3It was the day after Alois and Armstrong's sibling reunion, the young adult was seated at the dining table in the Curtis family home with the owners, the Elric siblings, and her brother. It was explanation time.
"Are you positive you are okay with telling this many people?" Alex inquired, fretting over his younger sister.
"It's fine," she replied as she closed her eye in resignation. "I feel obligated to the Curtises for letting me stay here and the Elrics because I took part in kidnapping Alphonse." All was said in her typical monotonous tone.
The boy in question began to frantically wave his hands, "No, no, there's no need for that! Really!"
"If she wants to tell us, let her tell us, Al," Edward commented, crossing his arm. "I'm really curious actually."
"You can begin whenever," Izumi comforted. Alois sighed in response before starting.
"It was back in June of 1908..."
"I'm going out, 'kay, Mom, Dad?" Alois called to her parents in their estate within Central. It was only days 'til her twelfth birthday and the girl was had so much excitement she could barely contain it. As a solution, she would go outside in order to release some of that energy.
It was a month in of my brother's leave to Ishval for the war, I was pretty upset that Alex wasn't going to be celebrating with the rest of the family, but I powered through it since I knew he wouldn't want me sad with my big day coming up.
"All right, dear," her father called from his armchair in the family room.
"Be back before dark," her mother drawled afterward.
"I will!" Alois assured, as she closed the door behind her. The soon-to-be twelve year old skipped down the steps to her home, her long hair bouncing with her as she went. Finally she stomped down and looked around. Deciding she would expend some energy at the nearby park, Alois began her trek to her destination. Hours passed as she enjoyed her time out and about, goofing around with some of her friends from school she found there. She finally decided to leave when her stomach emitted a growl, indicating her hunger.
Looking to the sky to gauge what time it was, Alois determined that she still had a bit before she would need to return home. Not quite ready to head back, she turned to the direction of the market to buy a snack. It didn't take long to walk there, considering it was just about ten minutes away from the park. The small blonde walked, eyeing the different stands as she went, not noticing the person watching her from afar.
It was when she was approaching a fruit vendor, deciding that it'd be best to find something healthy to snack on, that a woman with brown hair and grey eyes approached her in clear distress.
"Oh, my!" she cried, startling the young girl. "Little girl, would you please help me find my dog? He's been a loyal companion of mine for so long, I really would appreciate the help finding him!"
Alois looked at the woman with mild skepticism, though her heartstrings felt a slight tug at the thought of a dog being lost on his own. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't know what kind of help I'd be. Shouldn't you ask someone else?"
"No, no, he had such a strong attachment to my daughter before she died, I was hoping that getting the help of a girl would help draw him back." The brunette turned away and dabbed at her eyes, "I know, you're wary of strangers, right? I understand, I told my daughter those same things, but at this point I'm desperate. My sweet little Charlie has already been gone for days, I just want him back..."
Alois began to feel even worse for the woman. She couldn't imagine how scary it must be missing something so important to you for days on end. Plus, she seemed harmless enough...
Man, I was seriously so naive to fall for that sob story... And Charlie? One of the most generic dog names you could pull from the book.
"I guess," the blue-eyed child began hesitantly, still unsure but her sympathy won out over her suspicion, "I could help for a bit. I have to start heading home soon though, so I can't stay and help for for long..."
The distressed female clapped her hands in relief, "You're an absolute sweetheart, thank you so much!" She turned around, implying that Alois follow after her, "We musn't delay, let's go, dear." She walked with the eleven year old in tow.
The pair passed by other civilians until they reached the butcher shop at the end of the market's street. "What're we doing here?" Alois questioned with a raised brow.
"The silly dog was always drawn here because the owner would treat him to whatever meat was leftover," the lady answered as they strode forward; however, the grey-eyed adult headed away from the entrance and instead went towards the alley off to side of the shop.
"Uh, hey-!"
"What, did you expect a dog to go through a shop's front door?" Alois's guide laughed. The girl slumped her shoulders, understanding what the woman was saying, though she still was cautious about entering such a shady place. What if the butcher who owned the shop got mad at them?
Should've realized I had bigger things to worry about than that
After not receiving a response from the brunette, Alois followed after. The blonde saw she was looking around and began her own search. Walking further in, since it seemed the woman had the entrance area covered, the young girl started calling for the supposedly lost dog. She was so busy looking for the dog she never noticed her guide's expression warp into something sinister.
Let alone never expected the blow from a nearby pipe colliding with her head, instantly knocking her unconscious.
"You seriously followed someone who didn't even tell you their name?" Edward asked. "Especially when she went into an alley?"
"I was an eleven year old with a soft spot for animals, sue me," the bobbed blonde retorted blankly.
"Even then, you should have known better," Izumi scolded.
Alois sighed, "Too late for that."
"So you were captured by that woman," Armstrong assessed.
