She heard the whistle of the train calling as she ran to catch it, "Roy will kill me if I'm late for the train!" As she jumped to get on, she zipped past one young boy and a walking metal figure. She got on the train she waved back to the odd pair she skimmed past, "Sorry!"
She walked onto the first car of the train and met up with one of her guardians, "Papa Hughes, I'm here." She was out of air and was gasping for it.
He smiled down at her, "You alright Aly?"
She waved like it was nothing, "No problem."
Hughes smiled at her again, "I have to make a phone call, can you help out with guard? The passenger is already set in the cabin."
"Who do you think I am?"
"Right, see you in a sec." Hughes left to go make a call, and Aly left to guard the special passenger.
As she is sitting there, a turbulence hit the train, and she flipped forward, falling flat on her face. She jumped up to her feet, and looked around. Goons surrounded her with intentions of pain, so she held a pose ready to use her alchemy, when the same armoured guy came in and made them scatter. Aly stared up at him, "Thanks, you saved my life."
"You're welcome." Was the answer she got, as she peeked around him to make sure there were no more. As the train started to shake again the armoured man, started to talk, "Looks like Brother is having a bit to much fun." As he said that two guys blew into the car and he glared down at them, "Welcome to the Brig."
Aly jumped back then hid behind him, "What the Hell?!"
The guy then walked into the room and went over to his brother. Aly stepped in behind him. Hughes was standing by the passenger's door, "Aly…you were supposed to be taking care of him."
"Hehehe…sorry…I…um…." She fidgeted with her fingers, "I'm sorry Papa Hughes."
He gave her a small glare of discipline and then called Riza over to escort Aly off the train as Hughes took care of everyone else.
Roy was waiting outside the train as he waved for everyone to come over. Aly left Riza to glomp Roy but he pushed her aside to talk to the guys that had helped her on the train, "Ed, thanks for all your help, the Furher heard about what you did on the train, and is willing to make an exception for you to take the alchemy exam."
The boy who was there in the front car replied, "But you told me I could take the exam."
"Please, like the military would let a child take the exam." Roy waved and walked away as Aly clung to his arm for attention.
Roy and Riza took Aly to the office to wait out for the exams, they knew she would be a danger to the other alchemist, but knowing her, she wouldn't care. Riza left to get ready for the exams, while Roy told Aly what was going on.
"Alchemy, you need to stay here, and don't leave this room. The alchemy exams are going to start soon, and you are a major threat because of your anger, and power problems. When everything is over, I promise to take you to a nice dinner."
"….Okay…whatever." Aly plopped on the couch in his office, and curled into a ball. Roy watched her as she started to doze, she must have had a long day.
Throughout that evening it was quiet in Roy's office except for exception of Aly rolling over and falling off the couch, once. So basically, the day was boring, and all the work was amazingly done, and the first part of the exams was ready for tomorrow. Knowing that work was over for him, Roy left early, leaving Aly in Riza's care, again.
Riza took care to make sure that Aly was secure that whole evening until she had to leave, and gave Aly a hug good night. Aly slept comfortably, until a young man walked into Central and headed straight for Roy's office. He knocked twice, and then waited for ten seconds, opened the door and announced himself, which woke up Aly. "Sir, Corporal Leon reporting for our conference, sir."
Aly looked up, "Furher's daughter Alchemy Bradley sleeping, sir. What do you want?"
"Miss? I was.. looking for a Col. Not a … chick."
"Oh, are you looking for Roy? He went home a while ago, so you're just gonna have to wait till mornin'."
"Yes ma'am, I'd like to wait here if it's okay. I don't have anywhere else to go."
"I don't care, this isn't my office, I just spend the night here, I have no family to go to, so I stay here. Do whatever you like, just stay away from the desk drawers, there are some pretty gross things in there. G'night." Aly rolls over to try and fall back to sleep.
