Disclaimer - I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist
Chapter Eleven - Mission to the East
Three days after Nick had been issued his orders about the mission to the East, the boy headed to the train station to catch the train that would transport him to East City. There he met Col. Havoc who had promised to meet him at the station to see him off on his mission. Nick had informed his superior that he was a big boy and could handle his departure all on his own however Havoc had insisted on being there none the less.
"Now kid," Havoc said. "Make sure you fulfill your mission and try to keep the collateral damage to a minimum."
"Collateral damage?" Nick groaned, rolling his eyes in the direction of his superior. "How much damage can I possibly do simply delivering a letter?"
"I don't know," Havoc said, shaking his head in the boy's direction. "But I'm sure you'll find a way. You always do."
Nick rolled his eyes again, gave his superior officer a rather sarcastic salute, and then boarded the train. The boy made his way down the isle and took a seat next to a window in the back of the train. Nick always preferred to sit as far away from other people as he possibly could and as the boy sat down he glanced out the window and noticed that Col. Havoc was standing in front of the window next to which he was sitting. The Colonel rapped on the windowsill, a goofy looking grin on his face. Nick groaned and lowered the window. "What?"
"I forgot to give you an important order that could be vital to your mission."
Nick stared at his superior in utter disbelief. "And what might that be?"
"Don't die."
And with that the colonel whirled around on his heels and walked away from the train, laughing hysterically as he went.
"I really hate you," Nick called out after him as he went.
"I know," Havoc called out with a careless wave over his shoulder.
"You're such an ass!"
Ignoring the boy's rant Col. Havoc kept walking.
Nick slammed the window closed and sat down heavily in his seat. "I can't believe him. Don't die. That sounds like something Mustang would say."
Nick was glaring at the empty chair across from him, still muttering complaints under his breath, when he felt the train lurch and begin to move. He was now bound for East City, to deliver a letter to the commanding officer of Eastern Command, Col. Fox. He had no idea what the contents of the letter were or why Col. Havoc couldn't have simply mailed it. However even this poor excuse for a mission was better than being stuck in Central where he would be bored out of his mind.
The journey to East City proved to be uneventful and at the same time mind numbingly boring.
"I can't handle this," Nick said, his head gripped in his hands. "If this train doesn't arrive in East City soon I think I'm gonna snap."
"Oh calm down," a voice said suddenly.
Nick looked up and saw Kaori sitting in the seat directly across from him. He hadn't even heard the girl sit down and was completely shocked to see her sitting across from him, a smile on her face. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Now is that any way to greet a friend?" Kaori asked him with a smile.
"And since when are we friends?" Nick asked, glaring at the girl.
"Well that was mean," Kaori said.
"Glad you think so," Nick shot back, glaring at the girl. "Cause it was meant to be."
"I think you need to take a nap or something," Kaori said, shaking her head. "This long trip on the train has made you grumpy."
"Stop treating me like a little kid!" Nick burst out angrily.
"Stop acting like one and I'll stop treating you like one," Kaori said calmly, a look on her face that for some strange reason reminded Nick of the Fuhrer.
"Why are you here anyway?" Nick asked, changing the subject before a full-scale fight broke out between the two of them. "You never did answer my initial question."
"I'm traveling to East City," Kaori said. "I thought that was rather obvious seeing as how that's where the train is going."
Nick glanced around and saw that they were the only ones still in the car. "Traveling alone huh? That's kinda dangerous."
"I'm not alone. I brought two body guards with me," Kaori said, smiling at the confused look that immediately appeared on Nick's face. "So all together we're a trio. It's Me being protected by Myself and I."
Nick glared at the girl. {Something he did a lot, it seemed.} "You are such a smart ass."
Kaori smiled. "Sorry but I can't help it. It's genetic."
"Genetic huh?" Nick said thoughtfully.
Kaori nodded. "Yea. I got it from my dad and there's nothing I can do about it. It's all his fault."
"Really? I think I should track him down and inflict grave bodily harm upon him."
For some reason Nick couldn't figure out, Kaori didn't take offense to that statement. In fact she actually seemed to find that threat against her father very amusing. The girl covered her mouth, in an attempt to hide her laughter.
"You find that amusing?"
"Kinda," Kaori said, still chuckling softly.
"Why?" Nick wanted to know.
"Because if you're anything like the other members of the military I'm sure that at times you really do wanna track him down and cause him grave bodily harm."
This statement only served to further confuse Nick. He arched an eyebrow as he continued to stare at the girl. "Do I know your father?"
"If you're really a state alchemist then yeah, you know my father. And I'm sure you dislike him, for the same reason."
Now Nick was really confused. "Who is he?"
"A member of the military," was all Kaori would tell him.
"Okay fine," Nick said, giving up on finding out who Kaori's father was. There were so many people in the state military that he occasionally wanted to inflict bodily harm upon that he simply couldn't figure out who it could be.
A few hours later the train that Nick had been trapped in began to slow down. Nick stood up and stretched, a broad smile appearing on his face. "It's about time. I thought this boring train ride would never be over."
