Chapter Three
Rain's point of view
I have no idea what happened that night. I had a vivid nightmare, as soon as Roy put me down on that bed. I can't even remember what the nightmare was about. Roy held me until I was sound asleep, but when I awoke around noon, he was gone. There was a note on the fridge.
Rain,
I have to work, so if you get up and I'm gone you know where I'm at. Get something to eat and head on down to command. You have to work too. Don't forget your pocket watch and grab the spare keys. Lock up; I don't want to get robbed anytime soon.
Roy.
I read the note to myself and smoothed out my shirt. After sleeping in it, I found it not presentable. So I took a shower, and put on some new clothes Roy had given me money for. I had on my black combat boots, black skinny jeans, a red cami under a black hoodie, the inside of the hood a bright red. I put on my black duster, grabbed the spare keys and locked the door. I checked that I had my pocket watch and ignition gloves. I got out the bag of chips I stowed in my duster and needed yesterday, and ate them. I then headed to Command.
By the time I got to Command, I was still eating my chips. I walked into the Colonel's office finishing off my chips.
"Sup." I greeted, and saw a familiar blond head. "Ed! What are you doing here?" I asked and plopped down next to him.
"Same as you." He said and smiled.
"I called you both here for a reason." Roy coughed loudly to get our attention.
"And that reason is?" Ed asked.
"I've put you two on a team for a mission that needs to be completed." Roy said.
"Bring it on." Ed scoffed.
"There's a killer here in Central, and he mainly targets female State Alchemists. You two need to take him down. Without dying. Here's a quick summary on his character." Roy explained and tossed me a file.
"Franz Harnand. Killed five female State Alchemists in the Central area. Very dangerous. Handle with care. Creative methods of homicide." Ed said. "Consider it done." He said and beckoned for me to follow him.
"Bye Colonel! I'll be home by dark!" I reassured Roy, seeing the worried look on his face, and ran to catch up with Ed. We walked out of Command, and Ed stopped.
"Al! C'mon we got a mission!" Ed shouted to a suit of armor.
"Brother! That was quick, who's this?"
"This is that girl at the academy I told you about, Roy's kid."
"Oh, It's nice to meet you Rain. I'm Alphonse." He held out his hand. I took hold of it, awe clear on my face.
"Is it true you're empty inside? Wow, that's so cool! You're even more polite than I thought! You're so sweet!" I said, shaking his hand excitedly. "It's an honor to meet you!"
"It's an honor to meet you as well Ms. Broken Flame." He said, smile clear in his voice.
"Please, call me Rain!"
"Okay, let's go. We've got to go to the warehouse district, but first, make sure your pocket watch shows. We're using you as bait." Ed said.
"Got it." I made sure my pocket watch showed, clear as day.
"Good, now let's go."
Roy's point of view
"Colonel, relax. She'll be fine. She's with Edward." Hawkeye reassured Roy.
"Yeah, she won't die. Ed won't let that happen." Havoc said.
Rain's point of view
I was walking the sidewalk where the abductions occurred. A hooded figure appeared before me.
"Hello, little lady Alchemist." He said and blindfolded me. He then gagged me.
"Mmmmfff!" I screamed through the cloth.
He picked me up and I fainted.
I woke up with my wrists chained together. I tried to find Ed, but didn't see him. I just saw the hooded guy, without his hood.
"Y-you're Franz Harnand…" I stuttered, my fear seeping through. I was getting scared. He had a lot of equipment for slaughter.
"Oh, the young lady is awake. Are you scared?" He turned around a knife in his hands.
I ran, my wrists still chained together.
"Oh, no you don't!" Franz shouted and cut deep into my left leg.
"Ack!" I screamed and fell on the floor. Franz lifted my shirt and slashed all over my chest and stomach leaving behind deep bloody cuts.
He slashed me some more and grinned. "The Broken Flame will die drowning in her own crimson blood, and truly be broken." He got up and was torched. He was barely alive.
Roy stepped into view. He held Franz up by his shirt collar. "You're lucky I'm on strict orders to bring you back alive." He snarled. "Otherwise you would be dead." He threw Franz onto the ground.
My vision became blurry. I reached out my hand for Roy and he ran towards me. But then the world became black and dark.
"Rain!" was all I heard.
I woke up on a hospital bed and panicked. I looked around the room for him. I found him looking at me with concern.
"How long was I out?" I asked.
"Since yesterday." He said.
