82: Trouble III

Qiang Fei watched the house carefully. She was standing on the roof of another building and her hair was in a mess – not that she would care at the moment. Before she grew too bored, however, her target left the house. But Jun Li wasn't alone. She held the hand of a little boy and a man had his arm around her waist. He was around her age, maybe a little bit older, and his smile was bright. And suddenly, Qiang knew who he was: Prince Lei Yao.

It was fitting, in a strange way. The rebellious prince who had left the court the day his father had died and the loyal servant who had left the country after her master's funeral made quite a good couple – even if Qiang had come to erase Jun Li's life forever. The woman was a mistake and a mistake had to go, no matter what. The rules were rules and Qiang would make sure that they played by them too.

Of course, Jun Li was a beautiful young woman even if she looked older than she was because all the stress of her youth had made her grew old long before her time. Still, Jun Li was one of the most lethal warriors in Xing – and no one had ever survived a fight against her because when she got angry, she made sure that there was nothing left of her opponent.

The Xingese Princess brushed her hair and put it back into her usual bun before she started to follow her enemy. Of course, Jun Li wore black, her usual colour. Black was the colour of the night and as a child that had been born underneath the moon the colour had become a part of her personality.

"Alright, alright," Qiang muttered. "The woman in black is the enemy."

The doctor looked down at Edward before he stepped aside and allowed the boy to enter the house. They took place in the living room and Edward friendly told Knox what he had come for. The older man sighed deeply while he took out a cigarette. "Hamilton, huh?" he asked. "I had nothing but trouble with this youngster," he huffed but his eyes betrayed the fondness he had had for the late state alchemist. "She … she was an amazing person. I can very good remember how I met her … I thought that she was some low-ranking sniper or something like that and asked her for a cigarette when I saw that she was smoking in front of her tent…" He shook his head. "And when I saw the rank insignia on her shoulders, I realised that I was talking with the infamous Steel Rose … she hated that name…"

"Why are you mentioned as one of her few known affiliations, Doctor?" Edward asked bored. "From what I saw in her file, she specialised in covered operations … she shouldn't have had any contact with you. I don't know much about the war but…"

"She was one of the first to come and one of the last to leave," Knox replied. "I knew her since 1907 – she was called into battle long before the others. I bet that the pigs from high command hoped that she would deal with everything at once … she was hardly more than a child … younger than you right now…" He shook his head in disgust. "It broke her, I guess. When the other state alchemists came, she was already used to the pressure … she kept fighting – to protect her comrades. Kay wasn't someone to kill innocents, believe me. I always wondered why she became a state alchemist … but on the other hand, I knew her mother. Reine was a terrible woman, really."

"Why are so many parts of the file blackened?" Edward asked.

"I painted a part of her medicinal reports black because there were many things no one had to know. I blackened many files from patients of this time to tell the truth." He scratched his head. "The reason why I was in her file is that I treated her when she got shot in 1908. It was horrible, believe me. The bullet was in her shoulder and I needed the help of Captain Hughes, Major Mustang and Cadet Hawkeye to remove it. We had nothing to numb Kay's pain and I don't even want to imagine how much it hurt back then. I offered her to send her home … but she told me that she wanted to stay – for her comrades. She hated to kill – but she was one of the best. I saw her just once in action … it was terrifying. Lightening Alchemy … Energy Alchemy … she could erase whole villages with a single wave of her hand…" he shuddered. "No wonder that Kimblee was so impressed."

Edward nodded slightly. Energy Alchemy was dangerous; everyone knew that and just the best alchemists could even dream of using it. He had stayed away from it all his life. "Do you happen to know someone who knows about the mansion the family used to own?" Edward asked.

"I know that there is still someone alive who owns the mansion," Knox said. "Nerissa, the eldest child, an extremely skilled and very dangerous alchemist who happens to live with Doctor Robinson right now … but she could be a little bit dangerous. She isn't the mentally most stable person, you know?"

Jun Li felt the aggressive chi that was suddenly coming towards her and even though she was wearing shoes with heels, she jumped out of reach. She twirled in the air like she had never stopped training for one day and landed on both her feet. She growled lowly as she ripped of a part of her skirt and took one of her many knives from her garter band. She crossed her arms and smiled amused as she saw her opponent. "It seems like the Fei-clan still didn't forgive me," she chuckled.

"How could we forgive the woman who is responsible for our misery?" Qiang hissed.

"You are wealthy and still you dare to claim misery as yours?" Jun Li asked while she pointed with her knife down at her opponent. "Believe me – the only clan I would grant the fact that they live in misery is the Chang-clan and even they are leaving the era of misery now."

"You dare to judge?" the princess glared at her. "You … you are nothing…"

"I heard from the little stunt you did when Xing welcomed guests from this country, Qi-Qi…" Jun Li gracefully jumped back down so she was eye to eye with her opponent. "And to tell the truth, I was very surprised of Ling's mercy. To attack a guest from behind … that's cowardly…"

"You would know, right?"

"Believe me – I always took pleasure out of seeing my enemy's face when I killed him."

