Chapter 3

Mika stood there a moment and blushed. She watched him and then moved her hand and placed it lightly on her cheek. She thought about a few things and she then moved and turned and walked to the door and exited the shop with Echo.

Echo smirked slyly. "Someone has a crush!" She sang to Mika with a huge grin on her face as she giggled. "Oh, how CUTE!"

Mika blushed from embarrassment. "SHHHHHH Echo quiet!" She hissed and glared a little. "I... I don't have a crush on him! I have no idea what you're talking about." She said and she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away a bit at the ground.

"Whaaat? You were totally blushing the whole time! Either that or your dress cut off the circulation throughout your body." She chuckled.

She frowned a bit. "I highly doubt that could happen, but fine I do okay...? Just don't say anything about it." She then told her, now looking at her as they headed back to Central.

She snickered some more, brushing hair out of her face. "It's okay to like him. I did once. But he's just too... greedy."

"Well I jut don't think he's all that bad..." She then said and looked away again.

"You forget he's Greed, young Grasshopper. You haven't been around him as long as I have." She stopped and frowned, looking up at HQ. She bit her lip and sighed. "Ever want to just run away? Ever feel like you're something you're not? But you act like what people expect you to act like and do the things they expect just to be accepted and not get killed?" She rolled her eyes. "Bad rant. Let's get inside." She opened the door and went in,

"Young grasshopper..?" She asked looking slightly confused but then just forgot about it and watched her as she listened. "Something wrong with you today Echo..? You don't seem yourself." She said and followed her inside.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine once I see my Roy!" She smiled at that and hooked her arm in Mika's. "Let's go!" She skipped down the hall.

"Ah w-wait " she said as she stumbled a bit and did her best to keep up with her.

She giggled as she pushed the door to Roy's office open. "Royyy! We're ba-..." She stood there a moment and stared at the people in front of her. "What?" Roy looked past the boys in front of him. "Welcome back. Come in and take a seat. I was just finishing up here with the El-" "Elrics. I know." Echo stood deadly still. One boy was shorter with blonde hair and a long red overcoat. The other was taller, presumably a boy, in a suit of armor. They turned around to look at the sudden commotion.

Mika nearly once again lost her balance as the two entered Roy's office. She soon regained her composer and then looked at the two boys in the room. "The Elrics..?" She then asked as she stood straight again.

"Edward Elric! I've heard so much about you!" Echo walked over and shook his hand. Ed stood there confused. Usually people mistake him for the younger brother, but it didn't take him long to break into a big smile. "Oh, yeah?" "Yes! I'm Echo. Roy's current First Lieutenant. I assume you've heard about Riza?" Ed shook his head. "Yeah... We'll find her."

Mika stood near the door and she stayed silent as she watched Echo and Edward. She looked away from them and glanced At the one in the Armor for a moment before looking away

"Actually, Echo, Mika. It was good timing that you got back. I want you two to accompany the Elric brothers in search of Riza Hawkeye." Echo smiled. "I'd love to."

Mika looked over. "Accompany them...?" She thought a bit about it and then nodded. "Whatever you like, Sir." she then told Roy.

"Good. With that, you are all dismissed." Echo stood up and hooked arms with Ed. "You're the Fullmetal Alchemist." Ed looked at her with appreciation. Finally, someone didn't mistake him for his brother. He was so glad that he stumbled walking alongside Echo who chuckled. He started to notice what a pretty smile she had. "Ed?" "Huh?" Ed blinked a few times, now realizing they were outside HQ and she'd been talking to him. Echo chuckled. Meanwhile, Al walked alongside Mika. "So, Mika, how did you get roped into the military? You still look pretty young."

Mika glanced and watched Ed and Echo for a moment and she then realized someone was talking to her and became flustered with embarrassment. "Oh me..?" she said and laughed nervously. She didn't really know what to tell him. "Well I guess you can say my father was in the military and well he wanted a boy when I was born but he got stuck with me and so he raised me and got me into the military... "

Al frowned. "That sounds rough. I'm sorry you had to grow up like that. Do you like working for Roy?"

She smiled. "Its fine I enjoy it here. And I do enjoy working for Roy even though he slacks off to much and doesn't get anything done..."

He laughed. "That's Roy for you." Al thought for a moment then stopped walking and looked embarrassed.

Mika laughed a little to and then saw him stop and she looked at him. "Is something wrong..?"

Al tried not to laugh and pointed in front of him to the scene before them. Somewhere along the way, Ed started to trip and took Echo down with him. Their faces were inches apart, flushed red. Ed hovered above her. "Uh... I'm sorry!" He quickly moved to stand up, helping her up as well. Echo coughed. "I-It's okay." They brushed themselves off.

Mika looked at him and then looked over at Echo and Ed. She watched and then laughed

"Stop laughing, Mika!" Echo and Ed looked really embarrassed. Al started to laugh now. "Yeah, it's not funny, Al. I just tripped." "Oh, brother." Al sighed, chuckling a bit. "Anywho. Ed? Where are we going?" "Well, I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to stop back in Resembool and get some maintenance on my arm. The movement has been a little stiff."

"I'm sorry; I just thought it was kind of funny and... Cute." She said and she relaxed a bit and watched them. "Resembool...? That small, little town?"

Al nodded. "That's where Ed and I grew up. I know it's not much, but it's still home."

