Chapter 76: New moves IV
Claudio carried Victoria as they left the car. The girl's injuries had started to fester because of her constant refusal to let anyone treat her wounds. Olivier had shrugged and told Jade that Victoria had to learn – and if it had to be the hard way, no one could change anything. After the last race Phil had cleaned the wounds but it looked still really painful and no one understood why Victoria had been that stubborn even though Jade had the suspicion that the girl was too much like Lynn who had had the same stupid attitude – according to Jade it was stupid to attended the last physical test with a broken wrist but that had been Lynn's usual attitude: no matter how much it hurt, she would do it.
"I hope that the others left a little bit food for us!" Phil muttered while they entered the Golden Dragon.
"Since Roy is there, I wouldn't be sure about that," his sister said teasingly as she nudged his side and grinned widely. "Alright, there they are."
"…and here comes our last champion!" Roy exclaimed while he stood up. "How was it?"
"What happened to your knees, Vicky?" Riza asked worried as she spotted the injury.
"That's nothing," the redhead said dismissively. "Some stupid brat tripped me and I got hurt a little bit but it is no big deal. It will heal soon enough."
"It looks painful," Elicia said friendly. "Are you sure that you don't need a doctor?"
But Victoria didn't even listen any longer. Her eyes were trained on the fresh stitches on her little brother's temple. "What the hell happened to you, Nick?" she asked.
"Victoria, language," Riza scolded while she sighed inwardly. As the most mature and smartest child, the little redhead (who was much taller than Laila) read books Riza didn't approve of but it was hard to keep Victoria away from any books, so her language wasn't as clean as it used to be.
"Sorry," the girl muttered while she glared at her brother.
"I just ran against the defender of the other team and his head was harder than mine," Nick shrugged while he smiled cheerfully at his twin. "It's no big deal, Vicky. Such a little scratch isn't too bad for me."
Laila sighed deeply. "Is it a twin thing that you got injured on the same day?" she asked.
"Probably, yeah," Jade said as she sat down next to her cousin. "But don't worry, Laila. Twins are usually way too awesome to get lethal injuries on the same day."
"She is totally right there!" Phil chuckled. "My big sister knows what she's talking about!"
Everyone looked at Jade who sat on her place with the same calm and serene expression she had been wearing for weeks now. Her way to dress had stayed the same. She still wore more black than anyone else and her hair was still short even though she tied it often back to a messy ponytail which was a little bit on the left side of the back of her head. Her bang on the left side had gotten longer too and touched her chin while it framed her face.
"Ah, don't flatter me all the time, Phil," the older sister chuckled. "I am not that great…"
"Such an innocent little face and yet such a liar…" Olivier smirked amused. "You know that you are great, Jade."
"Don't call me a liar, Olivier," Jade laughed and she sounded so happily. "I really don't think that I am that great. I am just … a normal state alchemist."
"Isn't that already a contradiction?" Charlotte chuckled. "As far as I can remember, all the state alchemists have these titles because of their skills…"
"Well, let me correct myself," Jade grinned. "I am pretty normal – considering that I am a state alchemist and I really like it that way."
"Modesty doesn't suit you, Aunty Jade," Laila exclaimed. "You are a great person!"
"Yes!" Elicia, Nick and Victoria agreed.
Rachel, Helena, Frederic Charles and Gregor Martin clapped their hands in agreement with their older siblings. Frederic and Gregor looked more like their father while their older sister looked exactly like their mother Gracia. The both twin teams were getting along pretty good and Gracia often watched the girls when Riza was at work while the older children were at school.
"Mo…modesty!" Rachel brawled proudly. She was a fast learner when it came to languages and clung more to Nick while Helena adored Laila and Victoria. Roy sometimes swore that Rachel would end up as a tomboy like her late aunt Lynn or Jade while Helena would follow Kay's way and end up as a heartbreaker because everyone would fall for her.
"Great, Rachel!" Nick announced before he tickled her gently. "That was really fast!"
"Mama … daddy … car!" his little sister declared while she seemed to be swollen with pride.
"Car!" her twin sister Helena repeated while she clapped her tiny hands. It had been her first word ever and she was still pretty proud when she could throw it into a conversation. She was – according to her great-grandfather – the pride of Charlotte who was a known car lover.
"Great," Charlotte said while she ruffled the girl's golden hair.
"Such a smart girl," Bendix smiled.
"Lele smart!" Frederic brawled. He was especially close to Helena and Charlotte was already planning the wedding of Helena Elizabeth Hawkeye-Mustang and Frederic Charles Hughes because her long experience had proven that childhood crushes were often the one true love.
"Freddy just spoke!" Elicia said while she proudly patted her little brother's head.
Leroy used the second of distraction to announce his choice. "I am retiring and as my last decision, there will be a democracy in Amestris form now on," he said calmly.
Roy dropped his spoon. "What?" he asked, unsure if he had heard correctly.
"We are retiring," Charlotte said smiling, "and Leroy is making Fuhrer's order #1001 public beforehand. It was the last order my father had considered before the day a certain spineless scum with a name that starts with Ha and ends with Kuro murdered him from behind."
