Hughes sighed as he waved goodbye to the final guest. Once the door was closed and locked, he exhaustedly trudged back to his reclining chair in the living room. Gracia was in the back room with Winry tucking their little one in for the night. Both women prepared for bed shortly after, barely giving a "goodnight" before going to bed. The party was finally over and he could finally relax.
However, Genevieve's mind was still too active for her to even think about sleep. While the party had served as a great distraction, distractions can only last so long. Her thoughts were still reeling from the information Kyubey had given her earlier in the week. It was horrifying and astounding to discover how her mother had lived and suffered for so long. To fear not only death by a Witch but also the government, all the while trying to keep her secret power hidden and unexplained, was no way to live. That both her parents had kept this secret and taken it to their graves was a miracle in itself.
Seeing the storm of thoughts reflected in her icy eyes, the man turned to his own.
Hughes had done as much research as he could, as quietly as he could, and came out with a strange result. The Dawkins had definitely worked for the military and there was evidence of blackmail in the reports on her mother's files. Even then, it was only thanks to his recent promotion to Major that he'd been able to access said files without question.
But there was something else. The way Suzanne's reports were worded, it seemed like she was leaving a coded message. He'd noticed the strange pattern about halfway through her fifth report. It was very subtle in that the first letter of every other paragraph unscrambled into a riddle. He figured Genevieve would be able to help him crack the riddles, or at the very least, steer him in the right direction.
Yet another thing that puzzled Maes.
Most soldiers had to list every dependent that lived in their immediate family. But when he'd looked into their family records, there was no mention of the young couple having a child. Normally, this would make him suspicious of her. But having met the two in person gave him the ability to see the physical traits Genevieve could only have inherited from Kevin and Suzanne.
Thinking back to when the brunette had mentioned her mother's power, Hughes was reminded of why he wanted to talk to her in the first place. She was thinking about accepting the contract and that made his fists tighten in anger. Memories of following his sister into battle reminded him of the danger this girl could be in. He cleared his throat and said, "Genevieve."
"Hm?" Her mind was in a similar place. This contract would lead to a dangerous life, filled with unpredictable battles and the obvious possibility of death. But was it really any different than the one she'd led before now? Okay, so she'd be hunting Witches and their Familiars to kill them and use their Grief Seeds. Beings of magic created by despair that she'd never encountered before. Genevieve would just have to learn the ropes as she went; much the same way she'd started life as an assassin before they assigned her a mentor. There's really no difference.
Maes leveled her with a curious gaze. The burden of what she would become is not something a girl her age should have to shoulder. If he could convince her to decline, he could save her from that life. But something at the back of his mind worried that he couldn't change her mind. He pushed it back in favor of asking, "What did he tell you?"
Knowing his meaning, she divulged all Kyubey had told her. "He hasn't explained the Soul Gems?"
She shook her head. The young alchemist didn't even recognize the term. This fact irked her. Genevieve hated not knowing what she was getting herself into. "A good warrior knows and plans for all; even the unexpected," her mentor once told her. It was why her mission reports were usually written with a great amount of detail. Even so much as a small movement from a rodent in her peripheral vision was included.
The sound of claws clicking against the wooden floors brought their attention to the white creature. "Time to fix that then."
Everything about this contract of his was unsettling. The very thing she needed for power was the most dangerous part of the contract. And the most painful. The Soul Gem was just that, her soul transformed into a gem. It would be ripped from her body in an excruciating process of forcing it out. She didn't think she was prepared for that.
And that was only the beginning.
If the gem was more than a hundred feet from her body, it would fall lifeless because her soul wasn't close enough to keep it animated. Should it ever break she would lose her powers and die. When its light became too tainted, hopefully never, she would turn into the very Witches she was being recruited to fight.
She sighed shakily, running a tired hand through her curls. So many "if"s that were frighteningly possible during these fights. Or so the "cat" had told her. There was no telling how the battles would go. Throw in the factor of her alchemy and magic were at odds with each other and you had a large margin of unpredictable outcomes. Death was the most likely outcome in a myriad of ways; in battle, execution, powers unbalanced. The list goes on.
"Now you understand?" She looked up at Hughes. "This isn't something to take lightly Genevieve."
"I know." She sighed and looked down at her fingers laced together. They tightened at the comparison of her life thus far and what it would become should she accept the contract. Having her soul ripped out would surely be painful, but then again, so had living through the last near-decade. "But besides the Soul Gem, it's not too much of a change from my life before now."
He looked at her confused. "What was your life like before now?" At this, Genevieve tensed. Did she want to tell him? It would be a good place to start. Still, years of staying silent had instinctualized her hesitation. This did not go unnoticed either. "You don't have to-"
"No. I have to share it with someone." Nevie took a deep breath. Telling the head of Investigations was probably not the smartest idea, but he seemed like a trustworthy person. Maybe if she told the whole story, he would be more sympathetic. Still. "Can you promise me something first?"
"What is it?"
