A/N: Okay, so I've been giving it some thought and I don't see how I can get the homunculi to fit in this fanfic. I mean they can't work for my organization because the organization has no use for them… wait a sec… Aha! I think I have something! This fanfic is turning out to be pretty AU, but even so I'm going to try and make this awesomeness bacon flavored! (But, uh, if you're vegan/vegetarian just let it taste like whatever you want…)
I'll let you guys go on with it. See ya at the end :)
|•| Ed |•|
Ed's eye twitched as he glared at who was waiting for him at the other side of the station.
When are we going to be done with these bodyguards? he thought with a scowl. I can take care of myself just fine without them.
With a final huff he, Al, and Ari stepped off of the train and made their way over.
"There you are!" Ross said in a firm tone towards the group. "Do you realize how irresponsible you acted by going to Tyria without us?"
His eyebrow twitched as he proceeded to walk past the two of them. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered. Ed wasn't in the mood to deal with these two, especially when he had more important matters to attend to.
As soon as we get that map Ari wanted we'll figure some things out and be one step closer, he thought.
•|• Ari •|•
I'd quickly realized that this Amestris and the people were both alike and different compared to those of the series. For one Ed had a greater disrespect for authority. Even though they were just guards, whenever they were around Ed would get into this pissy mood that one could easily mistake for as him PMS-ing.
I unintentionally snorted a laugh at this thought and smiled like an idiot. The two already annoyed guards looked at me, eyebrows furrowed and expressions confused. An embarrassed pink tinted my face as I cleared my throat and tried to wipe away the smile.
They followed us back to the hotel, but didn't try to go inside the room with us. They patiently stood guard outside the door while we went in.
"Do you have a sheet of paper and a pencil?" I asked once the door was closed.
Ed raised an eyebrow at this request. "Yeah, there's something like that in the bottom drawer of the dresser over there," he answered pointing to said dresser.
I nodded and walked over. It took some work, but I managed to pry open the drawer. From the corner of my eye I caught Ed stifling laughter. I glared at him and pulled out some paper.
Let's see if my skills as an artist survived that trip through the Gate, I thought as I sat down on the ground beside the coffee table.
"What are you doing?" Al asked.
I grinned at him and twirled the pencil between my fingers. "Watch and learn my curious friend, for you're about to witness something few people have the ability to do."
At this point even Ed was interested and I could sense the two of them standing above my shoulder as I went at it.
That goes there… the Fifth lab was over here…
"One more thing," I added as I paused in the middle. I looked back at the brothers and noted Ed's confused expression. "'The truth hidden within the truth.' Think about that while I finish up."
The expression on his face stayed while I turned back. That should give them something to ponder while I do this.
It took about 15 minutes but soon there was an almost flawless replica of a map of Central sitting on the table, and as I grinned at my work Ed's jaw had dropped.
"How did you…!?" he started. Astonishment took over him as he picked up the makeshift map. "This is incredible! How the hell were you able to do this!?"
I shrugged it off, not wanting to mention the show or manga. "I'm just awesome like that," I said with a smile.
Ed continued to look over my map. I noticed his forehead crinkle when he saw something.
Did he figure it out that fast? I didn't even say anything about why we needed a map in the first place.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked, pointing to the large square I'd labeled as the Fifth Lab.
I nodded. "Yeah, it's a lab that the military used to use for research. It wasn't built on stable ground so they had to have it closed."
With a nod he continued to stare at the map. You could almost see the gears in his head turning as he pieced things together for himself.
"In all the stories that you've heard about us the military is involved with the antagonist in one way or another, right?" he asked as he look at from me from over the top of the paper. I nodded again.
"Yeah, that's right," I said. "I'm not going to give to many specifics right now though. This story is already different from everything that I've heard, so I'm not sure what to think about this all anymore."
He resumed looking at the map and his eyes stopped close by the spot where I'd drawn the Fifth lab.
A smile hit my face. Come on little buddy, you've got this. Let's find out what we're going to do next… On second thought, I'll leave what happens all to you guys. The smile stayed when I realized I'd called Ed little. Thank Truth he can't read minds… or can he?
I laughed lightly with my stray thoughts, resulting in me being the center of attention once again.
Ed raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak. I quickly put up a hand to stop him.
"Don't mind me," I stated. "Just some random thoughts, nothing to concern yourself with."
With a quick sigh he spread the map across the table. His gaze on it hardened and I mentally went on fangirl mode for the determined expression that got to me whenever I watched the anime.
Stop that! Bad Ari! Very bad! If you start drooling over him now you're not going to get anywhere!
After shoving my stray thoughts aside, I refocused on the matter at hand.
"I think I know where to go next," he said next. "There's gotta be something in that lab that could help us, and I've got a feeling that if we go in there we'll most likely find something about the Philosopher's Stone."