"Well, half of that is correct," the youngest female in the room notes, earning bemused looks from the others. She waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry, I'll be getting to that."
When Alois began to regain consciousness, all she registered was how cold she was. Despite her blurred vision, the girl peered at her surroundings in confusion. "Is this some kind of... meat locker?" she thought as she looked at the many carcasses that surrounded her, hanging by chains on some kind of curtain railing. It was then she realized both her arms and legs were bound by rope.
That got her attention real quick.
The blonde, with slight difficulty, managed to push herself up into a sitting position. It was quiet wherever she was, though she was willing to bet it was that butcher shop she and the lady were searching around.
Wait...
"Damn it!" Alois cried in frustration. She knew she shouldn't have followed her! Shaking her head, the eleven year old sighed. Anger and frustration wouldn't get her out of the mess she threw herself in. Experimentally, the blonde tug on the ropes. Luck was on her side, the ropes weren't tied very tightly. Alois grinned, "What a rookie mistake," she thought. It was the most likely case, someone who was kidnapping for a long time wouldn't have made such a novice error.
However, Alois wasn't complaining. That screw up was gonna be her saving grace after all.
Hastily, the young Armstrong began trying to squeeze her hands through the rope. Her maneuvering came to an abrupt stop when she heard what sounded like a shop door opening.
"Shit," the girl whispered, struggling to get the rope loose enough that she could get her hands out quickly but still look bound. After she was successful, Alois quickly drew her knees up to her chest to hide her hands behind. To her, it was just an extra precaution so the woman wouldn't notice her escape attempts, but to anyone else, it looked like she was making herself smaller out of fear.
Sadly, the blonde couldn't do a thing about the rope surrounding her ankles, but she'll deal with that hurdle when she gets there.
Hearing footsteps coming towards where she was kept, Alois quickly schooled her visage into that of fear. It wasn't a very hard feat, she was truly terrified of the situation she was in, but she couldn't let the hope she had permeate into her expression.
The steps got closer and closer to the door, the anticipation was killing Alois at this point.
Finally the door opened, and in stepped a lanky, skinny blonde man wearing loose fitted clothes and a white apron.
"W-who're you?" Alois stuttered, taken aback by the unknown man. "Where's that woman?"
"Oh, her?" the man, who appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, inquired. "There's no need for her anymore," he replied in a higher, more gentle voice.
"That voice," the blue eyed girl muttered in disbelief. "That woman was you!"
The blonde male cackled in verification, "Guilty as charged, dear!"
Alois cowered away from the truly psychotic being, "W-What do you plan on doing with me?"
"Why, I plan on chopping you into pieces," he replies with a grin. "Oh, I can just imagine the blade of my cleaver as it slices through your skin and muscles. And the blood!" The child tried her best to scoot away from the older blonde as he fantasized about her death. She thought he was crazy but nothing like this! The man paused, slapping a hand to his forehead, "Where are my manners?" The grey eyed butcher steps forward and crouches down to Alois's level, "My name's Barry and I'll be your host for the evening," Barry introduced, his grin still very much in place.
"Do you mean Barry the Chopper?!" Alphonse cried, everyone's eyes wide in shock.
"Like, the serial killer who terrorized Central for years?!" Ed continued.
"Yeah, I later learned that, that was who he was," the blonde female nodded.
Izumi brought her hand to her chin, "I never figured he would target someone so young," the dark haired woman spoke thoughtfully.
"I was attacked pretty early in his spree, so I think it was just bloodlust that led to him choosing me," Alois provided in her usual dead tone.
"Indeed," Alex agreed, "it was two months after he first murdered his wife, I imagine he was desperate for another kill..."
"How were you able to escape?" Al asked, fully invested in the girl's tale.
The Armstrong woman ruffled her bangs in slight annoyance, "It's pretty fuzzy, basically just an adrenaline-filled haze." She leaned back and crossed her arms, "I was able to free my arms, caught him off guard enough for him to drop his knife, freed my ankles and booked it out of there."
"I'm assuming he gave chase?" Ed and Al's teacher assumed as she leaned against her husband.
"Oh, yeah," the younger woman answered, expression as flat as ever. "He chased me for a good bit, I think I was screaming for help which triggered some residents to call the military for assistance."
Her brother perked at that, "The military, you say?"
Alois hummed.
"Help! Someone please help me!" the child cried as she ran through the streets, passing car after car, building after building. Her mind was running all over the place in her panic and haste, she hoped with all her heart she was running back towards her home. "Please... I don't wanna die!" she cried internally, choking back a fear-filled sob.
"Oh, little girl," Alois heard the man coo cheerfully from behind her. "While this game of tag is amusing, you must know that it's futile, right~?" Blue eyes clenched tightly, arms and legs pumped harder at these words. She didn't care how silly it was for her to run, she wasn't ready to go out and she'd fight tooth and nail to live.