Kaori shook her head, as she gathered up her things. "You're like a little kid."
"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!!!"
"You're really hung up on that aren't you?" Kaori said with a smile.
Nick glared at her but didn't comment.
"Okay, okay," Kaori said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry."
"No you're not," Nick said sullenly.
Kaori smiled. "You're right, I'm not."
When the train finally came to a lurching halt Nick jumped up and grabbed his suitcase from the storage compartment overhead and hastily exited the train. "Finally."
"In a hurry are you?" Kaori called out, hurrying to catch up with Nick.
"Not really," Nick said. "I'm just really tired of being on that train."
"You're too hyper for your own good," Kaori told him, falling into step behind him.
"Why are you following me?" Nick came to a stop and turned to face his companion.
"Because I can." Kaori stared at the boy as though daring him to protest or to try and make her go away.
"Whatever."
Nick began the walk to the Eastern Command Headquarters, anxious to complete his lame excuse for a mission. And since she didn't have anything better to do, Kaori tagged along behind him. The walk to East HQ only took about fifteen minutes and when the two kids arrived, they came face to face with two armed guards.
"Halt," the larger of the two guards called out.
Nick and Kaori stopped.
"Where do you kids think you're going?" the other guard asked.
"Inside," Nick replied, looking at the man as though that were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Afraid not kiddo," the larger guard said. "Only military personnel are allowed beyond this point."
"So then what's the problem?" Nick asked. "I am military personnel."
That statement caused both guards to burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Why are you laughing?" Nick asked angrily.
"You actually think we'd believe that a runt like you is a member of the military." The smaller of the two guards eyes were open wide in disbelief. He obviously thought that the young boy was lying to him. Trying to sound big or something along those lines.
Kaori took a couple of steps back upon hearing these words, as though preparing for the fireworks that were soon to come.
"Damn it all," Nick growled, narrowing his eyes at the guards. The nerve of these two, calling him a runt and doubting what he told them. Then he suddenly remembered the one sure way to prove that what he was saying was true. His face brightened and he couldn't realize that he hadn't thought of this earlier. After all, it wasn't as though this particular problem was a new one. It seemed to happen to him all the time. Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out his silver pocket watch. The symbol of a State Alchemist.
The two guards immediately ceased laughing.
"You're a State Alchemist?" the larger guard exclaimed.
Nick nodded.
The two officers immediately jumped to attention.
"Sir!" the two guards chorused in unison, raising their hands in salute.
"Sorry for the misunderstanding sir," the larger guard said in an apologetic tone of voice, hoping that the young State Alchemist wouldn't hold a grudge. The kid could get both of them into a whole lot of trouble if he chose to. "May I ask what your business here at East HQ might be?"
"I'm here to deliver a letter to Col. Fox," Nick replied, even though he didn't think it was really any of their business why he was there.
"Of course," the guard said.
The two guards opened the gates and then stepped aside so that Nick could enter.
"I'll wait here for you Nick," Kaori said, knowing full well that she too could gain entry to the military headquarters yet choosing not to pull that particular string. Nick didn't know about her ties to the military and she'd just as soon keep it that way. She didn't like the way people treated her when they found out that she was the Fuhrer's daughter and she wanted Nick to make his decision about her based on her personality and not who her father was.
Nick nodded and entered the military headquarters. He quickly walked across the small courtyard and entered the building. Once inside the building, Nick walked over to a desk where a woman officer sat.
The woman looked up when she heard Nick's approach. "Can I help you?"
Hoping to save time and effort, Nick pulled his pocket watch out and showed it to the woman. "I'm here to deliver a letter from Col. Havoc in Central to Col. Fox. Could you tell me where I might find him?"
"He's in his office." The woman pointed in the direction of a hallway. "It's down the right corridor, last door on the left."
"Thanks," Nick called out over his shoulder as he walked toward the right side corridor. He walked down the corridor until he reached the last door on the left. Then, coming to a stop in front of the door, Nick knocked lightly on the door.
"Enter," a voice called out.
Nick opened the door and entered the office. Once inside Nick saw a man sitting behind a large, mahogany desk. Deciding to give the unknown officer the benefit of the doubt and show a little respect Nick stopped just in front of the desk and saluted the man behind it. "Col. Fox?"
"Yes," the man said. "And you are?"
"Nicholas Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist."
The man's eyes lit up. "A State Alchemist huh? That's amazing for a child of your age. It's a pleasure to meet you. So tell me, what brings a State Alchemist out to this dust bowl?"
"I'm a glorified mailman," the boy said in disgust, rolling his eyes. Nick pulled the letter from his superior out of his pocket and handed it to Col. Fox. "I was sent here by Col. Havoc to deliver this letter to you. So here you go."
Col. Fox took the letter from the boy and offered him a smile. "Thank you."
Nick bowed and turned to leave. "I'll be in East City for another day if you desire to send a reply." And with that Nick left the office.