She gave him a pleading look, answering, "A lot of this will be incriminating information that would get me executed." Green eyes widened in shock as the teen continued. "I know you work with investigations, and this might solve a few cases you have, but please keep it to yourself. It's so hard to bear this burden alone and I think now is the time to change that."
Her eyes started to gimmer with unshed tears and Hughes did the only thing a father would do. He crossed the room and hugged her. Seeing her break down like this made his heart clench in sympathy for the girl. He may not have known her long, but it was easy to tell the teen wasn't used to expressing emotion. If just mentioning her past brought this reaction, he wondered how she'd hold together sharing it.
When she finally calmed down, she started telling her family's story. "My mother was a refugee. She had hitched a ride with a friendly family when they were passing by a military gate. Unfortunately, they stopped the car for a random inspection and discovered my mother looked foreign and was armed with strange weapons. They arrested her on the spot.
"Two years of prison time later, they released her under the condition of protective custody. A few of the soldiers were chosen to watch her for the next fifteen months. In that time, one of them got close to her, and they fell in love." She smiled at the memory of their wedding pictures as she continued. "They were allowed to marry with the promise of him keeping her out of trouble and that she would work for the military.
Nevie chuckled. "They lived quite peacefully for three years before they had me. According to them, I was always a curious child - getting into things, knocking knick-knacks over. It was only a matter of time before I found my father's alchemy books and started reading. I took to it like a panther to the savannah - as my mother would say.
"But all good things must come to an end. Shortly after I started studying, the military started to call my mom away for jobs. She and dad never told me the things they asked of her until I was five. By then, both had noticed something off about the higher-ups and were investigating it.
"As they got deeper, they started teaching me to defend myself." Pulling her ring blades out, she whispered the command for them to open. "My mother gave these to me and my father helped me engrave my transmutation circle into them. They are small enough to go unnoticed."
She tucked them away as they closed and paused to look at Hughes. He was waiting for her to continue, so she did. "I later discovered they did this in fear of the military finding out and coming after us."
"They were right." Icy eyes glazed over as a memory resurfaced.
There was a knock at the door. Kevin, her father, had opened the door smiling but that quickly fell away at the people that greeted him. Two soldiers had shown up at their door dressed in full uniform. Each with pale skin, dark hair, and dark eyes that seemed to trap her in their voids. The stoic disinterest on their faces had scared seven-year-old Genevieve and she raced to hide behind her father's leg.
"How can I help you, gentlemen?"
The man on the left spoke. "You and Miss Dawkins are to bring your daughter to Central Headquarters to be registered and put to work."
Frowning in outrage, the young father yelled his response. "What kind of work?"
"The Fuhrer got involved, threatening to revoke our citizenship if everyone in our family didn't comply with his wishes. So, at age seven, I was dragged into the assassin world. My job was to learn and help my mother in every way I could. With the alchemy I specialized in, it became increasingly easier to silence our targets without leaving much evidence. My father could do nothing but his desk job, forced to stay on sidelines as his wife and daughter were constantly putting themselves in danger.
"Mr. Hughes." He hummed in acknowledgment. "Do you still have cases where it seemed as though someone's blood heated into internal burning?"
"Yeah, wh-" His eyes widened in realization. No. For her to-
"Any cases where the victim's head was cut cleanly from their body with no traces of the weapon that was used?" He nodded, eyes still wide as the teen asked one final question. "How about where their heart or brain exploded from excessive amounts of water in their blood?"
Hughes was rigid with horror. This girl had played a part in hundreds of deaths. Most of which were connected to the military in some way. As he thought about it, the lieutenant colonel remembered a woman mentioning her gifted little girl. Looking at the teen before him, he could see the resemblance between the two.
And then it clicked into place. She's Kevin and Suzanne Dawkins' daughter. That was why no one ever called her by her surname. As far as the public knew, she didn't exist. But then, how did she escape?
"Not long after I turned ten, the higher-ups caught wind of their little investigation and decided my parents knew too much. An assassin we'd worked with once before was sent to kill them. They were ordered to make my parents' deaths as painful as possible and capture me. I had been studying when I heard the commotion and found them laying on the floor in pools of their own blood." The reminder of their mangled bodies on the floor as the yelled at her to leave brought fresh tears to her eyes. "I did exactly what they told me to do. I grabbed my emergency stuff and leaped out the window into the nearby tree. Unfortunately, the killer alchemically destroyed my house leaving me exposed if I hadn't run.
"I was able to evade them for months before they caught me. That is when they blackmailed me back into the assassin world. I was given another teacher who was strict but often took pity on me. Eventually, she admitted that she was the one who'd killed my parents." Nevie chuckled darkly at the thought. "You'd think I would've tried to kill her, but I didn't. She was just like me - blackmailed into that, no, this life. I merely said that I forgave her because she was like me.
Nevie paused at the memory of the normally stoic woman falling to her knees in relief as she cried and thanked her. "That was the first time I saw my teacher break down."
