been!? The report I got said you were missing! What happened!? Are you okay!?" I had to hold the phone an arm's length from my ear to stop from losing my  hearing completely. Before I could even open my mouth to answer any of my brother's questions, the phone was taken from me. I was shocked to look up and see the devious blue eyes of the Blackwater Alchemist. Try as I might, I couldn't get the phone back.

With a malicious look, she said, "Maya went missing with an officer here and they had sex. Go," she handed the phone back, putting as much distance between her and me as she could before the rampage began.

"Maya, what are you thinking!? You're not up there to screw around! You're there to work! Who was it!? I'll make sure he never bothers you again!" he yelled. I could almost see him putting on his gloves and storm all the way up to Briggs to personally fry my now-boyfriend. "Maya, answer me!" he yelled. I once again held the phone an arm's length away.

"Chill bro," I said. "We just fought some bears," I said. It was the truth, more or less.

"Why?" he asked, baffled.

"We kinda just ran into them and they weren't too happy about it," I explained.

"So… you didn't have sex?"

Unable to lie to my older brother, even over the phone, I sheepishly admitted, "Well… I never said that."

A moment of silence passed between us.

"I'll kill him," he said bluntly.

"You wouldn't have it in you," I said, knowing it was the truth. One look into those crimson eyes and he'd back down.

"Don't you remember what I did to your last boyfriend after he hurt you?"

"I try not to," I said. "You two were evenly matched and it was kind of awkward." Despite the joke, I recalled the intensity between the two men. It was a long time ago, back in the Ishval War. My heart and mind were so messed up and I was desperate to escape the war, I was willing to take any form of escape anyone was willing to give me. Unfortunately for me, I placed my trust in the wrong person. Somehow I found comfort in those cold eyes, allowed my fingers to run through his dark hair as we kissed. He was known to the military as the Crimson Alchemist, but to me, he was my only escape from the Hell that took place around us.

Another moment of silence passed.

"Listen, sis," his tone was lower. I instantly knew we weren't talking as soldiers, we were talking as brother and sister. "I have intel that Scar has headed north," he said. My heart skipped a beat… and not in the good way. "Be sure to tell Blackwater and any other State Alchemist up there… But that's not the bad part for you," he said. I glared at the phone. What could possibly have been worse than having a serial killer hot on my trail? "Kimblee has been released from prison and he's been sent to capture and even kill Scar. I bet he's not far behind," he said.

That was the only thing that could have been worse than Scar looking for me.

"Sis?" he brought my attention back to him. "Are you okay?"

Taking a deep breath, I answered desperately, "I just want to go back to Central with you."

"I miss you too," he said. "I'm glad you finally called, though. The Madame's been getting worried too," he said. I smiled as I thought of Madame Christmas, our foster mother. The first thing I would do when I was back in Central was revive Karaoke Night at her bar. "So about this guy," his tone was devious and playful. "What's he like? Would I approve?"

"You'd like him," I said. I heard footsteps behind me. It was probably someone who just wanted to use the phone. I felt no rush. "He's hard-working, loyal, dependable… He's made my transfer here almost fun," I smiled. "He's a major and everything a Briggs soldier should be… strong, clover, quick-thinking… not to mention he's extremely handsome," I gushed to him. "And I think… I think he might feel the same way," I blushed.

"Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? I don't want to see your heart broken again."

"You're such a good big brother!" I teased.

"Just don't tell Fullmetal. If he knew I had a soft spot for you, it would ruin my reputation."

"And we wouldn't want that," I chuckled.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Take care of yourself, alright?"

""Yeah," I replied. "You too."

"I love you, Sis," he said.

"Love you, Bro," I said before hanging up. With a sentimental smile, I turned to leave. My smile faded upon seeing a man in a snow white suit. His eyes were as dark as the shadows. Two stray strands of his black hair fell into his face. Covering his dark hair, save for a long ponytail, was a white hat, matching his suit. The very look in his eyes sent shivers down my spine. His eyes were so cold, so merciless. "Major Malone," he took off his hat, bowing. Next to him, stood a baffled Miles, his dark face masking the slightest hint of red. Placing his hat back atop his head, he came back up, grabbing my hand softly. He gently placed it to his lips.

Enraged, I violently jerked my arm back, cradling the kissed hand as though it had been poisoned with painful venom. "It's Colonel Malone," I corrected. "You'll do well to remember that, Crimson Alchemist," his very title tasted sour on my tongue.