"I don't think I ever been there. I'm sure it's nice though."

Al nodded. Echo stopped a moment and looked over at a convenience store. "I need to go to the bathroom a moment. What about you, Mika?"

Mika smiled a bit at Al and then looked over at Echo. "Uh.. no I'm alright.."

Echo gave her a look telling her she'd better come with. "Are you sure?"

She tensed a little. "Uh... W-well actually now that you mention it, I do..." she said.

Echo walked with Mika into the store and into the bathroom while Ed and Al sat outside. Echo sighed, looking sad. She was having second thoughts. Could she really go through with this? Should she? Would she? Of course she would, but yet she still wasn't sure. She clenched her teeth and punched the sink, tensing up, almost crying.

Mika followed her and she looked at the other, wondering if something was wrong. When they were inside she watched the other punch the sink and she jumped. "Echo... What's the matter..?" she frowned

"I can't hurt him... I won't... But I have to..." She mumbled, closing her eyes tightly and taking deep breaths.

Mika leaned a bit closer. "Hurt him..? Who..? The Elrics..? Why do you have to? Is someone forcing you?"

Echo bit her lip and calmed down. "Nevermind." She took a deep breath. "I'm okay." She touched up her makeup and walked out into the store and started to look around.

Mika stood there a little confused. "Oh... Kay..." she said and she then sighed and she moved and walked out of the bathroom

Echo sniffled and wiped her nose a little. She picked up a picture frame with a sample picture of a family inside. She smiled and then frowned. She wished she could have that. She then felt someone's presence coming up behind her. "Mika, it's nothing. I'm okay." She turned to see the woman who owned the stop and jumped a little. "May I help you?" "No, just looking." "Look. You can't always have what you want. And what you want, you can't have. It's not in your control." Echo looked at her confused before the woman morphed into Envy. Echo growled.

Mika was looking around for a bit and she then faintly heard her name and she turned around. She looked behind her but saw no one. She moved to a few aisles and then peeked down one and saw Echo. Then she saw a women talking to her. She was silent, but then her eyes widened as she then watched the woman morphed into another person.

"Envy, I don't want to see you right now." Envy smirked. "Is that because I'm going to tell you what you don't want to hear? The truth? Because truth is, if you don't do your job, I will kill you. And I'll kill them too. You're pathetic. Tripping up over him and it's only the first day you've officially met. I don't see why everyone has so much faith in you. I mean look at you! You look like you're about to cry." Envy made a disgusted face.

Mika watched them a bit with wide eyes, and then covered her mouth a bit. Envy? Where had she heard that name before? She frowned and closed her eyes thinking. That's right! She remembered hearing it in one of Roy's reports and heard him speaking of the homunculi. So the one that changed forms was Envy? She bit her bottom lip but why was He talking to Echo? She wondered a little and it worried her. She opened her eyes and then turned to look at them and hear more about what they were talking about. Did Echo have to hurt the Elrics? This made her curious.

"Envy! I don't want to talk to you right now!" Echo started crying, pushing past him as she ran out of the store and out of sight. Ed and Al stood up. "Echo?" They looked at each other before Ed ran after her. "Ed!" Al watched him go, deciding to wait for Mika.

Mika watched them and frowned. She then watched Echo leave and she moved and left the store and watched Echo run off and saw Ed run after her. She frowned again and she then looked over at Al and she walked over to him. "Ed go after Echo...?" She said quietly.

Al nodded. "What happened?"

Mika looked in the direction they ran in and then looked back at Al. "I think Echo was talking to... A homunculus named Envy..." she said quietly.

"What?" Al exclaimed. "Why? About what?"

She frowned. "I don't know, but I think something about killing you and your brother."

Al nodded slowly. "Mika? How long have you known her?"

"Not very long... Maybe a month or two since she came here to central..."

Al was silent a moment. "What should we do?"

She frowned and thought a bit. "We should go after your brother and Echo… I'll have to contact Roy about this after we find them ASAP." She said and she glanced back at the store and then looked again in the direction. "I'm sure we will catch up to them soon and I'm also sure Roy would be interested in hearing about... This Envy being here in Central nearby."

Al nodded and started running in the direction Echo and Ed ran. They didn't run very far until Al found them in the corner of a dark alley. Echo was crying in Ed's arms. Ed looked up at Al sadly.

Mika watched him and glanced back and she then followed after Al. She looked over at the two once Al found the two and she walked over, seeing Echo crying and she frowned a little. "She going to be okay?" She then asked.

Ed nodded, petting her a bit. Echo sniffled and wiped away what tears remained on her face. "Can you stand up?" She nodded but Ed helped her up anyways. "We should find an Inn for the night. Echo's not feeling well."

"There's an Inn just down the street from here we can stay there." She then said. "I'm sure we will have no problem staying there."

Ed nodded, holding Echo around her waist. "Let's go." Al was silent as he followed them to the Inn.

Mika looked and she led them to the Inn and she then went inside. "Here I'll get the room." She said and she went ahead to the desk and talked to the women there. She got a room and paid and was then given the key. "Come on." She then said and headed upstairs to where to room was and she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Ed set Echo on the bed, who curled up into a ball, facing the wall and away from them. He laid next to her on his back, looking up at the ceiling. Al thought a moment. "I'll go get some food for everyone. Mika, do you want to tag along?"