"So, we will have a democracy soon?" Olivier asked while she smiled proudly at her godparents.
"Yes," Leroy stated friendly. "The time was right … the parliament holds an election next month and as far as I know, they need still candidates for the new position as chancellor. The military won't disappear, that's clear. It gives so much work to the people and I can't take it away. No, there will be no Fuhrer any longer. There will be a Foreign Minister to take care of the issues we have with one of our neighbouring countries. Drachma is still against us."
"I am sure that you will find a fitting person for this post," Claudio said. He had never had any trouble with Drachma since his country was separated from the aggressive country by Amestris.
"I think so too," Olivier said while she nodded seriously. Drachma was her personal opponent number one and there weren't many things she wouldn't do to annoy the other country.
Roy looked at her. It wasn't a question that he would try to become chancellor and he knew that Olivier could be his biggest rival since she was still very popular in the Northern Area. Of course, she had protected the northern grounds for years and something like that stuck in the minds of the people. If he wanted to make it, he would have to find a way to prevent her from trying it too.
It was day two after the unexpected retirement of Fuhrer Grumman and the First Lady and the new first-in-command, General Armstrong-Llewellyn, waited for her new subordinate, Major General Roy Mustang. She sat in her office and stared down at the yard before she turned around. "Finally," she said and sounded a little bit annoyed. "I came to a decision," she announced.
"That was to be expected," he replied crisply.
"I won't run for chancellor," she said calmly.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, Mustang: I won't try to become chancellor," she said. "I calculated it all last night when Ben was already asleep. If I decide against an application as chancellor, it would take a miracle from keeping you away from the post. It would be even harder if someone who is pretty popular in the North would decide to support you a little bit." She shrugged. "I will leave everything to you … under one single condition, Mustang." She inhaled deeply and looked straight at him. "When you make it, I want to be Foreign Minister. Leave the whole stuff about foreign relationships to me. I know more about leading an army than you and I claim the honour for establishing an era of peace for the country and everyone around us for myself."
He gulped. "That's even harder to take than the challenge I expected," he muttered.
"Believe me, Bendix was close to assuming that my pregnancy already made me go insane when I told him that I won't run for chancellor," Olivier said as she extended her hand to shake his. "But I really don't think that it would be responsible from me to run a campaign for becoming chancellor while I have to take care of myself and a baby…"
"Right, you told us that you are pregnant yesterday…" Roy shook her hand carefully, afraid to hurt her because the black-haired man had heard of her husband's high skill when it came to beating someone up … and since his chances of becoming chancellor were considerably higher with his face intact, he just decided that he wouldn't risk it.
"Don't be jealous, Roy. You have already five children," she chuckled. "Well, since you are leaving now could you please stop by later again? I suddenly want to eat sweet potato fries…"
He stared at her. "Don't tell me that you already started with your cravings!" he yelled.
She glared at him. "Could you please speak in a usual volume around my baby?" she asked.
"Hey-ho, Ben, my man!" Jean said while he ran into his uncle. "You … um … don't look so great…"
"I had a terrible, terrible dream this night…" the older man shuddered. "I honestly don't know where this image suddenly came from but … I dreamt of a baby who looked like Alex…"
"Oh well, I can understand your face," Jade said. She had caught up with the both blond man and walked now between them. "As much as I like him, he scares me whenever he takes of his shirt."
"And the sparkling…" Jean sighed deeply. "How does it come that Olivier doesn't do it too, Ben?"
"The ability to sparkle is a male trait in this family," Bendix shrugged. "Hey – there is Roy!"
Jade grinned widely as she spotted her cousin and hugged him tightly.
"Jade … be a good girl and allow me to stay alive for some more years, yes?" he asked.
"You are really no fun!" she exclaimed.
"I know, Stormy, because you keep telling it for years," he said while he patted her head, "and you, Ben, you should make sure that your wife gets some sweet potato fries soon because she seemed to be about to go on a murderous rampage if she doesn't get some soon. I barely made it out alive…"
"Ah, I will take care of her," Bendix said before he hurried away.
"Sweet potato fries?" Jade raised an eyebrow. "Yesterday she was craving rice and curry…"
"Does anyone know how far she is along?" Jean asked. "I mean, she is still very slim … maybe a little bit curvier than before but it's still no big difference…"
"Two months," Jade stated while she toyed with her pocket watch. While most of her male colleagues kept it in the pocket of their pants, she kept it in the pocket of her jacket and the silver chain laid across her left breast. "Honestly, guys, don't bother her so much. She has more than enough to do without two fools who keep asking random questions…" She looked at her cousin. "How is Vicky, by the way?"
"It still hurts when she walks but she is still content because she won her title and the races."
"She is such an ambitious little girl!" Jean exclaimed. "And she will be beautiful one day!"
"Hey there," Rebecca said as she passed them. "Jade – I need you and Bea. I decided that you will be my bridesmaids and we will go to get dresses for you today. I know that you have to work but I called the first-in-command and she said that it is okay because everyone before me did that stuff during the time at work too and she wants to be fair…"
"I have to say … having a pregnant leader is awesome!" Jean announced. "I mean … she allowed me to go for a walk with Fuery's dog when she saw me and thought that I could need a break!"
