I pushed my way through the tight air vents on my stomach, a musky smell hung in the air clinging to the back of my throat. I kept my breaths shallow trying to control myself from sneezing, I was listening out for a voice. I couldn't see through the vent grates, Had to use my ears instead. The air vents in Eastern command were the easiest way for me to get around in this place, you know since only being a seventeen year old with no reason to be in here can get you into quite a lot of trouble. Also let's not forget about Grumman, I was his favourite target.
You must be wondering why I'm in here, right? It was either this or wait outside in the glaring hot sun, babysitting my little brother. Two things that I do not enjoy doing, I'm going against my uncles wishes to behave and doing the exact opposite, not behaving.
"Danny" I growled coming to a stop, I felt my brother stop at my feet. "Keep a few feet away from me otherwise this thing is going to break on us" I don't know how many times I had to tell the child, this vent wasn't supposed to hold one person let alone two. It was already creaking and the last thing we needed was someone within Eastern command realising there are two children in their vents snooping around. That's a good way of giving Grumman an excuse to give me another punishment.
Climbing through the vents wasn't Danny's usual thing to do but today he decided he wanted to know what I did while he was at school, I was teaching him my bad habits and secrets. I had perfected the art of this and knew the air vents like the back of my hand, knew where everyone's office was and where to avoid while hearing the secrets and gossip of Eastern command soldiers. For example, we just passed Roy Mustang's subordinates office hearing how Jean Havoc just got dumped by his most recent girlfriend and how Heymans Breda didn't want to hear it for the hundredth time today. We were close to where I wanted to be.
"It's hard to keep a few feet away when you're going at a snail's pace" Danny grumbled letting me shimmy further up before he followed, although it didn't take him long until he was back at my feet. He never listened to me, okay so he got that habit from me but it was crucial for him to listen to me when we were doing things that could be classified as illegal. The last thing I wanted was to get caught and get another trespassing fine, I did not like wearing orange jumpsuits and doing community service. And community service was one of Grumman's favourite punishments for me when I was found in Eastern command without a legitimate reason.
"So what are we doing exactly?" Danny asked as I came to a stop at the cross section in the vents. I closed my eyes picturing the mental map I had created.
I turned right and he followed me.
"I told you" I sighed at him, I kept climbing through the vents trying to even out my weight and avoid it breaking on us.
"Well I forgot" he moaned at me, "god you're such a jerk sometimes" I came to a stop and glanced at my 12-year-old brother over my shoulder. He blew his black hair out of his face to stare at me stubbornly with his ocean blue eyes.
"I'm the jerk?" I asked him, "I'm the jerk who promised not to tell our uncle that you've skipped school?" I raised my eyebrows at him still questioning him. He opened his mouth hoping to protest against me but I had a very valid point.
"At least I didn't get kicked out of school" he grumbled at me, I rolled my eyes and turned back around to continue through the vents. If my past was all he could use against me, my brother needed to come up with better comebacks because that was old news.
"Your JERK of a sister" I said emphasising jerk, "has decided she wants to know more about these Elric boys and it just so happens they are in Roy's office right now" I explained with a smile. These two boys were everyone's interest since Edward Elric became a dog of the military, a state alchemist.
So here I am being me. The troublemaking niece of the Flame Alchemist misbehaving and about to make Roy Mustang's day a lot harder. My speciality.
Danny made a groaning noise.
"Why?" He asked annoyed, "you know getting in their business is going to make uncle angrier at you than he already is" Danny didn't have to tell me what I already knew. "He's told you specifically to stay away from these two but you're not going to listen, are you?" I didn't even bother responding to him, he knew damn well I wasn't going to listen.
"You do know we're dead if we get caught" he added under his breath, that's why I didn't intend to get caught, not today.
"No one forced you to come with me" I said to him, he was acting as if I forced him to come along when I did no such thing. "But we won't get caught because you are going to listen to me and follow my instructions" I told him, "these two have everyone on edge and doesn't it make you wonder why?" I asked him. The vents were starting to get smaller but we still managed to crawl through the tight spots.