Hughes pulled her into a comforting hug as he listened to the rest of her story. Nothing could hide the storm of emotions that flooded him as he did. Her life had been a walk through hell. He could hear the anguish and desperation in her voice as she recounted her missions and how they made her feel. Genevieve had struggled to survive and stay strong so that her peers and superiors believed they couldn't break her; that she was their perfect, unbreakable toy that would always obey without question. Everything she was forced to do came out in a barely understood jibberish of sobbing. The weight of sin was heavy on her shoulders and though she accepted it, the young brunette was still just that - young.
But that wasn't the worst part. From the sounds of it, her walk wasn't finished just yet.
His fists clenched in anger as he held her close. The senior staff didn't just neglect and abuse her; they took pleasure in it. This poor girl had suffered through so much by herself for so long. He knew that if her parents were still alive, they would've fought with everything they had to get her out.
Maes was also mad at himself. As an Investigations Officer, he should've been able to at least find hints of her existence. He'd found the pattern of her targets but the case was always taken from him before he could really piece anything together. Now that he thought about it, that was most likely on purpose. To maintain the lie that a killer unassociated with them was after these people. When in reality, they had ordered those people killed. By a child assassin they had trained themselves.
Unbeknownst to the two, Gracia had been listening in on their conversation from the beginning. She was coming in to say goodnight when she heard the topic shift. The young mother had noticed the underlying ice in Genevieve's gaze when she first arrived. Now, having heard her story it was no wonder why it was there. To say she was horrified was an understatement. She was disgusted that Amestris' military, the very military her husband worked for, would force a child into such a life. That this young lady had fought so hard to stay alive and sane in such an environment - and succeed - was inspiring. It broke her heart to hear the tragedy Genevieve had lived through.
As Gracia thought about it, she found she couldn't fault the teen for killing. In truth, she felt she would've done the same in her situation. Knowing Genevieve's perspective on it also comforted her. The young brunette hated living like that. She hadn't wanted to turn out like this. But at the same time, she was happy to have made it this far.
Her eyes softened as she stepped out from the hallway wrapped in a blanket. "Well, you're welcome to stay here Genevieve. We would be happy to help you whenever you need it."
Maes jumped at the sound of his wife's voice. He wondered how much she'd heard. But the brunette had felt someone else was there as soon as she started talking. In a way, she was glad it wasn't Winry. The poor girl wouldn't know what to do if she found out.
Genevieve turned to the woman with the first genuine smile the couple had seen from her. "Thank you, Mrs. Hughes."
The mother smiled in return. She walked forward and kneeled in front of the sobbing teen. Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she said, "Please, call me Gracia."
Icy eyes flickered open, blinking the last of her dreamless sleep away. She stretched her arms up and out with a yawn. Last night had lifted a considerable amount of the weight from her shoulders. She had shared everything with the Hughes and it still felt nice.
"Genevieve! Winry! Breakfast is ready and the brothers are here!"
A long forgotten warmth settled in her chest and Genevieve sighed contently. Not even a day, and this place, this family felt like home. Another big step toward her strongest desire in life.
"Coming!"
A large smile brightened her face as she dressed in her black tank top and thigh-length skirt. Deceptively soft arms pushed through the sleeves of her purple jacket where they settled silver curved handles into their hiding place. Finally, she pulled on her black knee boots and walked out the door.
Her smile sparkled as she entered the dining room and cheerfully greeted Gracia. The woman was surprised by her show of happiness but returned the sparkling greeting with one of her own. All the while she memorized the image in her mind. There was no telling when the rare display would happen again.
Mr. Hughes came in to get his plate and stilled in shock when he saw Genevieve's bright expression. After the break down she had last night, the man thought it would be a little while longer before she would smile so brightly. He too burned the image in his mind.
But all good things come to an end. And for her, every positive moment was short-lived.
So, when she entered the living room with her plate of eggs and bacon, and Ed gave her a hard stare, she stopped and her smile fell. Envy had forced her to reveal the job she's had for the last nine years. They had brushed it aside to get out, but she knew he still wanted to know. They hadn't had much time or privacy in the hospital to discuss it.
Quietly, the brunette's emotional mask returned as she sat down to eat. Tension hung thickly in the air as silence built but none were willing to break it. When she finished eating, Hurricane smiled warily and turned to Gracia. Thankfully, the young mother caught on to her meaning and gently took the plate from her hands. She placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder before turning to Winry with a smile.
"Winry, why don't you and I take Elicia to the park?" At first, the mechanic was hesitant. But then the atmosphere finally set in and she glanced warily around the room. She didn't know why Ed seemed so angry with Genevieve, but she did know sticking around wouldn't be a good idea. She quickly obliged and led Elicia out of the apartment with Gracia right behind her.
Hughes left for the kitchen to get everyone something to drink. He figured the Elrics had discovered her secret in a way that left them questioning their trust in her. The man could only hope they would give her a chance to explain.