"Crap, I was out after dark…" I smiled weakly. "Oh!" I doubled over but it only brought on more pain. I cried out. "What's wrong with me…? Why am I in a hospital?"
"The slashes you took on your ribs broke a few, so a little internal damage there; you were half-dead when the paramedics came. You lost a lot of blood." He rubbed my back. I knew something else was coming. "And, your leg is broken."
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" I cried and tried to move my leg. I sobbed. "This can't be happening!"
"Sh. It's okay. Just calm down." He cooed. "How about you try eating?" There was a tray of food next to me. It had chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, apple sauce, and… Chocolate Milk, my enemy. I prickled at the sight of it. Then I glared at it. "I tried to tell them you hated chocolate milk and they said: 'All children love chocolate milk!'" Roy said. "But, I went to the store and bought you some white milk." He held out a glass bottle of 2% milk.
"Milk!" I cried happily and took the bottle. I hugged it tightly. "Oh, thank you! Hey, wait, shouldn't you be at work?" I asked him.
"I am, you're at the military hospital." He said.
"Oh, crap, will I be able to go back to school on Monday?"
"We're looking at a most likely; we just have to see how you're doing."
I heard a soft knock at the door, and Ed poked his out and walked into the room. "Hey, you're awake; I thought the Colonel over here was talking to himself till I heard your voice." He said and stood next to Roy. He glared at him with a little hatred in his eyes.
"So!" I said finally eating, trying to break the tension in the air. "How's life, Ed, and work, Roy?"
"Fine." Ed replied.
"Busier than hell. I had to fill out so much paperwork on your incident…" Roy complained.
I just sighed. Glad that my attempts worked. "Well I'm sorry." I said.
I looked up at him, and I saw the pain in his eyes. "I'm sorry, so sorry… It's my entire fault, and I deserve everything I've gotten."
"Rain," Ed stepped forward. Roy put his arm in front of him.
"No. It's not your fault. None of it is, you can put the blame on me and Ed." He said.
"Why you two?"
"I sent you out to do it without knowing the true dangers of it, and Ed, well, he was just being Ed."
"Hey!" Ed shouted.
"I want to go home…" I sighed.
"You might get your wish soon; the doctor and nurses are debating the topic now as we speak."
"Really?" I cried excitedly.
"Yep." Roy smiled.
"Oh, I hope they decide yes!" I said.
"Me too." Roy said.
"Wait, why?" I asked, shocked.
"It's lonely without you there… It will be nice with you home again." Roy blushed and I knew the hidden meaning. I can't cuddle you while you're in that bed. I wanna hold you. I smiled.
"Don't worry." I said to let him know I got his hidden meaning. A nice nurse came in.
"Oh, you're awake, that's good. I have good news." She grinned.
I sat up slowly without causing pain. "I get to go home?"
"Yep!" The nurse said.
"Yay!" I said.
"Colonel Mustang, please come out side with me." The nurse turned to Roy.
"Rain, I'm sorry." Ed said.
'Oh hush. None of this was your fault; Roy is just being an ass to you." I huffed.
"I thought you of all people would agree with him." Ed looked surprised.
"No, Ed, I like you. You're super cool. Roy is just being over-protective. He thinks I like-like you. Which I don't."
"Oh, should've known that." Ed face-palmed himself just as Roy walked in.
"Well, looks like I'm going to have to carry you." He said and smiled in spite of himself. I took the blanket off. Luckily I was wearing actual pajamas rather than those ugly-ass gowns normal hospitals put on their patients.
"Have at it!" He lifted me in his arms and walked out of the hospital room. Boy did I miss this… I sighed happily. Roy came to a car and opened the back door. He set me in and got in the passenger. Then I realized that Hawkeye was in the driver's seat. She looked at me through the rearview mirror.
"Hello, Rain, glad you're back." She smiled and turned on the car.
"It seems that…" Roy started whispering to Riza and I fell asleep rather quickly.
I woke up feeling better and back in my bed at Roy's. I got up without pain. Just a slight twist running up my leg. Nothing I can't suck up. I went downstairs to get some food. I found a new note on the counter.
Rain,
Once again I'm at work, and the Lieutenant is coming to pick you up at three. Turns out your leg is not broken, but still the point remains that you need to take it easy. The Academy is aware of your situation, so you will be going back tomorrow. Make sure you get something other than chips to eat before the Lieutenant drops by. There's some milk in the fridge, but so help me if you drink to much…
Roy.
