AToFMLW-3

A Twist of Fate Makes Life Worthwhile
Part 3

The girls returned to their rooms, talking excitedly about their day.  They were surprised when they found Mia already in the room, in her light pink pajamas and sketching in her sketchbook.  "Mia." Namori said, causing her to look up.  "What are you doing here?  Did your teacher already give you a tour?"
"Nope.  He kinda…" she hugged her pillow to her chest "he kinda…left me here."
"He what?"
Kaitlin sat on her bed, taking out a cracker that she stole from the cafeteria for Bunny-That-Must-Not-Be-Named.  "Whole story please."
"Well…My teacher just got out of prison—"
Namori gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.  "Prison?  You're being taught by a convict?"
"Well, he got let out, so he probably served his time.  Hopefully.  Don't get me wrong, I'm kinda scared to be in a closed area with him.  I don't know what he did to be in prison but he seems too nice to be completely bad.  Well, he's polite at least."
"Mia." Eva snapped her fingers in front of her face.  "You're blushing Mia."
"I—I am?"
"Yep."
"Well, he was kinda cute…"
"And probably old."
"Well…I…I kinda like older men."
"Gold-digger…" Kaitlin sang under her breath.
"Nee, do you want to go out with someone your own age?"
"No, but only like…eighteen or something.  Not thirty-something.  Anyways, back to the story."
"Well, when he parked, he told me to take my stuff here, and he talked to the driver for a bit—and why are you blushing, Katie?"
"Huh!  I'm—alright, I thought the driver was kinda cute…"
"We didn't even see his face."
"I thought his voice was kinda cute…"
"Now who's the gold-digger?"
"He's not thirty.  He can't be older than twenty…nine…"
"Anyways…" Eva brought everyone away from the conversation.  "He just left you here?"
Mia nodded.  "He never came back."
"Well, we only got a tour of the facility." Namori said, smiling.  "We took a brief stop in the weapons room."
"Were there a lot of knives?"
"A good amount."
Mia fell back on the bed.
"But we weren't allowed to take any!"
"No…It's alright…my nii-nii gave me a knife anyways…Speaking of nii-nii, I should write home."
Eva pulled out some paper.  "Your parents tell you to write every day?  Mine did."
"Same."
"Me as well." Kaitlin said.  "Though, there isn't much to talk about."
"Yes there is!" Namori said, smiling.
"What?"
"We all made friends!"
The girls looked at each other, shrugged, and wrote about their classmates and teachers.
======
"I hope you got a nice sleep, Eva."
"Oh, I had an awesome sleep.  The bed was really comfy.  I slept the entire night, no problem!  The alarm was a bit annoying though.  Mia—the girl in the dress, though she doesn't like wearing dresses too much and isn't wearing one today—slept through it though.  I jumped on the bed to wake her up.  It was fun."
Mustang chuckled a bit.  He really liked this girl.  "Sounds like it.  Now, I'll introduce you to my subordinates." Mustang opened the door, his underlings already lined up.  "First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye will be teaching you how to shoot handguns."
Hawkeye smiled and shook her hand.  "Nice to meet you.  I hope you have a steady hand."
Eva smiled back.  "As long as there isn't too much sugar in me."
"Sergeant Major Kain Fuery will be teaching you about technology."
Fuery smiled.  She was almost as tall as he was.  That really wasn't saying much though, as he was very small.  He wasn't that old, but still…
"What kind of things do you do?" she asked.
"Well, I mostly work the radio."
"Sounds fun…" her voice indicated that it was anything but fun.
"Actually, it can be if you find the right line.  You'd be amazed what people talk about."
"Yeah," a man further down the line said.  "The boss here sometimes calls up girls."
"Havoc…" Mustang growled.
Eva giggled a bit.  This 'Havoc' sounded pretty cool.
"Anyways…Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda will be teaching…What are you going to be teaching?"
He shrugged.  "Maybe I could play chess with her.  Chess is a good mind game."
"Chess?" Eva asked, tilting her head to the side.
