Chapter 1-
Ringing.
The damn phone we never use was ringing.
I really didn't want to leave the comfort of my bed to answer the stupid contraption but I did, albit while grumbling.
Rushing down the hall and into the kitchen I slid across the wooden floors in my socks, letting out a groan as I rammed into the corner of the kitchen counter. Rubbing the spot where my hip made contact I answer the phone with a gruff greeting.
An all too familiar chuckle crackled through the line. "Did I wake you up?"
"Maybe." Shifting to sit on the countertop I nearly drop the receiver. "Since when do you call home?"
"I call every once in awhile."
"Lies."
His sigh clearly came across the line and I can picture him rubbing his temple in frustration as he glares out his office window. "I didn't call to listen to your sass."
"Well excuse me for having a personality."
"Lynn." His tone held a warning I didn't heed.
"Yes, Roy-boy?"
He literally growled into the phone. "Don't call me that."
I twirled the phone chord with a victorious smirk. "Then don't call me Lynn."
"I don't know why I even try anymore." If he wasn't rubbing his temples before he was now.
"I don't know either." I tsked as I glanced at the kitchen clock. "If that's all you wanted to sat, can I go now?"
"No, I did have a reason for calling." Cue frown. "I have a job for you."
"Damn it." I should have known. He only ever calls about work.
"Excuse me?"
"Brother, I have plans with Trina today." I whine.
"Get over yourself Evelyn." Whining never seemed to work on him. Disappointing.
"What do you want me to do?"
"The Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother were attacked in East City."
Attacked?
"You don't mean the scar-faced man, do you?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Well he's been a bit of a big deal here. All the higher-ups are nervous."
"Please tell me you've been keeping an escort." Worrying did not become him.
"No. I haven't been going out much anyways." Both Trina and Madeline had been out of town so I had become slightly reclusive. "And if anyone should be worried about being attacked it should be you. I mean you're the one in East City, not me."
"That's the thing, he hasn't been spotted since he ran away from his fight with the Elrics. He could follow them back to Central."
"So you want me to keep an eye on the boys in case he shows up?" I guessed.
"Central Command has already assigned two officers as bodyguards but I feel like two run of the mill soldiers won't be enough."
"So now I'm being degraded to bodyguard." I ran a hand through my hair, still frowning. "Thanks, brother."
"Evelyn, Elric is my charge, I can't have him ending up dead. All you have to do is keep an eye on the brothers until we have Scar in custody." His tone sounded like he was trying to reason with a stubborn child.
"Why is this Scar-guy trying to kill them in the first place? What did they do?"
"Nothing, for once. Scar has a vendetta against state alchemists."
"Why?"
Roy paused, as if he was debating about answering. "Scar is an Ishvalan."
I dropped the phone this time. "And you want me to be their bodyguard?! What happens if we do run into Scar? I'll be dead for sure!"
"Evelyn, no one knows you exist."
"That won't matter if he catches me with the Elrics!"
"He won't! I have every detail in East City out looking for him. You're just an extra precaution. I wouldn't put you in a situation I knew you couldn't handle. You've never lost in combat before."
"If I'm so good, why hasn't the renowned Flame Alchemist caught him yet?"
I couldn't decipher my brother's reply.
"Could you repeat that?"
"It was raining…"
Victory. "And this is why I said ignition gloves are impractical."
"Shut up." For being the older sibling he sounded awfully childish. "You're going to meet the Elrics at Central Command. Armstrong informed me they were heading to the First Branch Library."
"Well that sucks."
"Why?" Roy sounded suspicious. As if I had done something wrong!
"The First Branch Library actually burned down yesterday."
Cue groaning brother. "Great. Well I'll leave it up to you to find them. I already notified Command I was assigning you as a third escort so no one should ask you for any other work."
"Good, because I don't want anymore work. Ever." I slid gracelessly off the countertop. "Now if that's all, I have to cancel my plans with Trina."
"That's all. Take care , Evelyn."
Softie.
"You too brother. Oh, and don't forget to tell Riza I said hi."
"I will."
The line went dead so I set about calling up Trina. It rang for a minute before she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Trina. It's Evelyn."
"Oh, what's up?" The older girls voice piped up in interest.
"My brother called."
"Damn it."
I couldn't stifle my laugh. "My exact reaction."
"So do we have work to do?"
"Not us, just me."
"Do you want some company?" Normally I would've taken her up on the offer but I was already working with two other officers.
"No, its fine. I can take care of this."
"So does that mean we're canceling for today?"
"Sadly, yes. I hope you take rainchecks."
"I do but you'll owe me interest."
"More like my brother owes you."
"I'll let him know." You could hear the smirk in her voice. "I guess I'll have to find something else to do today."
"Sorry again. I'll call you as soon as I have some free time."
"Cool. Talk to you then."
"Okay. Bye bye."
"Bye!"
Finally done with the phone I realized how little time I had to get ready and make it to Central Command in time. Stupid brother, calling me day of. I need to beat some sense into him soon.
Considering I'm a teenage girl who refuses to wear her military uniform, forty five minutes was pretty good time. Leaving the little two-room flat that my brother and I shared with an hour to get to the center of town was perfect. I tied my dark hair up into a messy bun as I walked, enjoying the agreeable weather that Central offered. Much better than living at Eastern Command. I was obviously not meant to live in the East as the heat never agreed with me. Ironic, coming from a fire alchemist.
