Chapter 8
When they got back to the office, Roy ignored the few curious questions about the item in his hand. He placed the stone umbrella next to his chair and finally turned to face Anna and Riza. He turned to his lieutenant first. "You are free to decline, of course, but I hoped to ask if Miss Stephenson could stay with you until we have a better handle on what has happened to her. Not to mention, she will need a secure location as a prime witness."
Riza didn't answer him right away. Instead, she turned to Anna. "Miss Stephenson, would that be alright with you?"
Anna appreciated her concern, but it wasn't like she had an alternative. She shrugged as she answered. "Thank you for asking, but honestly, I think it would be the best option as well. As long as you aren't put out by it. You have already done more than necessary for me."
Riza gave her a smile. "I would say everything has been necessary so far, so please do not let it worry you. I am used to living alone, but I don't think that having a roommate for a short time will be a problem."
Anna returned the smile. "In that case, I'd be happy to accept. Hopefully, we can figure something out before too long, and I won't become a nuisance."
Riza chuckled at the obvious sarcasm, but before she could respond, Mustang cut in. "Great. Now that those arrangements are settled, we need to discuss what Ms. Stephenson will do while you are out on assignment. It won't do for her to be alone for the time being."
Anna frowned. The last thing she needed was for any of his team to be all up in her business while she tried to figure everything out. Unfortunately, she wasn't given a chance to object before Riza cut in. "Colonel, you did mention something about self-defense, correct? It might prove to be less hassle to have her come in when I do so that she could learn. Not that she would necessarily need to stay with me all day."
Mustang held up a hand and cut her off. Though his words were far from derogatory. "That is an excellent suggestion. We may not be able to put her in training-" He cut off at that point and looked at Anna with a grin. "Unless she decides to become a state alchemist." He then proceeded to ignore her rolling eyes as he continued. "Even if that is not the case, I am sure we would have volunteers that would be willing to work with her in their downtime."
Havoc was one of the men in the room, and he stepped forward with a grin. "I would be happy to help Colonel."
Mustang shot him a dire look that had the man backing up, but he still nodded. "We cannot afford to have anyone down during your shifts, but I agree that it would be beneficial." He didn't wait for any further response before he gestured to the door. "Now that those arrangements are resolved, why don't you both go and get settled in. I relieve you of your other duties for the day, Lieutenant."
For a moment, Riza looked as though she wasn't sure whether she should be upset with the order or just roll with it. In the end, she saluted before she turned to Anna. "I would be happy to show you to my apartment. Before that, though, I would be willing to see if we can help you find more to wear than one pair of pants and a shirt."
Anna felt conflicted. She knew these people were already doing a lot for her and hated that Riza seemed to be taking the brunt of it. Still, the other woman's smile was sincere, and she finally relented. "That would be great. Though I do ask that you not go overboard. I plan to pay you back eventually, and I don't want to be in debt forever." Riza chuckled at her teasing tone but waved off the rest as she led her out to run the listed errands.
They ended up taking several hours to find the things Anna needed. There was much more than she had considered yet, including toiletries and her own toothbrush. That last one was a big deal. They even found clothes more to her liking—comfortable and versatile while still being classy. They were all pants, though. She refused to wear skirts. All the clothes were dated from Anna's point of view, but she knew beggars couldn't be choosers. Plus, she had to remind herself that Amestris was approximately equivalent to places in Europe in the early twenty-first century. In the end, the bill was more than Anna had hoped for, but Riza assured her it would be fine.
There was a bit of an argument when Anna and Riza finally made it to the apartment. Anna was more than satisfied to take the small couch, but Riza insisted otherwise. In the end, Anna ended up relenting when the soldier pointed out that she could get called in at any time and did not want to disturb her guest more than necessary.
It turned out to be a moot point. That very night Riza received a call that woke them both up. Riza wore a grim expression when Anna came out to join her. Though she did explain without having to be asked. "That was Colonel Mustang. He wanted to verify you were safe."
Anna frowned slightly. She could tell there was more going on. "While I appreciate his concern, why would he call out of the blue? What happened?"
Riza sighed and rubbed her temple. "There has been another state alchemist murdered. This time there were no witnesses, but it was the same injuries as the others. He wanted to ensure the perpetrator had not found where you are."
Anna's look turned just as grim at that news. She already knew that Scar was on a killing spree, but she had no idea how to stop him. Especially since he probably wanted her dead. Before she could get further lost in her thoughts about how to save lives, Riza spoke up again.