Breda puffed his chest out, prepared to give the girl a lecture on the wonders of chess.  "Believe it or not, chess can help with problem solving—"
"You're smart enough to play chess?  You don't look smart at all."
Havoc didn't succeed in holding back his laughter, and he didn't try to be subtle about it.
Eva looked at him and looked at Breda.  "And I mean that in the nicest possible way." She clarified.
Breda didn't hear her and instead chased Havoc across the room, yelling curses after him.  Eva didn't know how or when, but she was soon on the ground, laughing loudly.  It took a couple minutes to calm everyone down.
"Alright, now that that's settled…" Mustang growled.  "Warrant Officer Vato Falman will be teaching you about investigated techniques."
Falman shook her hand.  "I've come up with some mystery games to help you."
"Ooooohhh…that actually sounds fun!"
"I hope it will be." He smiled a bit.
"And last and least—"
"Hey!"
"Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc will teach you anything he knows."
Havoc smiled and shook her hand.  "Nice to meet you, Eva."
She blinked a bit at him and smiled widely.  "You too!"
"Glad you're here.  We need some energy around here."
"Stuff me with candy, and they'll be plenty of energy."
He chuckled.  "That sounds great."
Mustang took her shoulder and dragged her away from Havoc.  "Let's not."
"Too bad…" Eva pouted.
The subordinates went to do their own things while Mustang sat at his desk, Eva sitting next to him.  "We'll start with the basics.  Drawing a Transmutation Circle.  Do you do any art?"
"A little bit."
"Then this should be easy for you.  Try drawing this." He took out an Alchemy book and tapped his finger against one of the Circles.
Eva took the pen and slowly drew it.  She briefly looked up to see the room before getting completely engrossed in the Circle.  Havoc was about to leave when he noticed her staring.  He took his cigarette out of his mouth and winked at her, smiling at her.  She giggled, causing Havoc to smile wider.  He put the cigarette back She really wouldn't mind being here…
======
"So…I've got to teach you."
"Yes, Mr. Edward."
"Don't call me Mr. Edward."
"Sorry, Major."
"I'm not really a Major.  Sure, these stars and badges say so, but I'm not one in my mind." Edward pulled on his shoulder strap, looking a bit at it.
"Sorry…"
"And stop apologizing.  You haven't done anything wrong."
"Sorr—" she nodded.
"Alright, let's start with the basics.  My name is Edward Elric, and I'm your teacher and your equal.  That means I'm like you.  You're what, fifteen?  Sixteen?"
"Seventeen."
"Really?"
She nodded.
"You look like a little kid still…" he shook your head.  "Look, just because I'm your teacher, a Major in the military, and a State Alchemist doesn't mean that you have to refer to me as 'sir' or 'mister' or whatever else come to mind.  My little brother Alphonse will come over to help me teach you.  He's better at certain things then I am." Especially now that he learned how to do a Transmutation simply by clapping.  "I'll be teaching you about the various types of Transmutation Circles with the help of my brother.  I'll also teach you how to fight with a staff, and my brother will teach you how to fight in hand-to-hand combat."
"What if I don't want to fight?"
"Oh, you're a religious nut and a pacifist."
Namori gave the closest thing to a glare as her innocent demeanor would allow.  "I'm not a religious nut."
"But you went on a mini-rant about karma."
She sighed.  "Yes, I have a religion, but I don't think everything I do has something to do with religion.  I just believe something, is that so wrong?"
Edward sighed.  "No, no…I guess not…"
"As for the no fighting thing…I grew up in Ishval.  I just don't like fighting all that much."
"Oh, you grew up in Ishval?" a new voice said.  A tall armored man stepped into the room.  Namori looked up in shock and wonder.  He was so tall, but his voice was so young.
"Oh, hey Alphonse." Edward said.
"Hey, brother.  Is this your student?"
"Unfortunately."
Alphonse bowed a bit.  "It's nice to meet you."
Namori bowed too.  "Likewise.  I'm Namori Anjyl."
"So, you're from Ishval?"
