Chapter Two

I thought dodging Grumman's men would be easier than it actually was, they were everywhere. This is why I stay in the air vents and not in the hallways.

Right now I was in a storage closet waiting for two of Grumman's men to finish their conversation and be on their merry way. It smelt in here, worse than the air vents and I couldn't see a thing. It was so dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face.

Finally they parted ways and I waited a couple of more minutes to make sure they weren't in the corridors anymore.

I inched the door open and peaked out, I blinked a few times until my eyes adjusted to the light.

"Coast is clear" Havoc said spotting me as he walked past the storage closet, I stepped out and walked with him. Out of all of Roy's subordinates I had to admit Havoc was my favourite, not that my little girly crush has anything to do with it. He had been my best friend since I've being under strict Roy Mustang supervision.

"Long time no see Jean" he glanced down at me with a smile.

"Mustang likes to keep me busy" he had a file in his hand and I tried to look at it but he tilted the name away from me.

"I feel your pain" I said still trying to peak at the file in his hands, "Roy was threatening me with old people duties earlier" he used his elbow to push my face away from the file.

I was being nosey like usual.

"He only uses that one when you're doing something he doesn't like" I nodded in agreement with him, I had to walk faster then usual to keep with his long strides.

"Well I may have over stepped my boundaries" I admitted, "but its his fault thinking I was going to stay at home all day and twiddle my thumbs" Havoc gave me a side long glance.

"Don't look at me like that" I grumbled at him.

"He does it for your own wellbeing Lex" Havoc said, "it wasn't that long ago that you were found on the streets of Central nearly dead" that was so last years news.

"Besides the point" I said holding my hand up at him and not wanting to talk about it. "Anyways I hear you've been dumped again" Havoc stopped making me come to a stop.

"You've been eaves dropping in the air vents again" the smile on my face gave me away, "why must you do that?" he asked.

"If I didn't I wouldn't have known that Cassandra just dumped her boyfriend" Havoc's face lit up, "she's a very pretty blonde" I added.

"Very pretty" he muttered.

I was Havoc's wing man. He needed love in his life and I needed a friend. So we both worked well for each other, we helped each other out.

"That snooping in the air vents isn't actually too bad" he said walking again, I followed him.

"And for a little cash I can eaves drop on anyone" I never miss an opportunity for a quick buck.

Havoc chuckled.

"Not a chance my friend, the Colonel would kill me if he ever caught me paying you money..." his voice trailed off making both of us come to a stop. "Run" he muttered down at me making me frown.

I looked down the corridor to see two of Grumman's men.

"Ah shit" I whispered taking a few steps backwards.

"Old people duty?" Havoc asked me as the soldiers stared at me.

"Not today" I said spinning on my heels.

"Alexis Mustang!" The soldiers shouted coming after me. Havoc walked off pretending he had nothing to do with me. I took off down the hall sprinting in the opposite direction.

"Stop!" The soldiers called out, "I have orders to take you to Grumman!" Yeah not today. Ill be long gone before Grumman hears anything about me in his command centre.

I skidded around a corner nearly running into two more of Grumman's men.

"Aww man" I moaned, they recognised me and shot into action trying to grab me. I ducked their hands and shot past them gaining speed.

"Not today boys!" I called out over my shoulder watching them fumble around each other then coming after me, these guys were used to handling paper work, not chasing after kids.

"You'll be in big trouble if you don't stop Alexis Mustang!" One of them shouted out.

I laughed at them over my shoulder.

Not if I could reach Roy's office or the front doors first, I had a chance to get away if I was able to get somewhere where they couldn't reach me. I had slipped their escape many times and was about to do it again.

I looked over my shoulder.

"Don't you guys have better things to do then chase-" BANG! My head hit something and I hit the ground with a big thud. I moaned rubbing my head furiously, this was not apart of the plan.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" A young voice said, "I tried to dodge you but you were going really fast!" I opened my eyes and saw a suit of armour looming over me, Al held his hand out for me. Ed stood next to him with his arms crossed over his chest looking down at me, I took Al's hand and stood up still rubbing my head.

