15} North City

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Sorry to keep you waiting with this update but I've been hella busy so hope y'all enjoy it.

Btw the image is Alec (you meet him this chapter) and the artwork isn't mine so credit is due to the artist who is unknown to me.

Thanks guys
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(Y/n)'s pov

I'm awoken by the loud whistle of the train as it pulls into the station. I bolt upright only to hiss at the sharp pain radiating from my abdomen and receive a few strange looks from the other passengers on the train.

Opposite me sits two state guards, neither of whom I know personally. They salute when they notice me awake but I quickly wave them off, my hand instinctively reaching to the seat on my left to slowly stroke Hokori, who I'd probably been using as a pillow for a while.

You still feeling sore? I think to him but he only looks up and inclines his head. I'll take that as a yes then.

"So, who are you guys?" I ask them, checking out the new uniform someone has put me in along with the bandages wrapping around my rib cage.

The woman stands up straight, in true military style, making everyone look up, including Hokori.

"I'm Second Lieutenant Maria Ross, this is my partner, Sergeant Denny Brosh. We are here to escort you to your mechanic and then to your new station in Briggs." I wince at her loud voice, still tired and adjusting to the situation.

"At ease Ross, you don't need to be so formal; or so loud." I yawn and stand, stretching my only arm and my legs. "You guys can just leave me in North City, I have an....associate there who will escort me to Briggs."

"With all due respect Miss, we were given these strict orders by the Major himself so we need to carry them out to his exact specifications." Denny says, tugging Maria down to be seated once again next to him.

"Well with all due respect, Sergeant, I am of a higher rank than Armstrong so I overrule that order. Make sure you catch the right train back to central." I say, seeing the platform slowly rolling into view as I stand and grab my bags.

"Oi get up Hok." I yip, making him growl.

"Don't call me that ever again." He hops off of his seat and follows me down the isle, off of the train and into a busy square which is dusted with a thick layer of ice and snow.

"Wait, Miss (l/n)!" Maria shouts out of the train window and I begrudgingly turn around to face her. "Be careful and also, Ed left a letter in your bag!"

My eyes widen and my heart pumps faster.

Ed wrote me a letter? Why? To say goodbye I guess but-

Stop it. Hokori cuts in, making me giggle. Stop or I'll be sick all over those new boots.

He playfully bashes into my legs and I ruffle up the fur on his head. We walk off together, heading towards one of the many streets in search of one specific shop.

Alec's Automail and Mechanics shop.
---- time skip----

"What the hell have you done to yourself?" Alec lifts his welding mask to uncover his face, his familiar, chocolate eyes assessing me closely. Putting down the piece he's working on, he strides over to me and takes off the military jacket, looking at the base of my automail arm and tutting.

"You broke it."

"Yup I did. Sorry about that." I hit his shoulder with my other hand and he glares at me slightly before removing the welding gear and taking out a cigarette from his pocket.

I scowl at him and hit the death stick out of his hands as he goes to light it, making him sigh and scratch the back of his head.

"I told you to quit smoking, idiot." I say, frowning at him.

"And I told you to keep in touch so I guess neither of us are good at taking orders." He stares behind me and cautiously points a finger at Hokori, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips. "Speaking of not keeping me up to date is that what I think it is?"

"Well that depends what you think it is." I say, shrugging and telling Hokori to come over, much to Alec's surprise.

"Did you just tell that wolf what to do by growling at it?" he asks, with narrowed, calculating eyes. I can practically hear the gears whirring around in his head and I laugh.

"Yeah, pretty much." Hokori moves closer to sniff him and Alec immediately moves backwards, bumping into his workbench and holding his hands out in surrender.

"Woah! Get it away from me! (Y/N) help me now please!" I chuckle deeply and Hokori looks back at me with his head tilted, obviously confused.

"Calm down, Alec, he's practically a pup!" Alec just glares at me before looking back to Hokori and kneeling down, carefully outstretching his hand to the wolf before him. "There you go, he won't bite so don't worry about it."

Hokori sniffs Alec's hand and then licks it, making Alec laugh and grin. They both get more confident with each other and pretty soon they're rolling around on the workshop floor together.

"Amazing! How did you learn to domesticate him like this?" Alec asks, sitting up and examining his new friend, including his developing teeth.

"Well that's a long story and I'll tell you...whilst you're fixing my automail?" He groans and hangs his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's going to be at least two days of full on working!" He groans and scowls at me again, pouting ever so slightly and throwing me a temporary arm from a large bin full of them. "I hate you."

"Love you too dude." I say, catching the flying limb and making him smile before clearing his bench and beginning to draw out the blueprints.

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We worked together for hours, he did pretty much all the labour but I helped him by passing him tools and helping him hold things.

"If you could just hold that right about th-"

The door slams open, making us both jump and look up at the small group of men standing there. Five of them in total. All of them quite large except from a smaller one who led them with a sadistic smirk on his face.

"Hello my little nerdy friend, did you get what I asked you for?" The little one asks obnoxiously, baring his yellow teeth and removing a shabby hat from  atop his greasy, blond hair.

"Well no, not exactly but-" Alec begins as he puts down what we are working on carefully and wipes the grease off of his hands with an old rag, before being cut off by the ringleader again.

"You do remember what we said we'd do if you didn't, right Alec? And it looks like now your girlfriend will have to pay as well."

The look of pure psychopathic joy on his face made my stomach turn but there was very little I could do with this temporary arm until I got used to it.

But then again, daddy always said I was a fast learner.

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Thanks for reading and I hope to update again soon,

GotThatEzioCharisma

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