The blonde inhaled deep breaths, her eyes shooting left and right for a place to hide. Alois veered her course to the left towards a pile of crates and boxes. Quickly, she sat in an upright crate then situated others to block her from view. Once done, she placed both her hands over her mouth in what may very well be a vain attempt at remaining silent.
"Oh, darling~" Barry sang, knocking his clever against metalic poles as he went.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Alois's shoulders shook as the clanking came closer.
"Freeze!"
Her breath caught in her throat. "I-is it really...?" the child thought, not believing she were possibly so lucky as to have received aid.
"Damn it all," the butcher cursed before taking off.
"Hey, get back here!"
"Don't let him get away!"
The girl heard along with other voices that got softer as they gave chase.
"Could it be..." Alois muttered, eyes wide in relief.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" she heard a man call.
"We're with the military, we mean no harm!" another called, as to assuage any fear the civilian that was being chased may have.
The eleven year old gasped, "Military...!" She swiftly knocked the boxes down in front of her, "These are men that work with Alex, I really am saved!" Alois thought in excitement.
"Over there!" a man in blue cried, pointing to the collapsing pile that soon revealed a dirty and panting child.
The girl was so elated when they reached her that she started crying, releasing all the fear, despair, and relief she felt out in the form of crystal clear droplets.
"Wait, so you really were saved?" Ed asked in confusion.
"Sure was," the eighteen year old replied tonelessly.
"Then how did you end up in the lab?" Al inquired beside his brother.
Alois sighed, "I was brought to Central Command Center for what I assumed was to wait for them to contact my family so I could return home." She tossed her head back to stare at the ceiling, "However, I learned later that they really brought me back because those overseeing the experimentation were so excited to practice their mutations on someone so young."
Everyone at the table gawked at the adult in shocked horror.
"They kept you," Izumi began, voice thick with emotion, "solely because you were a child?"
The bobbed blonde looked to the older woman, blue gaze locked with black.
"That's exactly why."
Hands slammed on the table, one flesh the other mechanical. "THOSE BASTARDS!" Edward screeched in rage.
"Brother!" Al cried in surprise.
"My word," Alex whispered, nearly stunned into silence.
"Listen, I know how appalling this is to find out," Alois spoke, catching everyone's attention, "but getting mad about it now isn't going to do anything."
"Are you kidding me?!" Ed shouted at her.
"What they did to you was unacceptable," Izumi commented, accompanied by Sig nodding in agreement.
"Well, duh," the chimera drawled, "anyone with a moral compass would think so." Placing her elbow against table, she leaned her chin in her hand, "What I'm saying is anger isn't gonna change anything; all we can do now is move forward."
"That's all you can say?!"
"She's right," Alois's brother uttered.
Ed whirled to him, "What?! This is your sister we're talking about!"
"I know that very well, Edward Elric," the Armstrong male said, expression intense. "But what she says is fact, the only thing we can do is move forward and change things for the better."
The golden-haired teen narrowed his eyes and, with a huff, sat back in his seat.
Izumi watched her former student before sighing, "I think that's enough for today." The housewife looked to the major, "It's about time for your train back to Central, after all, isn't it?"
"Indeed," he replied. As he rose from his seat, he turned to Alois, "Would you mind accompanying me to the station, dear sister?"
She rose to her feet as well, "Sure, let's get going."
It was a silent walk, one because it's her nature while the other simply had too many things he wanted to say. It was when they reached the ticket booth and got his ticket that Alex finally spoke, "Are you joining me back?" he directed his gaze down to his younger sibling. "I'm sure the rest of the family would like to see you after I inform them on your status."
Alois looked around to the blue coats that were at the station, ready to head back to Central themselves, "I'm not so comfortable being in a cramped compartment after what happened yesterday..."
"That's understandable, I suppose," her brother responded. Though he desperately wanted her to return with him, he understood the caution she must be feeling after her comrades were wiped out by those that surrounded her.
"I'll hang with the Elrics for a bit," the eighteen year old informed flatly. "I'm sure I'm bound to head back to Central if I stay with them long enough." The larger Armstrong nodded in response.
At the sharp cry of a whistle, the two siblings looked to the tracks to see Alex's transport pulling in.
"Ah, it seems my ride has arrived," said man commented.
"Sure does," Alois added before she was engulfed in her brother's arms.
"I will see you soon, sister," Armstrong spoke thickly, his head perched on the smaller blonde's black clad shoulder.
Blue eyes blinked before she reached a hand to pat his shoulder in comfort, "You will, brother." The two released each other as Alex turned away to head to his train. He looked back to Alois, and with a final wave and sparkle, boarded and left her sight.
A/N: hi hello yes it's been a fucking long time I'm so sorry
I mostly never update bc I was very unsure of how to progress along until, obviously, now. If you notice any inconsistencies in my story with previous chapters or anything from the show pls let me know :)
also I hope this chapter was all right, I'm not really used to free writing so it was kinda new territory eheh