Chapter 2 - Meeting the Elric brothers
It was another sunny, yet boring day back at Central Headquarters. Of course, nothing went on today expect another one of Central alchemy exams.
Katrina sighed boredly as she leaned back against the chair she sat on and blew some hair away from her eyes, as she crossed her arms.
She had been sitting there for nearly ten minutes and was starting to get a little impatient. After she had finally completed the alchemy exam, which took about a month's worth to do, she had finally finished up her last test and was waiting in the hallway, to see if she had passed or not.
It didn't really matter to her. Katrina knew she was going to be accepted thanks to Pride. He had already been told the plan a month ago and started it right away.
But Katrina just sat there, and sat there, and sat there some more boredly while waiting for them to come out and tell her to come in.
Katrina yawned lazily and scratched the back of her neck, where her black choker necklace layed, hiding her humunculis symbol. Right before she had left to take the exam, she was ordered to put on her choker, so that the others wouldn't find out, what she really was. Then again, she wore it everyday, so it didn't really matter.
"Ugh. Whats taking them so damn long. Pride said he'd have it all ready to go before I could say doggy want a bone. Now i've been sitting here for more than fifteen minutes and about to rip something apart in a second." Katrina mumbled sighing.
But as soon as she had said that, she quickly started hearing the door open.
Katrina turned her head slowly, to see a tall black haired man dressed in a blue uniform standing above her, holding a clipboard to his side.
Katrina lifted an eyebrow up at him as he looked down at her.
"Are you a miss Katrina Seteshi?" He questioned.
Katrina sighed and slowly nodded.
"Yeah thats me."
"You can come on in now. Sorry for your waiting." He said as he then turned back around and started heading back into the room.
Katrina sighed once more as he did and slowly stood up and started stretching and yawning lazily to herself as she then started walking on into the room behind him, and closed the door.
As she made it in, she quickly saw four men standing behind the desk of the black haired guy who had came to get her, and a blond haired woman standing beside him.
Katrina stood there for a short moment, looking around, untill she suddenly heard a cough.
"You can come in closer. Don't worry. I won't bit you." Said the black haired dude, with a small chuckle as he leaned back against his chair.
Katrina sighed and mumbled something under her breath as she took a few steps closer towards him, untill she reached the front of his desk and stood before him.
Katrina watched him closely as he looked her up and down very slowly.
Katrina growled, not really liking him doing that, and turned her gaze upwards to see all the other military men behind him also looking at her up and down, but blushed whenever they got caught and turned away whistling.
Katrina rolled her eyes at them and crossed her arms as she then looked back down at the black haired guy to still see him staring at her.
"Ok is this like some body checking thing or what, cause you know your really starting to get slapped in a second if you don't get those filthy eyes up towards mine." She growled out.
The black haired man chuckled and looked up at her.
"Well I see this one has some spunk in her. Almost like another certain someone I know. But chill. I wasn't looking at that, if thats what your wondering. Just a quick checking to see if you were right to make it as a certified state alchemist." He said with a small smirk.
Katrina snorted.
"Whatever. Just do I pass or what?" She asked.
He sighed, and she watched as he pulled out his drawer from behind his desk, and saw him pulling out something silvery.
"I don't know. You tell me." He said as he clutched the silvery thing in his hand.
Katrina glared at him, not liking these games at all.
"Well, since I see your holding that whatever in your hand I think I just passed it." She said smirking down at him.
He sighed and chuckled as he then tossed it up in the air. Katrina quickly caught it, as he did and looked down at it. She raised her eyebrow.
'A pocket watch? Thats it?!' She thought to herself amusingly as she looked at it, but then back up at the black haired guy.
"Ok so this is what I get for becoming a state alchemist? Your kidding me right?" She asked.
"Yes. But don't be fooled by the way it may look. It's an alchemic amplifier, so it raises your alchemic ability. Not to mention it gives you all the rights to go anywhere you want to go in this town. So you have permission to visit the central library now and all those other private places."
Katrina smirked.
"Cool. Anything else---uhhhh whatever your name is?" She asked.
He sighed.
"Yes actually there is. My name is Lt. Cornel Roy Mustang. Otherwise known as the flame alchemist. And since you are going to be working under me as well, I suggest you start learning your other sulvilians names as well." He said turning towards the group of people behind him.
"Alright, first off we have Lt. Breda. He should be able to help you out a bit around the room." Mustang said pointing to the big red haired guy.
"Second we have, Lt Fuery. He should be able to help you with filing your papers and other what nots around here." He said pointing to a short black haired guy wearing glasses.
"Third we have Lt. Fallman. He will help you out with your missions, if nessary, and other important things." He said pointing to a tall gray haired guy.
