Why, yes, I DO stay up till 4 in the morning writing about empty-suit-of-armor serial killers whilst watching The Knife Show. Why do you ask? 8D

Disclaimer: I own nothing, blah blah blah.


Chapter 8: Questions

"Home already?" called Barry when she arrived back at the apartment. "What happened – you get fired or something?"

She walked in, glaring at the back of his head. "No, I didn't get fired. As it happens, I was called in because of you – or rather, your body."

Barry's head shivered as he tried unsuccessfully to turn and look at her. "My body? Really? Do tell!" he exclaimed. Crossing the room, she picked up his head and carried it over to the table. "Did it survive, then? Is it still on the loose, causing murder and mayhem wherever it goes?"

Kate put a hand on her hip, staring down at him with exasperation. "Yes, that's the problem. Apparently it's loose in the city, looking for you."

"Oh – oh," he said with dismay, "Still looking to get rid of me, I see."

"Yeah, and Central's in a panic about it. Apparently it's been eating whatever it wants to stay alive, including pets and their masters."

"Oooh, how delightful!"

"Which is why the Colonel wants me to fix you up as soon as possible. He's afraid your body will find us together, and kill me too."

"Oh, dear, that would be disappointing." She blinked, surprised. "I would much rather have you for myself – that silly shell of a body could never properly appreciate the delightful experience of killing you."

She sighed. "I should have known better. Personally, Barry, I'd rather neither of you killed me – which brings me back to the problem of repairing you… which I wasn't exactly ready to do yet."

Barry's eyes widened. "But I AM! I think the Colonel has got a point. After all, the sooner you fix me, the sooner I can be on my way, and the farther I am from you, the safer you are! Rather logical, don't you agree?"

She sat down heavily, her shoulders slumping as she thought it over. "Of course it makes sense. It's just, I wanted more time to talk to you." She paused, her eyes going cold and hard. "Then again, it's only a body, right? It didn't seem so clever. I could probably take it, if I had to." She blinked again, and looked at him inquiringly. "How is it animated, anyway?"

"It's got the soul of a lab rat," he said simply. "Or something like that."

"You can do that? Attach a soul to a deceased body?"

"Apparently. Or perhaps it's some sort of chimera, more human than rat. Who knows?" He chuckled. "The important thing is that it's alive, and just BEGGING to be chopped!" His chuckle turned into a gleeful cackle, and Kate suppressed a shiver.

"So if your bloodseal is broken, then the body will die as well?"

"Seems that way. Either that, or my body is just as anxious to kill me as I am to kill it!"

Kate's eyes grew distant, her expression thoughtful and troubled. "But why wouldn't the rat's soul keep it alive? Is the bond between body and soul that strong?"

"I suppose so," Barry agreed, somewhat uncertainly now. "Why? What are you thinking?"

Her brow furrowed, her lips turning down as she drew nearer and nearer to an undesirable, but unfortunately logical, conclusion. "If the bond's that strong, shouldn't it work both ways? If breaking the bloodseal kills the body, then… won't destroying the body release the soul as well?"

There was a very pregnant pause, in which neither dared move nor speak. At length, Barry said, "No. No, you're wrong." He laughed, more nervously than cheerfully. "If that were the case, I wouldn't even be here – my body died the moment my soul was ripped from it. I CAN KILL IT IF I WANT TO!"

"Shut it!" she snapped, glancing up at the apartment above her self-consciously. "Yelling about it won't change things. Besides, maybe you are right – maybe killing it won't make any difference after all." She glanced out the window, at the still-young afternoon. "It's barely noon yet," she mused, more to herself than to Barry. "I've got plenty of time to spare."

"What are you planning on doing?"

She stood, carried him back over to the window, then turned to leave the room. "I'm going to have a word with the Elric brothers," she called back over her shoulder. "If there's anyone that knows the answer to this stuff, it's those two."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"My… body?" Al asked, his voice squeakier than his armor as he considered her questions with unease. "Why do you want to know about that?"

"I just need to know if your body needs to be alive in order for you to be here. It's okay, Al, you don't have to tell me what happened – just tell me what you know about it in general."

"We don't know much," said Ed, his golden eyes guarded, glinting metallically in the sunlight. "It's not like we've got his body with us to tell us."

"I know you don't like talking about this, Ed," Kate said softly. "And if I thought I'd do better asking someone else instead, I would have. But I can't afford to go on scientific theories and fictional works – I need the truth, as soon as possible."

"Why do you care? You don't know anyone else like us – you've said so before," Ed said. "What made you curious about it now?"

"Brother…" Al began, sounding embarrassed at the hint of temper in his siblings' voice.

"No, it's all right," Kate said quickly, putting a hand on his hollow metal arm. "It's only fair that you should ask, considering what I'm asking of you. I… met someone recently. Someone like you, Al. And I'm wondering what happens if his body is killed – will he die too?"

Ed didn't look convinced, but Al had begun speaking before he could stop him. "Well, I have done some research on it," Al said slowly; Kate was certain there was more to it than that, but didn't press the matter, being more concerned with the information than how it was obtained. "I'm not sure, but I think it works like you said – both need to be kept intact, in order for the other to survive."

"But does the body need to be just intact, or actually infused with a soul?" Kate persisted. "Or is it alive, but not mobile, without another soul put into it? Does the presence of the soul on this plane keep the heart pumping and the lungs working as well?"

"This sounds like more than just curiosity," Ed cut in. "Is something wrong?"

"Eh…" She hesitated, hunting for the proper explanation. "Sort of. Maybe. It depends on what I find out."

"Are you in trouble, Kate?" asked Al, concern clear in his voice in spite of his immobile face.

"No," she lied, hoping her poker face was still in place. "I just – the more I know about this, the better. Trust me."

"Well, I'm sorry, but we don't really know the answers to your questions," said Ed, his expression softening a little as he apologized. "All I can say is, if you want your friend to be safe, you'd better take good care of his body, too."

Her mood was now considerably darker than before, in spite of (because of) the knowledge she'd gained from them. Still, she managed a smile for the young brothers, so much more mature than she had been, or believed they should have been, at their age. "Well, that doesn't make things any easier for me – but it's good to know. Thanks, guys."

Nodding to them, she headed for her car, her hand pausing on the door-handle when Ed's voice called out after her. "Kate?"

"Yes, Edward?" She didn't turn, but waited, her hand hovering mid-air.

"Who's your new friend, anyway?" She swallowed hard, but did not move, nor did she answer. "Just tell me one thing," he said, his voice lower now and slightly hoarse. "Is it someone we know?"

There was a long silence. Then, the sound of her car door as she yanked it open. "See you, Edward." She climbed in, shutting the door quickly and shoving the keys forcibly into the ignition, and did not look up until she'd hit the gas and was on her way out, backing away from the brothers Elric. When she did raise her head, she saw them standing together, staring after her, one with an unreadable expression, and the other with a face made of iron.

She locked eyes with Edward for a moment – then, she turned the car and sped away, ignoring the image of them in her rearview mirror as she drove away, back towards home with a head full of too many questions she could not answer.