Hey guys. Thanks for waiting, but I bring bad news. One of my rats (Yes, I own pet rats, deal with it) is very sick so I will be taking the next few weeks off to make sure she can be nursed back to health.

I'm sorry that I haven't be sending chapters to my editor, but I felt like I needed to give you guys an update so you won't be mad. Don't get me wrong, I adore writing for you guys, but I have to take care of this before I can focus on writing more chapters. Without further ado, here's chapter 20.

Chapter 20: Uncertain Futures

RRRIIINNGGG

"Hello, Rockbell residence. Pinako speaking"

"Granny, it's me, Alphonse"

"Alphonse? This is a surprise"

"Yeah. Is Brother still in Resembool?"

"I'm afraid not. He left earlier today. Why, did something happen?"

"Yes, Iris got hurt really badly. She's in the hospital right now"

"Oh my goodness, I hope she'll be alright"

"I hope so too, Granny. Goodbye"

Alphonse hung up the phone with his only arm and sighed as he walked back to Iris' hospital room. Inside of the blank hospital room was Winry, sitting on a chair, and Iris, in her bed, fast asleep with medicine bottles crowding her wooden nightstand table. Her skin had regained some of its color, but not enough to call her healthy. The ink colored stitches were obvious to see on her pale skin as they stood out like a white rose in a red rose bouquet. Her long chestnut hair, which was currently down, was no longer stained with blood, its light color contrasting her skin tone, but of her details, her eyes, even closed, were the things that terrified everyone, her eyes were sunken, as if someone had pushed them in forcefully.

Both Winry and Alphonse looked up as Iris suddenly started coughing. The pair calmed down as Iris' coughing stopped, returning her breathing to normal.

"Al, what happened out there?" Winry asked as she looked at Iris with a heavy feeling in her chest.

"I don't know. We decided to split up and she went with the Colonel" Al shrugged with his one arm.

A blond nurse came into the room and looked at the two sulking. "Perhaps it's better if you come back later. The medication will keep her asleep for a while so you have some time. It's better if she rests" The nurse suggested.

"I guess. Brother's supposed to meet us at the hotel. He'll get worried if we aren't there" Alphonse reminded Winry.

"Okay" Winry replied as she got up and the pair left the hospital.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Edward screamed as he saw Alphonse's armor.

"I'm sorry, brother!" Alphonse apologized as Ed walked around Al in a circle.

"What?! How are you this beat up?!" Edward gawked. He turned his head towards Lin and Lan Fan, who were currently eating. "And YOU! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Eating a delicious dinner" Ling replied with a turkey leg shoved in his mouth. Edward grabbed him and Lan Fan by their collars and licked them out of the hotel room. Edward walked back over to Alphonse and removed the cloths covering the armor's missing parts.

"Seriously?! How did this happen to you?!" Edward complained.

"This is nothing compared to what Iris has to endure" Alphonse muttered.

"Would you like to explain, or should I make us some tea?" Edward asked, sarcastically as Alphonse began explaining.

"Homunculus and Barry the chopper. Just to throw a cherry onto, you find out your body might reject your soul!" Edward whined as he clapped his hands and placed them on Al's shoulder, mending his arm and replacing his mouth. "I'm going to have to extend what little you have left of your armor."

"Ed, he'll be able to get his body back, right?" Winry asked, worried.

"Yeah, of course he will! I told you I'm gonna get it-"Edward stopped as the phone began ringing. Winry ran over to the phone, picking it up.

"Hello? Yes… Oh really? That's great! Thank you! Of course. Have a nice night" Winry hung up the phone as both boys looked at her.

"What was that?" Edward asked.

"That was the hospital. Iris woke up a few minutes ago and she should be awake tomorrow when we visit" Winry smiled.

"Iris is in the hospital?" Ed asked.

"Yeah. She got hurt pretty badly." Alphonse muttered. "We didn't know if she was going to make it"

"Ya know, Iris would pissed if she heard that" Edward pointed out. "Think about it. She's always trying to look after us, if she heard you say that you thought she would die, I can just picture it, she would be yelling her head off"

"I know, but-"

"But nothing" Ed interrupted. "I wouldn't worry too much about her. She'll pull through"

"I guess you're right" Alphonse sighed in defeat.

"Speaking of surviving, what about Al's soul?" Winry asked. Edward sighed as he sat down on the couch.

"Al? I need to tell you something"

Iris felt like she was trapped in a sea of gray, unable to escape. As she tried to call out, nothing came out, her throat dry as a dessert. She felt like there was a weight on her chest, keeping her caged in this gray prison.

Let me out! She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her head began pounding as she could hear voices, familiar voices.

"Is she waking up?"

Edward?

"I don't know, she didn't wake up yesterday when we were here."

Winry

"Maybe she needs to rest more"

Alphonse

Iris felt her eyes open and the sea of gray was gone, replaced by a white background. Iris could feel her head pounding as the pain from her injuries arrived, pulsing through her every minute.