Abigail was sitting on the porch of her mansion when Izumi left the house with two glasses of wine. The younger sister sat down and sighed deeply. "It's strange how fast time flies when you are fighting, huh?" she asked. "I mean … it seems like it was just yesterday when Abel died…"

Abigail gritted her teeth. "I still can't believe it," she whispered and her hands covered her face. "I … I miss him so much, Izumi, even after all these years I still hope that he will come through the door one day and asks me when I will have finished cooking." She bent over and rested her forehead on her knees. "I know that you are his sister too … but we were always so close … I felt like no one could hurt me as long as he was around … and when I got hurt, he was always there to comfort me. He was so strong … so friendly…" She wiped away a single tear that ran down her cheek. "I loved him…"

Izumi wrapped one arm around her and rubbed her back gently. "I know, I know," she said. "He was your twin after all, right? It is just natural that you loved him, Abby, but you need to move on. You keep being stuck in the past and you ignore that life isn't waiting for you to catch up."

She looked like a child, Edward decided as the blond woman opened the door. Her long hair was braided and fell down her left shoulder while her blue eyes stared at him in terror. For an alchemist who had been able to take out his Teacher, she seemed incredibly weak and fragile … but maybe her outer appearance was nothing but a cover for her inner strength. He gulped as she stayed silent. "Are you … um … Nerissa Hawkeye?" he asked carefully. He had heard that she was insane and he didn't want her to go berserk on him.

She nodded. "Yes, that would be me," she said calmly as she extended her hand. "Who are you?"

"Edward Elric," he said slowly. "I … um … need your help, Miss Hawkeye."

She stared at him, unfazed. "My help?" she asked while she tilted her head. "What kind of help?"

"I need to save someone … and she is captured at the Hamilton-mansion," he said while he looked down. "And I owe her a huge favour, so I decided that saving her life would be a good start."

"I … see…" Nerissa muttered while her pale skin glowed in the faint light of the few sunrays which had found a way through the clouds. "The mansion … that's dangerous … no one was there … in a long time … I was the last one to leave … and I left years ago…" She stepped back and allowed him to enter. "It is, however, not impossible for someone who grew up there…"

"And you grew up in this building, Madam?" he asked carefully.

She nodded. "Ever since the day I had to leave the Hawkeye-mansion I lived there, under the care of my father's closest friend," she said while she sat down on a fragile chair. "She would have hated what I became when she left, though." She shrugged. "I know the building by heart … I even know the secret passages … and I know how to get into the house without being spotted by anyone."

"And you offer me this knowledge?" the young alchemist asked while he wondered what had happened to make such a fragile and pretty woman turn into a murderous lunatic.

"This knowledge is impossible to pass down without showing you how to do it," Nerissa said. "This building is very old … and it would be a shame if it would get destroyed in a fight…" She rubbed her temples. "I consider going with you," she sighed, "but I am not sure if I am allowed to…"

An old woman closed the door behind her after she had entered. "I told you that you are free to go wherever you want to, Nerissa," she said gently, "and maybe this trip could help you. I heard from Mr Mustang that Mr Elric is quite responsible…"

Edward stared at her. "Are you Doctor Robinson?" he asked.

"Yes," the old lady said friendly, "and you came because you need Nerissa's help, right? I hope you know that she is really, really fragile at the moment. I allow you to take her with you in order to free your friend but if you bring Nessa back and she is worse than she is now, I will murder you."

She was a tiny little lady who had to use a crutch to move around but Edward saw the gleam in her eyes and he knew that it would be dangerous to disobey her.

"Nessa, darling," Esmeralda Robinson smiled at the young woman. "Why don't you go and get your things? I am sure that Mr Elric doesn't have any time to waste."

Catherina stared at the familiar walls of her cell while she wondered how ironic it was. She had lived in this very house for years and she had always wondered how long it had been since she had left the mansion behind. It was crazy to think that maybe, if she wouldn't have decided the way she had made her decision in the end, she would have spent her life here. She had been always a close friend of Peter Hamilton, since their early youth, and she had loved him dearly. When he had fallen, she had cried for weeks before she had caught herself. It had always been her advantage that she could easily collect herself, no matter how hard it was for her.

"…so, Prof, you really don't want to tell us?" one of her kidnappers smirked.

She raised her left eyebrow. "Do me a favour, boy," she said. "Go to tell and take the rubbish with you on your way out. I am sick of being asked the same question over and over again."

His fingers carefully touched her forehead. "You know, Prof, we have to punish you if you don't start to cooperate with us. You will be without food today," he added as he left.

She crossed her arms as she sat down once more. "You seem to forget that I used to be part of the Special Forces, idiot," she muttered. "Torture is a real wellness treatment for me, you moron."

"…so, Miss Nerissa…" Edward looked at her. "I heard from many people that you are a very skilled alchemist … so how does it come that you don't work for the state?"

She looked at him with disgust. "I lost my complete family to the state," she said while she wrapped her arms around her body, "and I see no reason in being a dog as long as I can afford a life in freedom." She snorted. "Furthermore … I had some training when I was younger," she said. "I don't need to be in the military. I am rich and can protect myself."

"Under which master did you study?" Edward asked. He had heard from everyone who had met the blonde so far that Nerissa was extremely talented and he wondered who had taught her.

"My father's friend who took care of me," she replied. "She was a wonderful alchemist herself and she could keep me from losing my mind completely. I owe her a lot … she kept me sane for years…" She ran one of her fragile hands through her long hair. "But I also learned a lot from the books."

"So you are self-taught at a certain degree, yes?"

She nodded silently.

"I hope that your studies pay off," he told her seriously.