Nick quickly walked back outside, toward the gate. Once he was at the gates the guards quickly opened them and allowed Nick to leave. Kaori had been sitting on the grass a short distance away from the gates and she got to her feet when she saw Nick.
"Are you ready to go?" Nick asked.
Kaori nodded and walked over to Nick. "So where are we off to?"
Nick shrugged. "I have no idea. But I planned to stay in East City at least until tomorrow so I have to find some way to amuse myself until then."
Kaori nodded.
And so Nick and Kaori began their impromptu tour of East City.
The two kids were traveling down a side street, arguing, when they were approached by a man that neither of them knew. And yet the man seemed to know Nick. The man was of average height and had dark hair and grayish blue eyes. The man wore a cut off t-shirt that revealed his muscular arms and the thing that really set the man apart which was the two transmutation circles that he had tattooed on both of his biceps.
"What wonderful luck," the man said. "Fate has brought me a State Alchemist. And not just any State Alchemist. It's the Fullmetal Alchemist, Nicholas Elric. The youngest State Alchemist in the history of the State Military."
Nick stared at the man, amazed that the man knew so much about him. He racked his brain, attempting to recall whether or not he'd ever met this man before however nothing came to mind. "Do I know you?"
"Most likely not," the man said, staring at the boy with a look of contempt. "But I know you. And I know that you're an obedient dog of the military and for that you must be punished."
Kaori stared at the man in disbelief. "Well you had me going until you said that you knew he was an obedient dog of the military. Now I know you're full of crap. This pipsqueak is anything but obedient."
"DON'T CALL ME A PIPSQUEAK, HALF-PINT MIDGET!"
"Calm down Nick," Kaori said in a placating tone of voice. "At the moment I'm the lesser of two evils so you might wanna focus some of that anger on the man who obviously wants to hurt you."
"I'll take you both on," Nick growled, his golden eyes narrowed in anger.
"That won't be necessary," Kaori said. "I think we should focus all our attention on that guy. After all, he's trying to kill you while all I did was call you a pipsqueak."
"Fine." Nick gritted his teeth and gave Kaori a glaring look that told her plain as words that this was not over, merely postponed. "We'll focus on him for now but I intend to deal with you later."
"Whatever," Kaori said.
"So, you think you have what it takes to challenge me little man?" the strange man asked with a sneer.
A vein popped out on Nick's forehead and his eyes narrowed menacingly. "DON'T CALL ME SMALL!!!"
"Small, runt, pipsqueak, half-pint midget, shrimp."
A few more veins popped out on Nick's forehead. "Just for that I'm gonna kick your ass twice as hard."
"Bring it on little man."
Nick clasped his hands together and transmuted his auto-mail arm into a metal blade. Then he ran toward the man, swinging his arm wildly.
Kaori groaned as she watched the boy swinging his arm wildly and missing the man with every blow. "This is just great. The blood's gone to his head again. We're doomed."
"I heard that," Nick said. "If you think you can do better, feel free to join in."
Kaori hesitated, not sure whether her joining the fight would help or hurt Nick, and the man saw that hesitation as an opportunity to gain an advantage in his fight against Nick. The man ran over and grabbed Kaori.
"Hey," Nick yelled. "Leave her out of this. She's not a member of the military so she isn't involved in this. This fight is between you and me."
The man sneered, unable to believe the boy's ignorance. "Not a member of the military huh kid. She's far more valuable than any mere member of the military and yet you act as though you don't know who this young lady is."
Nick stared at the man, a perplexed look on his face. "What do you mean I don't know who she is? She's a girl from Central named Kaori. What else is there to know?"
"This girl is Fuhrer Roy Mustang's daughter," the man said in a bitter voice, tightening his grip on the girl's shoulders. "And that means she deserves to die purely on that basis."
"Bastard," Kaori hissed, elbowing the man in the stomach.
The man groaned and loosened his grip on Kaori, who immediately ran out of reach. The man quickly regained his composure and refocused his attention on Nick. "I'll get that little witch after I deal with you boy."
"You think so?" Nick said. "We'll see about that."
And with that the fight continued.
Nick had gained the upper hand when the transmutation circles on the man's arms suddenly began to glow. Then the man dropped to his knees and struck the ground with his fists. Red lights erupted from the ground, which was suddenly torn apart. Nick jumped out of the way of the flying debris, barely escaping the multitude of flying rocks. Nick tucked himself into a ball, rolled and jumped to his feet, quickly preparing himself for the next attack.
"Damn," Nick cursed under his breath. "At least now I know what the transmutation circles on his arms do. That means he's lost at least a little bit of his advantage. He won't be able to take me by surprise again."
Nick clasped his hands together, dropped to his knees and transmuted a staff. The staff rose from the ground, surrounded by bright blue lights and Nick quickly grabbed it. Nick pointed the staff at the man.
The man smirked, seeming not the least bit concerned about Nick's change of weapons.
"You think you're something special don't you?" Nick lifted his staff and pointed it at the man. "Well I intend to knock you down a peg or two."