Why didn't he tell me this sooner?
P.S- You were too out of it earlier for me to tell you about your leg. Sorry.
Oh, that's why. I walked to the fridge and drank a little bit of milk. Then, I made some Ramen Noodles and sat at the table. I read my current novel called Self-Torture by Madison Crider. It's really good. I had finished my Ramen Noodles but got caught up in Self-Torture. By the time I looked up for the time it was 2:30.
"Oh, shit!" I shouted and cleaned my bowl. Then I rushed upstairs to get a quick shower. When I had finished that I got dressed quickly and slid on my duster. I grabbed my novel and went outside to wait for Riza. She came and I got in the passenger seat.
"Hi!" I said as I got in.
"Good afternoon, thank goodness Roy told you I was coming to get you." She sounded relieved.
"Actually he wrote a note, but I was still informed." I laughed. "So why exactly are you picking me up?"
"Because you have to go to work and Roy didn't want you to walk that distance on your leg. I volunteered to come and get you."
"He should know I'm not a wuss. I could've sucked it up, it would've saved your time." I said and sat back in the seat.
Riza just chuckled. "You're not wasting my time, you're actually saving me. It's crazy over there."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see when we get there." She said and turned a corner.
We arrived to Command and I saw what Riza was talking about. Roy and Ed were fighting and things were all over the place. Ed was on top of Roy, while he was trying to shake Ed off.
"Colonel, Rain is here." She coughed loudly to get their attention, and started to pick up the random things that were thrown.
Roy and Ed looked up and got untangled from each other. Roy smoothed down his shirt and Ed flipped the couch back over and sat down on it. Roy sat in his chair at his desk.
"Ah, good, thanks Lieutenant." Roy said.
"Anything to get away from you two." She muttered. I was standing awkwardly by the door.
"Sit Rain." Roy ordered and I sat on the other couch across from Ed. "Yes sir…" I mumbled.
He folded his hands together.
"We're here to discuss two topics. 1st one is the fact of Rain's injuries. I could give you both court martials, one of you gets a court martial, or a more less damaging punishment to the both of you, because you were idiots." He said. I looked at Ed.
"The last one." I decided.
"Yeah." Ed agreed.
"I thought so. Ed, you'll get your punishment when I think of it and you," His voice was like venom to me, and I shrunk into the seat and flinched, "Will get yours at home later." He snarled as if to warn me. I looked pleadingly at Riza and her eyes were full of sympathy. I sighed. "Ed tomorrow at the academy makes sure Mrs. Izumi doesn't make Rain fight and Rain, give her this note." Roy handed me a note. "The lieutenant is going to pick you up in the morning."
"Okay."
"Now onto topic two. Your mission yesterday was not, well, it was successful but not without me. So you two will be going through extra training. Rain, you'll train with me, because we have the same abilities, and Ed you will train with Major Armstrong. Go find him. He's waiting." Roy said.
"Oh no, not the Major!" Ed cried and left.
"Now, Rain follow me. We start now. Let's go." He ordered and got up. I got up as well and followed him. We were out in the back of Command, where the people who test to be State Alchemists do their physical exams.
"Come at me with all you've got." He slid on his ignition gloves and I put mine on as well. I took off my duster and snapped. He dodged my flame just as easily as I used to dodge his. Quickly and smoothly. But now when he snaps I try to stumble away. I've got quite a few burns, while he's unscathed.
"You're a little out of practice. We'll whip you right back into shape, the lieutenant and I. At least when you're better. I don't want to work you too hard." Roy helped me up from my fall. I dusted myself off and put my duster back on. At one point during me and Roy's fight, Ed and Armstrong came to the back to train, but at this point, Armstrong had his shirt off and Ed was running away.
"Mr. Elric! Come back! We're not finished!" Armstrong went after him.
"Isn't forcing him with the Major a little bit of a punishment?" I looked up at Roy's smirking face.
"Oh, no Ed got the easy teacher. When you're healed, until you're in shape, me and the lieutenant are not going easy on you. And you will wish that was all you're getting. The clock is ticking. It'll be time to go home really soon." Roy looked at his pocket watch. I looked at mine as well. And I ran for dear life, thinking about it now, I should've never done that. I thought that maybe if I could run fast enough and find a good hiding spot, I could hide and never get the punishment from Roy.
