Heart of a SIN - FMA Envy Fanfic [Edited]

26 - Unexpectedly Expected

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.