Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - [The Poison Gas Alchemist]
West City, West Area
April 20th, 1915
Simon Carlyle entered a large office that was lined on two sides by luxurious bookcases. He fidgeted nervously with his blue military uniform, checking his epaulettes to make sure they were affixed correctly. The single golden star on each epaulette marked him as a major in the Amestrian military. Due to the nature of his job, he had not worn his uniform in more than a year.
With his report tucked under his arm, Major Carlyle looked up at his new commanding officer. Sitting behind a large mahogany desk on the other side of the large office was Brigadier General Lloyd Schneider, better known as the Poison Gas Alchemist. The General was about fifty years old, and he wore a pair of circular reading glasses on the bridge of his nose. When Carlyle entered his office, he looked up from the documents he was reading and peered over his glasses to get a better look at the Major. The General smiled jovially when he recognized the man who had just entered his office.
Going by his friendly demeanor and the pictures of smiling children on his desk alone, one would never know of the man's morbid notoriety. As Major Carlyle stepped forward, he was able to calm himself somewhat with the knowledge that both of their hands were stained with the same blood.
"Sir," Carlyle enunciated as he snapped a quick salute.
"At ease, Major," General Schneider said. "Please, have a seat."
Simon Carlyle sat down and placed the leather envelope he held on the General's desk.
"So you're the Gunslinger Alchemist," Scheider said with a smile. "One day, you'll have to tell me how you managed to make such small transmutation circles."
Laughing nervously, Carlyle said, "I'll tell you as soon as you teach me your poison air alchemy."
"Another time, maybe," General Schneider said, laughing. "On to business, then. Show me what you learned in Central."
"Right," Carlyle reached into the envelope and pulled out a sheaf of papers. Black and white photos of Fuhrer Bradley, Colonel Mustang, and Edward Eldric were stapled onto some of the papers. He cleared his throat before continuing.
"Some faction in Central has been working to conceal the truth, so my findings have been limited. Broadly speaking, here's what I found. In the morning, there was an announcement that Fuhrer Bradley died in a train accident, though many witnesses claimed to have seen him present in Central later in the day. Fuhrer Bradley's wife then announced that the senior staff at Central was behind the Fuhrer's death. Beyond that, the specifics become difficult to determine.
"There were several battles between military factions, and the official report is that the senior staff attempted to take control of the country in a coup d'etat. Around the time of the eclipse, Bradley was killed, the Flame Alchemist was blinded, and the Fullmetal Alchemist was wounded in some way that required him to resign his position. And, of course, everyone in the country collapsed when the fighting was at its peak. I saw the area around Central Command, and there was clear evidence that a battle between several skilled alchemists occurred there, though the military police forced me to leave before I could perform an in-depth investigation."
General Schneider's fingers interlocked, and the friendly smile on his face disappeared as he heard Carlyle speak. With a scowl on his face, the General said, "Do you mean to say that Fuhrer Bradley died in Central and not in a train accident?"
"Yes, sir. I spoke to nearly a dozen civilians, and they all claimed to have seen Bradley near the entrance to Central Command."
"Hmm," the General grunted. For a moment, Carlyle could glimpse the face of the man who served in the Ishvalan Civil War. "Tell me one last thing, Major. In the course of your investigation, did you hear any mention of a man under the alias of 'Father?'"
"No, sir," Major Carlyle said, confusion on his face. "Fuhrer Bradley was a father; nothing beyond that. Speaking of which, Bradley's son hasn't been seen since April 4th."
The General's expression darkened even further at the mention of the Fuhrer's son. He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose before asking a strange question. "Did you serve in the Ishvalan Civil War, Major?"
"Yes, sir, though I was just an enlisted man at the time."
"Did you ever take part in a military action that involved one or more State Alchemists?"
"Yes," Carlyle said, pausing as the memories of his time in Ishval came flooding back. "A few days after Bradley issued Order 3066, my platoon was almost wiped out by Ishvalan soldiers. The Flame Alchemist was sent to reinforce our position, and he saved our lives. I was inspired me to begin my alchemy research."
"As I'm sure you witnessed, the effectiveness of the State Alchemists in Ishval cannot be overstated. A mere thirty-three men transformed a nearly-lost war into an extermination. This effectiveness came at a cost, however. 'To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.'" General Schneider began to look down at his hands, an unreadable expression on his face. "The Ishvalans lost their lives, but we lost our very souls. The State Alchemists ceased to be wholly human in return for something greater. It seems, now, that we will never receive the reward for our sacrifice."
Major Carlyle blinked, trying to grasp the General's meaning. The Amestrian military won the war, but General Schneider spoke as if they had lost. Feeling the need to respond in some way, Carlyle said, "Are you referring to Bradley's death?"
Schneider sighed and paused for a moment. With great difficulty, the mask of affability returned.
"To an extent, yes. Thank you for your report, Major. Regarding your new assignment, you have been tasked with tracking down and interviewing anyone currently located in West Area who may have witnessed the fighting in Central on April 4th. We have a list of people of interest. As long as you bring in at least one person per month, you will be free to carry out your research unhindered."
As far as State Alchemist assignments were concerned, finding and interviewing one person per month was incredibly easy. Most State Alchemists were in danger of losing their certification if they didn't provide a major breakthrough in their field at least once per year. Compared to that, a bit of leg work was nothing.
"And one last thing," General Schneider said, holding up one gloved finger. "Considering the potential danger of this mission, you will be assigned a partner. His name is Lieutenant Richard Hotchkiss. Two years ago, he graduated top of his class at the military academy, and he is quite the proficient saber duelist. I think you'll find that his skill set supplements yours quite well."
"Yes, sir. I won't let you down." Major Simon Carlyle gave one last salute before leaving the General's office. He received a list of more than two hundred names and the attached documentation. The papers themselves were enough to fill an entire filing cabinet, and Carlyle was more than happy to let his new subordinate carry the heavy bag filled with text documents and grainy photographs.