Kamaitachi Chronicles

By: Aviantei

Fifteen

It took me about ten total seconds to confirm that the blonde woman in front of me was, in fact, one of the people Mustang had put on my tailing detail. Sure, she'd been wearing her hair down most of the time I'd seen her, but the shape of her face and the brown of her eyes was unmistakable. It helped that she kept her bangs in the same fringe, too. The only real difference was her hair clipped up behind her head.

"You're…!"

I'd half stood up in surprise, knocking right into one of my stacks of remaining paperwork. Kain in his spot beside me yelped, while Rito squawked as her desk suffered the same fate of having my mess dropped all over it. Breda had needed to dodge out of the way of Rito's flailing, and Falman and Jean both looked startled by the whole thing. Of course, the one who looked the most surprised was the woman I'd half-shouted at in the first place.

"Easy there, Caiman," Mustang said. Though his tone was calm and authoritative, I could see the traces of a fresh smirk forming, showing his amusement at my outburst. "I didn't expect that someone who goes and picks fights with serial killers for fun would scare so easy."

I clicked my tongue but held back the retort. If he felt like it, I could have a never-ending stream of paperwork at my desk, and I wanted to take proper advantage of my research budget and Rosomak's offer. And so, playing nice it was. "Sorry about that," I said, making sure to face the only person in the room that I hadn't had a proper introduction with. "I was just a little surprised that our Lt. Colonel over here gave up someone from the unit to tail me instead of focusing on the investigation."

"You noticed Hawkeye?" Breda said as he pushed Rito back into her designated work area. "Not a lot of people manage to do that." Kain and Falman nodded, and even Mustang looked a bit surprised.

I shrugged. "I mean, it's not like it was obvious. I'm just…good at recognizing people that's all." Among various other things, but flaunting that hadn't ever done me much good. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure you already know who I am, all things considered, but I'm Major Ivy Caiman. Nice to meet you."

The woman nodded and dipped her head in acknowledgement, since the table between us wasn't conductive for a handshake. "Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. Hopefully there aren't any hard feelings for the observation."

Ah, so this is the Riza that Maes mentioned. Like with Hanna, my assumption had been off the mark—or at least I figured since that whole senior officer and subordinate thing could get awkward. Then again, I could have been wrong. She may have been stern, but Hawkeye was no doubt pretty. Anyone would be lucky to have a partner like that. Either way, I guess it's not any of my business, huh?

"Since we're going to be on the same team, we might as well get along." Besides, Mustang was the one that put her up to it. No need to shoot the messenger, right? Another thread sprang to mind, a bit delayed from the first. "I'm sure you heard already, but I'm going to have to hold off on firearms training for at least a few weeks." I tapped at my shoulder. "Doctor's orders. I'll be counting on you when the time comes, though." As much as I had alchemy and close combat experience (never mind how my last fight had gone), adding a ranged weapon was a smart move if conducting criminal investigations was part of this team's norm.

"Well, it's best that you recover first. We'll take care of that when the time comes." And then, her lips gave a soft smile that I hadn't been expecting. "For now, though…"

Her eyes glanced back to the desk, where Kain was trying his best to get the upturned paperwork into something resembling less of a catastrophe. Rito was kind of helping, if you counted pushing papers back to my area of the worktable without making them into any kind of stacks as help. Realizing that I'd abandoned picking up my own mess for the sake of a different conversation, I crouched down to snag a few stray files that had ended up on the floor.

"Okay, people," Mustang said, clapping his hands together once for effect. "Distraction's over. Let's get ourselves back in gear so we can wrap everything up we need to."

A collective "Yes, sir" swept across the room, and then it was back to the grind, plus one.

The next few weeks established their own rhythm without much issue.

Things were busiest over the next week as everyone else wrapped up the details of the recent arrest and I waged war against our auspicious Lt. Colonel's dumb reserves of paperwork. After the first few days, there wasn't a massive addition to my spot every day, so things began to trickle down. Jean told me that having me handle the majority of the files was the fastest he'd ever seen Mustang's work go in a short period of time.

Not sure whether I should be happy and take that as a compliment or be concerned over what the hell even goes on in this place.