"You should watch where you're going" Ed spoke up, "Al's quite sturdy and will give you a concussion if you go running into him like that" he said hitting Al's chest plate with his fist.

"No kidding" I muttered still rubbing my head, I could feel a headache coming on and ill probably have bruise there later. A hand landed on my shoulder behind me and I froze.

Dammit they caught me.

"Please come with us Miss Mustang" the solider behind me said trying to drag me away, I went to pull away and make another run for it but Ed grabbed my arm pulling me away from the solider.

"Mustang wants to see her" I looked at him oddly.

He's saving my butt but why?

The soldier was hesitant to let me go but knew who Ed was and decided not to go against a state alchemists requests.

"Yes sir!" He said saluting Ed and turned away taking his other buddies with him, they all eyed me warning me if they saw me again they were going to drag me to Grumman's office.

I sighed in relief.

"Oh man, thanks for that" I said as he released my arm, "I owe you big time" he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me.

"No this makes us even, the secret stays a secret and you don't have to look after old people" Ed stated firmly.

Oh so he had another motive.

I liked this kid, he was full of surprises.

I grinned at him.

"Even it is" I said holding my hand out for him and he shook it. Al crossed his arms standing over us.

"Brother" he said unimpressed to Ed, "thats manipulation" Ed rolled his eyes and looked up at Al.

"Is not" he spat up at Al, "it was a deal thats why we shook hands" he looked at me to back him up.

I held my hands up.

"Im not gunna leave Roy waiting for me any longer" I told him pushing past them, "but that was a bit of manipulation" I called out.

"Brother" Al moaned at Ed.

"Oh good one!" Ed snapped at me, "could have at least backed up the guy who saved your ass" I smiled waving him off and heading towards Roy office.

I tuned out Roy as he rambled on about what I had done earlier was unacceptable, I was not allowed to come wondering into Eastern command without reason and being bored was not an acceptable reason. To prove him wrong I shot back that I didn't come wondering in, I was actually climbing through the vets which only made him madder at me. So here I am slouched in the chair opposite his desk, with my arms crossed, my eyes narrowed at him and wishing I was anywhere else but here.

"You're not even listening to me" he said throwing his arms in the air, "I'm trying to help you" he said leaning forward.

"Locking me up in the house isn't helping" I mumbled at him.

He laughed mockingly at me.

"Oh so you've got the selective Alexis hearing on today" in other words I heard what I wanted to hear. Now he was just being mean.

"Locking me up in the house isn't helping" I repeated myself. He leaned on his desk and put his head in his hands making groaning noises.

"I don't know what to do Alexis" he said looking up at me, "not even a year ago we all thought you weren't going to wake up" of course he goes there.

About a year ago I was found on central streets hardly breathing. I had got on the wrong side of some bad people and got taught a lesson, one that resulted in me being put in hospital. I had a fractured sternum, three broken ribs and plenty of nightmares to join them. I was a mess but I never asked Roy to take me back and yet he still felt the need to look after me after I had run away at the age of twelve, went and came as I pleased until it resulted in me in the hospital.

If it hadnt of been Roy notifying his friends in Central to look out for me and Maes Hughes determination to find me and make sure I was safe, I most likely would have died on that street. So yes I should be grateful but being locked up was not the way to get me to behave.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked Roy who was staring at me, "I'm sorry?"

"I want the lying, the stealing and the fighting to stop" he told me, "and for gods sake don't run away again" he leant back and crossed his arms.

"You're not my father" I spat at him distastefully.

"Don't go there Alexis" he sighed at me, "this fight is getting old" I was never going to drop it. The fact that he came back from the civil war in one piece where both of my parents didn't, that was something I was never going to forget.

