Chapter 38 –
"General Raven." Armstrong's polite, professional tone drew the attention of anyone on the research and development floor who was within earshot and they joined Armstrong in saluting the seemingly friendly looking gentleman stepping out of the military car that had just been granted entrance into the fortress. "It's a pleasure to see you and Bella out of Central. May I ask whether there was a specific reason the visit?"
"It's a pleasure to see you as well, General Armstrong, Anahlia. Fort Briggs certainly seems to still be suiting you," Raven said, giving her a friendly smile. The weasel who'd followed him out of the car looked around with interest and Anahlia hissed lightly in Armstrong's mind. "As for the reason, I think it might be best for us to discuss that in private." His smile never wavered but Armstrong saw a glint pass through his eyes too quickly for her to make an accurate guess as to what it was.
"Very well," Armstrong said, nodding to Buccaneer. "Would my office suffice?"
"Perhaps. Would you happen to have a tea station in there? It was a long drive and I would rather enjoy a cup," Raven said and Armstrong nodded once.
"My office has no such amenities but there is a tearoom that I use when I require it. It's not close enough to any other offices or workstations so I usually am the only one who uses it. Would that be better suited, Sir?" Armstrong asked and Raven's smile grew wider.
"That sounds lovely," he said and she gave him another nod.
"Very well, Sir. If you'll follow me, Captain Buccaneer will see to it that your suitcase and other personal items are delivered to your room. I assume you'll be staying the night at least?" Armstrong said and Raven nodded.
"If that doesn't put you out at all, General Armstrong?" Raven asked but Armstrong could tell that he was fully expecting her to let him stay at the fortress for as long as he wanted with no complaints.
"Of course not, Sir," Armstrong said before gesturing in front of her. "If you'll follow me?"
"Lead the way, General," Raven said with another easy smile as he picked up his weasel and allowed her to sit on his shoulder. Armstrong turned on her heel, nodded once more to Buccaneer, who saluted before he moved to do as she'd ordered.
Miles and Amaya – both of whom had been waiting silently next to the car they'd stepped out of – both started following Armstrong and Raven as they walked towards the floor. A nod from Raven had the four Central soldiers who accompanied him stay with Buccaneer. Armstrong caught the side-eye Raven shot at Miles when Armstrong didn't order him off the elevator and, in a moment of rare pettiness, she acted as though she hadn't seen it and did nothing about Miles. Instead, she nodded at Miles when he reached for the elevator controls just so she could see what Raven would do. She was mildly annoyed when the grey-haired general did nothing more than purse his lips for a moment in displeasure.
"Thank you, Major Miles," Armstrong said when the elevator came to a stop on the floor she wanted. "I imagine there are things you need to take care of that have built up during your absence that require your attention and I also expect your report no later than the end of the working day. You may see to those now," she instructed, barely giving the man a cursory look.
"Yes, Sir," Miles said, making no further move to follow her and Raven off the elevator other than the half-step he'd already taken. The doors slid shut once more with Miles never removing his eyes from Armstrong while she'd turned her back and started leading Raven through the hall.
"This is the room, Sir," Armstrong said, coming to a stop in front of a door before opening it.
"Thank you, General," Raven said as he entered. "Ah lovely," he exclaimed upon spotting the tea station and walked over to it. "Would you care for a cup, General?" Raven asked as he filled the kettle with fresh water.
"Tea, if you would be so kind, Sir," Armstrong said, knowing that any refusal from her could be seen as an indication of what she would do should Raven decide whether to bring her in on the Fuhrer's plans.
Raven flashed her another one of his trademark smiles before busying himself with the items in front of him. While the general was busy doing so, Armstrong risked a glance up at the vent that sat in the ceiling almost directly above her. She was positive that the flash of golden eyes she saw wasn't her imagination and a tiny movement of something small being shifted on the side of the vent and she knew the microphone Edward had alchemised was being moved into the optimal spot. There was another flash of gold and soon, she couldn't see anything else moving so she moved her eyes back down to watch Raven.
Trusting someone she barely knew was not in her nature and trusting someone she barely knew with a plan as high-risk as this one was so far out of her nature that if she were anyone else, she might've considered the possibility that she was losing her mind. However, even without Anahlia's assurances that the Elric brothers and their Animals could be trusted, Armstrong found herself trusting the boys to a degree more than she granted most people. She was unsure whether it was because they hadn't bothered trying to hide anything from her about the Fuhrer, the homunculi or their plans once they'd decided she could be trusted with the information or because they hadn't hesitated to get themselves to Fort Briggs as soon as they'd been summoned or because of some other reason she hadn't yet figured out. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Raven clinking a teaspoon against the edge of a cup as he stirred the tea inside.