Al was confused. "What makes you think there'll be something there?" he asked.
"Marcoh said to find the truth within the truth. We've got one thing, the truth behind the Philosopher's Stone, so we need to dig a little deeper. If the military is involved where's the one place where they have the resources and the perfect hiding place?"
"I'm not sure I'm following where you're going with this," Al stated. I could imagine the confused look that would have been on his face had he been in his body.
Ed pointed to the rectangle beside the Fifth lab. "Right here is Central prison. When a prisoner is condemned to death, the body doesn't go back to the family right?" Al nodded in response. "If the Philosopher's Stone is made from human souls, then maybe the military is using the souls of those condemned prisoners as fuel for stones."
I swallowed down the lump that had blocked my windpipe from receiving any air. Calm yourself kid, I commanded.
"Their using prisoners for ingredients?" Al summed up as a question.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it's really that organization that's in control," I said, pulling their attention on me once again. "They might be able to get military permission because of the fact they specialize in traveling between worlds."
Ed nodded. "That would make more sense. The military relying on someone else? Sounds about right to me."
The corner of my lips turned upward into a half smile while other thoughts came to mind. Now I want to go in there as well, but depending on whom it is they might know who I am and try to kill me like Glass and Lewis did.
I scratched at my head, ignoring the fact that my natural curls had finally returned. This is so nerve racking! On one hand I want to learn as much as possible and pray I don't end up dead, and on the other I want stay away and just carry on as 'usual'.
"In any case we have to go and check it out," Ed stated as he folded his arms over his chest. "I feel like it'd be a good idea to try and find out what we can about what's going on here." His gold eyes met mine and I blinked in confusion over the expression he wore. "If possible we might be able to find a way to get you back to your world if that stone doesn't work." He pointed at my neck as he said this before turning towards Al.
A sinking feeling swept over me as I went into a state of mild depression. I smiled slightly at first, but looked away as he and Al made plans to get into the lab.
I don't want to go back… If there was some way for me for me to stay, without being a nuisance for these two, then I'd happily go for it. Opal will just have to get over it… God, that's horrible of me…
|•| Ed |•|
The brothers left later that night. Ari had actually fallen asleep sometime before they did so, allowing them to make sure that she okay. She'd been in a weird mood since he'd brought up her home world, and now he was regretting it.
I still haven't figured out how to act around her yet. She's so damn sensitive to some things, and then she'll snap back and seem completely normal. He sighed. It's so frustrating!
With one final glance over at the sleeping girl, he climbed out the window on a makeshift rope that he and Al had made from a bed sheet.
The moment they got to the lab there was something off about it. From where they stood they could see a guard standing alert at the front entrance.
"They sure do a lot to keep people out," he muttered. Al nodded in agreement and the two went around to the back of the building, where there weren't any guards.
What the back entrance lacked in guards it made up for in reinforcements. The door was completely boarded up, more so than the front.
"Damn," he swore under his breath. I can't use my alchemy to open it; the light would attract attention.
"Brother," Al whisper-yelled to get Ed's attention. "I found you a way in."
Ed furrowed his eyebrows and jogged over to where his brother was standing. All he could see was an air vent, but then he understood.
"I can get through, but what about you?" he asked as he looked at his brother's metal head.
"I'll stay out here and stay on guard, while you investigate the inside of the building," Al answered.
Ed nodded, but was uneasy about the situation. "Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure," Al copped back. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't."
Nodding again, Ed got up to the vent with some assistance from his brother.
Good thing I'm small enough to get through here, Ed thought after he'd gone a ways through the vents. It took him few seconds to catch what he'd just thought, and soon he'd put himself into a state of irritation mixed with depression.
I can't believe I just thought that! What the hell is wrong with me!?
After choosing not to answer his own question, Ed continued down the vent.
"How long will it be until we have it?" he heard a voice say, putting him on alert. He looked down and realized that he was above a grate in the vent. He could see several individuals in a small room.
Like hell this place is abandoned, he thought with a scowl. Being careful to not make too much noise, Ed positioned himself so that he could better see who was there.
"No thanks to that one we're no closer than before," a female voice said.
"Excuse me! I would have had it if the Elric brat hadn't gotten in the way."
That voice! Ed craned his neck to see better and his eyes grew wide when he saw Lewis sitting among the group.
"Impossible…" the blonde whispered to himself. The military should've… duh.
"Even if Elric wasn't in the way you could have gotten it if you weren't so damn sadistic. You had to wait until she woke up to try and take the Stone," the same female voice said.
Lewis shrugged. "What's the point of doing this job if I can't enjoy myself while doing it?"
The woman he was speaking to glared at him in a way that even scared Ed. "You're disgusting. You let our one chance at flawless travel get away because you wanted to make her life hell."
"You don't get it do you? Those screams are the only reason why I'm still here. I appreciate you guys bailing me out and everything, but if I have to go with your plans I'm out."
