Hey kids! First of all, I'm sorry that it practically took me an eternity to update this. But, Chapter One is out now, and don't worry, I do intend to finish this story. Please enjoy! Constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks.
One More Soul to the Call
01:
Isaac the Freezer
Tone…
Tone…
*click*
"Eden residence." Rang the cheerful voice of my father, Harry, through the other end of the phone. I faintly loosened my grip on the neck of the telephone when my ears were greeted by his soothing tone of voice. It was revitalizing to chat with Dad now and then, especially within this demanding environment. And though it was comforting, however, I still find that speaking with my father long-distance is a little unsettling. I 'm still not quite accustomed to being away from his side.
"Hey, Dad." I retorted softly, listening to the telephone booth rattle as the gentle wind collided with the glass. He chuckled slightly, and broke out into conversation immediately. We spoke of miscellaneous subjects. The weather, Central, food, the folks back home in North City, etc. Our discussions always bounced around erratically. We never really stuck to a solid topic unless it was a serious matter. We did this every week, once a week. It had become routine for us ever since I'd become a State Alchemist a few months ago.
Yeah, that's right. I, Vivienne Eden, have now become an infamous Dog of the State. I'd completed 5 tasks so far. 3 minor, and 2 a little more critical. In my free time I'd do a little research, train, and just see what I could do to help out around the community. East City was quite boring and uneventful when there weren't any assignments that I had to attend to. I'm now convinced that boredom is one of the greatest tortures. If I were to imagine Hell, it'd be a place where you were incessantly bored stiff. But anyhow, I'm quite fond of the cozy, warm weather here. I actually had to transmute a thinner coat in order to adjust. I've also switched from a long-sleeved shirt to a black tank top, and from a long, thick pair of jeans to a comfortable pair of black shorts. My boots are also less ridiculous.
At any rate, what really matters is that my Father has been able to do so much better now that my new job has been providing the both of us with more money than we know what to do with. I always cut my father 60% of the profits, and keep the other 40% for myself. Sure, I could've split it 50/50, but I refused to do so, always putting my Dad first and making sure that he was supported. Originally, I'd planned on giving him 80% of the profits, but he stubbornly talked me down to 60%, still more concerned about me than he was about himself.
Before long, I realized that I'd spaced out when I heard my Dad's voice repeatedly calling my name.
"Ah, sorry Dad. I got lost in thought." I replied, chuckling and scratching the back of my head with my free hand. "… You were saying?"
He laughed comically. I imagined that he was shaking his head at me on the other end.
"You always have been pretty scatterbrained." he remarked ironically, commencing in poking fun at my absent mind. I just rolled my eyes playfully, giggling as I listened to him lark about. Until he cleared his throat and his tone became suddenly stern. "Vivienne, you took your meds this morning. Right?" My body went rigid.
No.
"Y-yeah, I sure did. First thing this morning! Hahaha…" I spoke nervously, scratching the back of my head. In truth, I'd totally forgotten. It completely slipped my mind. Dad sighed on the other end.
"Vivienne we've been through this. You know that not taking your medication doesn't exactly benefit your condition, right?"
"Yeah. I know, but…" I trailed off.
"But…?" he beckoned me to continue.
"I told you before… the meds aren't as effective as they used to be. Sure, they somewhat prevent me from hallucinating during the day and everything, but…"
He let out a distressed sigh.
"I know. Just… keep taking them, Vivienne. I can talk to Doctor Kenneth about prescribing you with a stronger pill. But for now, try to cope with it, alright? If possible, I'll send them to you as soon as I can."
"Okay Dad. Thanks."
His end of the line was silent for a few minutes. I blinked and brought my other hand onto the neck of the phone, worried.
"Dad…? You there?"
"…"
"Dad. Stop that. You don't have to worry so much. I'm fine, okay?"
Again, silence.
"…How can I not worry about you, Vivienne…?" his troubled voice suddenly sounded. I closed my eyes, sighing and pressing my forehead against the glass of the booth.
