DISCLAIMER: I do not own FMA. I only own my own OCs. Though sometimes I really do want to have Al all to myself...I mean. What.
Nine
Al's eyes widened. "You mean…"
Ed dropped what he was reading and looked at his brother, his golden eyes distraught.
Delilah felt a chill run down her spine, and she suddenly felt sick. She tried to save her stomach by thinking logically. "I-if the Stone—an imperfect one—if it does go by Equivalent Exchange…this sort of…makes sense…because lives are…" She trailed off, feeling shaky, and hid her face in her hands. Lives are precious.
How could Marcoh research such a thing? How could he sacrifice human beings for such a purpose? He was a different man now, yes, but Delilah had no clue how she could look at the man anymore, much less go back home.
She suddenly felt…disgusting. He healed me with his Stone. He did a good thing—many good things—with his Stone, but knowing that human lives had been sacrificed to create it…
Edward suddenly jumped out of his chair, startling her and Alphonse. "DAMMIT!"
At the noise, Ross and Brosh entered the room. "What's going on?" the Second Lieutenant asked.
"We deciphered the code," Al explained heavily.
"But isn't that good?" Brosh asked.
"There's nothing good about it!" Edward snapped, falling to the floor as if he couldn't hold himself up anymore. "This really is the work of the devil…. What the hell was Marcoh doing?"
Uneasy, Brosh and Ross stared at Ed. "What's wrong?"
Edward held his forehead in his hand. "The main ingredient for the Philosopher's Stone is a living human being." He sighed, his voice shaky. "Maybe we would've been better off not knowing the truth. If what these documents say is true, then it was also take numerous human sacrifices to create one Stone."
"How could the military do something so inhumane?" Brosh gasped.
"We can't allow this to go unpunished!" Ross added.
Edward stared at the floor. "…Could you two please not tell anyone about this?" When Brosh started to protest, Ed interrupted him. "Please. Please act as if you never heard about this."
()()()()()
After double-checking the notes, Ed and Al used alchemy to burn them. If someone else saw the research, it might prove disastrous. Immediately after, they all returned to the hotel, where the brothers locked themselves in their room. Delilah was at a loss for what to do; she wished she could go in there and comfort them somehow, but she had no idea what to say—there was probably nothing she could say. In any case, the brothers were better left alone for the moment, and she herself felt the need to be in solitude for a while. She left Ross and Brosh in the hallway and entered her room to lie on her bed.
She buried her face in a pillow. What now? Marcoh had told her that once she was done she was to call him so that they could arrange for her to come back home, but how could she leave after figuring out something like that? How could she go back to a person whose hands were stained with death?
After the last three weeks, how could she go back to the place she was born? Her town was so small. Of course, Resembool was an even smaller town, but the people there, Winry and Pinako and Den, had been wonderful. She had felt special, too, even though she had only been there a few days. And after spending so much time with the Elric brothers, traveling to Central and seeing nearly the entire city and meeting the Fuhrer of all people, and having Alphonse call her friend for the first time in her life….
She worried about the brothers immensely. She felt dirty for having the Philosopher's Stone being used on her when she was a child, but she couldn't change that. But the boys were chasing after their original bodies, and the only choice they felt they had was to use the Philosopher's Stone. Unless they found some other way around it, the boys were faced with either using the Stone with its numerous human lives or staying forever as they were, encased by their sin.
Delilah began to cry silently into her pillow, only able to think of how unfair it all was.
After a little while, she forced herself to stand, and she headed over to the telephone. She dialed Marcoh's number—he wasn't wealthy enough to afford one on his own, but the townspeople had chipped in to get him one since he was the town doctor—and waited while the phone rang. He didn't answer, probably tending to a patient, and she felt relieved that she didn't have to speak to anyone just yet. She had no idea what she would've said, anyway.
Not wanting anyone to worry about her during all of the commotion, Delilah took her medicine. It took her a while, but she managed to fall asleep.
()()()()()
The next morning, the brothers were still locked up in their room and wouldn't come out. Delilah was disappointed, but she went downstairs to eat breakfast. Brosh went with her, and when they returned, the sergeant brought food for Ross while Delilah brought her leftovers and another meal for Edward—she was still trying to keep up the ruse that Al wasn't hollow. She knocked on the door, announcing who she was and why she was there, and after a moment Alphonse opened the door.
"`Morning," he greeted, trying and failing to sound cheery. He took the tray from her, but when she simply stood there and stared at the floor, he considered her for a moment. "Want to come in?"
She nodded meekly, and he stepped aside to allow her room. He closed the door behind her and locked it once more.
"Breakfast, Brother," he announced, bringing the tray over and setting it on the coffee table.
"Y-you should eat," Delilah added, sticking close to Al.
Edward looked incredibly tired and worn out. "I'm not hungry," he said, leaning his head back on the couch and staring up at the ceiling.
A rush of concern flooded through her, and she did something uncharacteristic: she clenched her fists and gazed hard at the boy. "I slept. So you should eat."