"No, because uncle said not to ask questions" brother dearest doing as he was told, always been a saint compared to me.
"Come on Danny" I moaned at him, "don't you wonder why Bradley made this kid a state alchemist?" Roy had all the files on the Fullmetal Alchemist but the official files had next to nothing in them, this kid was a total mystery and Roy's original notes were hidden from me.
"Well yeah" Danny muttered, "and why uncle is so persistent to keep us away from them" I did know the reason to that. That reason being me.
"You know damn straight it's me he's keeping away from them, he's hiding some sort of secret and I want to know what it is" I was determined to know what it is. There had to be some sort of story behind it. I'll admit this was all a game to me but I was getting bored, there isn't much a seventeen-year-old can do in a small apartment and I had been banished to that place for such a long time now, I forgot what freedom felt like.
I came to a halt when I heard voices.
"You struck out again boys?" That was Roy Mustang's voice, he had his teasing voice on. I hated that voice. The tone he used made you feel small and insignificant.
"Unfortunately yes" I moved closer to hear the voice better, "the stone was a fake" that had to be Edward Elric's voice. He didn't sound happy at all, which I don't blame him the way Roy was talking to him. He was Roy's dog after all and that would come with a lot of mocking if you failed at something, I knew that from first-hand experience. That's why I was here, time to show Roy Mustang not everything goes as planned. Sure he's one of the best strategists I'd ever come across but there's one thing he can never predict. Me.
Every time the Elric's come to visit Roy, Danny and I were locked away in a closet… Not Literal but we might as well be, we were Roy's little secret. A lot of people knew about me and Danny, especially me except for these boys and I didn't understand why... okay that's a lie I knew I was the reason, I have a tendency to cause trouble and sometimes I don't know the boundaries… My bad. But out of everyone, he could hide us from, its these two, that means something could happen that he doesn't want it to. He's predicted what would happen if I came into the picture and its time to see if his predictions are right or if I can still surprise him.
"What are they talking about?" Danny whispered trying to shuffle closer, I waved him off trying to listen myself. Anything I can hold against Roy is to my advantage, this little chat between Roy and his alchemist might just get me the upper hand if I can figure out what they are talking about.
"This wild goose chase is costing me a lot of money boys" Roy said with his best sarcastic voice, it made me cringe.
"Lexie I wanna hear as well" Danny whined at me, I kicked him giving him something else to focus on and the vent moaned ever so slightly.
"Shut up" I growled at him, "they're talking about some stone" Danny shimmied even closer to me. Clearly, I didn't kick him hard enough. He put his hand on my back and leaned forward to listen, the vent shift below us. we both froze, my eyes widened. It moaned under our weight trying to stay together but Danny pushed off me and the vent shifted again, breaking open. My heart sank to my stomach as I tried to scramble back but I lost traction and slipped out, my fingernails scraped along the metal vent as I slid down to my doom. I let out a squeal and my butt landed on the desk below me. Oh shit.
Everyone around me was silent as I sat there very quiet for a second trying to figure out a very quick escape route. I glanced to my left to see a pair of gold eyes staring at me and a very still suit of armour, I smiled at them and glanced at Roy on the other side of me. He sighed when he realised it was me.
"Hi" I said with a nervous giggle.
He looked at me and up at the broken vent that I had just fallen out of as if to ask what I was doing. Oh god, I had to think of something to say or its probably toasted Lexie for dinner, oh man, oh man.
"There is a very logical reason as to why I was up there" I said pointing up at the vent staring at Roy, he leant back and crossed his arms. He raised his eyebrows.
"Please enlighten me Alexis" he said distastefully, I smiled again nervously.
"Did you know Danny skipped school today?" I asked him, the vent shifted again and everyone looked up.
"You jerk Lexie!" I heard Danny snap, "you ratted me out to save your own ass" he jumped out of the vent above me and pinned me to the desk. We wrestled each other on the desk, all the chairs around us skidded on the wooden floor backing from our flying limbs.