"Thanks, miss." Leon set a chair in front of Roy's desk. He took a seat and sat with perfectly straight posture. He moved only to clean his guns which he cleaned over and over, until dawn arose. He set his guns back to it's original resting place. And he sat longer, he turned when he heard a click of the door opening.
Aly popped her eyes open slightly, then started to doze, "G'mornin' Riza."
Riza walked in and noticed Corporal Leon sitting in front of Roy's desk, "What did you do last night Alchemy?"
"Now miss, I'm a much more respectable man than that. I wouldn't bring in this dashing young homeless girl to a place I will be interviewed in. I just happened to wander in and find her. So please don't kick her out. She needs our help, she's skin and bones; mostly bones." Leon was very serious and he had a very calming, country accent.
Riza bust out laughing, "Please, that isn't a homeless girl, that's Furher King Bradley's only daughter. For some reason she refuses to go home, so she sleeps here in Col. Mustang's office."
Cpl. Leon picked his body from the chair and walked over to Aly, "Well I'll be damned. Sorry, beautiful miss, I am sorry to have confused such royalty for a simple peasant."
Aly lifts her head up slightly and glares at him, "Please, I sleep in my father's subordinate's office, I don't live in the lap of luxury man. I live in Hell. Welcome, and please enjoy your stay, Roy is a real 'treat'."
"You haven't met D.I. Duke Clint. I think you would love his red face just a small space away from your blushed face. His sweat smells like the Marine Corp poster child."
"…Okay." Get's up and brushes off her skirt. She bows to Leon, "It was a pleasure to meet you Leon, good luck on the alchemy exams, and I hope to see you around sometime. Tell Roy when you see that I need a towel." With that she headed to the showers to get ready for the day.
"How'd she… Al… Exams… I… Towel?"
"Alchemy has had a knack for knowing what people want, and she mostly uses it on new comers and Col. Mustang. She may be eleven, but she is a very skilled alchemist, be glad that you won't have to worry about her in the exams. She beat Col. Mustang."
"Sounds impressive, if you don't mind me waiting here that would be great." Leon looked at Riza in a stern, sweet expression.
"That's fine," Riza left and headed to the cafeteria to get some breakfast and start working.
Cpl. Kazuo Leon sat and waited, showing a bland sense of emotion. For the first time since he was in the office it was silent and the Cpl. couldn't help but pull his handgun out and rub its handle. During that time, the door opened, and Roy walked into his office expecting to see Aly on the desk or couch. He addressed Leon, "Can I help you?"
"Yes sir, Cpl. Kazuo J. Leon reporting for our meeting, sir." Leon boomed in his deep, scratchy voice.
Roy had an eyebrow raised, "Hmm. Please sit down."
He did as the command was called, Leon then folded his hands into his lap. The converence began, and while it was happening, Aly was finished with her shower and was waiting for something to cover her so she could leave. Riza came over with a trench coat and handed it to her, with that Aly stormed out of the showers and ran to Roy's office.
She goes to open the door and it blows off it hinges and flies into the room. Aly stood in the doorway with darkness surrounding her, "You forgot to give me a damn towel! What the Hell is wrong with you?! I had to run here in the freezing morning weather, in a trench coat, to get ready for the day! You bastard!" Aly runs into the office, jumps onto Roy's back and yanks him by his neck, backwards, trying to choke him.
"Whoa little miss." Leon grabbed Aly and pulled her back with a force that knocked them both to the ground.
Roy takes a sigh of relief for having had Aly removed, then turns to look at her. Shocked rushed through him when he saw Leon holding Aly on top of him, "You're not even done with your interview and your flirting with the Furher's daughter. Alchemy is not a doll that we can play with, trust me."
Leon was still holding her solidified body, she blushed ever so much as she pushed off of his muscular torso. Aly got up to her feet and looked down at him, "You're having an interview with Roy? Damn that sucks, forget that. Come with me, I will personally ensure that you get hired. We can go to my father."
"Um… Col. Mustang?" Leon was so confused.