"Yes.  I left shortly after my town was destroyed."
"How old were you then?"
"Only ten."
"How sad."
"Yeah, yeah." Edward interrupted.  "It's sad.  Now, I don't care what you're religion says, or what happened to you.  Alchemy doesn't just work the mind, it works the body.  You can be a genius, but if you can't throw a punch, then you're dead."
"I guess that's understandable…"
"Great!  Now, outside!"
"Huh?" Namori followed him.  Edward clapped his hands and slammed his hands into the dirt.  Namori's eyes widened, watching as a staff emerged from the ground and into Edward's hand.  "How did you do that?  Where's your Transmutation—" Namori ducked as Edward swung the staff at her head.  She stumbled backwards and crashed onto the ground.  "Wha—" she froze as she saw the butt of his staff between her eyes.
"First lesson:  Dodging attacks.  Get up and try again.  You might want get those bangs out of your face.  You need to see as much as you can."
Namori took a bobby pin and pinned the fringe of brown and red hair out of her eye, showing both of her red eyes.
"Ready?"
"Just about—" Edward sweeped his staff across the ground, pushing her feet off the ground.  She crashed to the dirt again.
"First lesson part one:  Always expect an attack."
Namori groaned.  This was going to be hard.
======
Mia knocked on Kimblee's door, swallowing.  She was a bit fearful about today.  When she asked where Kimblee's office was, the man she asked gave her a sad look and told her where he was.  As she walked away, she heard the man talk to his friend, pitying the young girl going to work with that man.  Kimblee might've been nice enough, and he might've been able to charm her with some sweet well-placed words, but he was not a good person, that much she was sure.  And she would be stuck in a room with him.  Alone.  At least he was hot.  No, no, Mia!  Don't think like that!  Hotness means absolutely nothing!
"Come in, please." Kimblee's voice called from inside.
Mia bowed her head and walked in.  Kimblee was sitting at his desk, looking through  a file.  After a finishing reading the rest of the page, he closed the file.  He looked at her and chuckled.  She glared a bit at him.  "What?"
He smirked a bit at the fire that was in her eyes.  She had some balls, it seems.  Good.  She would need some.  He stood up, shaking his head.  "Nothing.  Yesterday you were wearing a short dress, and now you're wearing a long sleeved and stockings."
Mia blushed a bit.  "I'm trying to get used to this weather.  Once I find an outfit that fits, I'll wear it."
Kimblee smiled a bit at her.  "There's no need to blush.  You've nothing to be embarrassed about."
She blushed more.  He might be a convict, but he knew how to flatter her and make her blush.  Kimblee smirked a bit.  She was very cute when she blushed.  No, stop thinking that.  "So, what am I learning today?"
Kimblee pulled out a large book.  "This has just about every Transmutation Circle ever created."  He put the book on his desk.  "What I want you to do, is go through the first ten pages and pick all the Transmutation Circles that appeal to you."
"Alright…" Kimblee pulled out his chair for her, and she sat down.  Mia tucked her hair to one side and started to draw the Transmutation Circles.
Kimblee looked at her.  She looked very attractive while she was working.  No she wasn't.  That was the boner talking.  Or, whatever attraction remained from the boner from yesterday.  He didn't have a boner now, not at all.  If he actually had a boner, he would be analyzing every detail of her body.  For example, he would notice how her hair was pulled off to one side, naturally framing her face.  He would also notice how her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, her face serious.  However—he would notice if he actually had a boner—her face wasn't completely serious, as she was too young for her face to stay straight for any extended period of time.  The corners of her lips twisted upward and her eyes had an excited spark in them.  Kimblee smiled a bit, glad she was enjoying herself.  She looked attractive—no, no, no more of those thoughts.  
He wouldn't think about how nice her short dress was, how the burgundy fabric clung to her body, especially her arms, yet was baggy enough to leave a bit to the imagination.  And he most certainly wouldn't notice how her black stockings clung to her legs, showing the curve of the limbs.  And he wouldn't reminisce about how easily she blushed nor would he secretly hope that he would have the opportunity to make her blush even more when he would—
Alright, he might not have had a boner before, but he certainly did now.