Al was honestly a little scared. When Ed told him Hurricane was an assassin, he'd fallen silent in disbelief. So what if the brunette was unusually talented at stealth and combat, she hadn't used those skills to hurt anyone. Hell, she'd saved both of their lives, twice, with those skills. That was no reason to accuse her of being a killer. What he hadn't been prepared for was the news that Hurricane herself told Ed of her job.
Genevieve sighed and gestured toward the couch. The brothers sat down but were unsure of how to broach the subject. Ed was the first to break the silence, his voice dripping with vehemence and eyes blazing anger. He was livid that she would hide such a secret from them. Especially because she knew how they felt about killing people.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?"
She sat up and leaned against the headboard, turning to the blond across the room. It was their last night in Resembool before returning to Central. That day was long and full of sparring. Ed and Al discovered the hard way just how skilled Hurricane was in hand-to-hand combat; she defeated both of them with an ease that spoke of boredom. Watching her against Armstrong, matching blow for blow, made them realize just how much she outclassed them.
"Years of practice," was her cryptic answer.
Edward sat up with a frown on his face. Al, sitting against the wall between their beds, asked, "Why did you need to practice?"
"My life has been a thorny path of one hardship after another." Her icy eyes met Ed's gold and seemed to glow in the darkness. She continued, "While I can only guess at the tragedy you two must've faced, I can truly say my life was harder."
"Really?" She didn't answer.
It stayed that way for a while, no one knowing what else to say. Both brothers were lost in thought as they tried to interpret what was left unsaid. A hell of her own to walk through. She'd mentioned that before. Then, Edward wondered aloud, "Would you kill to survive?"
Her head tilted as she frowned. That's a random question. She really didn't want to answer it. Especially because she already had killed to survive. So she turned it back to him.
"I made a vow that I wouldn't take anyone's life."
She raised an eyebrow at his passionate response. "Quite the ambition for someone who's joined the military."
"Yeah, well, I've made it this far, haven't I?"
Silence was his answer for a while. "True."
Now he knew why she hadn't answered that night. "You were trained as an assassin?" Al gasped "Brother!" in shock at Ed's bluntness.
Pools of ice turned a cool glare on the blond. There was a storm of emotion swirling in those eyes as they stared him down. He could almost feel the scorn in her gaze, though he could tell it wasn't directed at him. "Unfortunately, yes. The senior staff of the military blackmailed me into it."
Both boys stared at her in shock. "What?"
"I told you about my parents investigating possible corruption in the senior ranks of the military," they nodded. "Well, after killing my parents, they threatened me with death unless I took on my mother's job - of which she was also forced into."
"Then that means..." He trailed off as she nodded her head gravely. First her mother, then her. If it happened to them, could it have happened to other people too? He was suddenly afraid of the answer to that question.
That's when Hughes walked in with a couple glasses of water. Both teens thanked him as he joined Ed and Al on the couch.
He pushed his glasses further up on his nose. The glare from the sunlight reflecting off the floor gave his lenses a frosted look as they hid his eyes. Genevieve was still withholding information from the Elrics. Not that he blamed her. No one would believe magic existed until they saw it themselves; especially alchemists. But the mystery behind her mother was still mostly unsolved. Well, until she explained it and swore him to secrecy.
The fact that she decided to trust him and his wife with that knowledge only added to the bond they forged that night. Maybe it was because she'd shared her story; allowed them to see and hear the struggle she'd faced for almost ten years. Or maybe, it was the way she'd leaned on them, let them comfort her as she released the build-up of emotion. Now, both he and his wife had come to see her as their own. And they would do all they could to help her.
"Because my mother was an illegal refugee, it was either getting my citizenship revoked and be sentenced to death for 'all the loss she caused'," she paused to take a sip of her glass, rolling her eyes at the ironic accusation, "or keep it and work for them."
"Why?" Ed's hand shook with fury. "Why would they subject an innocent child to that kind of thing?"
"The same reason they would call for a civil war." That comment silenced everyone for a few minutes. "Anyway, I take it my past isn't the only reason you're here."
Thankful for the change in subject, Al tells her their plan to leave for Dublith. "Since your our partner, we want you to come with us."
"I wish I could." Genevieve looked down to at her glass, grip tightening with the memory of "Morrison's" words. She shivered at the image before responding, "Unfortunately, the higher-ups are pinning your involvement with the Fifth Laboratory on me and I'm to stay in Central until further notice."
"But-"
"Ed, I am a refugee under military custody. Just as they near imprisoned my mother with servitude, I must do the same." Silence again. She sighed. "I can't tell you who is behind the scenes; I'm in this a lot deeper than you two are. If my hunch is right, they plan to drag you guys into this."
"For what?"
Ice met gold in uncertainty. Whatever the homunculi had planned, she knew it involved a Philosopher's Stone; seeing as they made it their goal to lead alchemists to them. But why do they need a stone? They were clearly powerful enough on their own. "I'm not sure yet."
