CM: Heya! Sorry for taking so long. First week of school and already the work load is near overwhelming. I'd like to give a special thanks to JokerAlchemist24 and –my-forgotten-rose- for reviewing. You guys are awesome. :D
Chapter Eleven: Families Lost and Found
"Not to sound impatient but… are we almost done?" Elly asked Hughes. She, Ed, and Al somehow got conned into helping Hughes organize the court case files in his office while they waited for Kat to get done with her report to the Colonel.
"Almost," Hughes replied. "I've just got a few more to do…if you wouldn't mind helping me out. Once this is done we can head over to my house and Gracia will make us all one of her special apple pies."
Elly, Al and Ed all sweat dropped but agreed to his desire all the same. Moments later, a soldier burst into the room, sweat rolling down his face and hi breath coming in short gasps. "Major…Hughes…sir," he panted. "We've…spotted…General Haegen's…killer. Or at least…we think…it was him." Elly glanced up at this remembering Kat's expression when she talked about it. "Lieutenant…Ice Cold…is now in hot…pursuit."
"Do you know where he is now?" Hughes asked, his face transforming into a mask of seriousness.
"We're…tracking him through…district 9 right now," the soldier informed him trying to catch his breath.
"District 9…that's over by that old ice cream factory right?" Elly asked getting to her feet.
"Yeah…it is," the soldier replied uncertainly.
"Elly where are you going?" Hughes demanded as she headed for the door.
"I'm going to find my partner…what else," Elly stated shortly.
Kat heard a rumble of distant thunder and glanced up at the sky. A thunder head was moving in fast, darkening the sky. Kat smiled as this meant that she would possibly have an advantage on the field. She had managed to track her target to a rooftop of a building that had been recently abandoned. The hulking figure sat on the roof's edge, as if deep in thought. Kat did nothing to conceal her approach as she steadily made her way towards him. This caused the figure to raise it's head and turn to look at her from beneath the hood of a sweatshirt.
"So… we meet again, alchemist," the scarred man said in a gruff voice.
"Is that all you have to say, after murdering a man who was my general and the equivalent of a grandfather to me?" Kat asked him evenly.
"He is now in the hands of God," the man said. "You shall share the same fate."
"God, huh?" Kat said with a mirthless smile removing her glasses and tucking them away in her uniform. "This God of yours must have quite the sense of humor, since he put me here in the first place."
"You do not understand the ways of God," He said pulling his sleeve back. "But you will in the afterlife."
"Then it looks like I'll be waiting for quite some time," Kat said pleasantly. "Surely, you don't expect me to just lie down and die."
"It would be better for you to take your punishment with a penitent heart," he replied coldly.
"I only take advice from those who practice what they preach."
"I am God's judgment," he told her walking toward her menacingly. "I bring his judgment on those who have strayed from his teachings and make them pay for their sins."
"General Haegan was a good man with a loving family," Kat said soberly. "What you did was no act of any god I'd want to serve."
"He was not my target," the man growled. "He merely got in my way. Those who interfere will meet the same fate as those who committed the crimes."
Kat's gut gave a violent twist as the implications of his words sank in. All along, she had been the intended target. General Haegan had died protecting her. This gave her all the more motivation to stand against this envoy of death. "Who are you and just what is it you're after?" Kat asked him calmly as she felt the first few drops of rain.
"You may call me Scar," he answered calmly. "And I seek retribution for my peoples' deaths. The state alchemists were the ones who slaughtered our friends and families and I will show them no mercy for their crimes."
"Then it's a good thing I plan to take you very seriously," Kat said as the rain began to steadily pick up.
Scar narrowed his eyes and charged Kat with his right arm poised to take her head off. He moved with such speed that Kat was almost caught off guard, only managing to escape his grasping hand by a hair's breadth. Thankfully, Kat remembered watching his fight with her General, however brief it was. She at least knew two things: He moved fast, and his right arm was his weapon. It was best to stick to long range attacks if she could help it, and the weather was ideal for a fight. She placed her hand onto the rooftops surface and transformed the entire surface into a slick sheet of ice. Kat wouldn't have to worry about slipping, she had special made shoes for this type of surface.
She dashed around him making sure she got a good distance away as he tried to keep his footing on the slippery surface. Then she threw her hand to the ground sending a pressurized spurt of water straight at him. He dodged it despite the slippery surface and used his decent to obliterate the layer of ice that covered the roof.