"Dad…"
I set the phone back down onto the receiver, sighing as I exited the phone booth and reluctantly treading my way back to Central Command. I was beginning to grow quite tired of worrying my father so much. If I only had the strength to overcome this dreadful condition, then he wouldn't have to fret…. I shook my head rapidly before taking a deep breath and continuing to push forward, absconding from my negative thoughts. The day had been quite uneventful. Not to mention that most of the soldiers that I'd befriended were either too busy to chat or had urgent matters to attend to. Hence, leaving poor little me stranded with no one to pester for the day.
Momentarily, after I'd arrived back to Central Command, I'd come into contact with Riza Hawkeye, Colonel Roy Mustang's right-hand woman. I really liked Hawk and her laid-back personality. She also seemed to be pretty dedicated to Roy and her role as a soldier, another quality that I admired. Hawk had been pretty gracious, yet straight-forward to me when I'd first arrived here and passed the State Alchemy Exam, reminding me of the path that I'd taken and the hardships that were to come. Additionally, I still remember the answer to a question that I'd asked her concerning her outlook on war.
"Though I may be a soldier by profession, I've never had a liking for warfare, like others that I have come across in the past. Nor have I advocated it, except as a means of amity." she had said to me. Since then, I'd been pondering the true meaning of what amity- what peace- really was.
"Hello there, Hawk." I greeted as she approached me with a kindly smile. Her facial expression was content and tranquil, and her demeanor exhibited a persona of great poise, as always.
"Ah, there you are. I was just looking for you. The Colonel needs you in his office right away, Vivienne." she informed.
"Heh, right away, huh? Well, I guess I can't refuse." I said with a grin. She nodded.
"I'll escort you."
"Right."
Roy's office just happened to be all the way on the other side of Central Command, so Hawk and I had a long walk ahead of us. The halls were pretty much empty, with the occasional soldier here and there. Some greeted us as we passed, others were too pre-occupied with their assignments to even notice our presence. I listened quietly as our footsteps echoed rather loudly as we pressed onward, only halfway through to Roy's office. My hands were idly shoved into my coat pockets.
"Say, Hawk?" I finally broke the silence.
"Yes?"
"Do you remember that talk we had about war? And what you said about war being a necessary means of attaining peace?"
"Yes. What about it?"
"Well, I've been thinking… and I've come to think that's not entirely the case…." I paused, thinking of a way to word my thoughts pointedly.
"Go on." she insisted, looking back at me over her shoulder with curious russet irises.
"I don't think that peace is specifically an absence of war or conflict. I think that peace has more to do with having the ability to cope with it."
Hawk continued to look back at me for a few more moments before nodding and looking ahead. She was silent as we continued. As was I, having nothing more to say.
Finally we'd reached the office, much to my relief. Dude, that was a ridiculous walk. Just when I was about to thank Hawk for the escort, the two of us turned to the door, having heard some rowdy commotion coming from the inside.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. We don't have time for this! Let's go, Al." said a boy's voice. Next thing you know, my face was rudely met by the door, and I was on the floor clutching my throbbing nose in my palm.
What did I do to deserve this? I thought, wincing. Hawk was kneeling by my side within seconds.
"Vivienne! Are you alright?" she asked, helping me sit up.
"Y-yeah…. Yeah. Just having some facial trauma, that's all."
Looking up, I saw a blonde-haired boy running down the hall in the opposite direction. The Flamel Crest was subscribed onto the back of his flowing crimson coat.
Suddenly, a suit of armor appeared from Mustang's room and stood in front of me, shouting after the boy.
"Brother," he yelled, "you shouldn't run off like that!"
There was an unnatural hollow tone to his voice that made me curious. I looked up at the boy in the armor.
"Ya know, you should tell your brother that it's not exactly polite to assault innocent young females with doors." I said, still gripping onto my injured nose. He seemed startled by my sudden remark, and quickly twirled around to face Riza and I.
"Ah, I'm so sorry about that miss! Are you alright?" he asked, concerned as he kneeled down in front of me.
"Oh, yeah. It's okay. I like nose blood." I sniffed and brought my palm down away from my nose, revealing the swelling that I was pretty sure that commenced as I spoke.
"Who are you, anyway?"
"Oh! My name is Alphonse. Alphonse Elric."
My eyes slightly widened.
"Elric? Would you happen to be the Fullmetal Alchemist's younger brother?"