Hughes suddenly got an idea. He smiled at the brunette and offered, "Since you're stuck in Central, why don't you help me out?"
Ed and Al brightened. "That's a great idea! You could help him find out who's behind the corruption!"
"Well…" She already knew. But she couldn't tell them that. So, backed into a corner, Hurricane agreed.
Genevieve groaned as she set the case file down. She'd been reading through so many of them that the letters were starting to blur together. The last couple weeks had been tiring. During the day, she helped Hughes sort through case files. At night, they hunted for familiars. Thanks to Kyubey, their weapons could do enough damage to kill the damn things. But if they ran into a Witch, they would have a hard time.
Which brought up her growing chest pain. Instinctively, the brunette knew her latent water magic was beginning to rise to the surface, fighting against the electric power of her alchemy. The internal battle for dominance was slowly taking its toll on her.
A weight settled on her left shoulder and she leaned her head to rest on it. Kyubey purred at the affection and curled his tail around her neck. As if sensing her thoughts, he motioned for her hand. Confused, Genevieve followed his motion and watched in awe as he slid her mother's ring onto her right hand. The rare, precious pearl from her mother's favorite beach glowed a soft blue for a moment before dimming. And with it, the pain in her chest eased.
Genevieve frowned, turning a curious gaze to the cat on her shoulder. "How did you know?"
"You forget, Genevieve. There have been others like you before." His tail swayed as he slid into her lap. "Where they didn't have anyone to train them, you did. She even left an item blessed by her magic behind to help you keep your powers balanced."
"You mean if the others like me had had an item like this," her eyes widened in hope, "they wouldn't have died?"
Kyubey nodded. "Their mentors hadn't figured out the cause of death yet. Even then, most Puella Magi choose self-preservation over compassion."
That's why Puella Magi are near extinct. They were too greedy, too afraid to reach out to others for help. Without much knowledge on how their powers reacted to alchemy, many girls didn't survive childhood. As such, the number of magical girls, though small to begin with, plummeted to near nothing.
Genevieve laid her head on the desk provided. Corruption. Homunculi. Enslavement. Magic versus alchemy. Puella Magi. Witches. Curses. Death. Her thoughts were becoming too overwhelming. She just wanted a break!
"Hey! Don't give out on me now!" Hughes had found a few leads in possible Curses. From suicide chains to unexplained murder, there were a lot of Curse victims in Central. It was frightening how much the Curse count skyrocketed without magical girls to control them. It was a good thing they had decided to focus on that until a solid evidence of corruption popped up. It would keep them preoccupied for a long while.
"We finally have another lead!" How she wished that wasn't true. Sighing, the assassin stood from her temporary desk and walked over to Hughes. Leaning over and resting her chin on his shoulder, the girl began to read, ignoring how the colonel froze.
Last night, a group of people committed mass suicide. It wouldn't be quite so strange if it weren't such an odd mix of people. Teen delinquents, businessmen, and a few low-rank soldiers. None of which had any connections to the drug cartel that was once based in that warehouse. It wasn't the first time either. There were multiple accounts of a similar mix of people found dead in that same warehouse.
Icy eyes narrowed on the paragraph stating there was no explanation as to why this happened. None of the victims had any motive for suicide. Their families were all stable, most had healthy jobs they were proud to have. The teens never showed signs of depression either, not a single, even subtle, hint.
All the while, Hughes was wondering when this little girl had gotten so comfortable with him. He'd seen her do the same to Gracia when she offered to help in the kitchen, but this was the first time she'd physically leaned on him. The father smiled for a moment before glancing back the case file in his hand.
"This sounds like it could be a Witch." Kyubey jumped onto her shoulder as she stood back up and arched his back in a stretch. The two soldiers froze. If that was true, they might be in over their heads on this one. Still… Looking at the death count reaching thirty, they knew there was no choice.
"If it is, we can't take any chances. Let's leave for lunch and we'll make a plan to go tonight." Genevieve nodded and returned to her desk. Packing a few things to go out, the brunette ensured her blades were tucked in her jacket. This hunt would be something they never forgot.
"This is it?" Genevieve scanned the abandoned warehouse with disgusted annoyance. Really, they couldn't be any more creative with their locations? After hours of looking through this mini district of warehouses, she and the lieutenant colonel had finally found the place. It wasn't very impressive either. Just four, tall metal - likely steel - walls with a tiled roof. The door was composed of iron with a small viewing window at the average eye level.
"Yeah," Hughes straightened his glasses and reached for his knives. Genevieve held her ring blades with her thumbs on their transmutation circles. Both moved into a fighting stance after she picked the lock and inched forward. They cautiously walked in, eyes moving this way and that to make sure they don't miss a thing.
She looked around again and a chill ran up her spine. They were being watched. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Be careful you two." Kyubey leaped onto Nevie's shoulder and they quietly made their way in. "This one is definitely a Witch."
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Hughes and Genevieve shared a look and nodded, continuing with their guard up.