As Kat continued to dodge and counter with her ice she thought through her options. His arm was the bigger problem. If she wanted to go to the extreme, she supposed she could always make use of that method, but she detested having to resort to that. And also… she'd have to get close enough to touch him, making it easier for him to kill her. Kat tried encasing him in ice, but once again, his arm was able to break him out of it. Was she really going to be forced to kill or be killed?
Before she had the chance to make her decision, Scar made it for her. He used his left arm to pivot around fast enough to smash through her next attack before it even reached him. Then his right arm thrust forward reaching for her face to end the match. At the same time Kat's hand dropped to the ground as she prepared for the worst and closed her eyes, preparing to make the deciding blow.
"STOP!!" a voice shouted before Elly appeared and jumped into the fray before clothes lining Scar and forcing the both of them over the side of the roof. She didn't allow him time to react as she sealed his right arm to his side and pulled his left arm into a hammerlock. Once that was done the two glided down to the ground where Elly preceded to drag him out of sight. Only when she was sure they wouldn't be spotted did she let him go…though she took several wary steps back.
When Scar got his bearings, he spun around and thrust his right hand at Elly's face only to stop inches in front of her. "So it really is you, Elly," he muttered darkly lowering his hand. "You shouldn't have interfered, that fight had nothing to do with you."
"Nothing to do with me?!" Elly exclaimed. "I wasn't about to let you kill my…partner."
Scar's eyes almost bulged out of his head. "Your… I see. I've heard rumor about Ice Cold acquiring a partner. But never would I have dared to believe that it would my own kin. Such blasphemy… what could have possibly possessed you to even consider joining the devils who destroyed our home and slaughtered our people?"
"To be honest," Elly started. "It was either that or prison, and how was I supposed to fulfill my promises there?" She wiped the sweat and rain off her forehead with her sleeve and continued to stare at him. "Besides S…"
"I have given up my name," Scar cut in quickly. "I go by Scar now…though after this I will not converse with you so casually if you interfere again." He turned away from her. "I would rather you have chosen death than to be on the leash of those mongrels. At least then your passing would have been noble."
"I might really be able to help our people out through this way," Elly protested. "At least I'm trying to keep my promises. Do you think you could face Mat after doing all this?"
Scar was silent for several moments. "Next time if you interfere, I won't hesitate to end your life as well. As long as you are a part of the military, you are already dead to me."
"It's not like I'm going to be here forever," Elly shot back. "I have a little more than half a year, and once that's over, I'm out of here."
Unbeknownst to them, a shadowed figure several yards away hidden behind a street pole bowed their head before walking away from the place of conversation.
"You have a tendency to grow attached to those you spend time with," Scar pointed out. "If after this year you continue to stay, then you will meet the same end as them."
"I haven't turned my back on anything, nor have I betrayed our heritage," Elly shot back. "I might have started helping the military, but I feel that this way I might actually be able to convince them that Ishbalens aren't as bad as they thought and stop the hunts for good."
"All they're going to see with you is that you're a disposable tool that no one will miss if you die," Scar told her. "If you continue to associate with them, they will use you as a human shield to deflect any unwanted reactions. You'll become their scapegoat."
"I don't care," Elly shouted back. "If it helps our people I won't care what happens to me. At least I haven't taken any lives, I can hold my head up hi and say that I've kept to my teachings. If anyone's turned away from Ishballa it's you."
"I pray that next time we do not meet under these circumstances," Scar muttered before disappearing into the shadows.
After Scar left, the anger that flowed through Elly vanished to be replaced with a feeling of dread. "Geez… now I really have lost it all, haven't I?"
Elly shook her head sadly before going to find Kat. For a few minutes she couldn't find her, but managed to catch her talking to a bunch of soldiers that had arrived after receiving reports of a disturbance. Kat noticed Elly's approach and dismissed the soldiers as the Ishbalen girl walked up to meet her. "Hey… uh, sorry. He kind of got away," Elly stated lamely.
"I suppose it couldn't be helped," Kat replied adjusting her glasses. She had probably put them back on after the fight. "Let's head back to Central and report."
"Eh…. Right," Elly said, dreading the very prospect. Though she couldn't help but wonder why Kat was looking so… despondent.
"I apologize, Fuhrer," Kat stated with a bow of her head once she and Elly had returned to Central and reported their failure. "The suspect escaped. I will accept all punishment for my failure."