"Then stop looking for me when I leave" I told him.

"You're my niece, I can't just forget about you" I could hear the frustration in is voice. "I get you do it to spite me but did you ever think about how this effects Danny?" Roy asked.

I crossed my arms and looked away from him not wanting to discuss that.

"He's your little brother Lexie and worries needlessly when you disappear then reappear all bloodied and bruised, hes fed up having to stitch you up and hold your hair back when you're vomiting from consuming too much alcohol" I still didn't to look at him.

I was selfish for what I did but I couldn't take it back and I was too stubborn to realise what I had done had any effect on Danny, all I ever wanted was the best for my little brother. Thats why I left. I was the bad influence but instead I had destroyed the relationship between us trying to do that.

I got dragged back and humiliated in front of everyone who knew me and they saw how much I changed from living on the streets, the streets of Central had destroyed me. I needed to change but I don't know how to, I'm stuck in my ways and no one is giving me any help to turn me back into that girl I was supposed to be.

Losing my parents turned me into a rebelling kid and Roy wasn't old enough to know how to deal with that, he had his own problems to deal with like getting over the Civil War but I had no empathy for him. I saw the repercussions of that war and he had a huge part in it. I knew the real enemy was the military, King Bradley. He was the reason, he destroyed my family, he sent my parents out into that war that got them killed, he sent those alchemists out there and massacred all those Ishbalan's.

But what could I do?

Nothing but stir in my own anger and pity myself.

Losing my parents took a big tole on me, I lost the most important people in my life when I needed them the most. I blamed Roy, he was supposed to convince them to stay home and look after their children but instead he joined them on that battle field.

Then he comes home without them, how could he do that to me?

How could he do that to Danny?

I was determined to destroy the one thing that destroyed and pulled apart what little family I had and that was the military.

But how can one girl do that?

I can't and I know it.

I don't understand how Roy can still be apart of it with everything they forced him to do. He says I wouldn't understand, I'm too young, too naive but I'm not. I just want a reason, his reason but to him I'm still that little girl that ran away from everything and everyone, he doesn't trust me now and neither does Danny. They roll their eyes every time I get into a fight, look the other way when I'm stuck doing community service and I know the moment I come of age they will wait for me to be put in prison. And they're probably right, I don't know any better. so I stick to what I know, causing trouble and trying to amuse myself.

"Alexis" Roy said softly.

I looked at him not saying anything.

"I don't know what to do with you anymore, I've tried everything possible and yet it doesn't work" I clenched my fists.

"So you've resulted to locking me in the house?!" i spat him, he had not tried everything. I was just that one thing he had no clue what to do with.

"We're going in circles" he muttered under his breath.

"Next thing you know ill be in a jail cell because if you don't have eyes on me you instantly think I'm doing something illegal-" he slammed his hands against the desk shutting me up.

"Ive had enough of you for one afternoon!" He snapped back, "I want you home now and be sure as hell you'll be in trouble if you're not home when I get there" i stood up staring down at him over his desk.

"Im so scared" I growled at him.

"Clear?" he asked, I turned on my heels.

"Crystal!" I slammed his door behind me and stormed out of Eastern command in a foul mood with my hood over my head. I didn't want to think about the argument we just had, I was just going to avoid it like everything else.

It was dusk outside so the sky had oranges, pinks and purples in it followed by very dark stormy clouds. I could just make out a few stars here and there, the sun was setting behind the buildings around me casting long shadows.

I turned into the alley on my right taking the long way home. I kicked my foot into a small rock and it bounced across the ground, just as it stopped bouncing I heard a loud THUD! I froze in my spot and frowned. That certainly wasn't from the rock I had just kicked. The ground shook under my feet and I lost my balancing nearly stumbling to the ground.

The wall beside me started to crack, I took a step backwards staring up at it and it came crumbling down to the ground leaving a cloud of dust around me.