Then everything happened at once. Metal walls distorted into honeycomb shapes with multiple shades of lavender. The dirt ground turned into a cartoonish meadow of flowers with a steep hill in the back. Every single flower had a bee with mismatched eyes that followed them as they continued forward. A childish song seemed to play in the background. As it rose in pitch, an ungodly large flower sprouted from the top of the hill to hand-like extensions growing out. When each bud opened, it revealed slanted, angry red eyes and fanged teeth*. The Witch roared with anger at being discovered and the bees jumped into action.
In seconds, the two were surrounded. Their ears filled with young voices singing their buzz sounds. One by one, each insect darted forward and stung the two. Some were easily avoided. Others, not so much. Eventually, both soldiers realized the bee stings had poison in them. Their limbs were getting heavier and they struggled to stay standing.
A dangerous sense of urgency filled the assassin and she tapped her circles twice, swinging her blades out to her sides. They glowed with blue light before water surged outward in a dome shape. It grew and swirled with her rage until all the bees drowned, falling to the meadow ground dead and in pieces.
The Witch screamed in rage again and the walls began to glow. Some of the honeycombs came flying at them.
It took a lot of effort to keep moving forward without getting hit. As the poison filled their bodies, each movement was slower than the last. Hughes was struggling more than she was, throwing knife, after knife until he ran out. He ducked and dodged as best he could but two of the honeycombs caught his side and legs. He groaned in pain and collapsed as a third shredded across his shoulder blades.
Turning to face the man, Hurricane stopped at the sight of his wounds. Suddenly, she was thrown back to the image of her parents on the ground dying. Again, she was helpless to save them, to save someone from death. A familiar feeling bubbled in her chest with an intensity she'd never known. The pearl on her hand began to glow as it reached new heights. Everything in her senses faded as alchemic lightning crackled around her, covering her body and surging through her blades. The magic in her veins rose to the surface of her skin as she started to glow blue with power. Her curls began to sway as though being teased with a light breeze.
For a moment, all was still. Then Genevieve's eyes flashed and she cried out.
Her blades began to glow a deep blue and she turned. Honeycombs targeted her more, focusing on killing her to feed on. Racing toward the Witch, Hurricane as uncaring of the wounds that began to decorate her skin. Her fury was released, unchained for the first time in nearly ten years.
She leaped forward and threw a blade toward its stem. As it flew, the blade began to glow with magic and charge itself with alchemy. Suddenly, it grew into a swirling blade of water. The disc successfully cut half of the stem but it wasn't enough.
The creature roared once more. Its arm-like vines sped outward to wrap around her. It secured an ankle but the girl remained undeterred. She recalled the disc and caught it with ease, the water dissipating into the blade. Then the vine around her ankle grew. It snaked its way around both legs and quickly bound her up, arms stuck at her sides and legs immobile.
The Witch swung her around, smacking her into the ground many times. Its vines strengthened their hold with each passing second and Genevieve knew she had to end the battle quickly.
She closed her eyes and blocked everything out. Focusing on the electrically charged torrent of blue that resided at her center. She willed it to expand, allowing it to envelop her in its power. Then she heard the Witch scream in agony and felt it release her. Gracefully landing in a fighting stance, the brunette turned icy, vengeful eyes to the creature before her.
Sending the power in her center to the blades in her hands, she began to spin. With every revolution, she gained speed and strength as water formed around her. It quickly manifested into the largest hurricane she had ever produced, the water bright as the morning sky with blue lighting was laced through it. Once she deemed it big enough, her arms darted forward, sending it speeding toward the Witch.
The creature shrieked in agony as its final moments vanished into the rushing currents. Piece by satisfying piece, the damned thing was ripped to shreds by the current. In turn, those were vaporized by the lightning-laced water. When the last of its existence was snuffed out, the raging waters evaporated. A Grief Seed slowly descended into her hand and Kyubey was quick to eat it.
As her rage calmed, she raced back to Hughes and assessed his wounds. They were pretty bad, but he was still breathing. Tucking her blades away, the brunette carefully reached out and pulled him to his feet. The walls returned to normal as she hobbled out of the warehouse toward the hospital with her partner and father figure on her back.
She fought off her exhaustion until she got him there. When the doors opened, the nurses raced to help him onto a stretcher and she smiled tiredly. She had gotten him to the hospital safely! Now, everything would be alright.
The last thing she remembered was violet eyes staring at her.
Genevieve groaned as she woke. Her head was pounding and the morning sunlight wasn't helping. Turning to her side, she pulled the covers closer to her chest as the pain returned tenfold. Clutching at her center, the brunette whimpered and hissed in pain until the pearl on her finger reacted. She sighed as the pain lessened into a dull ache and slowly sat up.
"You're awake." Her head snapped to the side and she immediately regretted it. The brunette groaned, closing her eyes and bringing a shaking hand to her head. Recognizing the voice made her curse her inability to hide her pain. "Hey, easy."
