Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
"HEY!"
"YOU KIDS, COME BACK HERE!"
We were chased through the streets, mercilessly pursued by hulking security guards while startled bystanders watched us run by.
"NOT ON YOUR LIFE, YOU STUPID FREAKS!" I cackled back, sprinting as fast as I could. My younger brother, Josh, was running right behind me, breathing hard as he tried to keep up. I mean, I DID have more experience with running from guards, after all.
As soon as I got the chance, I slowed down, catching Josh by the shirt and dragging him over to a small alleyway.
I kept a hand over his mouth, keeping a close eye out until I was sure that the guards were gone.
"Phew, that was close." I sighed, letting Josh go. He glared at me as he panted heavily, trying to regain his breath.
"Why did you do that?!" He exclaimed when he was finally able to speak. I sweat dropped, smiling sheepishly.
"Because he pissed me off." I said, pouting.
"And you just HAD to shove a fish down his pants?"
"Sardine, Josh. SARDINE."
"... Are you serious? Why did you drag me with you?"
"They take hostages."
"..."
"I'm sorry, okay? Please don't be mad~"
"Just wait until Ed hears about this."
"DON'T TELL HIM!" My brother laughed at my distress. He knew if he told my boyfriend that I stuffed a sardine down the mayors' pants, I'd be in big trouble. Why? Because he'd tease me about it, and Mustang would find out about it, and he'd KILL me. No one could know about this.
"... Only if you say you were being ridiculous."
"Fine. But you have to admit, it was funny how red that chubby guy's face got when I did that."
"... That was pretty funny though." Josh snickered, and I nodded approvingly. After his amusement faded, he gave me a look of curiosity. "What did he do though?"
"He was sharing bad rumors about Ed and I." I said, "In front of everyone. If he embarrassed me in front of that kind of crowd, I sure as hell am going to retaliate. Besides, it was the only thing left on my plate. It's not like I was going to eat it, so I made sure it wasn't put to waste."
"If mom knew you were this ridiculous all the time you've been here, I know she wouldn't let you stay here." Josh sweat dropped, and I gulped.
"She's letting me stay here because I chose to. And, Mr., you better respect me here. The only reason you got to visit this awesome place is because of your awesome sister with a job in the military." I tapped Josh's nose, scoffing arrogantly at him. "Let's go."
"Go where?" Josh asked, narrowing his eyes at me. "You pretty much got us wanted in this town."
"... Good point. Let's go back to Central."
"And you came with the order to establish connections here." Josh rolled his eyes as I glanced cautiously at the street. When ascertaining that we were safe, I grabbed Josh's wrist and pulled him into the crowded street, blending in inconspicuously with the crowd.
"Next time Mustang should look at who he's sending..." I muttered as we crept to the train station.
"Josh. Hey. DUDE!" I said, shaking Josh's shoulder. He sleepily sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah?"
"We're here." I said, gesturing to the line of exiting passengers. Josh yawned, standing up as I fought for a place in line to get off the train. It didn't take long to plow our way through the bustling people and get off the train.
It was already around midnight, and we were both exhausted.
So, we started back to my apartment. Well, it was the apartment I shared with Ed and Al. It was a fairly big apartment with multiple rooms, so the Elric's and I decided to split the price. I couldn't afford it myself, with all the money I spent on my weapons, and it didn't help that Mustang kept sending me all the dangerous missions. Bullets don't grow on trees, you know, because if they did... We'd be screwed.
Anyway, with Josh's normal sense of direction, it didn't take long to get to the apartment. I unlocked the door, coming in and kicking my shoes off, with Josh following me. I found Ed and Al in the living room, still awake and looking over some documents.
"Hey, we're back." I called, skipping over to the couch and plopping down next to Ed. Josh went to sit on the other couch, next to Al.
"I thought you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow?" Al said, making Ed throw a suspicious look at me.
"What happened?" He asked, and I was about to say something when Josh interrupted.
"She shoved a fish down the mayors' pants."
"SARDINE!" The Elric's were staring at me, waiting for an explanation.
"He said mean things." I pouted, and Ed gave me a look. I looked back at him innocently. "Very mean things."
"What kind of mean things?" Ed asked, and I sighed.
