Flowers of Antimony

by Lady Norbert

A/N: Updates will be a little sporadic for a few days, because I won't have much internet access. (I'll be at Zenkaikon, if you're going!) But the story is still chugging along in the happy little world of my brain, and this should all be wrapped up sometime next week. This chapter contains something of a shout-out to the first anime, which I have actually never watched. I hope it doesn't come across as being too contrived of a solution.

Thank you once again for all the reviews, favorites, etc. - it's really made me smile to see how many people have enjoyed this!

Chapter Ten: Xylenol Blue

Xylenol Blue: An acid-based indicator that changes from red to yellow and then blue as the pH level rises.

They travel to New Optain, because to go directly into Central itself would be difficult at best. Mustang thinks that if they can get to New Optain without any real trouble, they can probably gain some intelligence about just what the hell is going on inside the main city.

Ed is pissy. He can't get comfortable, he can't stop thinking, he can't stop worrying. It's not just Al, although of course it's mostly Al. But he's concerned for Ling too, and May, and he doesn't doubt that Lan Fan's there, and then there's all his friends in the military, and Mrs. Hughes and Elysia, and, well, everybody who lives there. Who's still alive, who's...?

"Edward."

He looks up. Hawkeye is watching him like, well, a hawk, and her big brown eyes are concerned. "You should try to sleep. We all should. We're going to need our strength."

"Can you honestly tell me that you feel the least bit tired, Colonel?"

She sighs, and he knows that she can't. He's trying not to be snappish with her, because it's not her fault, not at all. It's not even General Birdbrain's fault, although this won't necessarily stop Ed from losing his temper with him. He's not sleeping either, but he looks like he wants to be.

"This just doesn't make any damned sense," Ed rages, more to the open air than to either of them. "How can the city be invaded without the rest of the country knowing what's going on? How the hell did they get to Central without being noticed? And how can we not know who's doing it?"

"Perhaps they've got alchemists," Hawkeye suggests. "They could have tunneled under the desert, or something."

"There's at least half a dozen possibilities for how they got there," says Mustang. "Damn it, what does this mean?" His fingers twitch irritably, like he wants to set something on fire. Ed can't blame him.

"It can't be the Homunculi, right?" asks Ed. "I mean, they're all dead. Aren't they?"

"They have to be, after what we went through."

"Maybe it's an assassination attempt? Either on Ling or the Fuhrer?"

"Maybe. It's not common knowledge that Ling has a Stone."

"How long is it gonna take to get there, anyway? It took me sixteen hours to get to Ishval."

"Ishval isn't on what you'd call a direct route," Hawkeye points out. "The plan is that eventually it will be. New Optain is more of a straight shot; it should only take about eight hours."

They talk themselves into a stupor; Ed's not sure how long it is before he falls into a fitful doze. He wakes at one point when he senses something warm; blinking, he finds a blanket has been spread over him. Mustang is asleep, sprawled across the opposite bench, and Hawkeye is engaged in covering him with a second blanket. He vaguely wonders where she got them, but isn't really coherent enough to care.

"Colonel?" he yawns. "What're..."

"It's a bit chilly this afternoon," she says. He supposes that's true. It's spring, but now and then the temperatures dip back down into the cooler numbers.

"Hmm." He blinks again. "Where'll you sleep?"

"I'll keep watch until one of you wakes up. Go back to sleep, Fullmetal."

Hawkeye, he thinks drowsily, would probably make a pretty good mom. The concept barely registers before he sinks again into unconsciousness. He prefers that anyway; Winry's there with him.

The sun, which had not even risen when they left Resembool, has already passed its apex and is on its way back down again by the time they reach New Optain. Hawkeye has finally gotten a little rest herself, but she's evidently a light sleeper as a rule, to judge by how rapidly she springs to life when Mustang just touches her shoulder when their destination is within sight. They share the contents of Granny's basket in silence, none of them particularly hungry but knowing they need to eat while they can, just as they needed to sleep while they could.

News, Ed thinks ruefully, needs to learn to travel faster through Amestris. It seems as though the majority of the people they come across are blissfully unaware of the situation in the capital, much as they were in complete ignorance of everything that happened on the Promised Day. The only person who seems to know anything is a railway conductor, to whom they speak about getting a train to Central.