He walked behind her, pretending to be looking at her work.  However, he took the opportunity to look at her back.  Her shirt was cut deep in the back, showing her pale skin to her shoulder blades.  Kimblee reached out and brushed a strand of hair away, allowing his fingertips to trail across her smooth skin.  Mia stiffened and turned around looking at him.
Kimblee blinked, realizing his actions.  "There was a fly." He covered.
Mia looked down and her eyes widened a bit, cheeks turning a bright red.  She pulled her chair further in, trapping her body against the desk.  Kimblee sighed and left the room, not bothering to tell her where he was going.  Mia continued working, her cheeks a bright red.  A couple minutes later, Kimblee came back him, tying his hair back into a neat ponytail.
"I finished…" she whispered pushing the paper towards him.
Kimblee cleared his throat.  "I'd like to apologize.  Believe me, I don't want to…Well, I didn't mean to be…I've been in prison for six years, and my hands were separated by a foot long board." It was a bit vulgar, true, but it was the truth.
Mia turned her head away, not wanting to look at him.  "I wasn't even doing anything…"
He sighed, softening his voice.  "Most of the time, there doesn't need to be an action.  You just need to sit there, and I need to analyze every detail about you, no matter how small.  I must repeat, I am sorry.  Under normal circumstances, I would not be interested in you in the slightest—"
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye.  "I'm not cute?"
"You're going to corner me aren't you?"
She nodded a bit, smiling slightly.  
He sighed.  "Fine.  Quite honestly, if I was ten years younger, I suppose I would be interested in you." The corners of Mia's mouth unconsciously twisted upwards.  "However, I'm not ten years younger, and so I'm thoroughly embarrassed.  Now then…your paper." Kimblee picked it up the paper and quickly scanned through the Transmutation Circles.  "Very good choices.  You picked a lot of offensive abilities.  That would be easier for me.  I'm not much of a defensive fighter." He put the papers in front of her.  "Now then, pick your three favorite abilities and draw a circle for them."
Mia nodded and worked, her cheeks still red.
======
I wonder how easily he could crush me.  His hand is bigger than my head!
"Something wrong, Ms. Kaitlin?"
"Katie.  And nothing really.  I'm just nervous."
"Ah, I understand.  Alchemy is so complicated, it can make one nervous before using it." He patted her head.
"Uh…Yeah…Alchemy is making me really nervous…"
"So, how did your reading go?"
Armstrong had given Kaitlin a couple of books for her to read to give her some knowledge about Alchemy.  She sighed and hung her head.  "Not so good, actually.  I only finished the little one…"
He blinked.  "You…you finished one?"
"Just one…And it was little…"
Suddenly, Kaitlin found herself trapped in a massive hug.  "AH!  I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH A GENIOUS CHILD!"
"Ribs—!  Ribs—!"
"WHAT A WONDEROUS CHILD IS THIS THAT IS BEFORE ME!"
"Dying—light—I see it—light…"
"Oh." Armstrong let the small girl go and she crumpled to the ground, catching her breath.  "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were suffering."
"It's—fine…"
"Armstrong?" a man with messy sandy hair looked down at them.  "What is a civilian doing here?"
"SHE IS NOT A SIMPLE CIVILIAN!  SHE IS A MINITURE GENIOUS!  SOMEONE WHO POSSESSES A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE BEHOND HUMAN THOUGHT!  SHE WILL LEARN THE ARMSTRONG ALCHEMY THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS!!"
"Uh…"
Envy in his military form—passing by to check on the students—stopped and turned to the other man.  "She's here for Alchemy Academy.  Armstrong's teaching her."
"Oh.  Sorry, sir, I didn't realize it." the man went about to do his own business.
Envy scratched his head.  "Damn, this is going to be a problem…"
Kaitlin took a step forward.  "How about if we get uniforms then?  Not like the military ones, but ones that say that we're someone different from everyone else."
