Chapter 1: Worth

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"Sitting in the chair and having it stay up is the first sign that you have skill…boy." Not that the man who addressed said boy ever thought that he wouldn't sit and address them as an alchemist. In fact he knew even before the boy had walked in that this boy was going to walk out of here an alchemist of the state. He already had his name picked out and everything.

Just being in the center with the only spotlight was irritating enough to fry eggs. In fact it was not only irritating it was nerve racking, anyone could be staring at him right now, judging him. It could be anyone, any renown alchemist could be watching as he just sat there.

It all changed with a simple knock. Two knocks in fact and a "Come in." from the one voice he did recognize. Everyone recognized that voice.

"I'm sorry that I'm late." A single light appears, like a cigarette lighter's flame it was the only thing penetrating the darkness besides the spotlight. The light comes closer and closer before a girl enters the spot light. With a quick breath she blows out the fire.

Finely lit the girl is clearly pretty but that is of no concern. It's almost eerie the way she handles herself as if the world owes her a really large favor, one that no one can repay. With a look to the boy her gaze turns into something of fascination but then quickly hardens into something feral.

"What?" He feels the need to ask.

"What? You've shown us that you can sit now show us all that you don't need a chair to support you!" And with that she kicked the chair right out from underneath him not even wincing as her leg hits the hard alchemically reinforced metal. Naturally the boy is on his feet rearing back ready for a fight. "What is a man that needs the help of someone else to stand? I'll tell you what he is; he's a useless and dead man."

True is her words or at least half true; it all depended on the person. "If you're wondering if I need a chair to back me up then I'm telling you that I don't, but to be honest I wouldn't mind having someone like you to have my back."

She digests that for a moment and turns her attention back to the people she knew all too well.

I see it now… The way that she carries herself was not only self-taught. To her, the world really does owe her something and she believes it, she knows it. He should have noticed it right away due to the way she squares her shoulders, stares straight ahead, and speaks in a clear tone.

Plus her eyes, so brown that they look pure black. Beautiful and yet able to pin a snake to a wall with one look. "Linuette?" The Fuhrer asks.

"Will that be all? Or am I here for an actual reason?" She asks smugly. It was clear that this was all just a major waste of time; there was no need to test this boy. No need at all for he would make a loyal alchemist.

"Dismissed." The Fuhrer gives one last smile to her. There was only two reasons why he had her come here in the first place. One of which was just to prove that he could.

With a salute she turns on her sandals and walks out, closing the unseen door behind her.

"Zackary Elric," The Fuhrer's voice bounds off the walls, making it sound as if he was shouting instead of merely addressing the alchemist. "I look forward to seeing you later."

He was dismissed; he didn't see Linuette on his way out.

"Since you chose not to fill in a preferred department to be placed in then I have a special job for you." Mustang led his newly appointed alchemist through his mansion, keeping stride with the boy even though it was clear who was following who. "I'm placing you at the side of someone very close to me, someone I cherish. I trust that you'll protect them with your life."

"Sir." Zackary says. He didn't see what was so bad about Mustang, from the way his father talked it seemed like he was a total tyrant.

"I warn you though that she's a bit feisty, after all she does take after her father."

The door opens to reveal a girl bent over the arm of a couch reaching for a book which is being withheld from her by a man with black hair holding it just out of her reach. She's yelling at him to give it back while he stating that she shouldn't be filling her head with this romantic crap anyway.

"What I read is none of your business you jerk!" She reaches, stretching so that she's only on one foot. Her sandal falls off as she reaches. "Besides why do you care?" More stretching.

"My future wife does not need to be filling her head with nonsense!" The man smirks at her, only causing her scowl to deepen.

"What do you know?" She pouts. "I'll set your hair ablaze!"

"Ahem." Mustang clears his voice. It would have been one thing to walk in on them actually doing something, but this was just downright pathetic. "Linuette, Andromira."

"Hey!" With that she flings herself forward with one last burst of effort, her hand reaching out and grasping the book. She lies across Andromira's lap her face pressed firmly between his legs. Andromira pats her on the head a few good times.

"Good evening your grace. How can we be of…who the…" Andro's eyes flicker to the boy who stands slightly behind Mustang.

"Linuette, this is Zackary Elric."

"An Elric." Both of them say at once. Getting up onto her forearms, she takes a look at him and remembers him immediately as the boy from the last exams. "He's short…"

"I am not," Zack object immediately. He wasn't exceptionally short, taller than her in fact and he wasn't exactly short tempered like his infamously famous father. "Everyone else is merely really tall."

"Whatever makes your feelings less hurt." She shakes her head lightly. "Why have you brought him here father? I've already spoken to him and nearly knocked him on his ass. Is there really a reason for him to be here?"

"Of course there is. Linuette," Mustang gestures to Zack, prodding him forward. "From this day forward Zackary is assigned as your personal body guard."

He means babysitter. Linuette sighs to herself bitterly. She slightly wondered if all this power was going to her father's head. There was no way that she needed a babysitter after all she could look after herself and no one in their right mind would mess with her knowing who she is.

"Excuse me sir but I'm going to have to object," Andro places a hand on her head. She looks up at the dangling fingers quite literally considering biting them off. "You see she is my fiancé…perhaps we can find a female alchemist or maybe you'll consider allowing me to look after her."

"No," Mustang prods Zack forward by pushing his lower back forward. "While you're busy studying she runs off doing whatever it is that she does. It's not good for my image when I'm called down to-"

"Father please." Linuette begs.