"Yeah, that's right."
I put two and two together, and deadpanned at my conclusion.
I just got owned by the Fullmetal Alchemist. I thought. Not that he isn't going to pay for it, though.
I'd heard a lot about the guy- Edward Elric. People around here can barely stop talking about him. The 'Hero of the People' is what they'd call him. I have to say, It's pretty beneficial to have people like that around. Especially in this Military setting. Some of the soldiers around here can get so caught up in their aggressive work, dealing with criminals and murderers and such all the time. I think the optimistic rumors about Fullmetal really does them some good.
"Uhm…. Miss?" I heard Alphonse calling, waving his hand in front of my face, "Are you okay?"
I blinked and shook my head.
"Huh? O-oh, yeah. I'm good. My name is Vivienne Eden, by the way." I replied. "I'm the Atomic Alchemist. It's very nice to meet you."
He gasped.
"You're the Atomic Alchemist? Wow, it's such an honor to meet you," he grabbed my hand in a frantic handshake, "We've heard so many things about you."
I chuckled bashfully, but simultaneously, I was alarmed. Alphonse's hand held no weight….. Was I shaking the hand of an empty suit of armor. I said nothing as I let his hand go.
"AL!" I heard who I assumed was Edward scream from down the hall.
Alphonse let out a soft, nervous shriek, and scratched the back of his helmet.
"Ah, well I'd better get going. It was nice to meet you, Vivienne."
I nodded, as he waved at me and sprinted down the hall. I waved back, and stood to my feet, with Hawkeye's assistance. We made our way into Roy's office, where he sat at his desk, waiting patiently. When he looked up at me, he automatically smirked and let out one of his sarcastic chuckles. I rolled my eyes as I sat down onto the couch. Riza made her way over to her usual spot aside his desk with her hands behind her back.
"That's quite a shiner you've got there."
"Ah, shut up. What was that all about, anyway?" I scoffed.
"Ah, that," he began, getting out of his seat and stepping over to the window, "I was just beginning to brief Fullmetal on his next assignment," he said. "I was waiting for you to get here, so I could brief the both of you at the same time. And maybe have introduced you in a more pleasant fashion…"
I raised my eyebrow at him.
"You're saying that you were going to partner me up with him? What for?" I inquired.
He shrugged.
"I'd figured the both of you would be a decent pair. Just for this one assignment, though. It's not like I was going to make you his sidekick or anything like that."
"Psh, he'd be the sidekick. Not me."
I frowned, my nostrils stinging with each intake of oxygen. Roy chuckled at my remark.
"Anyway," I began, "I've never really taken working with a partner into consideration. I'm more of a solo kind of girl."
He just stared at me, his smirk widening. I rolled my eyes again and turned away.
"Fine, if I find the kid I'll work with him. Whatever." And in the process, I'll get my revenge.
"Just get to the briefing already."
Hmmm….
I thought, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with the skills of a traceur, monitoring the streets and alleyways beneath me.
'Isaac the Freezer'….
My orders were to assist in apprehending Isaac McDougal, the Freezing Alchemist. He'd been a former State Alchemist, who'd served in the Ishvalan War of Extermination. After the war, he automatically resigned his commission and went into hiding, and he's been working with the Anti-Establishment Movement ever since then. Mustang made it clear that bringing this guy in is of major importance.
I slowed my pace and came to a halt, placing my hands on my hips as I squinted, looking over the streets of the town as I stood on the edge of the rooftop. I let my eyelids relax once I saw that it was clear of any suspicious persons, and sighed as I looked up at the star-spanned sky. It was a full moon tonight, and it was breathtakingly gorgeous in every aspect. Becoming lost in the magnificence of the night sky, I reminisced on my horrific nights back in North City. I'd wake up from my nightmares drenched with sweat, and always found it impossible to stop trembling. Looking up at the sky would help calm me down.
I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of an officer blaring his whistle. I jerked towards the direction that it came from, and once again began leaping from building to building. Beneath me, I heard a loud splash, as if someone had ran through a puddle. Looking down into the dimly lighted alleyway, I saw a strange man with a long black coat and black hair pulled back into a ponytail sprinting down the alleyway. I smirked.