"Wow, that's a pretty good idea."
She took another step closer to him.  "Thanks!"
"Eh…"
She stepped closer.  "What's wrong?"
"Ummm…I'll go tell the others." Envy ran off.
She frowned.  He was quite cute…
Armstrong grabbed Kaitlin's arm.  "Come, Kaitlin—"
"Katie."
"—We shall go to my house!"
"Your house?"
"My little sister shall find a uniform fitting for you!"
"Wait—"
It was too late.  Armstrong was dragging Kaitlin away.
======
"Kaitlin, are you alright?"
"I refuse to come out."
"Do you not like my clothing choice, Ms. Katie?" Catherine asked.  Armstrong asked his little sister to arrange a cute outfit for Kaitlin.  Unfortunately, Kaitlin didn't quite like the cuteness.  She refused to get out of the room.  She was never one for girly clothes.  This was a mix of cute and sexy, neither of which worked for her.
"Kaitlin—"
"Katie."
"—please come out."
She sighed.  "Fine." Kaitlin opened the door.  As she stepped forward, she almost tripped.  She was forced into wearing high-healed orange shoes.  That wasn't the worse part.  Instead of wearing comfortable jeans, she was wearing a skirt like thing.  She referred to it as a skirt like thing, because it wasn't really a skirt.  It was an orange piece of fabric with purple edges with little beads hanging down from it that was tied at her waist.  It was cut at an angle so that her left knee was covered and almost her entire leg was showing.  She was also wearing a pretty white tank top with angel wings on them.  As if that wasn't enough, she had white cat ears on her head.
Catherine smiled and clapped her hands.  "It's perfect!  The perfect balance of cute and sexy!"
"Sexy?" Armstrong looked at his sister.  "I thought we were aiming for cute."
"We are!  But I want her to have some other appeal.  She looks nice, right?"
"She looks cute."
"I look like a cat-angel-gypsy."
"It's very cute!"
"Uh-huh."
"Well, thank you Catherine, but we need to get going.  Kaitlin?"
"Let me get my clothes first." She retreaded back into the room and slammed the door.  In a couple quick seconds, she was wearing jeans under the skirt-substitute and sneakers as well as throwing her leather jacket over the tank top.  "Let's go!"
Armstrong smiled at the girl, though Catherine couldn't share his happiness.  This girl was a tomboy just like big sister.  What a waste of a female.
======
Eva was scared.  When she walked into the room, Mustang was sitting at his desk with a wide smile on his face.  He greeted her happily.  "Morning, Eva!  Isn't this a wonderful day?"
Eva looked out the large window behind him.  "It's…raining."
"I love the rain!"
Judging from the snickers that filled the room, that wasn't true.  And considering he was the Flame Alchemist, it seemed even less likely.  "Okay…So…What's planned for today?"
"First, you have your new uniform to wear!"
"My what?"
Mustang shoved some black folded clothes into her arms.  "Your uniform!" he shoved her out of the room.  "You've got a uniform and you have to wear it!"
"Wait—what?"
"Your uniform!"
"What?  Hey—what's going—" Mustang guided her into a bathroom.  She raised an eyebrow at the closed door.  She looked at the clothes in her arms.  "No." she muttered.  She was about to burst out the door, but Mustang was leaning against it, holding it closed.  "No!  Let me out!  I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl!"
"Sorry!"
"No you're not, you perverted bastard!"
"Put yourself out of your misery and get changed."
Eva sighed.  "Fine." She got changed and looked at herself in the mirror.  She was still wearing her steel-toed boots, but she was also wearing a tiny mini-skirt that barely covered her butt.  Luckily, she was given a pair of short tights so she wouldn't show anyone her panties.  She was also wearing a black lace camisole that was a bit short, part of her stomach showing.  She stared at herself in the mirror and tried to fix her outfit.  She felt naked.  There was too much skin showing.  She couldn't deal with this.
"Mustang?"
"Yes, Ms. Eva."
"I hate you."