"Just go ahead, but be back here in two hours."
"Great!" Aly pushed both Leon and Roy out of the office to change, and when she walked out she was wearing a female military uniform, that Roy got her. She lead the way to where her father was as Leon followed behind her. When they arrived she smiled and turned to face him, "Go ahead in. I'll follow behind.
Leon walked into the room ever so carefully, and spoke with a confident voice, "Sir, Corporal Leon reporting to you, SIR."
Aly followed behind and bowed to her father, "Hello Father, I met this man earlier, he was having an interview with Col. Roy Mustang, and I felt that he deserved the job without all the crap Col. Roy Mustang would give him. He is a qualified solider, and enlisted in the Marines, he has a good background, no threat to society, and is altogether a well rounded person."
The Furher gave a small smile, "Hm… no threat to society, that can cost you points. What company are you from boy?"
"Sir, I'm from the seventh battalion, Bravo company, Sir."
"That's very good, I think you gained your points back with that." Furher gave a wink to Aly, "I have the perfect job for you to handle. I want you to be the body guard for my daughter Alchemy," he pointed to Aly who was in shock, "Congratulations, you are now 2ndLt. Leon."
"But Father, I already have Roy, I don't need anyone else." She was throwing a small fit, until the Furher motioned his hand to her.
"Alchemy, Col. Mustang is very busy at this time, and can't take perfect care of you like you would want him to. I'm sure this young man can appease your desires, and keep you out of trouble, he is also very handsome…so who knows maybe something will happen."
"But Father!"
"No buts Alchemy, exit my office now."
"Yes sir." Aly leaves the office and Leon follows behind her.
"Miss, you really are the Furher's daughter. By George I think I believe you now."
Aly turns around in anger, "Go away, I don't need your protection! I have Roy and he is so much better!" Aly runs off to Roy's office and falls into his lap for comfort, through the rest of the day.
Aly waited until Leon was nodding off to sleep, so she took the chance to sneak into Hughes office to look at his family portrait. She walked into his office and ran into him firing Schiezka, and he looked up at her in a panic. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to look at your family portrait, I do that at night sometimes."
"Well not tonight, leave! Now!"
Aly left the office and headed back for Roy's until she heard a door close. Turning around she saw Hughes run from his office out the front door, and Aly chased after him. When she caught up she saw something that was horrific in the eyes of many. Hughes lay in a phone booth, dead, blood was everywhere? Aly fell to the ground and let out a loud cry for help. It wasn't hard for Kazuo to wake to such a high pitched, horrific sound. He looked around and noticed Aly wasn't anywhere in the office, that made his pulse thunder. He ran to the sound of crying, it was Aly and she was covered in blood looking at Hughes' family photo.
Aly looked up at him, and her eyes were red, and blood was dripping down from them. Leon walked slowly towards her, and demanded a question to her, "Who hurt you?!"
Aly sniffled and tried to find her voice, "He…he's gone. And…I…I saw it…the blood….so much….blood."
Leon looked at her, "Who's gone, miss?"
"Papa…Hughes…he's gone." Aly reached for the phone, but blacked out on the desk before she could even pick it up.
Leon reached for her and carried her back to Roy's office, as she curled up and tears streamed down her face. He placed her on the couch, then sat in front of Roy's desk with his hands folded on the desk trying to calm down.
Roy walked in that morning and saw Aly in dried up blood and her skin color looked paler. He turned to Leon and glared. Leon stared at him with dark gray eyes, and a gray five o'clock shadow. He looked like he had looked death in the face that night, and Roy was livid with him, "What were you doing last night?! Is taking care of Alchemy not your job?! She's decked out in blood!"
Leon grabbed Roy by his shirt and pushed him against the wall, "Do you have any idea what just happened?! That girl has just seen something that could leave more than a scar, and you go off on me when I had nothing to do with it, and I just went through Hell last night!"
"Then what happened? If it wasn't Alchemy that got hurt, then who did?"
