Arisa pov:
I sat up with a tired sigh, under-rested and lethargic. Sleep had not graced me for most of the night and I could barely find enough energy to get my mind to focus on anything, all the more so thanks to the tension I felt between my eyebrows.
Thoughts of why I had been transferred to Central City to work under Col. Archer had bothered me. I had been doing quite fine under Col. Mustang – I had solved many cases, got a good name and I got along well with everyone on the team. Then again, I had already guessed the transfer to be connected to the homunculi. Thinking of what the future held made me uneasy.
With a shake of my head, I proceeded to get ready for the day, leaving Leo to sleep in a little longer until I was done. While I showered, I thought of all the possible ways Hughes san could have been shot. A desk job was one of the safest jobs in the military so this shouldn't have happened. Why was he out on an investigation at all? Was it an order from the higher ups or was he doing this out of his own interest and curiosity? What was he trying to find out?
Sure, being in the military meant taking risks but something about him being shot didn't feel right. He and his family didn't deserve what had happened.
Done with my shower, I dried off and dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. I towel-dried my hair, then dried it more with a blower before braiding it. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Leo was awake. He seemed hesitant as he got off the bed and stepped to me.
"Ari sama sad?" he asked softly.
I regarded him with a small smile and placed a hand on his head. "A little, but I'll be alright. Why don't you go wash up so we can leave for work?"
With a cheery smile, he nodded and scurried into the bathroom. When he was done and dressed, I combed his hair and we both headed to the Central Headquarters. Even though the place we stayed in was within the compound of the military, it was still quite far from the main office building. It took us almost fifteen minutes of walking to get to there. And of course, we got a lot of stares and whispering from the soldiers we passed by.
From the looks of it, most people didn't know I was a State Alchemist. We had been in East City until now, so it was obvious that my sudden appearance had sparked curiosity in those who saw us. Some stares were specifically sent to Leo but he ignored them because he had both got used to it and knew that I would kick anyone's butts if they did anything that hurt him.
Just as it had happened in East City when I first reported for duty after the Qualification Exam, I was stopped by some soldiers when I reached the entrance of the headquarters. I wasn't in the mood because of yesterday so unlike any other time, I just looked at the soldiers with a passive face.
"Hey there, sweetheart! What's a cute girl like you doing here? Here to meet your boyfriend?"
"I bet I'm much hotter than her boyfriend!"
"Wanna go out with me, sweet cheeks? I'm an alchemist, you know? I could show you some cool stuff!"
Their annoying showing off had me sighing. However, their comments towards me stopped when they finally noticed Leo beside me. Contorting their faces in disgust, they sent sharp sneers his way, while the latter shifted to stand behind me while clutching my shorts.
"What the hell is that disgusting thing doing here?!"
"A chimera? I bet it escaped from the research lab!"
"Oi! Get away from the girl!"
One of them reached out to yank Leo away from me but were surprised when their wrist was caught in a tight grip by me, tight enough to cause pain. The soldier winced and glared at me but faltered under the glare I gave him.
Shoving his hand away harshly, I snapped, "I never said you could touch him."
The soldier grabbed me by the collar at that and hissed, "What did you say, b****? You think you can say that to a man and soldier after he's been talking so nicely to you? Who'd want a b**** like you as a girlfriend anyway?"
I shoved him away then showed him and his friends my pocket watch. "I'm a State Alchemist and I'm here to report to Col. Archer. So, if you wouldn't mind, move. Although, I don't really give a shit if you mind either."
Their attitudes had pissed me off but they were left flabbergasted. They didn't move so I shoved them aside before entering the building with Leo following, his hand in mine. I stopped a moment in front of the administration counter and leaned forward to look at the woman sitting behind the desk.
"Excuse me," I said, "could you tell me where I can find Col. Archer?"
"What business do you have with him?" she asked with a friendly smile and I showed her my transfer papers. She looked through them once before returning them and telling me where his office is. Following her directions, I reached a door that had the colonel's name on a metal plate on the door.
With a deep breath, I knocked. Upon hearing him give me permission to enter, I let myself in and close the door when I was inside. I stepped to his desk and held my papers for him to take.
"It is good to see you, Arisa. I'm sorry about the timing though – the death of Brig. Gen. Hughes must have been a shock," he said in a business tone. I could feel the eyes of all his subordinates on me. They were also whispering amongst themselves about me being a little girl and a State Alchemist and with a chimera. I wondered how many more times I would have to face this cliché situation.
"It's alright, Colonel. It was something I was hoping wasn't true but sometimes things just happen and have to be accepted," I said, pushing down the rush of emotions the roused within me. Col. Archer nodded and put down my papers before leaning forward with his chin resting on his interlocked hands.