"What do you want, Envy," she growled. The homunculus merely stared at her for a moment. Her arms and legs were completely bandaged up. Smaller pieces of gauze and medical tape covered multiple small cuts on her face. Her curls were frizzy and her eyes shook slightly from the pain she was in. Despite her fragile appearance, the homunculus couldn't help but think she looked attractive. "Well?"
He shook his head and cleared his throat. Letting his disguise drop, he walked over and sat at the foot of the hospital bed. No one would be coming for a while and the brunette already knew what he looked like so there was no risk of exposure. Violet met ice with a strangely serious - and dare she say concerned? - gaze.
"What the hell happened to put you and that other guy in such bad shape?" His only response was a snort. Then, her eyes widened at the memory of his injuries and she rushed to get up. Before she could get very far, Envy had pushed her back onto the hospital bed. He hovered above her, straddling her waist and restraining her arms by her head. Unknowingly, almost subconsciously, their fingers laced together. Even if she could get up, her arms and legs were too weak to support her. She'd just end up collapsing somewhere in the hall if she made it out the door. "Where do you think you're going? You're too injured to move."
"I need to see Hughes." Nevie struggled against his hold but was no match for his inhuman strength. Knowing it was futile, she decided to try and wait him out.
The green haired teen sighed in irritation. She just didn't know when to quit! "He'll be fine. His cuts were stitched up and he just needs some rest. Besides, you took more damage than he did from...whatever you two were doing."
She stopped and gave him a questioning glare, doing everything she could to fight the heat rushing to her cheeks. "Why should I believe you?"
"Because you're in deeper shit now. If we find out you told that man anything, he'll be taken care of." He smirked as apprehension tensed her shoulders. Chuckling, the homunculus released her, slowly dragging his fingers down her arms. He watched with satisfaction as pink dusted her cheeks and she shivered. With a finger lifting her chin, he smiled sadistically when her blush darkened. "And if you say anything about this little exchange, you'll be taken underground with me."
She shivered again at the implications of his warning and Envy smirked before taking his leave. Hurricane put a hand to her head that was still spinning from his proximity. She looked down at her unused hand and curled and uncurled her fingers. They were still warm from having his hands in hers. Her blush returned full force as she pondered, What is wrong with me?
Surprisingly, it had been just as Envy said and Hughes was released a few days later. So, after Gracia scolded him once more for being reckless, the couple went to visit Genevieve. She still had a day or two left since her injuries were more extensive.
Gracia was the first to knock. "Come in."
Cautiously, the young mother opened the door and walked in. When her eyes settled on the young brunette, she gasped in horror. The teen was finishing the long process of replacing the bandage around her left arm and her head snapped up at the sound. Maes hurried in after to see why she reacted like that and stopped, closing the door behind him.
"How did you…?" The teen hung her head, unable to meet Gracia's eyes.
For his part, Maes felt awful. Seeing the result of her protecting him was a hard pill to swallow. If only he'd been able to hold out a little longer, then she wouldn't be so injured.
"It was difficult. But somewhere in the fight, I lost myself to rage." Taping the last of the bandage to her wrist, Genevieve flexed her fingers before dropping her hand. "My alchemy and magic combined at some point too, but I don't know how."
The couple's eyes widened. Maes took a worried step forward. "Your powers-"
"Flared when I first woke up a few days ago." Her gaze trailed to the window on the left wall. "It would've hurt for hours if not for my mother's ring."
The Hughes sighed. They were glad she didn't have to suffer that pain on top of her injuries. Which reminded Gracia.
"How could you two be so reckless?" She waved her finger at the shocked teen staring at her. "What would've happened if the barrier trapped you in there? Or worse, what if you both died in there? No one would be able to find you!"
Genevieve's head hung in shame again. She hadn't meant to worry them, especially not Gracia. "I'm sorry."
The couple stilled at her apology before sighing and sharing a look. Maes sighed and kneeled by her bed. When she looked at him with defeated ice blue eyes, he lifted a hand to her hair and smiled reassuringly. The way she flinched didn't go unnoticed. "We forgive you, Genevieve. Just, next time, let's you and I take more precautions okay?"
They both decided to put Witch hunting on hold for a bit after that. It was time to focus on the corruption in their country for a bit. Both soldiers knew it was there from experiences, but they hadn't any proof. The senior staff had sworn Genevieve to silence even if someone would have believed her.
But they wouldn't give up until they had solid evidence.
A week later, Hughes found something interesting. He noticed a strange pattern in some of the wars on their borders and he left for the archives. Feeling a weight settle in her stomach, the brunette followed after him. Something was going to happen and she wanted to be there to help him.
As he searched through the documented wars and battles, she marked where and when they happened on a map. Soon enough, they discovered the shape of their country was no accident. The homunculi, or whoever was leading them, planned to turn Amestris' citizens into a Philosopher's stone. Or so they had pieced together with her knowledge of alchemy. That information was hard to process but they knew now wasn't the time to dawdle. The longer they waited, the closer the homunculi were to achieving their goal.