Leon dropped him and replied, "Maes Hughes."
Aly woke up after everything was done and spotted Roy. She closed her eyes and tried to hold back tears, Roy tried to comfort her, but Aly elbowed him in the stomach and ran out of the room. Aly collapsed in Hughes office and held his family photo, when Leon walked in. He went over to her and she hugged him and cried in his arms, "He was always like a father to me. He took care of me, and was so nice. He protected me from Roy's idiot tendencies, and was the only person here that I considered a family."
Leon held her and started to comfort her, "It'll be okay, miss, I promise." Leon held onto Aly as she just cried to him.
That whole day Aly looked like if you even spoke to her, she would break down and cry right there. She went around Central in a gloom and avoided going near Roy, or Riza. She was upset, and as the day ended and everyone started leaving, Aly headed with Leon to Roy's office to sleep.
She opened the door, and walked in and found Roy and Riza there. Aly took a step back and then glared, "What more do you want from me Roy?! You already took Hughes life what more is there left to take from me?!"
Roy looked at her in surprise, "Alchemy…I didn't know."
"Shut up, you… you knew, you knew what was happening, and yet you left him to be with that slut that you brought home with you last night, and you ignored us. Hughes death is your fault Roy! You killed him, and for what?! Just leave me alone! You're a bastard! I hate you!"
Aly ran to leave the room, and when Riza reached out to catch her, she swiped her hand away, "Don't even try to touch me Riza, you were just a helping hand to this murderer. I hope you two rot in Hell!" Aly ran out of the office, and left Central slamming the door behind her.
Leon tried to chase after her, but Roy waved his hand, "Don't bother, she'll be back in a day. Don't worry about her." Roy stood up from his desk then looked at Riza, "I'm heading home."
Roy left and Riza followed after him, to head home as well. Once home, he went down to his stash of liqueurs, and poured himself a drink. That one drink turned into two, then five, then tons more.
Roy woke up the next morning with a headache, and empty bottles around him, ignoring them, he got his coat and left to head to Central. When he got there, Leon was still there, "She not back yet."
Roy swayed as he sat at his desk, and replied to him with a drunken tone, "Give her time. She won't come back right on the spot. She's naïve."
Riza walked in then and once she saw Roy in such a disheveled manner, disappointment filled her, "Col. Mustang, I think 2ndLt. Leon is right. I'm worried about Aly. Someone needs to go look for her."
Roy waved his hand at her, "I'm not going to do it. The girl can fend for herself, leave her be."
Leon glared at both of them, "I'll go find her, she has to be around somewhere…"
Ed and Al walked in then, to announce to Roy that they have returned, and they sensed the gloom in the air, "Um…what's going on?"
Leon ignored them and continued with what he was saying, "I will find her, and bring her back, with that, I leave you to your bourbon." Leon ran out of the room and left to go hunting for Aly.
As for the Elric brothers, Al is the first to speak, "What's wrong?"
Riza answered his question, "Gen. Hughes has died, and Alchemy has run away."
Al spoke with fear in his tone, "Is she okay?"
"We don't know, she left last night, and she hasn't come back at all."
Al looked at Ed, "Scar is still on the loose too, let's go help." Al and Ed headed after Leon in the hunt for the missing Aly.
After a day of search, the next morning they woke up to a girl screaming as she ran down the street. Leon looked over and saw a tattered cloak similar to Aly's, and someone chasing after her. He got up in a flash and chased after him, with Ed and Al not to far behind.
He cornered the guy in an alley, and noticed Aly's hair behind a trash can hiding. Al and Ed caught up to him, and Al saw the hair and ran over to her. She was covered in rags and is trying to hold her shirt up since the strap broke. She is glazed with cuts and dirt, and looks hungry and tired. Al tried to help her, but she scooted away from him. That is when Leon called out, "Miss, don't worry. Put a gate up, and I'll handle this." He threw Ed to the end of the alley, and Aly summoned any energy that she could find to make a barrier between her, Al, and Ed, and the battle between Scar and Leon.