"Hey, she's waking up!" Winry said as Iris sat up and rubbed her eyes, allowing her to see the three people in front of her.

"Alphonse, you're all fixed…" Iris croaked from her sore throat.

"Yeah, Brother helped once he arrived in Central" Alphonse said with a happy tone. Before Iris could say something else, she fell into a fit of coughing, causing the three people in her room to become alarmed.

"Hey, are you okay?" Edward asked, worried. Iris put a hand up as her coughing ceased.

"I'm fine" Iris assured the trio. "How's Mustang? Is he alright?"

"We don't know. We were going to visit him first, but you were waking up so we stayed" Edward shrugged as Winry hit him over the head with a newspaper. "Ouch!"

"I bet the colonel's fine, Iris" Winry assured her.

"I want to see him and Havoc" Iris announced. Everyone in the room froze.

"What?" Winry questioned. "Iris, you just woke up, shouldn't you be a little careful?"

"I risked my life for those idiots! I want to see if they're okay!" Iris shouted before coughing.

"Okay" Alphonse said. "But only if you'll be careful and not injure yourself"

"Deal" Iris nodded as Winry left to get a wheelchair.

By the time the group had reached Mustang and Havoc's room, Sargent Fury was already there, about to put down a rolled up piece of paper.

"Iris!" Hawkeye said, surprised. "You shouldn't be up!"

"I know. That's why Winry pushing the wheelchair that I am sitting in" Iris smiled as the lieutenant shook her head. Winry smiled as she walked out of the room, waving goodbye as she headed back to the hotel.

"You guys are just in time!" Fury smiled as he laid down the rolled up paper, which turned out to be a map.

"I counted the number of steps I took in the basement underneath the third laboratory and I was able to calculate the approximate location of that doorway. It's not exact since the hallway curved, but I was able to deduce a radius with the lab at the center." Hawkeye reported.

"But that's Central Command. But what's even more alarming…" Ed trailed off.

"The presidential estate… is right above where we found the homunculi" Alphonse finished.

"Which means there's a very real possibility that the Führer is somehow connected to them" Mustang explained.

"But… that doesn't make sense." Al explained.

"Alphonse is on to something" Iris agreed. "If the Führer is connected, why kill Greed when they would be comrades?"

"Strange he'd kill them anyway…Why slaughter them before you interrogate them?" Edward included.

"It's strange alright, damn it's scrutable" Mustang looked up. "One thing is for sure, the enemy's infiltrated high in command. So extreme caution is necessary at all times. Fullmetal and Silver, watch yourselves"

Edward flinched at this comment while Iris simply nodded. Once Edward and Alphonse had left the hospital, Iris had chosen to stay with the Colonel for a while.

"The Führer working with the homunculi." Mustang smiled. "This could be bigger than I ever dreamed"

"I'm starting to worry that it's too big!" Hawkeye said.

"All the more reason to pursue it" Mustang assured. Iris was wondering something as well, why didn't Havoc get up and discuss the plan as well?

"Havoc, is there something wrong?" Iris asked softly. Havoc looked at Iris for a moment as everyone turned towards Havoc. Havoc looked down at his legs and gripped the sheet covering them.

"I can't help you pursue your dream." Havoc sighed. "Your dream requires a fighter with legs and… I can't feel mine"

"Havoc…" Iris felt tears in the back of her eyes. I failed! I risked my life to save him… But I failed!

"Don't you dare" Havoc said as Iris lifted her head.

"Don't what?" Iris asked curiously.

"Start blaming yourself" Havoc said with a stern voice. "You saved my life, I will forever be grateful for that. Even if you could heal me, you can't fix severed nerves in the spinal cord. Don't blame yourself, kid. Just try to move on without me"

Iris didn't know what to think when a military officer came dashing into her hospital room as she lay in her bed.

"A message to all military personal" The soldier said as he handed her a piece of paper and left the room. Iris felt her blood go cold as she the paper. All she could see on the paper was Scar, the alchemist killer, has been spotted in the city.

"Sweetie, you should get should get some sleep" The nurse warned. "Your body needs to heal"

Iris tried to sleep, but the weight of Scar's arrival felt like a heavy iron weight on her chest.

"Mustang!" Iris called out. Colonel Mustang was sitting on an orange couch, clutching his injured side. As Iris ran over, she saw his pained expression and filled with worry. "Is everything okay, sir?"

"Everything's fine" Mustang smiled. Hawkeye walked up to the pair, smiling at Iris. "I need you to bring me my uniform"

"But you're not ready to leave the hospital yet, Colonel" Hawkeye reminded him.

"If he's working than I am too!" Iris declared.

"Iris you-"

"Don't go lecturing me Mustang. I want to help. I have to stand up and fight." Iris smiled "Even if I go slowly at first. Permission granted?"