Both brothers, surprised at her tone, turned to look at her. Realizing herself, she relaxed her muscles and glanced down for a moment, but then she returned to staring at Ed. After a moment, Ed grew irritated.
"Of course you did! Your life wasn't riding on the Philosopher's Stone!"
"Brother!" Al exclaimed, shocked, but before he could say anything more, Delilah recovered from her surprise and spoke.
"The only reason I am able to even be viewed as a normal person is because of the doctor's Stone! I feel disgusting because of it!" She put her face in her hands, squeezing her eyes shut and willing herself not to break down. "I feel disgusting at home all the time because no one can forget how I was, and now when I can finally have friends I learn that the reason I do is because of death!"
Edward stared at her and seemed to grow smaller in guilt. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "I'm sorry, Del. I shouldn't have done that."
At his words, she realized herself and put her hands down, shaking her head. "N-no, I apologize. Your problem is much bigger than mine." She felt ashamed of herself for her outburst.
How could I have even spoken out like that in the first place? It wasn't like her. And how could she have acted as if her problems mattered as much as theirs? She was in perfect physical health aside from her insomnia; Ed was missing limbs, and Al was missing his body.
"I will leave you alone," she said hurriedly, trying to mask herself with her usual distant tone, but Al touched her shoulder and stopped her.
"You don't have to leave, Delilah." At her pause, he asked, "Have you called Dr. Marcoh yet?"
"He did not answer. Excuse me," she finished, pulling away from Alphonse and heading to the door. She paused just before she left. "Please eat, Edward."
()()()()()
Delilah stayed in her room for the rest of the day, opting to order room service for a late lunch rather than leave. She was mentally tired, but it still didn't stop her from thinking.
She knew that Alphonse had probably just been curious when he had asked her about if she had called Marcoh, but she couldn't help but wonder if the boys wanted her to leave for home already. She didn't want to leave, though. She didn't want to go back there. It may have been where she lived, but after the last three weeks, she had no idea whether she could call that place her home or not.
"EDWARD AND ALPHONSE! ARE YOU IN THERE?"
Pulled from her thoughts by the unmistakable voice of Major Armstrong, Delilah sat up.
"IT IS I! OPEN THE DOOR!"
Curious, Delilah went to her door and opened it, poking her head out into the hallway to see the Major burst into Ed and Al's room. "I HEARD ALL ABOUT IT, EDWARD ELRIC! Such a tragedy! Who would've imagined that the Philosopher's Stone concealed such a terrible secret? Not only that, but if this hellish research was being conducted by an organization working under the military, then it is a grave situation indeed! I cannot in good conscience stay quiet about this matter!"
Delilah had first been uplifted by the Major's appearance—she hadn't realized that she had somewhat missed his eccentric ways—but his words once again reminded her of the severity of the situation.
In any case, Delilah came over into the room in time to hear the Elric brothers nervously explain to Brosh and Ross that they had wanted to get the Philosopher's Stone to restore their bodies after a "mishap" during the Civil War.
Brosh's face fell. "It must've been so disappointing to find out what you did."
The Major nodded; tears streamed down his face. "The truth can be so cruel."
Ed's eyes widened. "The truth?"
"What's wrong?" Al asked.
Ed put a hand to his mouth in thought. "Do you remember what Marcoh told us? You know, what he told us at the train station—'The truth that lies within the truth.' Maybe there might be something more… Major, do you have a map of Central?"
()()()()()
The Major unfolded a map and placed it on the coffee table. "Presently, the military oversees four alchemical research labs within the city. The one Dr. Marcoh was affiliated with was Laboratory Three."
"Then the research probably took place there," Ross put in.
Ed peered at the map. "I visited the lab right after I got my government license, but I don't remember there being any kind of significant research going on there." He pointed to one of the buildings on the map. "What's this place?"
"That was Laboratory Five, but they shut that down years ago," Ross explained. "No one can go there because it isn't structurally safe."
"That's our place."
Brosh looked at Ed quizzically. "What makes you so certain?"
Edward pointed to another spot, next to the lab. "There's a prison next to it."
The information clicked in Delilah's brain, and she shivered. "They used the prisoners sentenced for execution as Stone ingredients."
Edward nodded to her.
Ross looked sick. "They used the prisoners as ingredients?"
"Hey, this makes me sick too, Second Lieutenant," Ed replied.
"So if the prison's involved, does that mean the government is in on it, too?" Brosh wondered nervously.
"Until we know more, it's hard to say if it goes up to the top, or just to the warden," said Ed.
Both officers looked stricken. "I feel like we've gotten ourselves way in over our heads," Ross admitted.
Alphonse let out the sound of a sigh. "That's why we told you to forget everything you'd heard."
The Major crossed his arms. "Remember, this is all speculation. It's possible that the government might not be involved and that this research department is acting independently."
"Who's in charge of the research department?" Alphonse asked.
"According to the registry, it's Brigadier General Basque Grand, the 'Iron-Blooded Alchemist,'" said the Major.
"Why don't we start by contacting Grand?" Ed suggested.
"That's not possible," replied the Major. "He was murdered by Scar just a few days ago."
