The little brunette stared in horror at the sight before her, not wanting to believe her eyes.

Their bodies lay brutally mangled on the living room floor. Her mother's hair had been burned from her head, one leg was missing and the other was too deeply cut to be of use. Both wrists had signs of being tied, rings of deep cuts making them bleed profusely.

Her father was no better, his legs bent at odd angles and his glasses crushed into his nose. The lenses had shattered and dug into various places on his face. A large gash ran from his stomach to his thigh, bleeding heavily and pooling on the floor.

"Run baby," came the blood strangled cry of her mother.

"But-" She started to protest, not wanting to leave them behind. Especially like this. She had to get help, had to find a doctor. Someone who could-

"You will listen to us, Genevieve!" The firmness in her father's voice made her flinch. That tone was only he used on her when in trouble. But now something was different, a note of despair and urgency that wasn't there before. It became more prominent when he yelled, "Save yourself and run!"

Her mother continued after coughing up blood. The stain it made stood out starkly against the smooth wood of the floor. An image that would forever live with her. "Live on for us!"

Tears surfaced in her eyes as Genevieve nodded. Taking a calming breath, she wiped her eyes. Determination set in her features as she leaped up the stairs and started into her room. She grabbed her emergency backpack and pulled on her cloak, opening her window and jumping into the closest tree.

As soon as she was out, the house was engulfed in red alchemic lightning, before it collapsed in on itself. Recognition flashed in her icy blue eyes, mind swirling to find the culprit before a familiar sound interrupted her thoughts.

~oOo~

Using the skills her parents taught her from birth, the ten-year-old ran through the trees, never stopping for anything except to eat and sleep. In her dreams, her guilt would manifest in the form of her parents' broken forms asking why she'd left them behind. The poor girl would wake up to tear stains on her cheeks and puffy eyes because of them. It tore at her heart and brought bouts of tears even in during the day.

~oOo~

One night, she was looking through her bag out of boredom and found an envelope addressed to her. Opening it brought fresh tears to her eyes as she discovered that, in her father's handwriting, her parents had anticipated their deaths and wanted her protected. They'd thought ahead and asked an old friend of theirs to keep an eye out for her.

She completely broke down that night.

The next morning, Genevieve decided to take her chances and head to East City. It was a long shot, but it was all she had.

Sticking to dirt paths and forested areas, the little girl snuck her way into the city. The streets there were full of places to hide and lose her pursers should they catch sight of her. Darkened alleys, sharp corners, the occasional low-hanging roof near the outskirts of the city; it was perfect. Genevieve kept to the shadows and moved around in late evening and night.

"Mother, Father," she hoped to find her safe have without getting caught, "wish me luck."

~oOo~

"Hey! Come back here!" The baker didn't stand a chance and the cloaked figure disappeared around the corner. They darted up an emergency escape ladder and raced across the roofs until there was three blocks' distance between her and the bakery. Pulling out the loaf they stole, they opened their mouth and started eating it, sifting through their bag to make sure everything was there.

A rope of three fifty-fifty chords braided together was tucked into a side pocket. The luster of silver reflected against the flint they'd used while in the forest, along with a thin ring with a pearl that used to belong to her mother, sitting at the bottom. There were a few spare headbands and hair ties zipped into the pocket closest to them, each black in color to blend in with their hair in the dark.

However, what they pulled out of the bag to reread was the most important thing. It was a letter in their father's handwriting containing a picture of the small family. Their parents had asked a good friend to look out for her. That friend used to work with them in the military and often questioned some of the orders they were given. He even had aspirations to climb the ranks and change things for the better.

But he had yet to show. The figure sighed and slumped down in their shadowed spot. They figured the military had found a way to hide their existence. Even worse, the Fuhrer had ordered her found - dead or alive - under the guise of being an escaped prisoner. The dogs probably didn't even question why they'd been ordered to pursue a ten-year-old girl who was supposedly a fugitive. It was only a matter of time before they realized where she was and catch her.

Glowing pools of ice looked out at the sunset, basking in her moment of peace and quiet. She'd been in East City for a few weeks now, trying to find the person her father had described. He hadn't written an address for fear of the letter falling into the wrong hands. While the girl understood, it put her at a huge disadvantage. Sure, she'd escaped the military before, but her parents had helped. Now, she was on her own. Youth was helpful, but her pursuers outnumbered her and some outclassed her in skill. There was only so much a ten-year-old could do - no matter how skilled or intelligent they were. She understood her limitations and knew they were being pushed too far to save her now.

The girl sighed again, finishing off her bread and curling into herself. She tugged her cloak closer to fight the chill. Winter was finally becoming spring so the nights and mornings were crisp. However, she didn't have to worry too long before the day caught up to her, dragging her into unconsciousness.

~oOo~

Author's Note: Yay! Expansion! I recently finished watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and decided to read some fanfiction. One thing I noticed was the lack of Envy x OC stories. So, after reading Kallypso's Lightning Strike trilogy, I thought I would write one too. There will be some inspiration from her series as I loved it so much. (You guys should check it out!)

Anyway, tell me what you guys think!

~oOo~

May 17, 2019

I am currently going through the chapters to edit them. (Again. Yes, I know.) So, for those of you who followed this from the beginning, a few plot points are changing. For example, her guardian will know who they are, who Genevieve is, long before they meet when she's sixteen. I also plan to show a little more development between her and Envy before things go down.

Please bear with me as I try to edit this between studying for finals. And don't forget to review!