"You know that there's only one way out. Are you willing to go that far?"
Lewis was quiet for a few seconds. "No, I'm not."
"Then quit running your mouth and get your ass to the main lab. Now!"
The man sighed and left the room.
"I swear, this is ridiculous," the woman said to the rest of the group. "If I have to deal with that psycho's idiotic chattering one more time…"
"Please calm down boss," the person sitting next to her said.
The woman took a loud sigh before standing. "All of you, to the secondary lab. I'm going to check on security."
"Yes sir," the group said, saluting her and leaving.
Once every one was out of the room, Ed clapped his hands quietly. He touched the grate and dropped down into the room.
If she's going to security, that means Al might end up with a fight on his hands. I have to get information and get out of here fast.
"Oh look!" a voice from behind said. "If it isn't the Fullmetal Pipsqueak! I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do this!"
Ed started to turn around but something hard hit him on the back of the head, knocking him down to the ground.
Who the… what the…
His vision started to blur and the last things he saw were a pair of purple eyes and a red ouroboros tattoo.
•|• Ari •|•
It was like the beginning of a horror movie: the main character wakes up to find herself in her room and there's no one else in the house.
This wasn't a horror movie, however, and it wasn't a house; it was a dead silent hotel room.
It was the same quiet that I was used to, so I wasn't sure why I was reminded of a horror movie. Then I remembered that I was being guarded and who it was that was guarding me.
"All hell," I muttered under my breath. They waited for me to pass out before they ran out. How nice of them.
Rolling my eyes, I got up and looked around. I scoffed at the sight of an open window and the bed sheet rope.
"Good grief, those two are ridiculous." I tugged on the rope and had two thoughts come to mind: I could either climb down the "rope" and find the two for myself, or I could just tell Ross and Brosh that they were gone. But then I saw the bed and thought, I could always just stay here and sleep.
With a sigh I dropped the rope. No. Knowing those two they've either gone to the fifth lab and are dying, or they're in fights that won't end well. Kinda the same thing either way that you look at it, but at least they aren't dying in the second version.
Yawning, I stepped over to the door and opened it. The two guards had unprofessionally fallen asleep on the job.
"Oh dear Truth, they're in trouble," I uttered to myself.
|•| Ed |•|
When he first woke up he thought he was still unconscious because the room he was in was pitch black. He tried to move but found that he was completely restrained against a chair. Panicking, Ed jerked around in a desperate attempt to free himself from the evil chair.
"Hello!?" he shouted. "Is there anyone there!?"
"Ah dammit," a disappointed voice said. "He woke up."
Ed glared into the darkness. The voice he'd heard sounded familiar, yet he didn't trust it. "Who's out there!?" he called out into the darkness.
A light suddenly came on, blinding him for a few moments. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the girl he was guarding.
"Ari…?" he uttered, too dumbfounded for words.
She laughed lightly. "Sup Ed," she said.
"Envy!" the voice of the woman from before called from behind him. "I thought you knew better than to go around teasing captives. Looks like I still have some work to do."
"Sorry boss," Ari said. In a matter of moments the girl shifted into a lean person with long black hair. Ed wasn't sure if it was male or female.
He simply blinked at the character before him. "Wh-who are you people?"
"We're the ones after that little girl's Philosopher's Stone," the woman said again. "After what you did to Lewis it's only fitting for you to face this punishment."
Ed swallowed hard to keep back his fear. He's never let his enemies get the better of him. "What do you mean by punishment?" he asked, even though he had a feeling he knew what it was.
"It should be obvious," the woman said. He heard footsteps as she came around and faced him. She had long blonde hair and eyes darker than black. She looked at him with a fake smile and continued. "We're going to kill you for your soul."
Ed was just about frozen with his fear, yet he still refused to let it show. "Oh yeah?" he taunted as he narrowed his eyes at the woman. "Any moment now my guards will realize Al and I are gone and come to get us. You won't even get the chance to try."
Her dark eyes narrowed at him. "Hmph. We'll see about that."
A/N: Mwahahahahahahahaha! Voila! Am I not still evil? I wrote this over the course of two days after getting inspiration from Reprieve to start writing again. LeFay's in college, yet she still manages to find time to write. I may be working on TSSA pretty regularly (even though I missed last weeks update…), but this has gone untouched for quite some time now. So how do you like where it's going? I've got plans to change up this plot almost entirely, making this ridiculously AU. But I couldn't just go with some the Mary-Sue "OC crosses gate and goes along with everything" type deal. No. I'm not like that, no offense to the aforementioned author.
Ari is a major target for this organization and now Ed's kidnapped. I promise you won't have to wait a month for the update this time, especially now that I've got all this suspense laid out for you to take in. Please review and just maybe I'll find motivation to update faster.