I shielded my eyes from the dust in the air.

"What the hell?" I whispered to myself. I spun around to see a figure knocking straight into me. We both hit the ground groaning. I opened my eyes to see gold eyes staring at me in shock, I raised my eyebrows in slight confusion.

"I know you might be having fun on top of me but would you mind getting off me" I said squirming under Ed's weight. He jumped off me shocked but was knocked back on top of me as Al ran into him.

I gasped in pain.

Ed was a lot heavier than he looked.

"Brother" Al yelled and ripped Ed and I off the ground, a hand missed both of us by inches and slammed into the ground. The ground exploded around it making my mouth dropp open and my eyes widened, I looked at the person who made the ground explode.

"Scar" I whispered as he quickly got to his feet, he went to jump at Ed but I scooped up a handful of dust and threw it at Scar. I got him in the face and he grunted in displeasure stumbling back and rubbing his hands over his face.

I had heard about this guy, he was only after state alchemist which would be why he was after Ed, The Fullmetal Alchemist. He wasn't interested in me or Al, he just wanted stated alchemists so if I distracted Scar just for a few more seconds Ed had a better chance of getting away. My impulsive behaviour kicked in.

"Run!" I spat at Ed shoving him back while Scar was still recovering from my cheap dust shot.

Ed staggered back with big round eyes staring at Scar.

I turned around and Scar loomed over me.

"Stay out of this girl" Scar said to me, "or I will have to kill you if you get in my way" I looked at Scar, that was a challenge I might not win but willing to take.

"You just threatened the wrong person" I growled flicking my wrists, the two small daggers strapped to my arms fell into my palms. I was not expecting a fight like this today but I was glad I always felt the need to be equipped for them. With my history and the Mustang last name, fights always found me even if i wasn't searching for them.

I learnt that lesson the hard way, being a Mustang can give you enemies you didn't even know you had.

"Fine, you give me no choice" Scar snarled throwing his hand at me.

"Don't let him touch you!" Al shouted out as I dropped to knees and spun out from under scar, I jumped to my feet kicking my foot out towards Scar's back but he spun around whacking my foot away. I retreated a few steps glancing over at Ed.

"I gave you an opportunity to run!" I spat at him, Scar turned to him losing interest in me.

"I need your help- ah shit!" He spat leaping out of the way from Scar's outstretched hand and nearly running into me, I stepped out of Ed's way.

"Oh yeah clearly not" I mocked Ed, he glared at me.

"Really?!" He snapped at me, "this is the time to be sarcastic?!" Scar walked towards us while Ed had his back to him shouting at me.

"Brother!" Al snapped.

I shoved Ed out the way and threw my dagger at Scar making him retreat to dodge it.

"Im just getting started" I spat back at Ed, he staggered to his feet standing up straight.

"You're worse than Colonel Mustang" Ed said pointing at me, "I thought he was mouthy but you're a another level entirely" I gapped at Ed.

"You did not just say that to me!" I snapped losing my temper at him. I was nothing like Roy and he had no right to even compare me to him.

"Guys!" Al exclaimed, "the guy trying to kill us is the problem not each other!" Scar shot towards both me and Ed. I turned to Scar and I threw my left dagger at him, it clipped his shoulder making him stagger towards Ed and Ed threw his auto-mail fist at Scar clipping his face

Scar took a few steps backwards to recover and both Ed and I moved forward trying to keep up with him. Ed threw another punch but missed nearly hitting me, I just ducked out the way and he stumbled towards me slightly. I shoved him backwards.

"Watch it Short Stack!" I spat defensively not knowing the consequences of throwing those words at him.

"Oh thats it!" Ed shouted throwing a fist fist at me, I ducked it and jumped at him. We collided and hit the ground hard knocking the air out of each other. Al jumped in shock and so did Scar not expecting us to attack each other.

"Guys this isn't time to turn on each other" Al said frantically trying to keep Scar away from us, but we had no intention in listening to him.