I kept looking at my pocket watch frantically. I was on top of the roof of Command, the lower part, believing that Roy would never find me or be able to get up there. I didn't even use alchemy. I just climbed. The minutes ticked by and I waited anxiously. Why didn't he come after me? I thought.
It was soon time for Roy to be heading home but then I heard him yelling at someone. Near my spot… I shuddered and hid in the shadows of the higher roof.
"What do you mean you don't have a ladder that tall?!" I heard him yell. "I'll just climb up there myself!" He huffed.
"Colonel Mustang! You'll hurt yourself!" An unfamiliar voice protested.
"I will not! This girl is injured and she got up here! I'm having no problems!" He yelled back. I heard him climbing the walls fast and swiftly. I scrambled up to the higher roof clumsily, because my leg was shooting extreme pain all over it. I whimpered quietly. He got on the roof. I hid in better shadows hoping he wouldn't find me.
"Rain, when I find you, you'll get even more punishment then what I have planned." He snarled. "If you give up you won't."
Never! You'll never find me! I thought defiantly, until pain shot up my leg. I whimpered quietly again. Roy stopped, as if he heard the soft whimper. I heard him turn around swiftly. Crap, crap, crap, crap, please don't let him find me… I thought desperately. I heard the clonk of his boots come towards me and stop. Just then pain shot up my leg again. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to make no whimper come out but a short and soft one escaped. I heard him climb up and head in the other direction. I took a quiet, relieved breath. Then I was picked up and I yelped. I was caught.
"Gotcha, you little runt." He growled. I yelped in pain at my leg. Roy set me down and held me down. He lifted up my pant leg and took off my boot. You could see my leg actually throbbing and swollen with my foot.
"The nurse warned me this would happen if you worked your leg too hard. Have fun walking on that in the morning." He said, still angry. I could tell because of his eyes. He picked me back up, rolled down my pant leg, and left my boot off. Then he jumped off the roof and landed smoothly. The person he was yelling at was 2nd lieutenant Brosh. He looked relieved to see us.
"Oh, sir, you found the girl? That's good. Have a nice night." He saluted Roy.
"Right." Roy said and walked to his car in angry silence.
"So… How was work?" I asked nervously.
"Well, you wouldn't know, but I sent the lieutenant, Breda, Fuery, and Havoc after you and not one came back with you, so I waited until it was time to go, to go hunting for you." He snarled angrily. "You're an Idiot you know that? If you wouldn't have run, you wouldn't be in this boat. But, wait; there are more consequences to come of your stupidity. The lieutenant helped me with your punishment."
"Oh, no…" I sighed realizing I was an idiot. Roy set me in the passenger seat and started the car. He revved the engine and I cringed. The dreaded time has come. We arrived home quicker than I had thought, and Roy helped me walk to the door. He opened it, and helped me to the couch.
"Sit, and if you even move to get up, I will kill you." He said and went to hang up his coat. Just then I realized Roy had taken both my black duster and other boot without my noticing. He hung up my duster and his military top. He stood in front of me with his white dress shirt on, his military bottoms, and black boots. He stood there with a commanding presence looking at me furious.
I nodded in his direction and said: "Sup."
"I just don't know where to start…" He said, frustrated.
"You could just not start, it would be better for the both of us…" I tried.
"Well first off, you're on house arrest, or grounding for three weeks, you will be taken to and from school and work by me. Each school day I will pick you up and bring you to work with me until I go home. And second for your incident of carelessness with Franz, you're grounded to your room until Friday. When we get home, you go straight to your room. Only to leave for the bathroom, school, and supper. Starting now." He picked me up to go to my room. "This is not over. I don't want my neighbors to complain." He threatened. He opened the door to my room and set me on my bed. Then, he left. I stretched out on my bed my leg hurting like hell.
"It hurts so much…" I moaned, and fell asleep instantly.
Roy's point of view
By the time Roy got up to Rain's room to give her pain pills and some Kool-Aid, she as out cold. No waking her up for a while. He set the pills and Kool-Aid on the night table by her bed and ruffled her hair. Maybe I was too hard on her… I might've scared her. But she's gotta learn.… I mean, I could've given her worse, and it doesn't seem to bother her… Roy thought and left to get some ice for her leg.
He got a pillow to elevate it and put a wrapped icepack on it. Then he went to go occupy his time until it was time to fix supper.
End of chapter three.
A/N: Plenty of suspense on this chapter. Lots of action too (you're welcome action junkies ;)) REVIEW FOLLOW FAVORITE Thanks 3