"I have heard rumors from soldiers in East City that your skills of investigation are very good. I want to see it for myself so I will give you your first mission." I nodded once and he continued, "There has been news of a serial killer going around lately. He's been targeting military families in different localities. His movements are rather disorderly with no pattern for us to follow. Here is a map with places marked out in the order of his killings. I would like you to look into the case."
The paper he handed to me was map of Central City and there were about nineteen red crosses in different areas with numbers written next to them.
"I will have a look at this, Colonel," I said and he regarded me with a smile.
"You can sit next to Lt. Herbert over there. I've set up an extra chair for your chimera friend as well." He motioned to an empty seat next to one of the lieutenants. The latter seemed neither happy nor annoyed that I was partnered up with a chimera – I was glad for that. Although, the whole atmosphere in this office wasn't very welcoming.
My assumption was only proved wrong when Lt. Herbert moved away from me eying both me and Leo in disgust when we went to take our seats. I held back a roll of my eyes as I sat down and Leo took his seat next to me while looking around the office curiously. He remained silent, only swinging his legs, knowing that he shouldn't cause any trouble. I handed him a story book so he could pass the time while I worked. Giving me a grin, he leaned back comfortably to read.
I focused my attention on the map in front of me now. I merely observed it a moment, trying to see if the places the serial killer had made his attacks were really at random or if there was some pattern to it that the colonel hadn't noticed. But it was as he had said – there was no way to tell where he would turn up next.
Reaching for a pencil, I drew lines connecting each of the X's marked on the map to see if I could make out a pattern though that at least. It was difficult to concentrate because of my lack of sleep – I shut them and rubbed them hoping to ease the dryness in them. Sighing, I leaned back in my seat for a moment and glanced at the others in the room. The lieutenants spared occasional glances my way but Col. Archer was concentrating on his work, not bothering to see if his subordinates were doing their job.
My expression was a deadpan – ugh, this place was so gloomy and like an alien planet to me. Col. Mustang's office was much livelier with everyone so friendly. I was already missing them.
With a shake of my head, I looked back at the map. I stalled from straightening in my seat when I noticed something odd about the lines I had drawn on the map. When looked at from the top, it didn't seem like much but with the way I was sitting now, looking at the map at an angle, there seemed to be a pattern after all.
I sunk down a little lower on the chair while narrowing my eyes and Lt. Herbert seemed annoyed by it. With a scowl, he said, "You're supposed to be working, newbie. Don't think you can slack off on your first day here!"
My lack of response had him further irked and he added, "Oi, are you listening to me?"
His rise in voice had Col. Archer look to me. I ignored both of them though and darkened the lines on the map. "A-v-e-n-g...avenge?" I mumbled.
It seemed to me that this killer was trying to get revenge against the military – for what reason, I did not know, but having seen the pattern now, I knew where he was going to strike next.
I stood and stepped to Col. Archer's desk with the map in my hands. Placing it in front of him, I marked an X on the locality I suspected he would attack next. Col. Archer seemed a little surprised at how I had come to him so soon after handing me the map to look through.
"What is this, Arisa?" he asked eying the X mark.
"The pace I suspect the killer will appear next," I said earning scoffs and questions of doubt from the other soldiers. In fact, Col. Archer didn't seem ready to believe me either. Putting my finger on the pattern I had drawn, I began to explain how I came to the conclusion. "I drew the pattern by connecting the crime scenes in order. When you look at it from the top, it doesn't look like anything but a jumbled mess. But if you keep the sheet at eye level, you can actually see the first five letters of the word avenge. To complete the e of the word, the next location he would go to is probably here."
He looked over the map at eye level, only to widen his eyes in surprise. Sitting up when he had had a good look, he said, "This is quite something. I didn't expect that you would solve this so soon, especially since many others including Gen. Haruko hadn't been able to figure this out. Very well then, we will head out tonight to catch him....although he seems to have a way of slipping away unnoticed."
"Leave that part to me. I'll catch him," I said confidently.
Col. Archer hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Alright. Please take this to the administration department. I'll have some men gather to catch the killer once you spot him."
With a nod, I walked out of the office with the letter with Leo following close behind. I had barely exited the office and I collided head on with someone hard enough for both of us to fall clumsily on our rears.
"Aahh...ow ow ow ow ow," I heard the person mumble and looked up to find a woman a few years older than me in front of me, her short hair brown and wearing big glasses. She had dropped several books and papers on the floor and I helped her pick them up while apologizing for my clumsiness.
She seemed a bit too flustered though and apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going! It's all my fault! I should have been walking slower! Honestly, how clumsy can I be?!"
Her hollering had me chuckle. She seemed to be a bit socially awkward.
"It's alright. Neither of us got hurt, so it's no problem."
She finally looked up at me and I met her bottle-green eyes. it was a moment before her eyes went wide and she gasped loudly as she slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Oh my gosh...oh....my...GOSH!" she shrieked, making me cringe a little. She grabbed my shoulders rather fiercely and said, "You're Arisa Lee, aren't you?! The first Female State Alchemist!!! The one and only awesome kid State Alchemist!"