"He was being a big stupid looser and calling us troublesome." I said, irritation creeping into my voice as I remembered his words. "When he met Josh, he remarked that there was finally a sane person who would hang around a state alchemist with a reputation such as mine. And he said we didn't look alike. Even though that may be true to some degree, the way he said it indicated his distaste toward my appearance, which probably means he indirectly said I was ugly. And, as if that already wasn't enough, he brought up Ed and I's relationship, saying in the most direct manner that we were more trouble together than our relationship was worth. He insulted and humiliated me, which is reason enough for me to stuff my leftovers down his pants, but when he takes it to my brother and my boyfriend, I don't hold back. Mustang can yell at me and throw fireballs at me all he wants, but I'm never going to apologized to that obese cow of a mayor." Ed and Al just gaped at me.
"... That's all?" Ed said, "You only stuffed a fish down his pants?"
"SARDINE!"
"Whatever. But that's all you did?"
"...Yes..."
"What else?"
"Does throwing a grenade into his wine cellar count?"
"LYNETTE!"
"What? It's Mustang's fault. He should know that restraint isn't something I'm capable."
"... You were SUPPOSED to establish connections!"
"I did! By now, I'm sure all the townspeople know my name!"
"Yeah, from the WANTED POSTERS!"
"... At least I got my message across. Anyway, what're you looking at?" I asked, changing the subject. Before Ed could say anything, I snatched the documents out of his hands and scanned over it.
Just as I thought. Another mission.
But this time, surprisingly Mustang assigned both Ed and I to the mission. He usually avoids that pairing, well, because he knows that we'd destroy more than we'd help. We were some of the best fighters under him, so if he put both of us on it, it must be difficult.
"Ohh, we got assigned to take out a cult~ That sounds fun." I said, reading into it. But the more I read, the more it brought chills to my spine. From the description, this was pretty creepy. I gulped nervously. Dead people, missing people, strange creatures... What is this? I set down the document, my eyes wide. I looked at Ed, who stared back at me.
"I don't feel safe taking Josh on this mission." I said, and Ed nodded.
"Al, I think you should stay behind too." Ed said, facing his brother, who looked back in shock. Ed took Al everywhere with him, so this shocked me also, but I think I could understand why. Older siblings tend to hide their younger siblings when things get serious.
"What?! Why?!" Al said, and I shook my head.
"Al, I agree with him on this." I said, "There are some things I don't think you should see. Same with my brother. I want you to look after him. No complaints, okay?" I looked at Al, who looked helplessly at his unwavering brother.
"Then it's settled. We'll leave tomorrow." Ed looked at me. "Get some rest. I think you'll need it."
Ed and I arrived at the town the next day, around noon. Wah, the trains are getting faster and faster~
But anyway, we were wandering like a pair of cool-looking vagabonds, searching for a place to stay.
The town we arrived in was surprisingly... Small. It only made me wonder why Mustang sent us to such a small town to investigate. This only made me feel more and more uncomfortable, so I decided I wasn't going to leave Ed's side.
"I wonder what made Mustang send us to such a tiny, isolated town..." Ed said, looking around. I laughed nervously, not wanting to think about it too much. Because whatever it was, it was scaring the crap out of me.
"Maybe Mustang was just trying to mess with us..." I said, walking a bit closer to Ed. He glanced at me, recognizing my anxiety.
"What, are you scared?" He teased, and I huffed.
"NO! It's just that... This feels very, very bad to me. I don't think Mustang would pair us up unless it was something serious."
"You're scared."
"AM NOT!"
"Don't worry, I'm here too."
"You're volunteering to be my shield?"
"...You're cruel."
"I love you too~"
Meanwhile, back at the apartment in Central...
Al and Josh sat in the living room, talking to each other like guys often do.
"Are you anything like your sister?" Al wondered aloud, making Josh laugh.
"I'm weird, but she's way more sadistic." Josh's statement made Al sweat drop.
"You sound like you know her really well."
"I know that she's someone you should usually stay away from. What about Ed?... You're not like him, are you?"
"No way. He's too destructive and hot-tempered." Al quickly denied, and Josh let out a relieved sigh. He didn't want to deal with ANOTHER prideful person. "But," Al continued, "Has Lynette always been like this?"
"Nope." Josh said, to Al's surprise. "She used to be really mean. She's getting better, but she still yells all the time."
"Josh, I don't think that's because of her short temper," Al sweat dropped again. "I just think she's naturally like that."