"This is bigger than we thought. We need to tell Roy." However, before Hughes could get anywhere, Lust entered the room and stabbed him in the shoulder and he threw his knives to pin her to the wall. As she was thrown back, Lust and Genevieve's gazes met before the latter was promptly knocked out.
The brunette groaned. She was woken by the sound of crackling and her eyes flashed open. Lust was leaning on the opposite wall as she regenerated. The homunculus glanced down at her. Seeing her awake put a wicked smile on the woman's face. "Be a dear Genevieve, take care of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes for me."
The brunette froze. No. No, she couldn't do that! But, if she didn't, everyone else involved would die. Wait a second.
Her blood began to run cold as she took a deep breath and steeled herself for her next actions. Sending her after the man would ensure she took the blame for his death. Not only that, but her bond with him and his family would most likely break once they found out. She would be left broken and guilt-ridden, with nowhere and no one to go to - a perfect target. Smart move.
She stood, walking with a dangerous calm after the trail of blood leading out the door. First, it stopped at the phones by the secretary's desk but then continued out the building. It led her to a phone booth a short distance away, barely lit by a streetlamp.
Hughes's frantic voice told her to act quickly. In an instant, she was behind him, blades drawn and resting on his neck. He froze, glancing back at her from the corner of his eye. The sight made him tense further and he swallowed, wondering if there was any way around this.
"You." Sweat covered him as his nervousness became prevalent. She'd told him who gave her targets. He should've known they'd force her to do this. The man could only hope, she'd forgive herself eventually. "They sent you after me?"
"Unfortunately, they did." Seeing the receiver in his hand, she sent a blade singing forward and it cut the cord. It embedded in the wooden frame as it hummed with power. Lightning began to spark around it as the metal began to glow blue. "You'll have to talk to Colonel Mustang later."
Green eyes widened in shock. The lethal neutrality on her face and in her voice made him shiver. Never had he seen or heard this side of her before and it frightened him. There was also a strange glint in her eyes as she raised her second blade, its metal also humming and glowing with power. He prepared himself for the worst, already forgiving her because of the tears pooling in her eyes.
'You cannot walk away from fate, Puella Magi.'
"Goodbye, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes."
I will be smarter. In a flash of light, his world went dark.
Nevie sighed as she snuck into the Hughes' apartment well after midnight. Blood covered her jacket and blades, but nothing felt stickier than the guilt and sorrow now hanging on to her conscience. Quietly slipping into the bathroom, she slowly cleaned the Maes's blood from her blades. As she did, memories of the past few weeks flooded her mind and her blades clattered together in the sink. She dropped to her knees with a loud thud and hugged herself. She began to shake as her sobs echoed across the walls.
The man she'd come to see as a father was now gone. Over and over again, her mind tried to justify it, saying it was right, that she had saved him from more pain further down the line, but it sounded like a lie to her own ears.
He wouldn't come home with her in tow. He wouldn't smile at his little girls anymore. He wouldn't make jokes at the dining table or inquire about her alchemic specialty. He wouldn't brag to Colonel Mustang on the phone anymore.
He was gone.
And it was all her fault.
Her body felt cold and her sobs refused to calm down. No amount of comfort in the world could take this new weight off of her shoulders. Not even Gracia, who found her like that and wrapped a motherly arm around her shoulders. All the teen could do was cry until there were no more tears left.
Gracia rubbed soothing circles into her back as she tried to swallow her suspicion. She just knew why Genevieve broke down. And it broke her heart.
"He's gone, isn't he?"
"Yes." She shuddered and tried to stifle the second wave of tears that threatened to spill. Crying couldn't help them now. Even if- "It's all my fault."
Icy eyes watched emotionlessly as the man she had come to love as a father was buried. His casket was empty. The body they found in that phone booth was so brutally mangled, it was beyond recognition. Most doctors couldn't even decipher his fingerprints. It was merely assumed that the shredded body belonged to Maes Hughes.
A small smile pulled at her lips. She had been thorough so they couldn't try to use his body as another Homunculus. They thought she would do their dirty work willingly with no sign of spite. As if she'd take this order without protecting him in some way!
They underestimated her. And now, she would probably pay the price for it, but it was so worth it. Genevieve smirked victoriously. I was smarter this time.
'You cannot walk away from fate, Puella Magi.'
Roy watched her from afar. His eyes narrowed at the expression on her face. How could she smile like that as Hughes was buried?
In the last few weeks, he'd noted how Hughes would call and brag about more than Gracia and Elicia. Genevieve was mentioned too. That Maes would take in such a cold and guarded child and speak so highly of her.
And yet here she was, smiling- no, worse, smirking at the empty casket as it was buried unnerved him. Then he noticed something else. The glint in her eyes held morbid satisfaction and he wondered what had put it there. His coal eyes narrowed further.
She knew something. And he would find out what it is.