"Do not let this worry you. We have already asked for an investigator from Central to come. He should be here tomorrow. For now, please get some rest."
Anna gave her a nod before she turned back to the bed. She was far from ready to go back to sleep, but there was no point in keeping her host up as well. She laid down and tried to ignore her whirling thoughts. It would do her no good to be groggy the next day. She was beginning to understand which reality she was in and what she might be facing, but now wasn't the time to lose it.
The next day, both women were quiet as they got ready to leave. Instead of going to East Headquarters, Riza took them across town to the latest crime scene. Mustang had asked for them to meet him there.
When they arrived, Anna was thankful that the body had already been removed. She wasn't sure she could have handled seeing that again and still keep it together. Her thoughts on the matter were cut off when a new face stood with a frown and turned to them as they walked up. However, the man's frown disappeared as soon as he saw Riza. It was replaced with a grin. "Lieutenant! It's good to see you. Roy tells me that he has you on a special assignment."
Riza returned the greeting with a nod. "Lieutenant Colonel, it's good to see you too. As for my assignment, please meet Ms. Anna Stephenson. I believe he asked me to bring her this morning to meet you. She has faced our suspect twice now and is our best witness."
The man finally turned to face Anna. "Ah, yes, he did mention there was a witness. You are the Elrics' cousin, right? It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Stephenson. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. We've been tracking this guy for weeks now, so any help you could provide would be appreciated."
Anna took his outstretched hand with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Colonel. I'll be happy to help in any way I can." She should have known the investigator would be Hughes, but she was still shocked to see him. It was particularly rough after the previous day and what had happened to Nina. His was another death that she would love to find a way to avoid, but she doubted that saying anything to him right now would do anything but cause problems. It was something she would have to think about. After making sure she wasn't killed herself anyway.
She was pulled from her thoughts as he grinned at her with enthusiasm. "Please, you can call me Maes. There's no need for all that formality, especially if you are related to Ed and Al."
Before Anna could respond, another voice broke in. "That's enough chit chat, Hughes. Why don't you tell me what you've found out."
They all turned when Colonel Mustang walked up. Maes's frown was back as he looked down at the evidence he had been examining. "It looks like this is the work of the same guy I have been tracking in Central. He seems to be targeting State alchemists and killing them in gruesome ways. We don't have much to go on other than the mess he leaves behind." He then paused at looked at Anna. "At least not until now."
Roy gave him a nod. "That was exactly why I asked Riza to bring her by this morning. Though, if you are done here, it might be best to return to headquarters. We can all sit and have a conversation."
It was then that Anna noticed the people that had gathered around the edges of the crime scene. She frowned as she realized he had a point. It might be best to discuss everything away from prying eyes. She shivered when she thought about the fact that Scar could be in that crowd somewhere.
Maes must have noticed it as he lowered his voice and gave her a smile. "Don't worry. I promise I'm much nicer than Roy here." He then grinned as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. "As a matter of fact, why don't I show you my wonderful family!"
He then let the flap of the wallet drop and a fold-out with several pictures extended. "See, this is my adorable daughter Elicia and my beautiful wife, Gracia. Aren't they perfect?"
As he started to point to one of the photos, Roy grabbed his collar and jerked. "Not now, Hughes. We have better things to worry about."
Maes gave him a hurt look as he pointed to the photo once more. "But you have to see this one. Elicia tried to feed the birds for the first time. It was too cute watching her giggle and chase them around."
Roy glared at his friend as he pulled again. He then looked over to Anna. "Feel free to ignore him."
She shook her head with a smile but addressed Maes. "I'm sure both your daughter and wife feel blessed to have such a dedicated husband and father in their lives."
At her reassurances, Maes's eyes got so wide, she could have sworn there were actual hearts in them. She had to bite back a laugh as Roy groaned. He pinned her with a glare as well, as Maes finally found his voice. "Oh, you are too kind." He then looked back at Roy, who was still dragging him toward the car. "See, that is how you should respond to seeing my beautiful family."
Roy grumbled something under his breath before he unceremoniously tossed Maes into the back seat of the car. He ignored the others as he slid behind the wheel. That didn't stop Maes from poking his head out the window before they drove away. "Remind me later, and I'll show you more pictures. You'll love them."
Anna chuckled as they drove off before she turned to Riza. "I guess we should be going as well."
Riza was shaking her head at the retreating car, but gave her a nod. "I'm sure the Colonel will want to go over everything we can compile." The reminder served to sober Anna somewhat. She nodded back as she followed the lieutenant to the car.
