Part 3: The Love Witch Alchemist
Two days on a train had finally ended as they reached the Eastern Command Center. Major Armstrong took no hesitation upon taking everyone's luggage and hoisting it on his shoulders as he led them inside. They followed him down of the many hallways that made up the center. He stopped at two rooms he set the Elric's luggage down in front of one and the girls in front of the other.
"This is where you will sleep. I'll give you boys' time to set down your things, you as well Miss. Venus." Armstrong said as each picked up their respected bag and opened the door. Each room had two beds, a couch and a table, and of course a window. Ed took the left bed in his room and Venus took the left in hers. Once the three of them had set down their bags, they joined Armstrong outside.
"Miss. Winry please don't take offense." Armstrong said a Winry stood at the doorway.
"Oh don't mind me." Winry said glaring at Ed who laughed walking along down the hall.
Venus took of the rear her hands cupped and her head lowered to her chest. Her heart was racing so fast she was sure it was going leap out of her chest at any given moment. The boys were discussing the reason for coming; apparently, Mustang had some documents that were needed back at Central. Armstrong, Ed, and Al each addressed Venus but she never heard them and they just simply took her silence and went on discussing this and that.
They stopped in a room that held a large desk with two girls in uniform behind it taking phone calls. Armstrong nodded the boys down the hall and they went on. Venus leaned against a wall and buried her face in her hands.
"You seems nervous, Love Witch." Armstrong said Venus looked up at him surprised at what he had just called her.
"How did you…?" She asked confused, she thought for sure no one in this region knew her, well with the exception of Roy of course.
"Your reputation precedes you. And before you ask the Elrics, to my knowledge do not know you." He smiled as best he could from behind his moustache.
"I am nervous. I haven't seen Roy in two years." She said staring down at the floor.
"Yes, he told me that over the phone. Don't worry I'm sure he will be happy you've paid a visit." Armstrong comforted.
Meanwhile with the Elrics-
Ed opened the door to find that all familiar scene of Roy sitting at his desk hands together in a fist with his chin resting on top and Riza beside him holding a file.
"Ok just hand over the document so we can get going." Ed said approaching the desk and holding out his metal hand.
"Not so fast Fullmetal." Roy said leaning back in his chair.
"Damnit Mustang I don't have the time for your antics. Now just hand it over." Ed growled Al placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Awl come now, I just wanted to tell a little about that girl you picked up in Athenia." Roy said.
"I know what I need to know about Venus, thanks." Ed scowled dropping his arm knowing it didn't matter what he said.
"Venus? Oh yes that is her name isn't it. I'm use to calling the Love Witch Alchemist myself." Roy mused Ed's eyes widen and the expression on Al's face was shock as well.
"Your telling me she's…," Ed started and Roy nodded.
"That's right Fullmetal, she is a State Alchemist. A good one too. She is based of in the West; quiet a shock when I heard she was in Athenia." Roy said flashing a cocky smile.
"But she didn't…," Ed said as if he didn't hear Roy.
"She wouldn't, she doesn't like to make it public. Hates the uniform, last time I saw her though she was in a nurse's outfit, ah." Roy laughed lightly, and Riza lowered her head.
"You see there is something else I suspect she didn't mention to you either. But before I get into that do you known what her equivalent exchange was Ed?" Roy asked leaning on his hands again.
"No." Ed replied.
"155 years ago she was 15 and working with her boyfriend in lab over in Central on electricity research for the military. On the side, she was trying to become an alchemist. One night her boyfriend had left at the lab to her research and gave back an hour later when she had finally managed to complete everything she needed to become an alchemist. But sadly, the lab was full of unstable elements and so when she started everything exploded. I don't know if you know that when certain chemicals they can cause a fire, a chemical fire is far worse than that of a normal fire, at least this one was anyway. Venus survived only to find that her boyfriend didn't. You see, he was worried about her so he cam back. Venus was three months pregnant at the time. So not only did she loose her lover, but her unborn child as well. That was her equivalent exchange. However, that fire also gave her the wings on her back, that I'm sure you've seen by now, and eternal life. You did hear me say this was 155 years ago, didn't you Fullmetal?" The room was silent when he finished. The looks the other three had were of horror and sadness.
"That is impossible." Ed said placing his hands on Roy's desk for balance. That story gave him a sicken feeling at the bottom of his stomach. A baby, an unborn baby died. Riza covered her mouth trying to hold in tears of pity that wanted to run down her face and Al turned his back to them wishing that Roy would suddenly say it wasn't true.