I think this may be our guy. I thought. His appearance matches the description that Mustang gave me earlier.
"There he goes, that way!" shouted one of the Military personnel of that area, proving me right. I monitored the situation from above as he continued to run. I was determined to remain undetected.
A pair of soldiers met him at the end of the alleyway, revolvers cocked and aimed. Ready to fire.
"You, halt! Halt, or I'll shoot!" the first one demanded firmly. But Freezer kept running. All of the sudden, with a whip of his arm, alchemic sparks began to flutter. Spikes of ice protruded from the ground, knocking the pair of soldiers over, and dissolving into water when Freezer had passed. I kept after him, right on his tail. I wanted my timing to be perfect. I'd pounce when I deemed it coherent.
Around the next corner, Freezer was met by yet another pair of Military personnel, waiting for him with their revolvers. But these two seemed a little more edgy than the first two had been. The officer pulled the trigger only seconds before Isaac had reached him, evading the bullet and thrusting his arm out of the way. In a flash of more dancing alchemic sparks, the man was frozen, and toppled to the ground, producing a sickening, glassy thud. The man behind gawked in horror as he looked on. He screamed in terror as Freezer seized his face into his palm and boiled his entire body. The stench was unbearable. I observed this scene, seething with disgust. It had been too late for me to intervene. This entire thing unfolded in less than a minute.
"Water freezes, water boils. Either way, you're just as dead." he remarked. I grinded my teeth.
I can't let him hurt anyone else! It's time for me to take Freezer down. Now.
As soon as I was about to pounce, a spear was flung through the air, precisely aimed at Freezer. He eluded out of the way before the spear came in contact with him. It lodged itself into the ground. You could clearly see the alchemic sparks still emitting from it.
"What a nasty thing to do" said a boy's voice. I could make out his outline through the darkness, but I couldn't make out his face.
"You of all people should know that great deeds require great sacrifice," he grinned insanely, "Isn't that the law of Equivalent Exchange?"
The nerve he has to lump in the laws of alchemy with homicide! I thought, finding it almost embarrassing that this guy had been a former State Alchemist.
He's a disgrace to all Alchemists.
"Save your breath. The laws of Alchemy don't justify murder!"
Fullmetal emerged from the darkness, and from the look on his face I could tell that he was just as disgusted as I was. He clapped his hands and took the spear back out of the ground, transmuting it into a club… with an epic fail picture of him on the end of it. Wait- transmutation without circles?
So… I'm not the only one…
My eyes widened as I remembered Alphonse, and the unnatural vacant tone that his voice held. The empty weight of his hand as he shook mine…
Could those boys have committed the taboo…?
By the time that I had come out of my suspicions, Al had appeared, and the three men had commenced in combat. When Edward swung at Freezer with his club, Freezer grabbed Edward's arm, and attempted to perform a transmutation. But the reaction only sent him flying onto the ground.
"No, I had you! Any water in there should've boiled!" Freezer exclaimed.
"If it's any consolation, you did ruin my coat."
The force of the failed transmutation and torn the sleeve of Fullmetal's coat, revealing his automail arm.
"… An automail arm!" Freezer said, astonished at his discovery.
There wasn't any question about it anymore. Edward and Alphonse had committed the taboo, they attempted to perform Human Transmutation, and it failed. Resulting in Edward losing his arm and Alphonse losing his body… I knew this for sure.
Edward tore off his jacket and tossed it onto the ground. With the factors put into place, Freezer was able to discover Edward's identity, the Fullmetal Alchemist.
"So… it's not you?" Freezer asked, pointing towards Alphonse. Alphonse scratched the top of his helmet, and nervously replied,
"Uhm, no. I'm his younger brother, Alphonse."
I could tell that this sort of thing happened to the two brothers quite often, for self-explanatory reasons.
"But he's a runt." Freezer remarked, referring towards Fullmetal.
"OH YEAH? COULD A RUNT DO THIS?" he exploded, clapping his hands, smacking them onto the ground, and imprisoning Freezer within miscellaneous columns of concrete.
"I've heard the stories, but I never imagined this. The Fullmetal Alchemist is just a little kid?"
Edward fumed once more, slamming his hand onto the wall.