"Don't call me short" Ed yelled and swung his fist at me, I caught it and we fought against each others strength.

"Or what?!" He shoved his fist forward over powering me and hit my shoulder, I fell backwards off him.

"Please you two!" Al called out, "you can finish that later but right now this guy is our main priority" Al was right. We shouldn't be doing this with Scar just a few feet away from us and I knew calling Ed short would push him over the edge, so this my fault and I had to fix it.

Ed sat up staring at me.

"We'll finish this later" I said pointing at him.

"You're on" he sneered at me.

"Big brother" Al shouted as Scar hit the side of his armour, it exploded into small pieces and Ed completely freaked out.

I froze looking over at Al.

Did he just kill him?

"Al!" Ed shouted getting to his feet and grabbing me pulling me up with him, "don't let the blood seal be broken or I lose him" he let go of me and turned towards Scar. "You son of a-" Ed screamed swinging at Scar missing again, I was still on the ground.

Blood seal?

That made me frown in confusion.

For some reason something clicked, that symbol inside Al is a blood seal, that made sense and I now knew what he was talking about. I leaped over Al getting a view of the unharmed blood seal and rushed head first knocking Scar's hand away from Ed's head. Scar swung back at me making my back slam into the brick wall behind me, my head hit the wall and pain exploded in it. I tried to blink the dark spots away in my field of vision but it only made it worse, this couldn't be good. Id already hit my head today running into Al, the last thing I need is for me to actually get a concussion.

Still trying to blink myself from passing out but my body went limp and I slid down the wall trying to focus again. This is not what I needed right now, I need that adrenaline to kick in. I focused on wiggling my fingers and toes trying to rise my heart beat. I glanced up and watched Scar grab Ed's arm and threw him to the ground but there was no explosion like usual. I just needed that god damn adrenaline kick before Scar figured out how to take down Ed, ill be damned if this killer takes away my new found interest.

"You have an auto-mail arm and the armour is empty, you two are an odd pair" Scar said standing over Ed. I grabbed my gun from the back of my pants but my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

Man why is it now my body decides to go weak on me?!

The spots in my vision were clearing up and I could feel my heart beat rise, just a little more.

"Edward you have to run!" Al shouted trying to lift himself up but couldn't since his bottom half was smashed, I had to do something.

Come on Lexie wheres your adrenaline rush?!

I could feel it coming on, just a few more seconds!

"Don't be stupid I'm not leaving you here and Mustang would kill me if she got killed" Ed snapped gesturing to me.

Why is he worrying about me?

I stared at him confused as to why he would feel the need to worry about me when he hardly knew me, I wasn't his problem.

Ed clapped his hands together creating a blade out of his auto-mail arm. Scar studied Ed's arm and grabbed it when Ed swung at him, within seconds his arm exploded and Ed fell to the ground.

Thunder cracked in the sky and rain started falling hard which made a shiver run through my body. Just within that moment my body felt like it was on fire, the adrenalin kicked in and I slid up the wall watching Ed sulk in defeat. I took in a deep breath keeping my head clear, I have one shot at this and I have to make it count.

"I'll give you a moment to pray" Scar said towering over Ed.

Ed chuckled lightly.

"Sorry to disappoint you but theres no god I feel like praying to" he said softly, he glanced at me and Al. "If I'm the only one you're after then just hurry up and kill me but promise me you won't hurt those two" he said gesturing to me and Al.

There is was again. Him caring about someone he didn't know, it confused me as to why he'd sacrifice his own life for me. Well I wasn't about to let him die and not find out why.

I curled my toes in my boots and held the gun in my hand firmly flicking the safety off, here goes nothing.

"I promise" Scar growled.

"Ed! What are you doing?! Run!" Al screamed. I let out my breath and pushed off the wall giving me extra speed, this time I was too fast for Scar. He turned towards me and put his hand out but I slid under him and into Ed who fell to the ground, I quickly turned around and leaned against him putting my back to his chest and pointed my gun up at Scar.