"This entire mess is your fault, I told you not to get too close to me!" I snapped back shoving Danny off me and the desk. Yes, I just used my brother to get out of my own bad situation but his punishment will be way less painful than my own. Roy was going to kill me and if Grumman finds out, let's just say at least the orange jumpsuit suits my bright orange eyes.
"Oh, of course, nothing is ever your fault, Lexie is always too perfect to get into-" I slammed my foot into my brothers gut and he dropped to the ground gasping for air. Now the little shit was smart mouthing me.
I ignored him looking around quickly thinking of a way out of this situation, yet it was looking slimmer and slimmer to think of an escape route or some excuse. Roy cleared his throat making me glance at him, he narrowed his eyes at me.
"It was all her and you know it" Danny gasped from the floor, I peered at him down on the floor.
"No one asked you, you little shit" I growled at him, Danny glanced up at me with a scowl.
"Alexis!" Roy snapped making me jump, I glanced at him.
"Oh come on I can't take all the blame for this" I whined at him still sitting on his paper filled desk.
"What is happening here?" Edward spoke up from beside me, "it's not normal for people to fall out of air vents" I looked down at him.
"Says the kid who's a state alchemist, I'm sure you've seen stranger things than me climbing through an air vent" he frowned at me not sure how to respond.
"Sir" the armour said looking around me to look at Roy, this had to be his younger brother Alphonse. "I must ask but why are there two people in Eastern command air vents?" his expression was hard to read but his voice was clouded with confusion. His armour still loomed over me sitting in a small chair, I was surprised he fit in the chair. I faced both Alphonse and Edward putting my feet on their chairs and leaning my elbows on my raised knees. Danny was also inspecting our new friends, he was highly intrigued by the large suit of armour with a young boys voice.
"It is quite a good route to use when you don't want anyone to see you" I explained, I opened my mouth to continue but Roy beat me.
"Continue talking, I dare you" Roy threatened me, I went very still and quiet. Both boys in front of me glanced at me frozen in place from the threat.
"Now you've gotta tell me who the smart mouth is" Edward said pointing to me, I glanced over my shoulder slowly and Roy was staring at me with fire in his eyes. Roy didn't want to answer but sighed knowing he was going to have to tell them his dirty little secret.
Lexie: 1
Roy: 0
A smirk spread across my face, let's see him get out of this one. "You proud?" Roy asked me, the smirk didn't disappear. "Don't answer that Alexis" he added quickly before I could. Ed and Al were still waiting for Roy's explanation. "These two" Roy said sighing and gesturing to me still sitting on his desk in the way and Danny staggering to his feet holding his sore stomach, "are Daniel and Alexis Mustang" the taste of victory was honestly amazing.
Lexie: 2
Roy: 0
"Wait you're telling me" Ed spoke up and glanced between me and Danny, "that these two belong to you" he frowned. "You have kids?" he looked disgusted and I didn't blame him. The thought of Roy being my father was revolting.
"No no no," I said very quickly shaking my hands at him, "we may be related but he is certainly not a father" I added quickly. Roy sighed loudly from behind me. He was far from our father, well for me anyway, I couldn't speak for Danny.
Ed frowned at me wanting me to explain further.
"He's our uncle if anything, not that he's any good at it, he can't even control us" I said glancing at Roy again. My uncle's expression didn't change.
"No I can control your brother absolutely fine, but you are another thing entirely," he said so calmly it was dripping in venom. I laughed slightly.
"Another thing entirely?" I asked amused by his words.
"The feral of the family" I heard Danny grumble, I pointed at him.
"Once again no one asked you" I told him, he made a face at me crossing his arms.
"He's not wrong" Roy said grabbing my attention, I put my hand to my heart pretending his words had actually hurt me.
"Ouch uncle" I said in a soft tone, "that hurt" Roy was gritting his teeth ever so slightly. From the corner of my eye, I could still see Danny inspecting Al while I was the centre of attention.
"Sir!" The doors threw open showing a long empty corridor except for, "she's at it again in the air vents..." Riza Hawkeye. Her voice had trailed off when she saw me. I raised one of my eyebrows.