"Don't call me little!" he screamed, transmuting a hand that sent Freezer flying. I giggled, amused. For two reasons: 1) This scene in itself was utterly priceless, and 2) I'd just found out what makes Fullmetal tick. I shall use this to my advantage when conducting my revenge.
"Uhm, brother? I don't think he was talking about your height just now." Alphonse said. Edward flinched.
"WELL, EVEN IF HE WASN'T, HE STILL PISSED ME OFF!"
Fullmetal and his little bro had made this a lot easier for me. Much to my discontent, I hadn't had the chance to intervene earlier, but I had the chance to capture Freezer and hand him over to Mustang. Quickly, I finally leapt from the rooftop, landing and rolling gracefully to reduce the impact from the fall. I landed right in front of Edward and Alphonse, who gasped softly at my sudden entrance.
"What the hell?" I heard Fullmetal comment as I transmuted a pair of handcuffs and dashed over to Freezer, who still lay sprawled out on the ground. I pressed my knee into his spine to keep him restrained, and roughly pulled his arms behind his back. He grunted agitatedly. As I began to adjust the handcuffs around his wrists, more soldiers began to show up, ready to shoot if Freezer made any moves.
"Isaac McDougal," I began, "you've now been taken under custody of the Military." He just chuckled dryly as I yanked him up to his feet.
"I suggest that you proceed silently." I said firmly, beginning to lead him onward. The armed soldiers began to huddle around me.
"We'll take him out of your hands for you, miss." said one of them. I nodded, and handed him over.
"Make sure to notify Colonel Roy Mustang upon his capture."
"Yes ma'am." the soldier responded, saluting and heading off on his way with the others.
"And keep your eye on him." I warned. It was obvious that Freezer was one of those sneaky ones.
I heard the sound of metal colliding against concrete and turned around to face Alphonse running towards me.
"Vivienne! It's good to see you again." he said, stopping in front of me. I smiled and waved lightly.
"Hey Alphonse, nice to see you too."
"You know her, Al?" said Edward, approaching from behind.
"Well, not exactly. I met her in the hallway back at Central Command a little while ago."
I stepped towards Edward.
"Hello Fullmetal," I outstretched my hand, "I'm Vivienne. Vivienne Eden."
He took my hand in his.
"I'm Ed." he replied.
"We've met. You probably don't remember, but you massacred my face with a door earlier today."
He let go of my hand and scratched the back of his head confoundedly.
"I did what now?"
"Remember when you stormed out of the Colonel's office earlier?" Alphonse began, "You accidentally hit her on the way out. She was on the ground."
Edward blinked, dumbfounded. He seemed to take notice of my red, injured nostrils.
"Wow, guess I didn't notice. Sorry about that." he apologized. I shrugged.
"Just watch your back from now on." I replied bluntly.
"Wha-"
All of the sudden, the entire alleyway was engulfed with a warm, suffocating steam. Edward and I automatically started choking. What the hell was going on?
"*cough* Ugh, what is that? Steam?" Edward choked out.
Normally, I would've made a sarcastic remark. Seeing that it was obvious that this substance, indeed, was steam. But I was only thinking about one thing at the moment.
...Freezer!
I dashed over to the direction that the soldiers were headed with Freezer. When the steam faded entirely, I spotted the handcuffs on the ground, along with three bewildered Military personnel. Freezer was no where to be found.
"What the HELL! I thought you guys were watching him!" I yelled.
"We-we don't know what happened! We're sorry!"
"DAMN IT, NOW HE REALLY PISSED ME OFF!" I heard Edward yell from behind.
I roughly smacked my hand to my face, frustrated, causing the bridge of my wounded nose to sting violently. I ran my fingertips up my forehead and through my bangs. Letting out an irritated sigh, I turned to face Ed and his brother.
"I guess we don't have any choice but to let the Colonel know what happened."
Ed scoffed at that remark.
This had actually been a little longer, but I decided to cut it here. Mainly because I wanted to edit this certain part, and because I wanted to go ahead and update the story. Also, it's 12:30am, and I have to wake up for High School in 4 and 1/2 hours. I'll update soon! Hope you enjoyed. I promise my writing will continue to improve, that's one of my main goals.