"Take your best shot."
"I will."
Nick ran toward the man, his staff pointed out.
The man held his ground and as soon as Nick got close, he grabbed the staff and his transmutation circles once again began to glow.
"Nick look out!" Kaori yelled.
Nick tried to get out of the way of the attack but he wasn't quick enough. The alchemy made the staff and the very ground that Nick was standing upon explode and Nick was knocked to the ground by the force of the blast. Rocks and bits of broken wood and metal from the staff struck him with great force, knocking the breath out of him.
"Uhn," Nick groaned, rising up.
Kaori watched in horror as the psycho alchemist walked toward Nick, a malicious gleam in his eyes. It was as though everything was happening in slow motion and yet she was frozen where she was, powerless to help him. "Get away!"
Nick made a move to run but was stopped short when the man grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The boy groaned as he was lifted off his feet and held suspended above the ground.
The man punched the boy a couple of times, as though releasing a large amount of pent up anger and then his transmutation circles began to glow once more, which Nick and Kaori had learned signaled an impending attack of horrific magnitude.
"Another State Alchemist is about to die." The man's voice held a definite note of defiance.
"Tell me something," Nick said softly, barely able to speak due to the pressure on his throat. "What did I ever do to you? I don't even know you."
"True enough," the man said, his eyes glowing with hatred and revealing not even a trace of sympathy for the child who's life he was about to end. "However your fate was sealed the moment you became a dog of the military. State Alchemists are cowards who give the rest of the military a bad name."
"Huh?" Nick said, now completely confused. The man didn't seem to hate the entire military, only the State Alchemists. That was unusual. Most people who hated one part of the military hated the whole thing, not just one particular branch. But not this guy. He believed that the elite of the military were also the scum of the military.
"State Alchemists are supposed to be the elite of the military and yet they're never around when their fellow soldiers truly need them. My father was a regular, run of the mill soldier and he was killed in the rebellion in Lior because the three State Alchemists that were in Lior didn't arrive until after all the soldiers were massacred. Then on top of all that, the military covered the whole thing up. No doubt to protect the three worthless State Alchemists. I find that unforgivable and because of this I have made it my life's mission to track down and kill as many State Alchemists as I can. My father died because they weren't doing their job!"
"I'm sorry about that," Nick whispered. "But you're taking out your anger on people who had nothing to do with it. I wasn't even alive when the Lior rebellion took place."
"It doesn't matter," the man said, refusing to let this boy sway his thoughts away from his mission. State Alchemists were the scum of the universe. All State Alchemists, there were no exceptions. This boy was no different from the other State Alchemists, no matter how young he was, and he deserved to die. "All you State Alchemists are just alike and you all deserve to die."
"Who the hell are you?" Nick gasped, struggling to breathe despite the man's grip on his throat.
"You can call me Hunter," the man said with a smirk. "Or at least you could if you weren't about to die."
Nick struggled to keep his eyes open but the lack of sufficient oxygen was beginning to take its toll on him. He gasped for breath, his lungs burning, but he was unable to draw a decent breath and his vision was beginning to grow blurry as a result of oxygen deprivation.
"So we all deserve to die do we?" came a new voice.
"What the. . ."
The man whirled around and saw two uniformed military members standing at the entrance to the alley.
"Dad!" Kaori yelled, her eyes lighting up at the sight of them. "Col. Havoc!"
"Fuhrer Mustang." A twisted smile appeared on the man's face once he realized who he was facing. "What an honor."
"I may be the Fuhrer but I was a State Alchemist first," Mustang said. "So if you have a problem with State Alchemists then you have a problem with me." He narrowed his eyes at the man. "Now let the boy go."
"Sure thing," the man said, releasing his grip on Nick's collar and allowing the boy to drop to the ground. The boy was small compared to the man now standing only a few feet away and could be dealt with at any time. "I can come back and finish off the boy after I deal with you."
Once he was released Nick fell limply to the ground. He didn't even have the strength to stand and crumpled immediately and just lay on the ground. Kaori ran over and knelt down at his side, a concerned expression in her eyes as she gazed down at the boy.
"You're such a tough man." Mustang glared at the man, his voice low and taunting. "Beating up on small children. Let's see how you fare against an adult opponent."
"I think I'll fare pretty well," the man said.
"Think again," Mustang said, pulling a white glove from his pocket and putting it on his right hand. Mustang held up his now gloved hand, revealing the fact that the glove had a transmutation circle drawn on it. Mustang snapped his fingers together and flames shot from his hand, missing his opponent's head by mere inches.
"What the. . ."
"Didn't realize that you were facing the Flame Alchemist, did you?" Mustang smirked, thoroughly enjoying the look of surprise on the man's face. It had been a long time since he'd used his alchemy in combat and here he was in his element. "That would be your bad."
"The Flame Alchemist," the man whispered, his eyes growing wide. "You're the Flame Alchemist?"
Mustang nodded.