"It is." Roy answered, he too felt that pain the other three felt, but he wasn't about to show it.
"Living with that till the end of the world. That's so sad." Al muttered his voice shaky.
"Living forever…," Ed lowered his head and closed his eyes feeling tear break free and splash onto Roy's desk.
Back with Venus-
Armstrong had left and Venus stood there listening to the girls answer the phone. She sighed looking up at the light above her.
"I'm jerk." She said softly.
"Can you forgive me?" She whispered hoping her boyfriend's and her baby's spirit could hear her wherever they were.
The door opened to Roy's office a few minutes later. The Elrics came out still wearing their pained expression. They look at her and she simply smiled. The next thing she knew Al had ran up to her and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He cried.
"Sorry for what?" She asked as he released her.
Ed came up behind Al he locked eyes with Venus for a moment before turning his head away.
"He'll see you now." Was all he said as he an Al walked away back toward their room.
Venus watched them for a moment; she then turned and looked at the open door.
"What did you tell them?" She muttered slowly walking toward it.
When she stepped inside Riza look at for a moment before turning her head. Venus looked at Roy who smiled at her.
"Long time no see Love Witch." He said.
"What did you say?" She asked marching up to his desk and placing her hands on it leaning over to look him directly in the face.
"I just told them about you." He said softly as he watched her hair fall neatly around her.
Venus closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened, she locked them with Roy's.
"You are a real jerk." She smiled at him, he laughed.
"They would have found out sooner or later." He said reaching a hand up to run through the few locks on her right side that had fallen on his desk.
"Later would be nice. I don't like to make my real age public Roy." She said her heart skipped a beat.
"Now now, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Besides your still 15." He said with a sigh.
"Yeah well, I still feel like an old maid." She stood. The hair between his fingers gently pulled away and dropped of her side. Riza had turned her head back to look at her and bowed her head when she noticed Venus staring at her.
"No need for formalities with me Lieutenant." Venus said with a smiled.
"Now to the point Venus, where is your uniform?" Venus turned her head to looked Roy and placed her hands on her hips.
"Now does that really matter? I hate that old tacky thing." She said pursing her lips in disgust.
"But your in the military…," Roy started.
"And Fullmetal?" She asked, he sighed.
"Well alright." Roy sighed.
"You know I'm glad to know someone close to my…looks age, is in the military." She said thoughtfully.
"Yes but on military standards your 18." Roy reminded her.
"Oh shut up would you." Venus said tossing her head.
"Uhh, excuse me." Riza said coughing. She felt extreme awkward being in the room.
"Yes Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Roy asked leaning back in his chair.
"The file?" She said nodding to the file, she was holding.
"Yes, yes. I say we hold for another week. I feel I'm going to need a favor from them." Roy replied.
Venus took the time to look around the office while running her fingers through her hair and pushing it back out of her face.
"You should consider redecorating." She said flatly yawning.
"I like it how it is." Roy said standing up.
"Ok Mr. Dull." She laughed, and could have sworn she got a giggle out of Riza.
"Dull?" She looked to find he was beside her, he had gotten taller since the last time she had seen him. In fact, she felt like a kid standing next to him.
"Sir…," Riza sighed turning her back. She figured whatever happened was none of her business anyway.
"I'm serious, I'm dull now?" He asked placing a hand on top of her head.
"Hey!" She said trying to move his hand off her head. Roy yawned and leaned on his hand.
"Roy Mustang you jerk!" She squeaked
Riza looked over her shoulder what she saw was Venus waving her arms franticly at Mustang trying to get him to let up on her head.
Meanwhile-
Ed stood outside Winry's door he lifted his hand and knocked. He and Al had discussed what had been disclosed to them, and Ed needed someone to talk to besides Al. Both were a little uneasy about the whole thing and who was better to talk to than Winry?
He slowly opened the door staring down at the floor.
"Winry?" He said standing in the open doorway.
Winry sat on her bed with a book in her lap she was tinkering with some metal object.
"What is it Ed?" She asked without looking up. Ed sat down on her bed and looked out the window.
"It's about Venus…," As Ed, told Winry what he had heard she slowly set down her object and sighed heavily.
"Why do people want to be Alchemists at such a high price?" The question left an awkward silence in the room.
Ed didn't have a good answer he looked out the window again.
"That's just how it is." He said flatly.
Back with Venus-
Roy had let up and was sitting back at his desk; Riza had left the room throwing the file in his face. Venus was looking out the window at the landscape.
"So what were to you in Athenia for?" He asked reorganizing the file.