"Thank you, General Raven," Armstrong said politely when Raven placed the hot cup in front of her. Raven gave her another smile before he took a seat opposite her at the small table. Bella unwound herself from his shoulders and took up position on his right side and Armstrong's left. Anahlia made sure they remembered she was there by tensing and releasing her coils, causing her vibrant scales to reflect the light. "I apologise for the chaos you undoubtedly witnessed earlier, Sir. We were attacked yesterday," Armstrong said casually, taking a sip of her tea.
Raven raised his brows in surprise. "Attacked? By who?" He asked curiously.
"I think it would be more appropriate to say 'what', Sir," Armstrong corrected. "We were attacked by a monster," she revealed. "Fortunately we were able to successfully fend it off," she told him, pretending as though she thought his first concern would be the welfare of those stationed at this fortress.
"A monster?" Raven repeated, taking a sip of his tea. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.
"We killed it but it didn't die, Sir," Armstrong told him.
Raven let out a soft chuckle as he placed his cup back on its saucer. "Is that so?" He asked and Armstrong nodded.
"I had suspected that it originated in Drachma but I never got the chance to interrogate it for myself," Armstrong said, adding a small wistful sigh on the end of her words.
"It escaped?" Raven asked, sounding shocked at hearing the news.
"Unfortunately so, Sir," Armstrong confirmed, making sure she frowned lightly as though she was disappointed in herself. "We managed to get it out of the fortress however we lost it when a blizzard swept through the area just before I was able to scramble together a pursuit team. Once the storm had cleared, I sent the team out but as we'd feared, the storm destroyed any evidence of where the monster had gone." Her voice had remained professional as though she was delivering a normal report but she also made sure there were hints of regret, annoyance and the slightest amount of envy. She knew Raven had picked up on it almost immediately but he didn't comment.
"That's a shame to hear," Raven said consolingly and Armstrong had to fight the urge to snarl or throw up on him. "I would've liked to see such a monster."
"The funny thing is, Sir," Armstrong said, "when the Elric brothers were here a little over a month ago, the eldest one – Edward – had mentioned something about such monsters to his brother. Of course, he had no idea I was in earshot but I made myself known so I could ask him for more information. He refused to tell me anything about such a creature," Armstrong lied.
"The Fullmetal Alchemist?" Raven asked and Armstrong nodded.
"I only bring this to your attention because, as I said, I believe this monster to be a creation of Drachma sent to try and weaken my fortress. Obviously we have a serious problem on our hands if one of our State Alchemists is a Drachma spy," Armstrong said and Raven nodded far too quickly to be convincing.
"Certainly. I'll make sure Fuhrer Bradley is made aware of this the moment I'm back in Central," Raven said, doing a good job at sounding appropriately worried about their country's safety. Armstrong almost scoffed when she realised he truly was worried but about their plan being leaked rather than their country. Anahlia had to calm her down enough so she didn't end up sticking her sword through Raven's neck. "I actually ran into the Elric brothers quite by chance two days ago," Raven told her. "I had been on my way to a meeting and met them as they were on their way out."
Armstrong made sure she wore an expression that showed mild surprise before her eyes narrowed slightly. "Perhaps I may get the chance to question them about the monster after all, if they decide to visit Fort Briggs once more," Armstrong said, a touch of malicious hope in her voice that had Raven smile indulgently at her.
"They wouldn't tell you anything during their last visit?" Raven asked, bringing Armstrong back and she shook her blonde locks.
"No, they wouldn't," she confirmed and watched in hidden disgust as Raven relaxed slightly. "They'd claimed they'd only been here to investigate reports of isolated tremors in the area when I first met them but that overheard comment had my suspicions rise," she informed Raven. "I had thought about detaining them until I could verify their orders with Central Command but I ended up leaving them to their interviews in peace. I hadn't wanted to cause any trouble for them just because I am not one to give my trust easily," Armstrong said. She allowed her eyes to glaze over as though she was lost in thought. "I was thrown by how young the two of them were. There's no one in Fort Briggs even close to their age and I couldn't help but feel my maternal side when I saw them. The idea of such young boys being locked up in a cell because I ordered it? I couldn't stomach the thought." She allowed herself to adopt a startled expression, as though she couldn't believe she'd admitted that out loud.
Raven let out another soft laugh. "But, General Armstrong, aren't you known as the Northern Wall of Briggs? Walls aren't supposed to be as soft as that," Raven chided and Armstrong gave him an apologetic smile.
"You know, General Raven, that at my age most women are expected to have a child or two of their own at least," Armstrong said before letting out another wistful sigh. "Unfortunately I'm well passed that now," she said sorrowfully.
Raven reached across the table, their teas forgotten, and enveloped her hands with one of his own. "Come now," Raven said kindly and Armstrong once again had to resist the urge to tear his tongue out with her bare hands, "surely men are lining up to have children with a woman as beautiful as you."