"You were there," the man said, his eyes glazing over. "You were a colonel then and you were there. In Lior. It's your fault."
The man made a move to attack Mustang again but was stopped short by a volley of bullets from Havoc's gun. The man stopped short and glared at Havoc a second before he suddenly turned and punched the side of a building, the transmutation circles on his arms glowing as he did so. A large hole appeared in the building and the man ran inside, knowing that for the moment he was outnumbered.
Choosing not to pursue the man Mustang and Havoc instead turned their attention to the two children. Mustang ran over to his daughter while Havoc walked over to his young charge.
"Kaori," Mustang said, grabbing his daughter by the shoulders, his eyes quickly moving over her body searching for any signs of injury. "Are you okay?"
"Yea Dad," Kaori said, nodding. "I'm fine."
"Thank goodness," Mustang said. Then his emotions abruptly changed from one of great relief to one of great anger. "What did you think you were doing, slipping off and taking a train to East City? You could have been hurt or even killed. Don't you know it's dangerous out here?"
"Why is it more dangerous for me than it is for Nick?" Kaori asked, now angry herself. She was tired of everyone treating her like a helpless little kid. "I'm the same age as he is and I'm also an alchemist. I can take care of myself. So why is it okay that he came but not okay that I did? Tell me that."
Mustang opened his mouth to respond but didn't get the chance.
"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt sir," Havoc said from a few feet away. "But I think we should seek medical aid for Fullmetal."
Mustang turned to look at the young boy whom Havoc now held in his arms. The boy's face was deathly pale and his breathing was light. Blood covered the boy's torn black shirt and a pool of blood covered the ground where the boy had fallen when his attacker had released him. Postponing the argument with his daughter he nodded his head in agreement. "I think you're right Col. Havoc. We'll take him to the military base. It's not far from here and they should have a doctor there."
Havoc nodded and the group began the short walk across town to the Eastern Command Center. It took the group about fifteen minutes to reach the base and when they did, they came face to face with the two armed guards.
Recognizing their visitor immediately the two guards jumped to attention and saluted. "Welcome Fuhrer Mustang."
"We need a doctor," Mustang told the guards. "There is one here at East HQ, correct?"
"Yes sir," the taller of the two guards replied.
"Good," Mustang said. "Open the gate."
The two guards saluted again and quickly moved to obey the Fuhrer's orders. They opened the gates and Mustang, Kaori and Havoc, who carried Nick in his arms, entered the base. The group walked across the small courtyard to the front entrance of the building and was greeted by two more armed guards, who immediately saluted them.
"Welcome Fuhrer Mustang."
"We need a doctor," Mustang repeated. "Can one of you men escort us to the base doctor?"
Once of the men saluted again. "Of course sir. Follow me."
The guard led the group into the base, down a long corridor to a door at the far end of the hallway. "Here we are sir. This is Dr. Lee's office."
"Thank you Sergeant," Mustang said, nodding his head in the soldier's direction. "You are dismissed."
The guard saluted and then left to return to his guard duty.
Mustang knocked on the door and when he heard a voice call out, "Enter," he opened the door and walked inside the room, followed by the rest of the group. Once inside the room they saw a fairly young man sitting behind a mahogany desk. When he saw who his visitor was the man quickly jumped to his feet and saluted.
"At ease," Mustang said. "Are you Dr. Lee by chance?"
"Yes sir," the man replied.
"I have need of your services then."
At this point Havoc stepped forward from the back of the room and Dr. Lee's gaze fell to the limp boy who rested in the Colonel's arms. Realizing that the boy needed immediate care, Dr. Lee brushed everything from his desk into the floor. "Lay him down right here," Dr. Lee said in a commanding tone of voice.
Havoc nodded. He walked across the room and placed Nick on the desk.
"We'll leave you to your work," Mustang said, knowing that the doctor would be better able to do his job without the three of them hovering around. And with that he, Havoc and Kaori left the room.
Mustang and the others sat out in the hallway for nearly half an hour before Dr. Lee emerged from his office. Mustang stood up and looked expectantly at the doctor.
"I did what I could for the boy with the resources that I have on hand," Dr. Lee said. "And he is stable for now. But I think it would be best if you took him back to Central so that a better equipped doctor can tend to him."
Mustang nodded. "Thank you for everything you did for him Dr. Lee."
Dr. Lee saluted.
"Col. Havoc," Mustang said. "Get Fullmetal and we'll be on our way to the train station. I think the sooner we get back to Central the better."
"Yes sir."
Havoc walked back into the doctor's office and scooped Nick up into his arms once more. Then he went back out into the hallway where Mustang and Kaori were waiting for him.
"I'll have a car sent for you immediately sir," Dr. Lee said. "I think it best that you not waste any time returning to Central."
"Thank you," Mustang said.
True to his word, Dr. Lee had a car waiting for them when they exited East HQ. The group climbed inside the car and the driver drove them to the East City train station. As luck would have it a train bound for Central was preparing to leave and Mustang paid for the groups' passage and they boarded the train. Once inside the rail car, Havoc sat down on one of the seats and placed Nick on the seat beside him. Mustang and Kaori sat down in the seat directly across from them.