"One and only?" I repeated in mild confusion. Edward and Alphonse were really strong alchemists too but perhaps I was more famous for my skills to solve cases easily using stealth.
The girl who was still holding my shoulders nodded vigorously only to leave me where I was for barely a moment. She was lightning fast as she rushed into Col. Archer's office and rushed out before grabbing me by the wrist and dragging behind her just as fast through the headquarters. She threw the papers I had in my hand at the woman sitting behind the administration desk before continuing to drag me across the headquarters and to a nearby café. We now sat with two hot cups of hot chocolate and an ice cream parfait for Leo. He had already begun to eat the ice cream while swinging his legs, enjoying it with bits over his lips like a mustache. I sat with my brow twitching under the intent gaze of this woman who had dragged me out of the headquarters.
"Um, I didn't get your name," I said, attempting to start a conversation.
With a slap to her forehead, she replied, "Goodness, where are my manners? I'm so sorry! My name is Sheska. I used to work with Lt. Col, I mean, Brig. Gen. Hughes."
The mention of Hughes san had me tightening my fists. Sheska was gazing at her beverage with a sad smile but nodded when I asked, "You worked with Hughes san?"
"Yes, he was an amazing person to work with. And he's told me so much about you!"
"He spoke about me?" I asked surprised.
"Yes! He used to gloat about you to all his subordinates! He told us about how good you are at missions, your skills of investigation and catching the bad guys. He always kept in contact with Col. Mustang and always got updates on everything you did! We even heard you were able to escape from Scar without a single scratch! That's amazing! He was quite worried when he heard of the homunculus incident though."
A laugh escaped my lips before I took a sip of my hot chocolate. "It's nothing great. But is Scar still killing State Alchemists?"
"I guess he is. We've lost ten State Alchemists to him in Central. But it's been about a week since anyone last saw him. Maybe he's got tired of killing people."
Her assumption seemed implausible. It was more believable that he had just gone into hiding because the military had got an upper hand in tracking him or because he was injured. He would turn up again soon anyway.
"By the way, Arisa san-"
"You can just call me Arisa," I interrupted. She regarded me with a smile before continuing.
"I wanted to hear your thoughts about Brig. Gen. Hughes's death. I had been helping him with research and there are some facts that we found about the military. They're not very comforting." The frown that came upon her face had me feeling uneasy. "We found the data of someone called Julia Douglas from old military records, but what was odd was that she was supposed to have died two years before the Ishval war. But later records indicate that she never left the military and was actually promoted to become the Fuhrer's secretary. How can a dead person come back to life and still be in the military?"
My grip on my beverage tightened, my brows furrowing while my eyes widened in surprise. Julia Douglas was the Fuhrer's secretary, a homunculus, and the two of them had manipulated military records so they could stay close and run the military as they wanted to.
"I did a lot of personal research too but I still couldn't come up with a rational conclusion to this. Who was it that Hughes san was trying to find out about? Was that person in the military? How was he related to Julia Douglas? Was he trying to cause trouble? Why did he take the risk of going to investigate alone? Why did he want to meet Dr. Marco? Who was-"
"Dr. Marco?" I interrupted, stopping her from continuing her line of questions. If I had connected the dots properly, it seemed that Hughes san had been shot when he went to meet the person Dr. Marco.
"Yes, Dr. Tim Marco. He was initially a part of the military. In fact, he was a State Alchemist going by the title Crystal Alchemist. During the Ishval war, he disappeared without a trace but he was captured recently when he and Edward kun were trying to escape from Scar," she explained. It seems that Edward and Alphonse had had a few encounters with Scar after I had first fought him. Scar hadn't taken my advice – I guess that was expected though.
"The Crystal Alchemist," I mumbled, momentarily wondering if it was the Krystal that I had had to face. It didn't seem possible considering how the homunculi said that I was from the other side of the Gate, from a world where alchemy didn't exist as an ability in humans. Besides, considering the timeline, Dr. Marco was probably a middle-aged man.
Still, the name made me uneasy.
"That was his title. He usually never fought because he wasn't agile in battle. But he was an amazing healer and even created the Red Water with its properties the closest possible to the real Philosopher Stone. With alchemy, he created Red Stones at that time and they were used by State Alchemists during the Ishval war to increase their alchemic abilities."
The mention of the Red Water sent a bolt of lightning through me. It roused both fury and immense sadness in me as realization hit me hard. My eyes burned.
All the pieces fell in place now. Dr. Marco had been captured by the homunculi because of his knowledge on the Red Water and Hughes san suspected something off in the military after seeing the mess up in the records. I couldn't believe that I had missed the obvious!
What had happened was no accident or coincidence. Hughes san had been killed by the homunculi.
~~~~~~~~~~
Anybody freaking out about Arisa'a and Envy's next meeting? O.o
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