"Anyway, she's always doing extreme things." Josh said, "And now she's going on this mission... She sounded REALLY unsure about it... What's it about?" Al cringed at Josh's question. Josh looked at Al in alarm, staring at him and waiting for an answer.
"Well, they're out investigating in the north." Al said, "Their superior, Mustang, told brother and I that he lost all the other people he sent to investigate. The town has been attacked by lots of weird, unnatural animals and they're going to hunt down the group believed to be responsible."
"... There aren't any zombies, are there?"
"Zombies? Huh?"
"Undead people who eat alive people." Josh said, "You know, rotting flesh, visible bones, white eyes."
"... I'm pretty sure that's not the case." Al assured Josh, and he nodded.
"Good. Lynette's so afraid of those things that if she saw one, even if it didn't pop out at her, she'd have a heart attack." Josh stated, making Al raise his eyebrows in surprise. "What about Ed? Do you know what he's afraid of?"
"He has a strong distrust for cats, he hates milk, but he's pretty down to earth. I think the only thing that'd throw him off is loosing someone close to him." Al said, and Josh nodded again.
"Thank god. Lynette is horrible with things like the supernatural. Plus, if anything pops out at her, she will scream this weird horror scream that freaks out everyone who can hear it." Josh said to Al's further surprise.
"But even so, I'm still worried for them..." Al trailed off, thinking about the little team.
"Should we follow them?" Josh suggested bluntly, and Al looked at him.
"Sounds good." Josh could hear the smile in Al's voice as stood up. Josh staggered to his feet, stretching and following Al out, all the while thinking, Man, these people might be geniuses, but they lack common sense to the point where it's a disability...
It didn't take long for Ed and I to find a place to stay. It was easy to get a room in a nearby bed and breakfast. The price was low enough for Ed and I to get separate rooms, so that's what we did.
After putting our stuff away, Ed and I decided to go around town and get as much information as we could from the word on the street. Because I had grown up in a rural farming town, I had known everybody, and had learned how to converse with local people. Even though I'm not good at talking to people around my age, I'm exceedingly persuasive when talking to adults. And with Ed, we were probably the best team for this kind of mission.
Ed wanted us to stay together, because he knew my directional disability, and because he wanted to be sure nothing happened to me while I was alone. I agreed with him, deeming that it'd be safer to go together. More manpower, better defense.
So we toured around the small town, visiting small cafes or normal shops.
"You don't know anything about the recent disappearances?" I was currently talking to the bartender at a small diner. It was an elderly, balding gentleman with a country accent while Ed was talking to a woman a few tables away. It was hard not to stare at him, or bore holes in the woman with my eyes. I mean, the woman did look very young.
"Nah, we get nothin'." The man said, "All them government agents keep vanishing on us. Bodies keep turnin' up, and they all look like some kinda bear mauled 'em. Pretty messy... And more people're movin' out 'cause of it... Well, actually.." The man said, and I saw the wheels turning in his head.
"Yes? Anything?" I asked, paying close attention. I whipped my notepad out, looking at the man intently.
"The only person who might have some clue is that Vance fellow on the hill. He don't talk much, and there's barely been any sight of him since he moved here a couple years 'go. That youngster might know somethin', 'cause they always turn up 'round his area. But, mind you, he's an odd fellow. Locked up in that house of his, almost never goin' out. Somethin' wrong with him, the way he looks... But why does a girl like you lookin' up on this?" I sighed, whipping out my pocket watch.
"Lynette La'va, state alchemist. I was assigned to investigate." At my words, the man's eyes widened in alarm.
"You're just a girl! They can't sign a mere girl to this... You look so young..." The man said, "Please, stop this. Get out of this town, escape while you can. I don' care if it's orders, get out of here. It's nothin' a kid like you should trudge into." My eye twitched in irritation.
"I am one of Fuhrer Mustang's best men. I assure you, I am fully capable of solving this problem." I stood up, slipping the man a tip. I smiled mysteriously. "Thank you for your cooperation." Before the man could say any more, I nodded and approached my uncomfortable-looking comrade.
"Hands off." I slapped the woman's hand off Ed's shoulder. I knew exactly what she was trying to do, and it pissed me off. She turned to glare at me, and I smiled sweetly at her. "He's mine. Ed," I turned to him, "She obviously doesn't know anything. I got a lead, so I think it'd be best to follow it before it gets dark." And with that, I pulled Ed away, leaving the young woman fuming behind us.