Still unconscious, Nick leaned heavily against Havoc.
"Oh I can't wait to rub this in." Havoc gazed down at Nick's head, which was resting on his shoulder. "Fullmetal will never hear the end of it."
"That's mean," Kaori said.
"I know," Havoc said, an evil glint in his eyes.
"Colonel at least wait until Fullmetal recovers before you begin to torment him over this incident," Mustang requested. "That way there's no chance that his recovery will be slowed. The last thing I need hanging around HQ is a useless State Alchemist."
"Yes sir," Havoc said.
Kaori stared at Nick as the train traveled toward Central and as bad as she hated to admit it, she much preferred his earlier restlessness over his current state. Although he was quiet on this trip, it didn't make Kaori happy.
"Come on Nick," Kaori thought to herself. "Wake up and complain a little. At least that way I'll know that you're okay. I can't stand seeing you like this."
Despite Kaori's silent pleading Nick remained unconscious.
After spending several hours on a train, the group arrived back in Central. When the train came to a halt Mustang and Kaori quickly stood up. Havoc stood up carefully and then scooped Nick up into his arms.
"Let's get Fullmetal to the hospital as quickly as possible," Mustang said.
Havoc nodded and followed his superior out of the railcar and off the train. Kaori followed behind the two men, trying not to hinder their progress.
Mustang had called ahead and alerted Central Command of their return and a car was waiting for them just outside the train station. The group quickly climbed into the car and made their way to the military hospital in Central. The driver of the car seemed to sense the groups' urgency to get to the hospital and drove as fast as he could safely travel through the streets of Central. The driver made good time and Mustang was relieved when he saw the Central Military Hospital come into view.
The car pulled up in front of the hospital and the driver jumped out, ran around to the back and opened the door. Mustang and Kaori climbed out and got out of the way so that Havoc could get out with Nick. The group quickly entered the hospital and turned Nick's care over to the doctors. Then they sat down to await news.
A few hours later Nick was resting quietly in a room in the hospital, having been examined and treated by the medical staff. Kaori was with Nick, sitting in a chair that had been placed by his bedside. Mustang and Havoc, having been assured by doctors that Nick would be okay, had returned to Central HQ but had told Kaori that they would return later on in the day.
Kaori was sitting at Nick's bedside when the boy began to show signs that he might soon regain consciousness. The boy moaned slightly and the muscles of his face began to twitch.
"Nick," Kaori called out in a soft voice. "Wake up Nick."
"Uhn," the boy groaned, his eyelids fluttering. Nick opened his eyes slowly and stared up at Kaori, who was leaning over him. "Where am I?"
"You're in the military hospital in Central," Kaori told him.
"How the hell did I get here?" Nick asked, staring around the small room in surprise. "I thought we were in East City."
"We were," Kaori said. "Yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
Kaori nodded. "We were fighting that alchemic mad man and he was winning. That's when my dad showed up."
Suddenly Nick remembered the fight and the arrival of Mustang. He also remembered a shocking bit of information that his opponent had revealed to him before he proceeded to beat him senseless. He glared at Kaori, an accusing look in his golden eyes. "Why didn't you ever tell me that you were Mustang's daughter? I never would have let you off the train in East City if I'd known who you were. If you'd gotten hurt Mustang would have killed me. I can't believe you kept that information from me."
Slightly hurt by Nick's accusing tone but not wanting to upset him in his current state Kaori held her voice low. "It just never came up. I don't exactly go around advertising that fact."
"You should have told me," Nick said.
"True enough," Kaori said. "I'm sorry."
"Damn it all," Nick groaned in an aggravated voice, the true horror of the situation just beginning to sink in. "So I was rescued by Mustang and Havoc. Of all the people who could have came along it just had to be the two of them. I'll never hear the end of this."
"Come on Nick," Kaori said in an attempt to cheer him up. "It can't possibly be all that bad."
"You have no idea." Nick shivered as he recalled all the things the two men had done to torment him since he'd joined the State Military. The list was long and he hadn't even been a State Alchemist for full year yet. "Those two delight in tormenting me."
Kaori gazed at Nick. Her thoughts went back to the reactions of her dad and Col. Havoc when they'd examined Nick's injuries and discovered their severity. Both men had been worried about the boy and Kaori viewed that as proof that despite what they might say, or what Nick might think, the two men really did care for the boy.
"Should I tell him?" Kaori thought to herself. "No," she finally decided. "He'll find out soon enough. Besides, he'd just get pissed off if I told him and I'd rather avoid that if at all possible."
Nick sat up slowly and moaned as his wounds began to throb. "Movement is definitely bad," Nick thought to himself but he willed himself to work through it and he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position.
"Don't push yourself," Kaori warned.
"Oh lay off," Nick said. "I've had worse than this and you can bet the next time I see that man he'll be the one who suffers."