======
"Do you own any pants?"
"Well…" Namori thought for a second, swaying back and forth.  "I have a pair of jean capris."
"Great.  One pair."
"I'm sorry…"
"It's alright." He smirked.  "I have to give a uniform for you."
"Oh?  What is it?"
He handed her an armful of clothes.  "Just try this on."
Namori headed to the bathroom, humming a bit.
"Brother?"
"What, Alphonse?"
"Those won't fit her."
"They'll fit enough."
"Brother, she's taller than you."
Edward flinched.  "Yeah Al…I noticed that…"
"Edward!" Namori called from the bathroom.  "These don't fit me very well!"
"Too bad!"
"B-but—!"
"No buts!"
"Alright…" Namori stepped out of the bathroom.
She had on ankle length black boots with a one inch elevation.  She was wearing leather pants that were baggy, sagging down past her hips if it wasn't for the large brown belt holding the pants in place on her hips.  She would've worn the pants higher, but any higher and her legs would show.  She had on a black tank top, extremely short on her.  Her large breasts forced the shirt to ride up slightly, showing her stomach.  She would've covered them, but more of her cleavage would've been revealed.  She had on a black jacket with silver edges and a blood red over coat with the Flamel on the back.
"Perfect!" Edward said, giving her a thumbs up.
"These are your clothes, aren't they?" she tugged on some white gloves.
"Yeah!  You look awesome in it.  Hold on, I want to braid your hair like mine." Namori got on her knees so Edward could reach her head and braid her hair.  "Yeah, I realize that it's a bit short but what can you do?"
"Give me clothes that fit me?"
"This is easier."
Namori tried to adjust the shirt.  "How so?"
"Well, I don't have to see your panties every time you fall."
"You—you could see that!" Namori's face were as red as her eyes.
"Yeah.  It wasn't fun though."
Namori held her face in her hands.  "How horrible…"
Edward shook his head.  Girls.
======
"Mr. Kimblee?"
"Yes?"
Mia noticed the lack of clothes.  The only thing on his desk was a file—same as yesterday—which he quickly put away.  "Where's my uniform?"
"Oh, you're planning to join the military already?  I didn't know I was that good of a teacher."
She shook her head slightly.  "I passed one of my friends, Namori, talking to her teacher. She told me to beware, because we're forced to wear uniforms to say that we're not civilians.  And judging by your face, you didn't know either."
"I was not informed." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.  "I have an idea…Come here, please." He dug through his closet and pulled out his hat, placing it on Mia's head.
She took off the white fedora, looking at it.  "You want me to wear this?"
"Yes.  Though…you'll probably need something else…" he took his jacket out of the closet and handed it to her.
Mia raised an eyebrow at him, putting the jacket on.  "How do I look?"
He shrugged.  "Good, I suppose."
She sniffed the arm.  "It smells like charcoal…"
"Ah, that would be some of my Alchemy."
"Your Alchemy is charcoal?"
Kimblee chuckled.  "In a way.  Now, I think I didn't show you the armory after our first day." He opened up the door for her.  Mia curtsied a bit and left the room.  Mia was still a bit scared.  Charcoal meant fire.  He was in jail for some reason, and it might've had something to do with his Alchemy.  She looked up at him.  Too bad she was a teenager.  The hormones kept her from thinking straight.
======
"You shouldn't be down here, Fu."
The old masked man bowed his head.  "I wanted to make sure you're alright, young master."
The teenager crossed his legs and arms in the seat, trying to look as professional as he could.  It wasn't hard.  Even though he was only fifteen, his past had hardened him.  He looked much older than he really was.  "I'll be fine.  Now please join Lan Fan on the roof.  Ms. Winry only gave me one ticket."
"What do you expect to find in Central?"
The teen looked out the window.  "Don't know.  But, the military knows a lot of things.  I'm sure they know a thing or two about Immorality."
Fu nodded and dashed out of the window and onto the roof of the train.  
Ling sighed.  He knew there was something special in Central, he could feel it.  Immorality was there.