The Frost Alchemist

Chapter 11: Back to Central

"You are not going to send us away, ever," Maes stated as the four of us sat down on the train, Sara sat next to me, Maes directly across from me, and Trisha next to him.

"I will if and when it becomes too dangerous," I replied, not in the mood to argue about this with him.

"We're supposed to help you Levy, we can't do that if you don't let us," Sara argued.

"I am letting you help, but if I think your lives will be in danger then you won't come with me, end of story," I countered.

"You can't order us to do anything, since we're not part of the military you're not our superior and you can't make us do anything we don't want to," Trisha argued.

"I'm trying to protect you guys," I argued.

"How about you let us decide what to do when we have to?" Maes suggested.

"Fine, but I'm not going to let you guys die. Too many people have died because of me," I conceded a little. I stood up. "I need air." I walked out our room and walked down the car until I got to the door that connected to two cars and opened it feeling the fresh air hit my face. I stood there for a while.

"We weren't trying to upset you," Sara said from behind me.

"I know that," I replied and I saw her move up next to me, the force of the air blowing her hair everywhere.

"Listen Levy, we haven't known you long and it's not like we know all that much specifically about each other. But we don't want to see anything happen to you and I just know if the four of us worked together nothing will go wrong.

"You guys really won't let me send you guys away are you?" I asked just glancing at her.

"Not a chance. My brother and I have our parents' stubbornness combined and you wouldn't believe how stubborn Trisha can get," she stated absolutely serious.

"Your family won't forgive me if anything happens to you guys," I argued.

"They all know how dangerous it is, my father and uncle particularly and they know us, injuries are expected," she shrugged.

"And death?" I asked still trying to convince her.

"There's no way an Elric is going down easy," she laughed.

"I'm really not going to win, am I?" I asked.

"That's right," she said a smile growing on her face. "Come on we should go back inside before my brother goes insane."

"Good idea, you brother seems a little overprotective," I commented as I shut the door behind us.

"Oh he's only like that with people he loves," she brushed off we walked back to the others and rode the rest of the way in silence, which was kind of nice. Having silence again. We got off in Central and went to the head quarters and up to Mustang's office.

"Elrics, Levy, why are you here? Roy isn't expecting you," Riza commented when she saw us.

"Is he doing anything?" I asked. 

She sighed. "Go right in." I opened the door and all of them followed me in.

"Lev- Elrics? What's going on?" Mustang asked.

"They're traveling with me now, but that's not why we're here. I wanted to let you know I'm not giving up on finding the man who killed Alexis. I'm going to track him down and I'm going to see that he pays for his crimes," I stated.

"You will do no such thing," he said.

"You want to stop me? Take away my position? Here-" I threw my watch on his desk. "-take it back. It'll make no difference to me. You are not going to be able to stop me."

"You're as stubborn as Fullmetal," he sighed as he sat down in his chair.

"Yeah well, guess I still need work if you're not comparing me to my mother," I replied. He nodded before he picked up my watch and looked at it before tossing it back to me, I caught it with ease.

"You still do the things I ask and if you get a lead on him, I'll let you follow through with it," he offered.

"That was my plan anyway, just wanted to make our positions in this clear," I replied and he shook his head.

"You really are something," he said.

"Yeah well you're the one who insisted I become a state alchemist which means this is all on you," I replied. 

He nodded. "You're to go to the southern headquarters, help out Miles, there are some soldiers down there that need someone from up North training them. Stay there until I say otherwise."

"Yes sir," I replied before I turned and left the room.

"Okay, my parents would be proud," Maes said and Sara nodded in agreement.

"Hey can we stop and see Elicia before we go to South City?" Trisha asked.

"Yeah can we?" Sara asked me.

"Sure, I guess," I replied and the two of them lead the way through the city. "So who's Elicia?"

"The daughter of my namesake," Maes replied. "My family has always stayed close to the Hughes' and we've been closer since her mom died two years ago."

"Oh I see," I replied and we went up to an apartment, where Trisha knocked. It only took a few seconds before the door swung open. There was a girl about her late-twenties with brown hair that was in a ponytail and bright green eyes. 

"Hey guys! Long time no see! Come in," she said and the four of us walked in. "And someone new. Elicia Hughes."

"Levy Armstrong," I replied as I shook her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you," she said with a smile on her face. I noted that on her walls hung pictures of her parents and some with her as a little kid.

"How've you been Elicia?" Trisha asked.

"Not bad, busy, but not bad. And you guys?" she replied.

"About the same," Sara replied. "We can't stay very long, just dropped in to say hi."

"Well I'm glad you did, I was just thinking about you guys the other day. How are your parents?" Elicia asked.

"They're good," Maes said and they talked like that for a while before I said that we needed to go.

"Sorry, I've kept you from your work," Elicia apologized.

"Don't worry about it," I replied and she smiled.

"Well it was nice meeting you Levy and feel free to drop by any time you're in Central," she offered.

"Uh you as well and thanks," I replied after that we left and climbed onto the train. "She seems... perky."

"She mainly just acts like that," Sara replied as she sat down. "She's still sad about her mom and then there's her dad..."

"She was young when he died," I commented and they nodded. 

"Our parents were still really young and she was only four, but she still has strong memories of him," Sara replied.

"It was hard for her growing up without him, but Roy and my dad and Uncle Al helped as much as they could, they kind of became her fathers," Maes added.

"Well I guess that's good," I replied. I knew that no matter how much people tried they could never replace the real thing, but it lessened the pain and as the years go on it hurts less and less until it's nearly nonexistent. Nearly.