Maybe I should have traveled North with Madeline.
My fingers brushed the ink inside my wrist as I thought about the youngest Armstrong. She'd been gone for some months now, without a word too. That girl knew how to make me worry. Even carefree Trina worried about our introvert friend.
My thoughts kept me occupied till I reached the Command Center, finding a duo in uniform waiting on the front steps.
"Major Mustang?"
I could stop the frown from crossing my features but I couldn't stop the chills of disgust. Oh how I hated that title.
"That would be me."
The sandy haired male of the left grinned and clicked his heels together. "Sergeant Brosch, reporting."
"Second lieutenant Ross." Well, she was stiff as a board. This wasn't going to be much fun.
"Major Evelyn Mustang. It's nice to meet both of." I tried my best to smile. "But for future reference you don't need to be so formal, I'm not one to enjoy holding my rank over others."
Brosch's grin grew but Ross didn't crack. She was going to be a tough cookie.
"Shall we head to the library?" Ross nodded and lead the way. I followed behind, falling into the silence.
The First Branch Library was as I remembered it from yesterday. Rubble. A single car was parked at what remained of the front steps. Standing in the arch that was once the doorway was a suit of armor the size of Major Armstrong and the infamous Major himself. A bit further in, an out of place short blond in a red coat shouted something about another dead end.
As we approached I stopped to lean against the remaining door frame while the two officers stopped on the stairs to salute.
"Major Armstrong!"
The burly blond glanced over the three of us. "Oh, second lieutenant Ross, sergeant Brosch and Evelyn, to what do we owe this pleasure?"
"You have been ordered to report back to the Command Center, sir." Ross informed him.
"We'll be taking over supervision of Edward Elric and his brother, effective immediately." Brosch continued.
"Hm, very well." Armstrong nodded in approval. "And what of you Evelyn?"
"I'm included in the supervision part. Brother asked for me to be assigned to the protégé."
"Did he now?" Armstrong looked a bit grim, he knew something my brother wasn't telling me.
"Speaking of siblings, have you seen Madeline lately?" Armstrong knows how to guide a conversation.
"No, apparently she went North for work and I haven't heard from her in two months." The younger Armstrong had recently made a habit of taking lone assignments without telling Trina or I. The Major was even less in the know about his little sister though. Poor guy.
The burly man's shoulders dropped but his expression never faltered. "If you hear from her would you contact me?"
"Of course, Major."
"Well then, they're all yours." Armstrong nodded towards the pair of boys.
"What is this? Just when I think I'm home free they saddle me with more bodyguards! This is getting old!"
Shortie ruffled his braided hair, obviously annoyed but that stilled didn't mean he should be whining like a child. Armstrong simply chuckled before walking off with a quick salute.
"And who exactly are you?" Blondie shot me a suspicious glare.
"One of your bodyguards." I wrapped the chain of my ever present pocket watch around a finger, swinging it in clear view.
Blondie looked ready to pop a blood vessel.
"Brother, calm down." A surprisingly young voice came from the suit of armor.
"Agreed, no need to get your knickers in a twist." I tucked the watch back into my pocket and pushed myself upright. "The names Evelyn Mustang, the Fire Dancer Alchemist."
"Mustang?!" Blondie's jaw dropped. "Are you related to the Colonel?"
"If you are referring to Colonel Roy Mustang then yes, he's my idiotic older brother."
"I didn't know the Colonel had any siblings." The armor added softly.
I like the younger one.
"I'm only his sister when it's convenient." Shoving my hands into my pockets I jerked my head towards the car Brosch had called for. "Shall we?"
The armor ushered his brother into the car behind the second lieutenant and myself before Brosch closed the door and crammed us all in like sardines. It was going to be a long few weeks.
"All might not be lost. There's a woman who was well acquainted with the materials in the First Branch." If suits of armor could show emotion it looked like Alphonse was smiling. "Unfortunately she wasn't working there anymore."
The short blond boy glaring and crossing his arms wasn't very intimidating. "That sounds incredibly helpful."
Unlike the ungrateful Edward I thought it was a good development. She hadn't been in the library when it burned down.
"Is something wrong?" Alphonse asked the two officers who were still eyeing him warily.
"Oh- it's nothing." Brosch stuttered. "Although, if you don't mind my asking, why are you wearing a suit of armor?"
Both boys shifted in their seats and the sweat gathering on blondie's brow was extremely obvious.
"It's a hobby...?" The brothers didn't sound awfully convincing. The armor didn't bother me, I'd seen some weird people in my travels, plus alchemists were a bit strange to begin with.
Ross and Brosch were on the other end of the spectrum. Whispering hurriedly behind their hands, as if we weren't all in the same car together.
"It's a hobby?! What kind of freaky hobby is that lieutenant?"
"Who are these boys anyways?!" Ross countered.
"So! What do you say Al, it's a lovely view, isn't it?"
"Oh yeah, 's gorgeous."
Those two were so horribly suspicious it was laughable.
I'm alive and posting again! It's a Christmas miracle! If any of you guys have read any of my other pieces then you might recognize some of the characters. I was originally working on a co-write called Fire, Ice and A Little Bit of Metal that abruptly ended because we're both crazy busy writers (and students) so I took a bit of a spin on the co-write for my own fic.
It's always great to hear from readers so let me know how it sounds and if I should keep my new project going. Love to hear from you guys, and I hope everyone had a great holidays :)
-Crystal