By the time they made it to headquarters, Maes was sufficiently sobered once again. The four of them were quiet as they walked into the large office that held Mustang's desk. He was only thankful that most of the team was out on other errands at the moment. He would update them all, but for now, he felt it would be easier for their guest to speak freely if she weren't surrounded by strangers.
Breda was the only one there, but he quickly excused himself at a look from his commanding officer. Once he was gone, Mustang gestured to the table. "Why don't we all have a seat."
Anna sat next to Riza, but Maes had noticed the item next to Roy's desk before either of the men could. He walked over and picked it up with a raised brow. "Why do you have a stone umbrella in your office?"
Anna tried desperately to stifle a laugh as Roy frowned over at his friend. It came out despite her best efforts when he answered, "That was from a demonstration. Ms. Stephenson was showing me her skill in alchemy."
Both of Maes's eyebrows rose when he looked over at Anna. However, his shock quickly turned to a grin when he saw her trying not to laugh. It didn't take much for him to figure out why. "I suppose even a stone umbrella can come in handy when you get stuck in the rain."
Roy ignored their implied teasing as he took his seat. Though Maes wasn't quite done yet. He sat next to his friend and leaned over to whisper in his ear, though Anna still heard. "You know, I keep telling you to settle down. It would be a shame if you didn't at least try to woo this one. Talent, beauty, and a sense of humor are hard to find together."
Roy's jaw clenched, and Anna felt her face heat despite her best efforts. She was thankful when the Colonel ignored that comment, too, and turned to her instead. "Why don't you tell us everything you can remember. We have your statements, but it would be best if we heard it all at once while we have time to discuss it."
Anna jumped at the chance to change the subject. "Of course." She then launched into her recounting of both encounters with the man she had seen.
By the time she was done, Maes was wearing a frown with one hand on his chin. It was several seconds before he finally looked back over to her. "That is disturbing news. So, you are saying he killed them with just a touch?"
She nodded in response. "While I didn't see the second murder happen, the first time it was obvious that he was using alchemy."
Roy sat forward with a frown. "Alchemy? Given what he said to you in Tucker's house?"
She nodded back. "Yes. Granted, he is stopping at the deconstruction step, but there is no doubt that it is alchemy."
Maes was still looking thoughtful. "You believe he may be Ishvalan?"
Roy sat back once more. "Possibly, given that his statements did echo their beliefs."
Anna added her agreement. "He was wearing glasses, so I couldn't see his eyes, but I also believe he is Ishvalan. He has white hair that is cut short and a darker complexion. This doesn't have anything to do with his background, but the scars on his face are unmistakable. They form an x pattern on his forehead that also crosses each cheek, so he should be easy to identify."
The silence held for several seconds after that before Maes gave her a tired smile. "Thank you. This helps tremendously, though knowing he is using alchemy does mean we will have to be more careful."
He then paused and looked at Roy with a frown. "I find it strange that an Ishvalan has resorted to alchemy." He then turned back to Anna. "Was there anything else you can think of? Anything at all that might indicate why he was using something anathema to his people?"
Anna knew exactly why the man had resorted to using alchemy. She even knew how he had gained that knowledge. However, all her information came from a source she could never fully explain. Not to these people, at least. There was no way they would believe her. She finally shook her head. "No. I can't tell you anything else."
She had looked away, so she didn't see the hard look Roy shot her way, but nothing more about it was said. Instead, Maes stood and gave her a smile. "Well, thank you for all the information. It does help." He then turned to Mustang. "Why don't we go take a look at the rest of the evidence gathered last night before I have to head back to Central."
Roy motioned for him to follow, but Maes stopped and turned back to Anna before they exited the room. "By the way, if you are ever in Central, feel free to stop by. I'm sure Gracia would love to meet you."
Roy rolled his eyes at his friend before he pushed him out the door. Anna just laughed at the pair of them as she called out. "I'll make sure to remember. I would love to meet her too."
Once the men were gone, Riza stood and motioned toward the door. "I believe the Colonel mentioned something about training during your spare time. Why don't we see if anyone is available."
Anna suddenly felt chilled. She wasn't looking forward to this, but she knew she was a sitting duck otherwise. It had to help some, right? She kept that thought in mind as she followed Riza out.
A/N: Hello all! I know it has been a while, but believe me, I have not given up on this. I hope this one satisfies for now. Things aren't moving quickly yet, but we are still pretty early in the storyline. Right now we are focused on building the connections between everyone. I have a feeling that once things really get started, they will snowball, so look forward to it. In the meantime, thanks for reading and cheers!