"I'm afraid that's out of the question," he says, "although to be honest I'm not entirely certain why. I've been informed that the Central railway station is inaccessible; we're having to completely reroute several trains as it is. I heard something about a building collapse blocking off the track, but with as many alchemists as the military has, you'd think they could clear that up in hardly any time at all."

"You'd think," Mustang agrees sardonically. "Is there another mode of transport available? It's really urgent that we get to Central."

"Want to see the Xingese Emperor, huh?" The conductor chuckles. "Yeah, you're not the first. Had quite a few people head out that way in the last couple days - you missed the grand arrival though!"

"You said a mouthful," Ed mutters so that only Hawkeye can hear him.

The best option, it seems, is to borrow a car and drive to Central. Of course, in this unfamiliar city, finding someone who is willing to lend a car to three complete strangers - even military strangers - is a hopeless prospect. In the end, Ed and Mustang are forced to pool their resources and buy a car.

"I'm driving," says Hawkeye flatly. Ed starts to protest, but Mustang cuts him short with a look.

"Let her," he says. "We'll get there faster."

Hawkeye, as it turns out, has a lead foot, and they're on their way in short order. "We need to determine three things as soon as possible," Mustang says, half turning in the front seat in order to address his remarks to Ed in the back. "Who's attacking, what they want, and where the pieces stand on the board."

"Is this another of your goofy chess analogies?"

Mustang ignores him. "My pawn is missing in action, but he's more resourceful than people tend to realize," he says. "He may have simply moved en passant."

"Pawn?" says Ed. "You call Fuery your pawn?"

"Fuery's the pawn, Breda's the rook, Havoc's the knight and Falman is the bishop. They each have their own set of moves, and they're very methodical in their own way."

"I hate that stupid game, did I ever tell you that?"

"I'm not surprised."

Hawkeye is diligently ignoring both of them while they bicker, eyes focused on the road. Ed has to admire the way she's able to block them out. "So - let me see if I remember right - all those are the subordinate pieces. Guess that makes you the king, huh?"

"And I haven't been checkmated yet."

Abruptly, Ed smirks; Mustang has just handed him some shiny new components for his favorite teasing mechanism. "Okay. I see how it is. You're the king - the lazy piece that hangs around on the board while everyone else does all the work."

A tiny snort suggests that Hawkeye is not ignoring them quite as skillfully as it appears. Then again, if the analogy extends to Mustang's entire group, her own role is an easy one to guess - and Ed can't help thinking that Mustang has to know how it looks. Still smirking, he adds, "Especially the queen, who if I remember correctly is the most powerful piece. Am I right?"

Mustang's lips twitch. He wants to laugh, Ed suspects, even though he's clearly annoyed. "You're not...entirely wrong," he acknowledges crossly.

"Enough already," says Hawkeye. "What strategy are you proposing, chessmaster?"

"I wish there was a way we could locate Alphonse. He'd probably be in the best situation to help us get into the city."

This is true enough. Since Al can still do alchemy without transmutation circles, he would be able to open a wall or something equally useful to smuggle them inside. Mustang can also still do alchemy without transmutation circles, but Ed hopes there's not going to be a need for a lot of fire.

Hawkeye slows the car as they get nearer to Central. Even from a distance, it's very obvious that things are quite odd. Every visible way to enter the city proper is blocked, literally blocked, with rubble and stone. What appear to be armed guards are standing nearby, presumably to drive off any attempts to enter.

"This isn't good."

"Thank you, General Obvious."

"Shut up, Fullmetal."

They park in one of the suburban outlying areas. "There's got to be another way in there," says Hawkeye.

"Yeah, but how...underground would presumably work, but I can't do that anymore," says Ed. He's thinking hard.

"Underground or overhead," Mustang muses.

Ed lifts his head and looks at him. "Overhead..."

"Through the sky..."

"We've got an available source of hot air..."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Fullmetal?"

"Much as it pains me to admit it, yes."

Hawkeye looks from one to the other, catching on but unable to get excited. "Uh...sir? Ed? Can I just point out one thing?"

"What?"

"None of us knows how to make a hot-air balloon."

They visibly deflate. Ed, however, doesn't stay down for long. "We need a phone!"

"A phone?"

"We don't know how to make a hot-air balloon...but I bet I know someone who does!"