"She allowed me to take today off," Jade said unimpressed while she pushed a door open, "but I think that I can't allow myself one day of absence while everyone else it planning to push Roy onto the big chair. I saw the chancellor's office … honestly, for a second I thought about an application of my own."
Roy laughed and ruffled her short hair. "If you join my team, we can talk about a new office for you," he said seriously.
Izumi stared at the newspaper before she grabbed her phone and dialled a number she had promised herself that she would never dial it. "Roy Mustang!" she yelled. "I believe you owe me an explication!"
'I see that you read the actual newspaper, Aunty Iz,' he said nonchalantly. 'Well, yes, I decided that it would be good for the family if I would run for chancellor. I already spoke with General Armstrong and she ensured me her support during the whole story.'
"Such a smart woman supports you? What did this world come to?" She inhaled deeply. "Let me speak with Jade now! I know that she is close because she is always around you … just like when you were kids! And right now she owes me some answers!"
A short rustle before Jade's calm voice sounded through the line. 'Yeah?' the young woman asked.
"Jade Mustang, could you explain me why you allowed your cousin to run for that post?"
'He promised me a new office when I help him.'
"Don't lie to me, Jade. I know that you aren't that corrupted."
'I am sick of it!' her niece suddenly yelled. 'I am sick of your high and mighty behaviour, Izumi. I am sick that you just call when we messed something up according to your philosophy. I am sick that everyone keeps telling me that I am too young to decide anything! I fought a war, people, and it wasn't the oh-yes-let's-use-all-our-state-alchemists-Ishbal-War! It was a war where I was the only state alchemist in general because Phil was needed somewhere else! I was responsible for the lives of hundred of people – and I didn't mess it up. I don't want people to hail me as the Heroine of Lionnenburg or something like that. I just want people to accept that I am no weak little girl any longer. No one can push me still around.' She gasped. 'And honestly – who broke Kay's code?'
"I see that you grew up properly, Jade…"
'You should it expect from me.' The young woman ended the call.
"Tsss…" Izumi chuckled. "It seems like Central has a bad influence on Jade's behaviour. I have to call her mother to remind Stormy where she stands after all the years…"
"Everyone knows that Abby would be happy to hear that Jade finally got to the point where she explodes as soon as someone tries to push her around, Izumi," her brother-in-law smirked, "and I have to say that I liked her attitude too. My daughter is old enough to decide for herself."
She huffed. "You were always way too soft, Alain," she stated as she sat down, "and you were never one who would judge properly as long as he knew that the person to judge had a hard life…"
He smiled friendly at her while he looked at the street in front of her house. "It is because I can see her point," he said thoughtfully. "No matter how hard she tries, she will probably never be acknowledged for herself. She is an extremely skilled alchemist – but she will always be a part of Breeze. She is a good strategic and I doubt that anyone would ever doubt that she is able to lead armies … and still … for the other soldiers she will ever be Roy's cousin. It is hard on her too, Izumi."
Roy stood in front of the cold and rejecting statue of Kay Victoria Hawkeye Hamilton who had been his best friend and most loyal comrade during the war when she had been still alive. It was still hard to believe that she had died before he had reached his goal … their goal.
"Good morning, Kay," he said while the first rays of sunlight sneaked into the room in Central Headquarters. "I hope you slept well."
He remembered all the days they had laughed together because she had been the soul of their group. It was nearly painful to accept that those times were over.
"Well, I am running for chancellor now, old friend," he told her. "You would have loved it, I guess, all the attention … the good publicity … we are cleaning your name. The people know now who you really were. We can't have them believing that you were a monster. You were human and even though we will never be able to erase what you did … what we all did … we are trying to make the people see both sides. They know the seemingly cruel side … they need to see that the gun was permanently pointed on Charles', Lynn's and Serena's head. You could have refused your orders … and the others would have paid. You were caught … we all were." He sighed deeply. "Olivier Armstrong, you should remember her, is planning something to clean your name. She doesn't tell us what she is doing…"
Kay's distant, cold smile seemed to be a little bit for a moment as a sunray hit her mouth.
"…you know how she is, right?" Roy scratched his head before he turned away. Before he left the room, he looked back at the statue over his shoulder. "Keep an eye on Riza and the kids, will you?" he asked.
"…finished?" Olivier smirked while she leaned back in her chair. "Please announce the official presentation for the weekend. And I will be there in some minutes. I need to see it … finally…"
She ended the call and got up before she took her jacket. She passed her aide on the way out and waved dismissingly at him. "I am going out as you can see," she declared. "Don't wait for me, alright?"
"Yes, madam," the young man said and she rushed down the hallway.
"You can be really mean," Jade announced as she caught up with her friend. "Where are you going?"
"One of my projects got ready and I need to check if everything is in order," the blonde said, "and I know that I am mean … but that makes me so famous, right?"
"I will escort you," the state alchemist sighed as she closed her jacket. "I am in no mood to see my brother at the moment anyway."