At the mention of the name, Delilah shivered slightly. Alphonse noticed and nodded slightly to her, as he couldn't give her any sort of reassuring look, and she relaxed slightly.
"Scar has killed numerous State Alchemists that were affiliated with military command," the Major went on, rolling up the map. "Among those killed, there may have been someone who knew the truth. If someone of higher rank than Brigadier General Grand is involved with this project…then the situation may be truly complicated. I'll investigate this on my own and report back to you when I know more. Until then, the Second Lieutenant and the Sergeant will not mention this to anyone. And Delilah and the Elric brothers will stay put!"
Delilah hadn't expected to be included in that order, and apparently, the brothers hadn't expected the order at all. "WHAT?"
The Major stared incredulously at the boys before he erupted in anger and concern. "HRRMPH! You two were going to sneak into the building to investigate, weren't you? DON'T EVEN THINK OF IT! This is far too dangerous for children like you to go in alone! Even if there may be a clue there to regaining your original bodies!"
"OKAY, OKAY!" Edward waved his arms at the Major to try to get him to calm down. "Sheesh, as if we'd do something that dangerous."
Alphonse nodded. "We'll wait here for your report, Major."
The Major seemed to be satisfied. "Good. Well, I must be off now. Guard them well, officers," he said before leaving the room. Brosh and Ross, figuring that the trio of teenagers might want some privacy, left the room as well, closing the door behind them.
Delilah may not have known the brothers for very long, but when she turned to face them, she knew what they were going to do. And she had a strong feeling that she couldn't stop them—part of her wanted to try, yes, but another part of her said that they had to go see for themselves about this. "Be careful."
The boys froze, almost as if they had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar. "W-what're you talking about, Del?" Ed asked, pretending not to know.
"Perhaps it really is abandoned and you will not be in danger," she continued, trying to think positively. She didn't bother trying to set Ed straight.
"You're probably right," Al agreed, though privately he had no way of knowing if she was or not. "But you're definitely staying here, all right? Just in case."
"And I ate, so make sure you sleep," Ed added in a stern tone, reminding her of their earlier conversation.
Delilah nodded and grew somber. "…I will go call the doctor again, since we found out about his research." The brothers didn't know what to say to this, and she left them in silence.
()()()()()
She didn't move toward the telephone for a long time, mostly because she didn't want to. Even after Ross rushed into the room and told her Ed and Al had snuck out and that she was to wait there with the door locked while the officers went to get them, she couldn't bring herself to do much else but worry. What was happening at Laboratory Five? They were certainly taking a long time…they had been gone at least an hour or two…maybe longer.
She remembered Ed's order to go to sleep, but Delilah doubted that she would be able to, even with her medicine.
Something finally compelled her enough to get up and go to the phone. She dialed Marcoh's number, but once again, he didn't answer. This, combined with her worry over the brothers, prompted her to dial the sheriff's station in her town. After a few rings, a man answered. "Hello?"
"Mr. Robinson?"
Robinson recognized her voice. "Delilah? That you? Hey, where've you and Dr. Mauro been for the past few weeks? No one's seen you guys since you rushed to the train station. No one's been answering at your house, so I assumed you guys left to visit someone."
Delilah's blood ran cold. "D-Dr. Mauro?"
"Yeah. Neither of you two are here." He paused. "Is something—?"
"Oh. I must have the wrong Mr. Robinson, sorry," she said quickly, trying to mask her voice. She quickly hung up, and she felt her muscles shake slightly.
Marcoh was missing. That much she had been able to gather. And it seemed that he had gone missing just after she had left with the Elrics. Where could he have gone to? Had he left by himself, afraid of the government, or had someone taken him? As unsure as she had been about him up until a minute ago, Delilah was now only filled with extreme concern.
She wanted to do something. She wanted to be able to find Marcoh and help him, but of course she wasn't strong enough to, not in any way, except for maybe her smarts. She had never truly been anywhere by herself before. There was also the fact that she didn't want to leave Edward and Alphonse. She had no idea what to do.
"Well, look who I found. A friend of the Fullmetal pipsqueak."
Startled, Delilah whipped around to see some boy—was it a boy?—sitting on the sill of her now-open window. His body was lean and taut with muscle, and his wore a strange top and some combination of shorts and skirt. His hair was dark green and hung around him in strands, and he had an odd tattoo on his thigh. He leered at her.
a/n: Trollololol. Cliffhanger. Shoot me already. (That was said sarcastically. Please don't.)
Anyway, angst here. You know, the stuff about the Stone needing human lives, stuff about how Delilah doesn't want to leave her friends, stuff about sneaking into Lab 5. All that jazz. OH AND LOOK. Envy. But why is Envy there? It certainly can't be for a good reason. Expect more angst.
As a side-note, I had a fish for only two days before it died. I had named it Al, so his death was especially traumitizing. Rest in peace, Al the Fish. This chappie was for you.
I've gotten even more alerts and reviews! Thank you all, and I hope you keep reviewing. Like I've been saying, reviews REALLY help me write faster~
