Excerpt: Causality

There are simply some things in this world that even a man such as the Fuhrer President of all Amestris, a man who is not really a man, cannot quite figure out in the instant they happen.

This is one of these things, King Bradley decides as he carefully sheathes his sword and steps down off of the table.

The teacups are in ruins, shattered into a thousand pieces, and there is tea staining the carpet. What a shame. He does hope it can be cleaned. The chair he had been seated in is also destroyed, reduced to a number of sharp splinters discarded carelessly over the floor. The table too has seen better days, but it's still standing. The window now sports a brand new hole in the corner of it, though most of the glass went with the intruder on his way out.

Most interestingly is Colonel Roy Mustang, still seated in his chair, teacup still in his ungloved right hand. His face is rather pale and he seems unnaturally tight lipped as he sits stiffly in his chair, giving Bradley a baffled look.

Bradley has no time to explain, nor would he, because he isn't entirely sure of what just happened himself. Before either of them can say a word, the door bursts open again. Bradley watches in some distress as the doorknob imbeds itself into the wall.

Alphonse Elric is standing behind the door, his massive right hand stretched out in front of him and the clear instigator of the door shove that had put another hole in the wall. His posture is harried, as though something has slipped out of his grip, such as a parent who has lost his child in the park—or more accurately, a younger brother who has just lost his elder brother.

Bradley's hand is still on the hilt of his sword, but Alphonse just looks at them in what appears to be bewilderment.

"Er, have you seen Brother?" he asks, his voice catching just a little higher than normal, and still sounding odd coming out of such a huge suit of armor.

Mustang and Bradley turn in unison and point to the broken window.

Alphonse dashes to the window and sticks his head out the hole that is perfectly sized for the Fullmetal Alchemist to have leapt through. He looks around frantically for a moment before pulling his head back within the room. His shoulders are slumped and he looks for all the world like someone who has given up on something very precious.

"Oh," is all he says.

Since losing the Elrics during the fight with Scar and those aggravating Xingese children, Bradley had been unaware of the brothers' whereabouts. It would seem, he thinks, considering the window, that they have been delving in things they should not have.

Oh, well. They are unharmed—mostly. And it won't be hard to track Fullmetal, at any rate. Bradley wonders what Father was planning with this move; certainly, this isn't it. Well, it isn't exactly his position to ask questions. He just hopes he isn't the one who gets to deal with the clean up. That would be...obnoxious.

In the meantime, though, he might as well use this to his advantage.

"Alphonse," he says, his voice calm and chipper, as though he had not just been attacked within his own Central Headquarters.

"Y-yessir!" Alphonse is clearly unnerved, judging from the way his posture snaps upright.

"I seem to have broken my chair." Bradley gestures absently to the pile of wood scraps scattered across the floor. "Would you mind fixing it for me?"

Mustang shoots him a glance, which he ignores. Instead, he walks around to the door. Alphonse hesitates for a moment, looking at the Colonel for direction. Mustang doesn't really respond, and the boy starts gathering the pieces of the chair together.

There is an unconscious guard outside the door. How...aggravating. Bradley frowns intently, fighting down an urge to stab the man for simply being not what he needs him to be. Surely it isn't his fault that an overenthusiastic Alphonse Elric has just knocked him silly. The Wrath within him doesn't care about who is at fault. But practicality must win out this round. Bradley ignores the man and peers around. Surely someone is around.

When he finally sees someone, he is at first confused. He isn't sure he's ever seen this man, but the way he walks suggest familiarity and some urgency. The man doesn't salute his Fuhrer. How annoying. Bradley's gaze narrows slightly...and then he understands.

"Envy," he comments offhandedly, too quiet for the two alchemists behind him to hear.

Envy smirks, that familiar smile a little unnerving on that unfamiliar face. Bradley says nothing more for a moment. Envy may come in handy, though he's not terribly good at following orders. Well, it doesn't matter. Bradley has a plan for rounding up Fullmetal, and that's most likely what Envy is trying to do, judging from his motions.

"Bring the Rockbell girl here," Bradley says lowly, his gaze one of heavy importance. "And keep her room under heavy surveillance. I want to know the minute someone gets anywhere close to her room."

Envy looks just a touch resentful, but he is in disguise as one of Bradley's men. This is what he gets. "Yes sir," he retorts, saluting, before running off.

He had said this all loud enough for Alphonse and Mustang to hear, so he isn't surprised by the baleful expression he is receiving when he turns back around. He raises one eyebrow. "Did you want to say something?"

"Why are you getting Winry involved?" Alphonse's voice is resentful, surly, and scared as hell, all in one. Bradley is somewhat impressed.

"It's very simple, really," Bradley responds, kneeling down and picking something up off the carpet, an item he had not previously noticed. It is a long, thin piece of metal casing, about the length of Bradley's hand. One side of it is smooth and tapered, with a tiny lip at the bottom. The other side is sheered clean off, edges sharp. It looks as though something had sliced through the metal as though it was nothing more than a piece of fruit.

Alphonse lets out a tiny gasp, and Mustang's eyes narrow as they both realize what it is at the same time.

"You want to see your brother again, right?" Bradley asks, his single eye flashing. "I have a feeling he won't be getting very far without his mechanic."