I smiled knowing I had Scar in a tight situation.

"You can kill either us but you will have a bullet in your head and then you won't be able to finish your godly quest anymore" I spat at Scar, he hesitated and looked down at us. I could see him thinking what his next move would be very wisely, I had my finger on the trigger ready to pull it at any moments notice.

"What are you doing?" Ed spat at me putting his hand on my shoulder, I didn't move staying still not taking my eyes off Scar.

"Saving your pretty ass now shut up" I growled at him, I squeezed the gun in my hands so my knuckles went white. There was a loud gun shot that wasn't fired from me.

"Thats enough!" Roy ordered. I don't think id been so happy to hear his voice, "didn't I warn you that you were going to be in a lot of trouble if you weren't home Alexis?" he asked me in a cocky tone. I take that back, it could have been anyone else but no, it was Roy who showed up.

On a rainy night.

What on earth did he think he could accomplish in the rain?

Defiantly not create any flames thats for sure.

"Maybe you should focus on the guy who is inches from blowing my brains out" I spat back. I didn't take my eyes off Scar but he wasn't looking at me anymore, he was eyeing the back up that was surrounding him.

"Don't tell me how to do my job Alexis, ill do it when it suits me, not when you bark orders at me!" He really wanted to start a fight with me, so I took things into my own hands while Scar was focusing on the other soldiers. I kicked my foot out slamming it into Scar, he stumbled backwards making his movement put everyone on edge.

"The Flame Alchemist" Scar muttered no longer interested in me with my gun pointed at him or Ed who was trying to keep himself up with one arm, I still didn't move just in case Scar thought Ed would be an easier target.

"All this killing stops now!" Roy ordered stepping forward and taking his attention off me and putting it onto Scar, "surrender now or I will burn you to a crisp-" Scar darted forward reaching out for Roy's head. Ever so slightly my heart skipped a beat thinking Scar was actually going to get him, we might fight but that didn't mean I wanted him dead.

Roy held his hand up and went to click his fingers but Hawkeye stepped forward.

"Watch out sir!" She kicked Roy's feet out from under him making Scar's hand miss and started firing at him, Scar was fast retreating and dodging the bullets.

I sighed in relief.

A large figure came around the corner swinging at Scar, I knew that large figure and I don't think id been so happy to see him in my life.

"I am Alex Louis Armstrong!" Armstrong roared slamming his fists into the ground, his alchemy disturbed the road towards Scar trying to knock him off his feet but Scar retreated back, dodging Armstrong's attacks.

"Major don't tear up the whole street!" Havoc exclaimed from behind Roy.

I helped Ed to his feet while glaring at me like I had just punched him in the face and not risked my own life to save his, it wasn't my usual type of thing but I got caught but in the moment and decided to help.

"What?!" I snapped at him, he rolled his eyes like I should have known why he was glaring at me.

"You realise how stupid you are getting involved, you could have killed yourself" I just looked at him in astonishment.

Is this how he thanks people for saving him when he clearly was going to die?

"And I hope you realise I just saved your ass" he said nothing in return so I turned back around to the action. I wasn't finished yet, my adrenaline was still pumping through my body and I needed to get rid of it before it made me sick.

"Whats that you say?" Armstrong ripped his shirt off "what destroys can also create!" you always knew when Armstrong was getting passionate, his shirt would come off. I saw an opening and went for it but Roy wrapped his arms around me.

"Let go off me" I said squirming in his grip but my head hit his shoulder and the dark circles appeared in my vision making my sore head flare up again. This time I was going to pass out.

"You have done enough for today" he said letting go of me, I stumbled forward trying to keep my balance but my legs couldn't hold me and I fell to the wet ground, I didn't fight the darkness that took over my vision letting myself fall away from reality.