Bradley took a few minutes to inspect the two girls' expressions and demeanors before finally replying. "No punishments will be given as it is more important that you did not meet the same fate as your general," he expressed calmly. "You were there too I suppose," he added, putting this statement toward Elly.
"Uh…yeah," Elly muttered looking away. She caught the look on Kat's face and quickly changed her response. "Yes…sir, I was there…assisting my partner."
"I don't suppose either of you got a good look at this criminal?" Bradley inquired.
"It was dark, Furher Bradley, sir," Kat replied uniformly. "And he had his face covered."
"I was too busy watching his hands the whole time so…I really didn't even get a glance at him," Elly added resisting the urge to chew on her bottom lip nervously. The was a dragging period where Elly thought that the Fuhrer would see through her lie and slice her open for it. It was all she could do to keep from shaking.
"Well, I'm just glad that you're both not hurt," Bradley said finally, a smile breaking out across his face. "I owe Miss Elly a special thanks for looking out for one of Central's best weapons."
Elly felt a twinge of anger at his words without understanding why she felt that way. He had said that he thought of Kat as a weapon and for some reason it bothered her…not to mention the uneasy feeling she got at his special thanks. Shouldn't she be happy about his praise…even slightly? "I was just doing my job…sir," she finally managed to say.
"Continue doing so. I believe I've kept you from dinner long enough," Bradley chuckled. "You both are dismissed."
"Thank you, Fuhrher Bradley," Kat stated with a salute before leaving the room with Elly trailing behind unable to shake the feeling of unease.
Why had Kat not told the truth? Well… okay she had but not the whole truth. Why would she risk her job to protect the murderer of her General? Could it be possible she wanted him for herself?
"Well just great," Elly thought sadly as they walked down the hall. "After what she did with Isella and all those guys, I'm starting to wonder if he was right. Will I really have to choose between the two of them in the future?"
"Imouto-chan!" Hughes exclaimed throwing a large book aside, missing the top of Edward's head by mere centimeters, and giving her a tight hug.
"Brother, we're still at work," Kat gently reminded him with a smile.
"Yes I know," Hughes exclaimed. "But I was so worried about you when I learned you chased after that man."
"If you worry about me every time I do my job you're going to get wrinkles," Kat said with a hint of tease. "I can already see grey hairs popping up."
"Well that's what happens when you become a parent twice over," Hughes gushed.
"Twice over," Elly muttered to herself. "I thought he only had one kid…thank goodness for that."
"In case you're wondering, what my brother means is that he ended up raising me on his own for the most part," Kat explained at the look on Elly's face.
"Ah…I see," Elly murmured slightly perturbed. "How is it she always seems to know what I'm thinking?" she added in thought.
"Oi, can we go now?" Ed asked impatiently. "We've been here for hours. It would have been nice if we had at least gotten in on some of the action."
"You're not a state alchemist yet, chibisuke," Elly remarked.
"Ano… Nii-san is just a little cranky from being cooped up for too long," Al explained as he held Ed back from attacking Elly.
"Right, let's get home. No doubt Gracia has something delicious prepared for us. I already called and let her know you'll all be staying over," Hughes said with a smile.
"Um…is that really okay?" Elly asked suddenly feeling really out of place. "Maybe…I should just find a place…like normal to sleep."
"Dame!" Hughes said jovially placing a strong hand on her shoulder that left absolutely no room for protest. "It's no good if the whole family isn't together."
"But…" Elly tried to protest but stopped as Hughes easily moved her out of the room.
"Come along now, Gracia and Elysia are waiting," Hughes called back over his shoulder.
Kat gave a small chuckle, allowing Ed and Al to precede her before turning off the lights of the office and shutting the door.
That night, the four of them had dinner with Kat's family. At first Elly and the Elric brothers felt a bit out of place, but they were able to get over that feeling quickly after biting into Gracia's delicious cooking. Elly couldn't remember the last time she had a sit down meal with her family and it was all she could do to choke the food down. Every now and then she would glance over at Kat who seemed to be lost in thought. 'She doesn't even realize how good she has it,' Elly thought with bitterness. 'Why is it I had to watch my family torn apart and yet someone like her can have such a privileged existence? Why do I feel so cheated?'
And as for Colonel Mustang........... he was left out of the loop.
CM: After this… how will Elly's and Kat's partnership be able to hold? Stay tuned!