Once all that was said and done, though, things started to ease off. I got regular days where Mustang would go over important protocol I was supposed to know or someone else from the team would introduce me to people from other offices we worked with, but there were also times were I was free to do whatever I liked within reason. Considering that half the reason I had a ridiculous number in my bank account was because the state expected me to do alchemy for them, I took those free times to get back to tinkering with my scythe.

Combat training with Rito picked back up as soon as I got the go from the hospital, and firearms training came after. More paperwork, more research—it may have been the same things repeatedly, but I was learning plenty of things along the way. For what it was, I almost felt guilty about the obnoxious amount of money the state wanted to give me. Almost.

If it meant that sometime in the future I could manage to give back to the people, then I could say it was worth it.

And so, time passed.

Five Months Later

Rosomak,

I wanted to thank you again for sending me the latest batch of your research updates along with some extra materials. I'm always surprised by the new material combinations you come up with and how different alloys impact the end result. I still don't think I've gotten my transmutation theory down enough to do a full upgrade on my scythe, but I at least feel like I'm getting there. It's frustrating not to be making any visible progress, though.

I've included some draft circles and element charts with this letter. Let me know what you think.

Yes, I am reading what you're telling me about patience. Yes, I'm remembering it. It's just hard to accept that things aren't going smoothly, even with everything I've learned. Then again, since I haven't struggled with something in a while, it's kind of refreshing. At least, I try to tell myself that. How have you managed to stay so resilient when it comes to hitting roadblocks? With all your years of research, I'm sure that you've run into your fair share of issues along the way.

Since you asked, training is going well. I've gotten far enough with hand-to-hand combat that Rito has started letting me use my scythe as a staff. Her personality is insufferable as ever, but she's taught me a lot about fighting, so I suppose it's tolerable.

Hawkeye is much more composed, but she's strict with her lessons. My aim seems to be improving, but I don't know if I'll ever get used to the feeling of the recoil. I know even a handgun can help me a lot, but I still prefer my alchemy.

The rest of the team is doing fine, for what it's worth. Our Lt. Colonel is as frustrating as ever, though.

Being in East City is nice, but it's still weird being settled in one place. I'm looking forward to getting the chance to stretch my legs a bit whenever I finally get approval. Hopefully we can chat about alchemy in person soon rather than through letters. No matter how much I write, I never feel like I've got the chance to say everything that's in my head.

Hope you're still in well health. Don't want anything happening to you before I can wring out all your alchemy secrets from you.

Ivy Caiman

Dear Major Caiman,

I'm glad that you seem to be getting something out of what I've sent your way. As much as I practice on my own, I do like to hear about other alchemists' ideas. You have good instincts, and I look forward to hearing your insights. Your ideas are getting more creative each time I see your work, even if there are practical limitations. I've also sent back some response notes, but for the sake of keeping this letter conversational, know that I think you're on the right track.

While your words insist that you understand patience, the way you're writing them gives you away, Major Caiman. I can see the indents from your words. Do be kind to that pen of yours.

That being said, I used to ask myself the same questions when I was younger. Unfortunately, finding your perseverance is a process that differs for everyone, so I don't know if my words will be of much use. Even so, I will say that I was (and still am driven) my imagining what I want to contribute. Even though some will look down on me for being a State Alchemist, I do believe that what I'm doing benefits the people. Didn't you say something similar was driving you? Perhaps tapping into that might be the key you're looking for.

That and you exceed at being stubborn, Major Caiman. I'm sure that you'll make your path, one way or another.

I'm glad to hear that you're advancing in your physical training as well. Since I'm primarily a researcher, I haven't had to go through the same process as you save for some general conditioning. Since you are going to be a combat-oriented alchemist, however, it's essential for you to maintain your body's wellbeing along with your mind. Of course, I find that new experiences outside of our comfort zones can often inform even our alchemical pursuits, so maybe you'll find something else to spark ideas about that troublesome transmutation of yours, hm?

