Tales: Chapter II

Tales: Chapter II

Chapter II:
The Peace Maker Emerges

As instructed, Colonel Mustang waited at the fountain specified by the note left at his room. As he waited for 3 o' clock to come, he began to contemplate the circumstances of their meeting.

"(How on earth could he have written that letter if he's blind...? I'm beginning to suspect more and more that this is just a trap...No matter. It gives me something to do today, and I will, at the least, be able to defend myself.)"

Mustang smiled inwardly. At that moment, a stranger approached him, and he turned around to see a man wearing a thin jacket and dark sunglasses and carrying a metal cane in his hand.

"You...Are you the one that this city calls the Peace Maker?"

"Yes. Come with me...There's a lot we need to discuss..."

Mustang followed the man, who made surprisingly little use of his cane for guidance. They entered a series of alleys and wove through them until reaching a dead end. Mustang expected to see a door to their destination, but only a blank wall awaited him at the end of the alley. The supposed Peace Maker turned to the Colonel and removed his sunglasses, revealing hazel eyes.

"So, my hunch was correct...You're nothing more than an anti-military extremist."

"Catch on fast, don't you, military scum? Too bad you won't live to tell anyone!"

The man grinned as he drew out a piece of paper with a transmutation circle drawn on it. He dropped it onto his cane and pressed into it with his hand, and the cane was transmuted into a machine gun. Mustang reached into his pocket and slipped on his Spark Gloves, preparing to use his own brand of alchemy, but the extremist stopped him.

"Don't even think about it, Mustang! This alley's too narrow; if you used your alchemy, these buildings would crumble! Would you really put the lives of unwitting civilians at risk?!"

Mustang snarled, but he put back his Spark Gloves, leaving himself defenseless. The alchemist chuckled.

"Prepare to die, military bastard!"

The alchemist lifted his gun and prepared to fire, but before he got a chance, the wall behind him detonated, spraying bits of cement everywhere. After shielding himself from the blast, Mustang looked for the source of the explosion. The alchemist did the same, and he was terrified by what he saw. The dust from the explosion settled on a tall man who wore a jacket and sunglasses and carried an iron staff in his right hand. The extremist raised his gun to fire at the newcomer, but the tall one threw his sunglasses into the air and opened his eyes. Inscribed onto them were scars of his personal transmutation circles. These brands blazed in a golden light before the tall man fired a bolt of lightning from his fingers, shocking the extremist. Mustang%u2019s attacker fell to the ground, and the tall alchemist stepped forward, brushing the dust from his shoulders. He gave a pleasant smile.

"My apologies, sir. I would not have interfered if he had not threatened your life."

"Not a problem...Peace Maker."

"You are sure? How do you know that I am truly the Peace Maker?"

"Your apparel...and your alchemy. They match your description perfectly. And your attitude and mannerisms only accentuate the lack of doubt in my mind. You are the real Peace Maker, and this fool was nothing but a fake."

The Peace Maker's smile widened slightly.

"I am glad to know that you trust me. Now I can truly introduce myself."

The Peace Maker bowed to Colonel Mustang, who followed suit.

"My name is Jakob Alonphae. It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Colonel Roy Mustang."

"The feeling is mutual, Jakob Alonphae."