"Hardly, Sir," Armstrong said, her voice wavering slightly. "I hate to say it but like everyone else, I am growing older and my body is too," she said, sounding regretful about missed opportunities. "That Drachmann monster though," she mused after a moment, "it had an outstanding body. An immortal body. It was like something from a dream," Armstrong told him, her tone reflecting what she'd just said.
She saw the moment Raven had come to a decision about her and almost smiled as she watched the disgusting traitor get to his feet and come to stand next to her. "What if I told you that very soon it won't be a dream anymore?" Raven asked, voice quiet and alluring. Armstrong wasn't a stranger to men trying to charm her into seeing things their way but she restrained herself from putting Raven on his knees as she normally would've. Rather, she made herself look up at him with cautious hope in her eyes. "Tell me, General, would you be in a legion of immortal soldiers? In never dying or getting old? You want it too, don't you?" Raven asked, obviously encouraged by her expression and believing he had her hook, line and sinker.
"Oh, it's such an incredible question," Armstrong said, voice breathy as though she was overwhelmed like some dainty woman. "I don't quite know what to say."
Raven looked a little annoyed but he was quick to smooth his features. "Well, are you interested or not? There are only two answers," he told her.
"It is intriguing," Armstrong said, enjoying how Raven seemed to grow a little more annoyed with her lack of answer. "Tell me, General, on the day this dream comes true, will my men share in this gift as well or is it just for me?"
"I can tell you when the time comes," Raven told her and Armstrong felt a spike of annoyance at his own avoidance.
"I can almost guarantee what his answer would've been," Anahlia hissed and Armstrong knew her snake was right.
General Armstrong went to open her mouth to say something, hoping to coax a bit more information out of the other general. She hadn't failed to notice that Bella didn't look as convinced she was on Raven's side as Raven did but Armstrong didn't bother with the weasel. She was positive Raven would just assure his Animal that Armstrong was merely hesitant but would be fully onboard in no time. Before she could say anything, a knock sounded at the door and she almost snarled at the disturbance.
"My apologies, General," Armstrong said as she got to her feet. Raven appeared as irritated with the interruption as she was but she paid him no mind as she opened the door to reveal one of her soldiers on the other side. "Yes? What is it?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Sir, but the underground tunnel advance team –" the soldier started saying only to be interrupted by Raven who had come to stand behind Armstrong.
"What's this about an underground tunnel?" Raven asked, making Armstrong want to elbow him in the throat for daring to interrupt but once more she managed to resist the urge.
"Speak, soldier," she instructed the man.
"Yes, Sir," he said obediently. "Something's happened to the advance team," he told her and Armstrong felt a coil of worry. Not for her soldiers – those men knew their lives were on the line when they were sent into the tunnel – but for her fortress. She had no clue what happened to the men and until she could be certain, she couldn't help but believe another homunculous was the cause.
"Very well. I'll be right there," she told the soldier, dismissing him with a nod. She went to turn to Raven and offer a false apology but was prevented when Raven spoke once more.
"I'd like to come too," he told her and without any legitimate reason to have him stay behind, Armstrong could only nod.
"As you wish, Sir," Armstrong said easily. Raven seemed pleased and moved away from her to scoop up Bella so she could be carried on his shoulders once more.
As they'd done so before, Armstrong led the two of them to the elevator where the soldier who had delivered the news was waiting patiently. The soldier offered the two a salute but was dismissed from it quickly as the three waited for the doors to open. Armstrong was amusing herself by trying to remember the soldier's name but it kept slipping out of her grasp. His lack of Animal wasn't any help since there were quite a few Animals in the fortress too large to use this elevator and his could've been one of those. When the doors opened, the three humans and two Animals stepped inside and the soldier received a nod from Armstrong to take them down to the appropriate level.
When the doors next opened, Armstrong was surprised to find Miles waiting on the other side of them with a man dressed impeccably in a white three-piece suit, matching hat, shoes and coat and raven black hair tied back in a low ponytail. Though she'd never met the man, the description her brother and the Elrics had given her were more than enough for her to identify the stranger as Solf J. Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist. Miles was quick to offer a salute while Kimblee was a little slower to do so and Armstrong would've snapped at him about showing superiors the appropriate respect had she not been in Raven's presence and unwilling to risk all her hard work at getting his trust.
"My apologies, Generals," Miles said as he dropped his hand. "We had no idea you were occupying this elevator."
"No worries at all, Major Miles!" Raven said jovially as he beckoned the two of them inside with them. Amaya sat right up against Miles leg as they joined them. "General Armstrong, I'm unsure if you've been made aware that I have a guest with me. He arrived a little later in another car," Raven said. "This is Solf J. Kimblee, also known as the Crimson Lotus Alchemist."