Looking at a map, it didn't take long to locate the so called "odd man", Vance's location on the mountain to the west of the town. And with that, we wasted no time in setting out.
The sky was starting to darken as the house came in sight. I was on the verge of racing all the way back to the town to start again in the morning, but I knew Ed wouldn't like it, so I quietly stuck to his side, holding onto his arm as if it was my lifeline.
The house was giant. It was black-stained wood, but the color looked like it had faded over time. The windows were in disrepair, and the house almost looked abandoned. Wait, scratch that. It DID look abandoned. This gave me a bad feeling.
Ed walked up to the door, going up the creaky steps and knocking loudly on the door. Even though I lacked common sense more than anyone, I knew that big, creepy-looking houses where a bad sign. And the approaching twilight made it worse. Because I, like a lot of modernized teens, had seen a few scary movies. And I, unlike a lot of teens, had LIVED through horror-worthy mission.
What scared me was that there was no answer. So, being the brave guy he is, Ed knocked down the door with his foot, walking in.
I didn't want to be left alone, so of course, I followed him as if I was handcuffed to him.
"SHOW YOURSELF!" Ed yelled, "VANCE? ARE YOU HERE?!"
"SHOW YOURSELF SLOWLY!" I added, not wanting to be startled by someone popping out at me. My heart was racing so fast that if someone scared me know, I'd literally have a heart attack.
But the house was empty. Ed and I searched through the whole thing, even the wine cellar. No trace of anyone.
"That's weird.." Ed glanced over at me. "Are you okay?"
"I'm... fine..." I said shakily. My face was covered in cold sweat, and I felt shaky and clammy. As if I hadn't had enough stuff creeping me out today, Ed and I still had to walk down the mountain to our rooms. In the dark. Through woods. Squee.
"You don't look fine." Ed said, looking me up and down. "Here." He lifted me up, carrying me easily through the trail, not seeming to be fatigued at all.
"If you drop me, I'll kill you."
"I know."
With Al and Josh...
They were sitting in the train quietly, listening to the quiet conversation of other people on the train.
They hadn't been able to get a train until twilight, so it'd take them until tomorrow afternoon. They had gotten the civilian train, which was slower than the military train their siblings had taken.
It'd take a while.
"I hope they're okay." Al said, looking at Josh. Josh nodded.
"I'm sure Lynette's freaked out." Josh snorted. "I just hope she hasn't gotten into any trouble."
"Mmm..." Al hummed, and the conversation died off quickly. So Josh decided to listen in on some gossiping middle-aged woman in the seat next to them.
"Any news?" A sweet, soft voice asked.
"My husband said they have more." A more gravelly, elderly voice said. It seemed like casual gossip, so it almost lost Josh's interest, well, until he listened further.
"More military? In Codney?" The sweet voice said curiously. Josh's ears perked up. Maybe they're talking about my sister...
"This time, I heard they're children." The sweet voice gasped at the elder woman's words.
"Children? Employed by military?" The sweet voice gasped.
"They won't last the night. My husband said they went to see that troublesome Vance's house."
"With all the disappearances, I wouldn't be surprised. But children?"
"Teenagers. I heard they were employed by the Fuhrer himself."
"Why would the Fuhrer do something like that?"
"I don't know. But the girl was a state alchemist."
"Wait... Lynette? Lynette La'va?" By this point, Al had started also to eavesdrop.
"Yeah, that's the name. She was with a blonde lad..."
"No way. Edward Elric? and Lynette La'va?"
"You know them?"
"Who doesn't? I do live in Central,you know. They're both so famous, I'm surprised you wouldn't know them. They're probably the most known alchemists throughout Amestris."
"Kids?"
"Not kids. They're professionals. But they're so troublesome, I wonder if they can do this..." the sweet voice trailed off, probably thinking about what she discovered.
"Geez, youngsters these days..." The old woman complained.
Al and Josh looked at each other in shock, and one thought flashed between them.
They had to get to Codney soon.
HAPPY B-DAY JOSHIE~ YOUR SISSY LOVES YOU~
It's my little bro's b-day today! So, even on my little trip to Boston, I worked hard to make his day awesome.
Josh, I hope you like it!
But wait. This is only part 1! The rest will be put up soon!
I have MCAS tomorrow (the un-fun reason I'm in Boston) So I have to get some sleep. But I have Long Composition! SQUEE~ Easy for me! Wish me luck!
Anyway, I have to go! Bye~