Leon ran toward Scar, the Ishbalan State Alchemist Killer. Scar turned and touched Leon's right ear, which burned off. Leon was landing hits on Scar and Scar was bleeding from his nose; bruises were forming on both Leon and Scar. In a swift movement Leon threw a brick wall at the unsuspecting Scar. He walked to Scar in the crumpled heap of rock, cement, and building; Scar surprised Leon with an attack; it wasn't until Leon chased Scar further that he noticed Scar had bombed the right side of his torso.
Leon was not going down so easily, he fought hard and even harder although blood was seeping out of his torso and ear. Leon did know that if he wasn't treated within an hour he would die of blood loss. But no, a Marine would not back down; he was going to fight until the end. Scar was hopping off a large building, he landed on a gift shop's roof. Leon kicked his head and skidded past the dizzy and confused Scar. Scar tried heading back towards Ed, Al, and Aly. He almost made it completely there but Leon gripped his arms around Scar's neck. Scar gently choked then he did his best to flip Leon off. Kazuo touched his side which had just been rolled in dirt, and pebbles.
Scar took Kazuo's left arm and dissolved it into the night air. "Damn you, alchemist. You should be dead but my alchemy won't stream through but little bits of your body." In a hurried moment Scar pushed the weak Leon off the small building roof. That was when Leon yelled, "Take down the barrier. Ed, Al hurry hide Aly and run; run back to Mustang and Hawkeye. Gooooooooooo!!!" He fell to his knee's and blood dripped from his eyes, mouth, and ears. He lost his left arm and his blood loss increased significantly, he laid down to die in the dark alleyway.
After when Al was trying to take her back to Central she took Al's hand, "Al, we can't leave him here to die. That would be wrong, he's my body guard, and I don't want him to die like this."
Al looked back at Leon and then nodded, "You're right." Al went over and picked up Leon and carried him on his back.
Al offered to carry Aly, but she refused and fell to the back of the pack, and Ed started to worry. He went back to see her, "Hey Aly, are you going to be alright?"
Aly looked like she was in a lot of pain, and she tried to reply, but instead almost fell to the ground if Ed hadn't caught her. Ed picked her up and carried her on his back, "You're weak, I'll carry you back."
"Ed…" Aly laid her head against Ed's back and smiled as Al looked over and saw the expression on her face and was filled with grief and anger towards his brother. Al tensed and started gripping tighter on Leon's ankles. Leon winced then leaned forward to whisper to Al, "Calm down…it's okay."
They made it back to Central, and Ed gently set Aly down, and Al headed to the hospital for Leon, and Ed stayed with Aly at Central. Aly ran her fingers across the wall as she tried to walk to Roy's office. When she got to his office, she opened the door to find Roy sitting on his desk drunk, "Riza did you come back for me?"
Aly stood in the doorway of fear of Roy, "Um…Roy are you drunk?"
"No….I'm high." Roy said sarcastically.
"Roy…" Aly ran over to Roy and hugged him, "I'm so sorry!" but he was so off-balance, that he fell into his chair, then fell out of his chair and hit his head on the window sill. Aly pulled back and looked at the unconscious Roy Mustang, when Riza walked in. Aly ran to Riza and cried to her, "Riza, I think I killed Roy!"
Riza stared at her in disbelief and Ed was laughing hysterically. Riza ran over to where the dead Roy was lying. She checked his pulse then sighed, "He's not dead, he's just unconscious, I'll take him home. Edward, do you mind helping me carry him to the car?"
Ed nodded his head with a grin on his face, "Sure." Ed left the office to help Riza with Roy, and Aly stayed and started clearing his desk of the empty bottles of beer and moonshine. She looked and looked for his liqueur stash but unfortunately Roy moved it. It became too hard on her mentally and physically, Roy's drinking hurts her.