"The next time?" Kaori gasped. "You mean you plan on going after that man again?"
"Of course." Nick's voice was filled with conviction.
"You can't be serious," Kaori said. "He nearly killed you and if my dad and Col. Havoc hadn't come along when they did you probably wouldn't have survived the encounter."
Nick shrugged. "That's the past. I won't let that happen again. Now I know what to expect from him and our next battle will be different."
"You're hopeless," Kaori said.
"Hmm," Nick said, not even bothering to deny her accusation.
Later that evening Nick was lying in bed when he heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it could be, Nick called out in a soft voice, "Come in." The door opened and General Hughes and his daughter Elicia entered the room.
"Hey Nick," Hughes said, smiling at the boy. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good all things considered," Nick replied.
"Glad to hear it," Hughes said. "We were worried about you and Gracia insisted that I come and check on you."
"So news has spread already huh?" Nick said.
"Not too far," Hughes said, knowing full well what the boy was worried about. "Mustang only told those of us who are closest to you. So relax kid. I don't think knowledge of this incident will be widespread until after you recover."
"That's a comforting thought," Nick said.
"Hey kid you should be thankful for what you can get," Hughes told the boy in a fatherly tone of voice. "Col. Havoc could very easily have made a public announcement about your little battle. But he didn't."
"True," Nick reluctantly conceded. "I wonder why. He must be planning something."
"Don't be so suspicious," Kauri admonished.
"I'm not being suspicious," Nick said. "I just know these people."
Now that he was sure that Nick was going to be okay, Hughes felt slightly more at ease. "You just can't seem to stay out of trouble can you? This is the second time this week that you've had need of a doctor."
"It's not my fault I'm so popular," Nick said shrugging his shoulders.
"So Roy, what can you tell me about this man they call Hunter?"
Fuhrer Mustang leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "He's almost like a copy-cat killer. He targets State Alchemists and his methods are very similar, almost identical in fact, to those that Scar employed. However Hunter isn't a true copy-cat because he seems to have his own set of motives for the slaughter of State Alchemists."
Ed nodded and stared gravely at the Fuhrer. He was thinking of his young son, lying in a bed in the military hospital. When he'd arrived in Central Ed had traveled directly to the military hospital to check on his son. However he did little more than assure himself that the boy would make a full recovery before traveling to Central HQ. He was determined to find out what had happened and how.
"And this man is after Nick."
It wasn't a question but a statement of fact yet Mustang felt the need to affirm those words.
"Based on all the information that he knew about Nick we can assume that he had set his sights on Nick way before their chance encounter in East City," the Fuhrer said. "And based on our intelligence, we have every reason to believe that he will target the boy again in the future. And I must say Ed, your son does little to dissuade this from happening. Quite the contrary, it's almost as if the boy's looking for trouble."
"Yea that sounds about right," Ed said with a wry smile. This was payback for his own youth, he was sure of it. "Equivalent Exchange."
"On the bright side your son is an incredibly skilled alchemist," Fuhrer Mustang said, attempting to lighten the dark mood that had descended upon the office. "So he stands a better chance than most."
"Skilled yes," Ed said, nodding his head in agreement. "but also young and reckless. A distinct disadvantage against this kind of opponent."
"Don't worry Edward," Fuhrer Mustang said in a reassuring voice. "I have people keeping an eye on him. He's safe."
"Yea, while he's here in Central," Ed said. "But we both know that this is an unlikely place for Hunter to strike. He'll wait until Nick is out of the military's backyard to make his move."
Ed had a valid point but Fuhrer Mustang didn't want to think about it. "We're doing all we can Ed, what more do you want from me? I can make up some reason to court-martial the boy if you think he'll be safer away from the military."
"No," Ed said quickly. "You can't do that. Nick had some reason for leaving Resembool and coming to Central. And he obviously thought that joining the State Military would help him find whatever it was he's searching for. Therefore he must remain in the military for the time being, at least until I find out exactly what his ultimate goal is."
"And once you find out what the boy's after?" Fuhrer Mustang said quietly. "What then?"
"I'm not exactly sure," Ed said with a shrug. "Haven't planned that far ahead."
Fuhrer Mustang rolled his eyes. "And why doesn't that surprise me Edward?"
Ed's gaze narrowed and he leaned forward in his chair and pointed his index finger at Mustang. "Watch it. I can still destroy you, you know."
"Maybe you can and maybe you can't Edward," the Fuhrer said with a smirk. "That is neither here nor there. I believe the purpose of this meeting was to discuss Hunter."
Ed relaxed a degree and leaned back in his chair. "This is true. So how many alchemists have you lost to this guy?"
"Seven that were confirmed to have been killed by Hunter," Fuhrer Mustang said.
"So the copy-cat has killed far less than Scar," Ed said.
"Yes," Fuhrer Mustang said, a grave expression on his face. "But these attacks only started a few months ago so the current number has no bearing on how much of a threat the man is. And we still have no idea exactly who the man is. Hell, Hunter may not even be his actual name. It may just be an alias or perhaps a title he's given himself."