"Interrogating some guys for a break in back in the West." She said turning around. She walked past the desk and then sat down crossing her legs and leaning slightly toward Roy.
"Its boring really, that is ALL I ever get to do. I'd be happier cleaning the floors." She said examining her nails.
"So why did you come here?" Roy asked leaning in his chair and placing the file in a drawer.
"Let's see, last time I saw you, you were in a hospital bed in the West. Can I help it that I wanted to make sure your ok?" She said pouting her bottom lip.
"That is a lie." Roy smirked.
"Yeah ok. Honestly, I'm bored out of my mind. Then I caught wind of the Elric bothers in Athenia and when I found them, they were talking about you. Come now, can you at least be happy to see me?" She reached and ruffled his hair. Roy took her hand and placed it back on the desk.
"I am. You were the cutest nurse in that hospital anyway." Venus sighed.
"How like you." She said sliding off the desk. Roy reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"No this is more like me." He pulled her back onto the desk and leaned close, then the door burst opened.
"Sir!" Jean Havoc had entered the room. Jean had an extremely short dirty blonde hair with wild golden bangs and blue eyes.
Jean had just ran to tell Colonel Mustang that Lt. Colonel Hughes was on his way. Just as he was about to do this found a rather beautiful girl on the Colonel's desk and the Colonel looking as if he was ready to kiss her. In addition, the only thing he could think to as was,
"Where is Lieutenant Hawkeye?"
"I wonder what she feels." Al asked Riza whom he ran into in the hallway.
Riza sighed looking up at the armored boy. She was thinking that as well, but really she was wondering what was between her and the Colonel.
"I don't really think she does. She has lived with that pain for so long, I bet she is just numb." Riza answer staring at the ground.
"Don't you feel numb to Al? About your home? Your mother?" She asked looking up. The metal boy nodded and sighed.
"Ed?" Winry asked finally, she looked at him the way she did at this touch subject. She placed a hand on his shoulder trying to get him to look at. Just to look at her.
"I don't want to talk about it Winry." He replied staring blankly at the adjacent wall.
"Please Ed, just open up to me." Winry begged. He and Al didn't have to go through it alone all the time, did they? What was she anyway? Just the mechanic?
"Not yet. I'm not ready to Winry." It was the first him he even attempted to address it. She threw her arms about his neck.
"Ok Ed. Just remember I'm here." She said hugging him fiercely.
"I know." He touched his human hand to her arm and closed his eyes with a heavy sigh.
"She stepped out Havoc." Roy said feeling defeated and slipped against the chair. Venus shook her head and hopped from the desk. She walked to the door; Jean leaned against it trying to keep out of her way. She turned her head placing a hand on the frame she smiled at Roy.
"Maybe next time, huh?" She left back down the hallway. Jean watched her with a jaw dropped expression.
"Havoc? … HAVOC!" Jean turned and grinned rubbing the back of his head.
"Well what is it?" Roy asked annoyed now.
"Oh right. Colonel, Lt. Colonel Hughes is on his way to see you." Jean said returning to his business attitude. Roy gave a groan of disgust dropping his head to the desk and placing his hands over it.
"What is it, send everyone to the East from Central day!" He groaned, Jean laughed nervously.
Venus sighed stopping after she turned and corner, leaned against the wall, and allowed herself to slide down. She closed her eyes and slammed her head into the wall, lightly. She continued this until someone passed her. He stopped and looked down at her. She opened her eyes and looked up. The man had short black hair most slicked back with a strand hanging in his face. Amber eyes covered by small rectangular glasses, a short beard just around his chin.
The next thing he did was whip is wallet out and shoved it in her face showing a picture of a little blonde girl smiling.
"Isn't that the most adorable thing you've ever seen!" He said pulling it back and rubbing it against his face.
Venus felt as if a part of the wall had broken free and hit her on the head.
"Yes I suppose," She said weakly.
"Lt. Colonel." Someone passed by saluting the man who had regained his composer and saluted back.
Venus was shocked, that this crazy guy was a Lt. Colonel in the military. He smiled down at her and offered a hand.
"Maes Hughes." He said pulling her up.
"Venus Decaffé ." She said arching an eyebrow.
"No way! You're the Love Witch Alchemist!" He exclaimed shaking her hand. She stared blankly at him.
"I heard you might be here! Wow! Have you ran into Roy yet!" Venus felt like running away as he dragged her BACK toward Roy's office.
"You know you're really pretty. Why if I didn't have a wife waiting back in Central I'd marry you." He laughed.
"Uh…," She sighed lowering her head.
"You know it really sucks to be me." She said.