"Then here we have Lt. Havoc. He should be able to help you get to know more people around here and become friends with everyone quickly." He said poiting to a tall blond haired guy.
"And lastly, this is Lt. Hawkeye. I'm sure you both will get along quit nicely due to your----behaviors. She could help you with your gun shooting moves or whatever." He said pointing to a tall blond haired girl with red eyes.
Katrina looked at them closely, raising her eyebrow.
"Uh-huh----" She said crossing your arms.
"Yes, so these are the important people you will learn of as of now." Mustand said turning back towards her.
"Right----anymore, important people I should know of?" Katrina asked curiously, lifting her eyebrow.
He gave a small smirk and then a sigh.
"Well yes there are actually. And those people are gonna be your partners for a long while."
"Ok. And who are my so called partners?"
"Hm---well you should find out, anytime now. Or right about now---" He said smirking, as they all soon started hearing a small complaining voice, nearby and another small voice coming through out the door.
"Ugh! Who does that damn Mustang thing he is?!" Shouted an angry blond haired guy, walking down the halls of Central Headquarters.
A guy beside him sighed and shook his head.
"Oh come on brother. I'm sure having a partner won't be all that bad." Said a tall brown hair boy with long dirty blondish hair, and dark brown eyes.
The guy sighed and mumbled something under his breath while crossing his arms.
"Oh yeah?! And how would you know, huh Al?! Have you even seen my partner?!" He shouted growling.
"Well of course not, but i'm sure whoever it is, might be really nice." He said with a small reasurring smile.
"Yeah right! Or they might be some demon from hell out to kill us. But I mean who the hell does Mustang think I am?! I'm not a kid anymore and I don't need to freakin partner!" Ed shouted growling.
"Oh brother. You don't even know the person and yet you are already talking bad about them. Calm down, besides i'm sure Mustang has his reasons. I mean he did say that your new partner is just now starting out as a state alchemist, so it should be ok. You could teach them a few things around Central." Al said smiling.
Ed sighed.
"Whatever! All I know is, is that it better be someone who knows when to shut their freakin mouth, unlike the rest of these people in the damn military!" Ed grumbled crossing his arms as they both soon made it to a tall door.
"Brother, calm down would you? We're both here now, so try and make a good impression." Al said placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Ugh! Your acting as if we're meeting girls here and going on a date with them or something!" Ed mumbled.
Al blushed slightly, but smiled.
"Yeah well it's the same thing. You don't want your new partner thinking the worst of you, now do you? Didn't think so. Now come on. Just try and relax and don't go bazerk in front of them." Al said smiling as he then slowly started opening the door up.
Ed sighed and only crossed his arms, as they soon started walking into the room.
"Ugh whatever----yo mustang! We're finally back! Now tell me exactly who my new damn partner is!" Ed shouted through the room while walking in. But this quickly earned him a nudge in the gut by Al.
"Ow--" Ed mumbled, rubbing his gut.
Al only sighed and shook his head at Ed.
"Well hello there to you too Fullmetal. So nice of you to finally stop on by. What has been now? Five months?" Mustang asked, smirking up at the brothers from his desk.
Ed growled and crossed his arms while taking a few steps closer.
"Like it matters! Now what is it with all this talk about me having a new partner?!" Ed shouted, annoyed.
Roy sighed, and stood up from his desk, and looked down at him.
"Yes it's true that you will be having a new partner. But this is only because she is new around these parts and new to becoming a state alchemist, and since you are always running around doing nothing, but waste our money, I thought that you wouldn't mind taking her with you on your missions." He said smirking at him.
Ed quickly started growling even more at what he said.
"She?! It's a freakin she?!" Ed shouted.
"Yes it's a she fullmetal. But I wouldn't exactly take her for what she looks like though. She quit powerful I must say, and is like you in a lot of ways." He said sighing while walking towards him.
"Uh-huh and how is that?!" Ed asked glaring up at him.
"Well for one this girl has your same personality. And not to mention your temper---and the hight." He said smirking down at him.
Ed growled when hearing this, and was just about to explode onto Mustang, untill Al quickly pulled him back down sweatdropping.
"UGHH WHO YOU CALLING SMALL THAT HE'S ALMOST LIKE A FREAKIN ANT?!?!?!" Ed screamed out, struggling to get to Mustang.
"Ugh brother, he never said that! Please calm down! Your gonna scare your new partner!" Al shouted trying to calm him down.
"Ugh like I care!"
"Brother!"
"Woah, woah. Calm down there fullmetal. I never even said anything about that. All I said was that she was about your hight, and had your personatlity. But in a way she also has your talents too fullmetal." Roy said, his voice now turning a bit more serious.
"Oh yeah, and how is that?!"