It seems like things are as exciting as ever over there. Sometimes I think I'd like to work with a more diverse unit, but then I remember that my concentration would tank. If I ever have business in East City, perhaps I'll sit in with you all for a moment just so I can better appreciate my research lab back here. That being said, I'm doing well over here without many issues. My partner has been making sure I don't lock myself up in research for too long.

I'd go on, but I don't want to bore you too much. I happened to hear the good news, so it looks like we'll have the chance to talk in Central soon. I'm looking forward to it. Though do allow me to say one last thing:

I seem to recall you saying that you didn't need me to help you 'cheat' and you intend to get over this roadblock on your own. In that case, it will be quite some time before you can "wring out all my alchemy secrets" from me. I do hope this challenge will serve as some motivation.

All the best,
Eli Rosomak

Central streets tended to carry their own sort of energy, no matter what part of the city you were in. It would be easy to think it was the same as a place like East City, just on a larger scale, but that sort of description didn't do it justice, either. Places weren't just busy; they bustled in an altogether different fashion. Even an outdoor terrace for a café seemed livelier than anywhere, though that could have just been the effect of being in a different place than usual.

Of course, even in energetic places like that, some things were sure to stand out.

"Hey, get back here, punk!"

"Where do you think you're going?!"

A commotion was brewing. A young man barreled around a street corner, and the people who came after them were in pursuit. It didn't take a skilled eye to notice the splash of yellow under the guy's arm as a purse. A not so smooth pickpocketing attempt, and the whole event was noisy enough that someone must have already called the police. Even if that wasn't the case, even a nimble guy like that would have a hard time slipping through the bustling crowd.

But still…

In a panic, people in the crowd scattered to make way for the incoming chase, though that just gave the guy a clean path forward. He didn't waste his opportunity to press on and gain ground. He could have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for the sudden roadblock that appeared in his way.

That is, to say, me.

Hopping over the café's fence, I planted myself on the cobblestones. The guy seemed to think that he could just barrel me over, if his head forward charge and forceful yell were any indication. Too bad for him that I'd spent the past five months getting my ass handed to me by Rito. Some street punk was nothing more than a toddler throwing a tantrum in comparison—and I hadn't even gotten my spastic instructor to go all-out on my yet.

A well-placed kick and a quick grapple were all it took to upset the guy's balance; I had him pinned on the ground in no time, and the hijacked purse scattered from his grip. A stunned silence slipped over the once noisy street—at least until the crowd registered what had happened and broke into scattered cheers and applause.

Good thing Rito didn't see that, or she'd knock me on the ground for doing such a sloppy job.

The two people who had been chasing our resident purse snatcher had caught up, and I relinquished hold to them, brushing off thanks all the while. Yes, it felt good to get recognized, but what I really wanted to do was get back to my damn lunch in peace. As my luck tended to go, though, I was only about halfway back to my abandoned sandwich before a fresh shout leapt into the air: A boisterous voice that I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to forget, even without my memory, and I'd encountered the man once.

"Could it be…? Ah, yes, Ivrena Caiman, that is you!"

With a heavy sigh, I turned around and gave a lazy salute in response. "Major Armstrong."

So much for taking a peaceful vacation.

[Author's Notes]

Sorry, Ivy. There's no such thing as a peaceful vacation if Armstrong is involved.

Thanks to the apple seed and maximilianoismiranda for the review, favorite, and follow! I hope you enjoy this extra update as part of the anniversary/holiday season update rush. Though it feels a bit odd to be doing this fic on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas, now that Aviantei has finished up...

But, yes, we've wrapped up the arc we were on, introduced the full Mustang Squad, and now it's time for Ivy's Central vacation! This arc is fun, so I'm looking forward to sharing it with you!

Insert the usual promos: Muse (a TWEWY fic) will start season three this Saturday and walk steady on this cruel world's path (a Kimetsu no Yaiba fic) will be continuing it every other Saturday updates this upcoming year! Both are great reads to kill time between me getting my updates together on the rest of my fics (lol). Either way, I've worked hard on both of them, so I'd appreciate you checking one or both of them out!

And if you don't, chapter sixteen of this fic (including Armstrong and Rosomak!) will be out in the spring, so I'll see you in 2022. Please look forward to it!

-Avi

[12.24.2021]