"So that's all you and your men know about him huh?" Ed said.
"More or less," Fuhrer Mustang said. "All we have are random bits of information that make no sense when put together. We're missing important pieces of the puzzle but rest assured that we will find this guy."
Nick spent nearly a week in the hospital before his doctor decided he'd recovered enough from his injuries to be discharged.
"Now kid," the doctor said, as Nick prepared to leave. "I'm letting you out of the hospital but you're off active duty for the next couple of weeks. No more missions for you for awhile."
"What?!" Nick exclaimed, not at all happy about the doctor's decision. "I'm well enough to resume my duties as a State Alchemist."
"Afraid not," the doctor said. "Your fitness for duty is my call and I don't think you're ready just yet. And I've already informed Col. Havoc of my decision, in case you decide to try and leave him out of the loop. So have a nice vacation."
And with that the doctor left.
"Damn you," Nick muttered as he watched the doctor's retreat. Nick pulled on his black shirt and left the hospital room that he'd been trapped in for nearly a week. As he walked out of the room he ran into Kaori, who was standing out in the hallway.
"Hello," Kaori said as Nick walked out into the hallway.
"Hey," Nick said.
"I heard you were getting out today." Kaori smiled at Nick. "So I came to walk with you. Do you mind?"
Nick shook his head, slightly surprised that he really didn't mind the thoughts of her company. "No, I don't mind."
And so the two kids left the hospital and began the walk toward the Hughes house. They'd only walked a short distance when Nick suddenly stopped.
Kaori was immediately concerned. "Are you alright Nick?"
"I'm fine," Nick assured her. "Listen, I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you before."
"It's okay Nick." Although she acted as though it was no big deal inside Kaori was beaming. She knew how difficult it must be for Nick to apologize to her and she was pleased beyond measure that he did. "Don't worry about it."
Nick smiled and continued his trip to his temporary home.
Since the doctor had ordered that Nick spend the next two weeks resting Col. Havoc refused to give the boy a new mission and flat out forbade him from going back to East City.
Not surprisingly that really pissed Nick off.
"Come on Colonel," Nick said. "This forced vacation that the doctor ordered isn't necessary. I'm more than ready to return to active duty. You can give me another mission."
Not surprisingly Col. Havoc refused to be swayed by his young subordinate's anger. And the boy's repeated requests did nothing but frustrate the colonel.
"No. You're going to take it easy for the next couple of weeks like you were told," Col. Havoc said, a slight note of frustration in his voice after Nick's fifth request for permission to leave Central and continue his mission. "So stop asking for permission to leave. The answer is no and it will continue to be so. Now go and find something to amuse yourself but make sure that it's not too strenuous."
So Nick left his superior's office but he wasn't quite ready to give up his wishes to leave Central and resume his mission. "I could just leave without his permission."
"You can't do that," Kaori said, from where she stood against a wall.
Nick hadn't noticed her standing there and he jumped when he heard the unexpected comment.
"Where did you come from?"
"I've been around," Kaori told him. "But don't change the subject. If you leave without permission, you'll get into a lot of trouble. You might even be court-martialed. Going AWOL is a serious offense."
"I don't care," Nick said.
"Maybe not but I do."
Nick stared at the girl.
"If you get yourself court-martialed over something stupid like this I'll never forgive you. Just take the time off like the doctor ordered and then you can resume your mission. It's not like two weeks will make that much difference in the grand scheme of things."
Nick frowned as he thought about her words.
"Besides," Kaori continued. "You could probably use a vacation. You and I can hang out if you'd like. That should help alleviate some of your boredom so this forced vacation will be at least slightly more bearable. What do you say?"
"Fine," Nick said. "I'll behave myself."
"Thanks," Kaori said, happy that he'd seen reason.
And so the two children spent the next two weeks roaming around Central, joking around and generally giving one another a hard time. And although he was still anxious to continue his mission, Nick grudgingly had to admit that he enjoyed spending time with his new friend.
"You know," Nick said one evening as the two sat out in the grass in front of Central Headquarters. "You're not all that bad. Even if you are Mustang's daughter."
Kaori smiled. "I could take that a couple of different ways but I choose to take it as a compliment. And you're not all that bad yourself, even if you are a hot-headed little shrimp."
A vein popped out on Nick's forehead. "DON'T CALL ME A SHRIMP!!!"
Kaori laughed.
"It's not funny," Nick muttered.
Kaori grinned and patted Nick on the head. "It'll be okay."
"That, in itself, annoys me," Nick said.
"You just can't be pleased can you?" Kaori asked.
Nick made no comment. He simply sat, staring at the horizon and planning what his next move would be as soon as he was able to resume his mission. Hanging out with Kaori was fun and all but Nick still had a goal to accomplish and he was itching to get back on the job.
A/N - and thus ends yet another chapter. a really long chapter. hope you enjoyed this installment, please review and tell me what you thougt. til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.