Andro looks down at her. It's the first that he's heard of anything like this. "Excuse me?"

"There will be no objections from either of you. My decision is final."

"We'll see." Linuette says. She looks to Andro who is glaring at Zack since he wasn't allowed to glare at Mustang himself. For one he was the girl's father and he did run the entire military.

Linuette was a different story; she was born being told to judge everything but quietly. Just because she was the Fuhrer's only daughter didn't mean that she ruled the world. Even she has restrictions. "You can take him with you father, after all I don't get much alone time with-"

"You're to stay here and begin your job immediately. Wherever she goes, you go. In other words," Mustang smiles, Linuette pouts. "Welcome to your new home."

"Calling it my home is a little much." Zack tries to be modest. He had meant what he said to her that day in that little dark room where the only light source was from the spotlight and the little flame coming from her finger. "Sir." He salutes as Mustang walks out.

"I'm telling mom!" Linuette shouts after her father. When he stops frozen with shoulders rigid and rising it was her turn to smile sadistically. The mom card was as vicious card that they only used when absolutely necessary. Well…he used it that way, she used it whenever she didn't like a decision he had made.

After a moment, Mustang takes a deep breath and walks away. Children...

Zack stands there awkwardly, unsure of what to do now. She has a guest but her father told him to stay put, which honestly he didn't really want to do. This was her fiancé in the room after all.

"I suppose if I say your fired then you won't just leave." Linuette says. Zack wasn't sure if she was prompting an answer or not so he shook his head earning him a disproved look from Andromira.

Andro sighed, letting him know of his discomfort seeming as how he thought that Zack should care. He couldn't care less though. "Alright boy…whoever you are. I'm going to let you know right now that if I so much as see your eyes lingering longer then they should be on my Linuette then I'll set you ablaze-"

Before Zack could even get a chance to retort, Linuette smacks Andro on the knee and hisses at him. "Show some respect, this is Zackary Elric, or did you not hear father? You know, son of Edward Elric the FullMetal alchemist? Now let's not be stupid Andro, even you know that name. He only helped save Central. Now he sits next in line to become Fuhrer if father is ever killed in action."

"Wouldn't you be?" Zack asks. That would only make sense.

She shakes her head. "Nope. Don't have the requirements nor would I want such a job. I mean think about, the entire military rests in your hands. If a battle breaks out and you send the troops but they don't all come back…guess who's head that's on? I may not believe in God but if there is something up there I certainly don't want him to hate me for sending men to their deaths."

"So you don't like responsibility." Zack states bluntly and with a bit of annoyance.

She makes a gun with her fingers, closes one eye, and aims at him. "Bingo! Pow!" Her gun fires and yet nothing happens. Of course not.

"Well darling, as much as it pains me to leave you," Andro leans down to place a kiss on her forehead; she takes a nip at his nose. "Bad. I have to be going. Until my next visit."

"Oh I look forward to it." She rolls her eyes. As if. Egotistic men with lots of money were of absolutely no interest to her. Why would they be when she lives with one?

She didn't see him out.

"He's your fiancé?" Zack asks just out of curiosity. It seemed completely one sided to Zack.

Linuette nods because it's true. "Yes. He. Is. Or at least he thinks he is and father seems to think he is as well. Wanna know why? Because he has money, power, and an excellent reputation."

"Don't you have all that?"

"Yes," She opens her book back up, lying on her stomach so that she could read comfortably. Her legs cross in the air. "But that's not enough for father. Just you wait I'll find a way out of this…my first plan happens to deal with killing him and burning his body so that they can't even get a read on him if they take his teeth! Nasty business it is, but effective nonetheless."

"Didn't he sputter off something about his fiancé reading mindless nonsense?"

"Do you want me to set your hair on fire?" She shoots back. "Mindless nonsense or not a girl can dream can't she?"

"About?"

"A decent guy who isn't pompous, egotistic, or expects something out of nearly everything he does."

"You can't expect perfection." Zack tries. Linuette shrugs. She begins to act as though he had never spoken; in fact she acts as if he isn't even here. "It just doesn't exist."

"Your right, it doesn't and that is why I want it. I don't want someone to be perfect," She states, turning her page. "I want someone willing to strive for perfection for me. Andromira has a pretty face and my father's favor but that's about it. He might as well be my brother."

"We'll see if you're worth trying for." He takes a spot on the wall, opening up a book of his own choice. Like his father, he enjoyed reading. Knowledge was power after all.

"I'm not," Linuette tosses her book to the ground, allowing her arm to dangle there as she lounges. With a yawn she says "Or at least not yet I'm not."

He wanted to ask if she was going to change that, and if she was then what was her plan to do so. Except that she was already dozing off. Based on what he's witnessed for the hour and half he's known her he figured that she was going to do whatever she wants whenever she wants no matter what the consequence may be.

Being the daughter of Mustang…he wondered how much she had inherited. Mustang was known for being strong, successful, and arrogant. He could wipe out many men with just a snap of his fingers, or cut down an officer with mere words. He was cunning and quick.

Was she the same?

Guess he'd find out in a few hours.

Thanks for reading. For those who aren't accustomed to my writing and my situation I'll tell you now that I update once a week because I don't have internet. So please be patient because it's probably worth the wait. Thanks for reading once more and review! It only takes ONE to keep me going ;)