"Well for one she can use alchemy without a transmutation circle." He said looking up at him.
Ed quickly calmed down, as well as Al, when hearing this.
"W-W-What?" He asked slightly surprised.
Mustang sighed and nodded.
"Yes, I was as well surprised when seeing this, too. But like you she can, for some reason. And she doesn't have any family left at all. Her entire family died one night, but thats all I can say. She won't tell us anything else, but thats pretty much it." He said sighing.
Ed and Al looked up at him, still surprised.
"Y-Y-You mean she---" Ed started to say, his voice now getting serious.
"I don't know. She might, yet might not. Could be some trick. I don't know. All I know is, is that she's knew and needs someone to show her around the town. And since you two seem to know alot about it and aren't that busy I thought, what the heck." He said shrugging.
Ed sighed and mumbled something as he crossed his arms.
Al also sighed, but looked on up at Mustang.
"Ok soooo who exactly is his partner, sir?" Al questioned, a bit curious.
Mustang smiled, and sighed.
"Well I gotta warn you guys first. She's quit the knock out. I was even surprised when I first saw her, so be prepared. Ok, Seteshi you can step forward now." Mustang called from the shadows.
Ed and Al both turned their heads to see who it was.
Katrina sighed, upon hearing her name, and slowly started stepping out of the corner from where she stood, and stepped into the light a bit to get a good look at everything around her, and to see two boys standing there.
Ed and Al looked at her, and both blushed.
But Al, of course, started blushing even deeper as he saw her, his eyes suddenly started widening, as he then felt himself take a small gulp when looking up at her.
"Boys. I would like for you both to meet your new partner. Katrina Seteshi." He said smiling a little up at her, as he motioned for her to step up a bit more.
Katrina sighed and mumbled something as she took a few more steps into the light and looked up to see the two boys. One who had long blond hair tied back in a long pony tail with golden looking eyes, and another with dirty blondish hair and dark brownish hazelish eyes, wearing a long red coat and black pants and a shirt to match.
Ed and Al looked at her up and down, both still blushing, but then Ed quickly started shaking himself out of it and coughed a bit, while trying to get some words out.
"Uhh---so this is my new partner?" He asked taking a few steps towards her.
Katrina crossed her arms and looked at him as he did.
"Yeah seems like it---and your my new partner as well I see. Not exactly what I was expecting to see, but ok." Katrina said sighing.
"Whats that suppose to mean?" Ed asked, his eyes darkening.
"Oh nothing, nothing really. Soooo i'm suppose to be hanging out with them?" She questioned looking back at Mustang.
He sighed and nodded, while taking a few steps towards her.
"Yes. Crystal I would like for you to meet your new partners. Edward and Alphonse Elric. Otherwise known as the Fullmetal alchemist." He said with a small smirk.
Katrina looked at them raising an eyebrow.
"Fullmetal?" She asked.
"Yeah, fullmetal. Don't got a problem with it do you? And your Crystal?" Ed asked.
"Yeah, i'm the Crystal alchemist now. I can control any type of liquid you name it. But just call me Hat--I mean Katrina, got it?" Katrina said crossing her arms.
Ed sighed and nodded as he did the same.
"Ok got it."
"Alright good. Now which of you is Ed, and which is Al?" Katrina asked looking up at both of them.
"I'm Edward, and over there is my younger brother Alphonse----Al?" Ed asked now notcing his brother just standing there looking flustered and not saying a word like he usually would be doing.
Katrina also noticed this, and looked at him weirdly.
"Whats up with him?" Katrina asked taking a few steps towards him.
Al started blushing even more as she did, as he felt his heart speeding up, and his mouth suddenly go dry, and then felt himself gulping once more.
"Uhhh yo! Whats up?" Katrina asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
This quickly shook Al out of it, as he felt his cheeks go even hotter as he looked up at her, now feeling slightly emberrassed.
"H-H-Hi!" He said quickly, now feeling really stupid.
"Uhhh hi---you ok there dude?" Katrina asked, lifting an eyebrow up at him.
"Y-Y-Y-Y----" But Al just cut off and started nodding fanically, knowing he couldn't get the words to form from his dry mouth.
Katrina looked at him for a quick second, before finally sighing and turning back around.
"Ugh whatever dude. Lets just get this over with shall we? I have something I wanna do." She said as you started walking towards the door.
Ed sighed as she did and mumbled something under his breath as he then started walking towards his still flustered brother.
"Ugh fine. Come on Al. We better go, and introduce our new 'partner' around town for a while." He mumbled as he grabbed Al's sleeve and started pulling on it.
"Ok---" Was all Al said as he then slowly started to follow Katrina and Ed out the door and on towards the city, while trying to pull himself together from the little freeze stand he had just made.