Mustang looked at the girl and smiled. "Permission granted. Go get ready soldier"

Iris frowned as she scratched her bandages, which were wrapped over her stitches. Iris had dressed up in her newer version of her old white, sleeveless dress with purple flowers and a purple collar with her white pants, which went to her knees, and her brown shoes. Hawkeye had been the one in charge of getting her new clothes since her old clothes had been destroyed and her suitcase was practically empty at this point.

"I think it'll look nice on you" Hawkeye smiled as she handed Iris her new clothes. She was currently in the passenger seat of Mustang's car as it drove down the crowded streets.

"I'll turn this car around if you don't stop messing with those bandages" Mustang warned. Iris put her hand to her side as she looked down at her shoes, like a middle schooler who was just lectured for running in the halls.

"Sorry" Iris muttered. "Do you know what the boys are planning?"

"Not really, they don't tell me these things" Mustang looked over at Iris for a moment and saw her tugging on her dress, as if she was nervous. "Nice dress. Did Hawkeye pick that out for you?"

"Yeah." Iris confirmed. Her expression stayed the same as an image of her mother popped into her head. "It looks like something my mother would've worn"

"Is that a bad thing?" Hawkeye asked. She was in the car as well, just quieter as she did her paper work.

"No, not really. It's just… I can't describe it" Iris shrugged.

"Nostalgic, isn't it?" Mustang grinned.

"Yeah, that's the word" Iris smiled as she looked ahead at the busy streets as people smiled and laughed. She became confused as Mustang pulled up to a Café and stopped the car.

"Since when did you become so theatrical, Fullmetal?"

Iris peeked out the window and saw none other than a large suit of armor and a certain red coat and gold braid.

"Hey guys!" Iris smiled. Both boys looked confused as Edward rose from his chair.

"Shouldn't you both be in the hospital?" Edward questioned.

"Probably, but Silver wanted to get a head start on all the work she missed" Mustang said as Iris exited the car and walked over to the boys.

"I heard about lieutenant Havoc" Edward whispered as he leaned on the car door. Iris lowered her head at the mention of Havoc. "I'm sure Doctor Marcoh would-"

"Hold on" Mustang said, holding up a hand. "People are watching us. Get in"

A few difficult minutes later and everyone was in the car with Hawkeye at the wheel. Iris was squeezed next to Edward, struggling to say on her seat.

Could've been worse Iris thought as she saw the Colonel squished against Alphonse as the armor struggled to make room for the colonel.

"On second thought, let's get out" Mustang croaked.

"On second thought?! Here's an idea, get a bigger car!" Iris yelled.

"Hey watch it! You're yelling in my ear!" Edward yelled as sparks and glares flew between the two.

"Doctor Marcoh's gone missing?" Edward said, shocked. Ed looked over at Iris. "Did you know about this?"

"No, this is the first I'm hearing about it" Iris assured, holding her hands up.

"He was probably taken captive" Mustang guessed. "There's something else we need to talk about. I'm sure you've heard that Scar's back"

Iris and Edward flinched as the vivid memory of Scar was relived in both their heads for a moment.

"So what's with the show boating? You want him to find you?" Mustang lectured.

"I doubt that's the reason for all the publicity. You guys are smarter than that, right?" Iris smiled as she waited for the boys to chime in. Only silence was given as both boys looked down at their feet. "Alphonse, that's not the plan, right?"

"Well…" Alphonse said nervously. A dark aura began to surround Iris as both boys began shaking. Iris clapped her hands, placing them on the sidewalk and formed a hammer before hitting both boys on the head multiple times. She finally stopped when the Colonel took away the hammer.

"You damn idiots!" Iris yelled. "Do you want to get killed?!"

"No but-"Edward tried to argue but the colonel had some thoughts of his own.

"Have you lost your mind?! Did you forget how he tore you apart in East city?!" Mustang yelled.

"OOH! SOUNDS LIKE THE COLONEL'S AFRAID OF BIG BAD SCAR!" Edward teased. Iris thought he looked like a crocodile as he flailed his arms, making fun of the colonel. "I'M NOT SURPRISED CONSIDERING HOW USELESS YOU WERE AGAINST HIM, HA, HA!"

"THAT WASN'T MY FAULT! IT WAS RAINING THAT DAY!" Mustang retorted.

"WAS IT RAINING WHEN YOU GOT BEAT UP AND SENT TO THE HOSPITAL? YOU'RE STILL USELESS!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, FULLMETAL!"

"Would you guys-"Before Iris could finish, the familiar click of a gun drew her attention. Right in front of the group was Scar, wearing a hood.

"Guess he got your invite"

Thank you guys so much for reading this chapter. I promise I will make the chapters longer after this and I will try to stop making cliff hangers, I know you all must hate me right now.

Please be patient with the next chapter, as soon as my rat is better, I will write another chapter and I will give it to my editor. Keep in mind that I just found this out today, so my editor doesn't know either. I will try my best to get back on my feet. It might take a while, but I will write the next chapter. Until next time.

Jackie C.A.