"You must be having an off day," I remarked, "you're usually are much faster than this" she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me. She made goosebumps rise on my skin, her glares were cold and intimidating. I could feel Roy tense up when her eyes shifted to him, showing her annoyance at my attitude, Roy was also intimidated by her when he had crossed certain boundaries. Where do you think I get my bad streak from? I had picked up many of his bad traits.
"You are no doubt getting faster Alexis" Hawkeye said in a cool tone, I smiled slightly.
"Touché" I said to her, she ignored me still staring at Roy patiently.
"So how come we have never heard of these two before, Mustang?" Edward asked him with a smile. Just the question I wanted him to ask.
"Well you see Mr Elric" he glanced at me instantly when he realised I knew his name, "I'm sure from experience you know Roy over here likes to control everything but unfortunately I'm just that little bit harder to control than your average kid" I explained. "But that was his own doing when he tried to shove me and my brother to an orphanage when our parents died, isn't that right uncle?" I asked glancing over my shoulder at Roy. He was gripping the bridge of his nose.
"Why must you put it in bad context like that, I've told you before I didn't have the time or the space to look after you or Danny" he paused and glared at me, "but you got your wish you're living with me now" he said in defeat. Oh, how beautiful his defeat tasted and how amazing my victory felt.
"Not exactly, you make me feel like a prisoner at home" I said to him, he ran his fingers through his black hair. "You let this little guy running around and cause havoc" I pointed at Ed, "but any havoc I seem cause is the biggest taboo around" Al froze as Ed slammed his fists against his chair and stood up. I raised my eyebrows at his sudden reaction towards me.
"What did you say?" Ed growled pointing at me, his face was going red with anger and the muscle in his sharp-featured jaw was rippling. I opened my mouth to repeat myself but Al shook his head, I paused for a second.
"Nothing?" It was a question for Al, he nodded and Ed sat back down satisfied with my answer.
"Good, that's what I thought" Ed spat at me in distaste. I studied his angry face turn back into a childish boy, he had a weak spot for his height. I filed that somewhere in the back of my head for later.
Danny was behind Al staring at the suit of armour very intrigued, no one had noticed him as he looked at me with wide eyes. I raised my eyebrow at him asking what his problem was and a cheeky smile spread across his face. He placed his hands on Al's helmet and pulled it off.
"He's empty Lexie!" Danny exclaimed, "I figured out the secret before you!" I scowled at him as everyone around us jumped.
"How do you even know that's the secret?" I pointed out, annoyed with my little brother. I was the one who was supposed t figure this out, not that rascal.
"Oh come on" Danny whined at me jumping back when Ed tried to grab the helmet back, "you always gotta take my fun away" I waved him off staring at Al in front of me. I had to admit this was a pretty good secret, a walking, talking empty suit of armour that sounded like a kid was something I had never encountered.
"Give me back his head!" Ed snapped in rage leaning out of his chair trying to catch Danny. Al continued to sit there very still like he was frozen to his spot, just a suit of armour with no head.
"Well well well" I said looking Al up and down, Ed turned in his seat to watch me closely like I was the enemy. "This is interesting" I leant towards Al but he retreated back. So there was something alive within this armour, it was just hollow inside. The outside was shiny silver, well kept with an intimidating demeanour but the way it sat, awkwardly with its knees together and big brown boiled leather gloves clasping themselves with anxiety. This might have been a suit of armour but it sat like an anxious young boy.
Roy had gone silent behind me as I continued my inspection.
"May I ask what happened to you?" I asked Al, he didn't reply but Ed was quick to snap at me.
"Its none of your business!" He spat at me but I wasn't interested in him, I was interested in the empty suit of armour.
Hawkeye stepped forward trying to grab Danny but he was faster than he looked. I, on the other hand, curled my finger around Al's chest plate and made him lean forward. He was cold to the touch and smelt like iron and grease, I peered inside and it was dark and hollow, there was only a symbol on the back that looked like blood. I took note of it as cold silver fingers wrapped around my wrist.
"Don't touch him" Ed growled, I looked at his silver fingers on my arm. Automail. My eyes travel to his face and it was warning me to back off his little brother. I let go of Al and he leaned back away from me. Ed was being protective of his brother which was a boundary I wasn't going to push.
Hawkeye managed to snatch the helmet off Danny and put it back on Al's shoulders. I, on the other hand, changed my target, tugging on Ed's arm and pulling myself in front of him. I placed both feet on his armrests and trapped him between my legs. Lifted my hand up and his arm followed, making his coat fall down his arm revealing a well made auto-mail arm. Dents and scratches covered it, it was rough on the edges but it was a beautiful piece of metal.
"Snazzy auto-mail" I said putting my boot on his left knee making him jump and confirming that his left leg was also auto-mail. His report had said he had an auto-mail arm and leg which wasn't that abnormal, but when you add the empty suit of armour to the equation, that made you wonder how such a young kid ended up becoming so damaged. Ed tried to pull back from my grip but I locked my hand around his wrist, I yanked him forward putting his face in mine. He also smelt of iron and grease.
"You two must be full of interesting secrets" I said staring into his big golden eyes, they shone with anger and the muscle in his jaw rippled.
"You have no idea" that made me smile even more, "you must find this all quite funny but neither of us is laughing" I let go and Ed sat back in his chair pulling his sleeve up. I had overstepped my boundaries. Roy's hand curled around the back of my collar and hauled me backwards off his desk. I stumbled back against him, he loomed over me and his dark eyes were full of rage.
I gulped in fear hanging below him.
"What do you think you're doing?" He snarled down at me. I flinched slightly at his voice but recovered standing up with a smile and retreating from my uncle.
"Hey I'm just being curious" I insisted, "I'm not causing any harm, just admiring your alchemist and his metal brother" I said gesturing to Ed and Al.
"What are you even doing here?!" Roy snapped at me, I crossed my arms defensively. There was no way I was letting Roy get to me because I figured out why his alchemist is so special.
"You can't expect me to be cooped up at home all day" I told him, not that I ever did when he told me to.
"That's for your own wellbeing"
Hawkeye cleared her throat cutting off the argument that was about to erupt. Everyone turned to her and she was holding Danny's back collar.
"Sir what shall I do with him?" She asked.
"Take him home" Roy grumbled waving her off, "and make sure he stays there" she nodded dragging Danny out while he glared at me, clearly blaming us getting caught on me. If he had listened to me we wouldn't have got caught. The doors banged shut and it was silent in here again. Daggers shooting from Ed's eyes, Al's armour shaking nervously and Roy's rage radiating off his body. I needed to leave this room.
"You're going to keep this to yourself," Roy told me, the tone in his voice was threatening. He obviously didn't want me to know about this. He was keeping his cool in front of the other two, he didn't want to lose is composure and show how easily I can make him lose it.
"What's in it for me?" I asked him, Roy clenched his hands into fists and I could still feel Ed's golden eyes trained on me. I wasn't actually going to tell anyone, who was I going to tell that would believe me anyway? I wanted to see Roy's reaction so I knew how important this was to him and by the looks of it, it was pretty damn important.
"I'm not playing this game with you Alexis, go be somewhere else and ill get someone to find you when I'm finished here" the cold tone in Roy's voice told me I had lost this round with him. He wasn't going to lose his composure.
I sighed loudly.
"Fine whatever" I grumbled turning away, I looked at the other two who were still staring at me. "It was nice meeting you, Alphonse and Edward Elric. Your fascinating secret is safe with me boys" I smiled at them, giving them a once look over before getting out of this room.
"Oh and watch out for Grumman and his men, he said next time he catches you here without a reason he's going to give you a punishment of a lifetime. I heard something about looking after the old people" Roy said as I got to the door, I stopped and shuddered, there's the threat Id been waiting for.
I waved Roy off.
"Yeah yeah" I said over my shoulder, "don't get caught, I got it" I said and slipped out of the room. I think I had accomplished a lot more than I thought I would today. My work here is done I thought with a smirk.