"A pleasure to meet you, General Armstrong," Kimblee said, sounding like a perfect gentleman and offering her a small bow. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Any guest of General Raven's is a guest of Fort Briggs'," Armstrong said, giving him a nod.
"What floor, Major Miles?" The soldier asked and Armstrong briefly felt bad for not knowing his name as he brought the attention off her and onto himself.
"Just one floor down, Hurst," Miles said and the soldier nodded, pressing the appropriate button.
It took only moments for them to reach the floor. Kimblee and Miles saluted once more before they left the car with Raven reminding Kimblee that they had a dinner meeting that night. Once the two men and Amaya had left the elevator car, Hurst had them travelling down to their original destination and Armstrong realised something.
"Inform Amaya about the Elrics being here and that Kimblee and Raven are not to know about their presence if it can be helped," Armstrong instructed Anahlia. "I suppose you had better warn Major Elric that Kimblee is here as well," she added as an afterthought.
"I'll let them know," Anahlia assured her.
The elevator doors opened a couple of seconds later and a soldier noticed them immediately. "General!" He called, getting her attention. Realising he was the one in charge of this situation, Armstrong made her way over to him, followed closely by Raven and Hurst. A nod to Hurst had him leaving to attend his other duties.
"What's the situation?" Armstrong asked, getting straight to the point.
"We lost all contact with the advance team that was sent down to investigate the tunnel," the soldier reported. "Shortly after, Smith's horse returned. It came back with what we assume is his arm." Armstrong felt a small amount of bile and regret make itself known before she managed to bury them.
"Just his arm?" She asked and received a nod. "Where's the rest?"
"It's still down there, missing, Sir," the soldier reported. A nod of his head had Armstrong looking in the direction he'd gestured to and Armstrong watched as Smith's bay horse – just a normal animal – did its very best to try and rip itself free from the reins and bridle tied to the steel post preventing it from fleeing. Armstrong could see the whites of its eyes as they bulged with naked fear and its terrified whinnies could be heard clearly despite the distance between them. "His horse can't lead us back. It's too terrified to be of any use," the soldier said unnecessarily.
"Get a reserve party!" She ordered.
"I'm afraid you can't do that, General," Raven said, preventing the soldier from doing as she'd ordered. Armstrong didn't bother hiding her disbelief and anger as she faced him. "That tunnel is far too dangerous to be sending anymore men down it." Armstrong was unsurprised at exactly how unsurprised she was that Raven was saying what he was. "You said the monster escaped, correct? So seal the tunnel's entrance, General Armstrong," Raven instructed.
"But there still might be-" the soldier tried to say but Raven shut him up with a glare far more angry than he'd ever shown himself to be.
"I am speaking to the General!" Raven snapped at the man before turning back to Armstrong. "See, I know the Northern law. 'Obey the strength and obey the power'. Isn't that the way it works around here?" Raven said and Armstrong's jaw clenched as she tightened it so she wouldn't spit what she wanted to say as she watched the general walk back towards the elevator car and get inside it, giving her a stern look as the doors slid shut.
The soldier – a man whose name was Penchel, Armstrong suddenly remembered – looked at her with a small amount of hope. "General, are we sending in a search team to look for the missing team?" he asked.
"Quiet, Penchel," Armstrong ordered as she approached the barrier of the deck that overlooked the workers down below. "Attention, everybody!" Armstrong's strong voice carried down to the workers below clearly and they all halted in their movements to look up at her. "You have new orders to seal the entrance created by the monster who invaded our fortress. Leave the tunnel unobstructed! I expect this to be done swiftly!" She informed them, noting the confused and outraged expressions on the faces she could make out before she stepped away from the railings to find Penchel looking at her in disbelieving horror.
"We can't just abandon them down there! They might still need our help!" Penchel protested, following her as she walked by him.
"I said to be quiet, Penchel!" Armstrong snapped. "Be quiet and obey," she snarled at him as she pressed the button for the elevator. She refused to look guilty or regretful as she entered the car and turned to see Penchel's betrayed expression. Though not part of the plan she and Edward had discussed earlier that morning, Armstrong's fists shook as she clenched them tightly as one thought ran through her mind: Raven would pay for ordering her to do this.
Edward, Alphonse, Buccaneer, Eric, Ayala and Chester all waited until they heard the doors shut closed on the elevator before they so much as twitched after Armstrong and Raven's discussion had been interrupted by the soldier reporting the problem with the underground tunnel advance team. Once they were sure they wouldn't be caught spying, Ed and Al packed up the recording equipment and followed Buccaneer back through the access vent the room next door had offered. Ed had barely gotten to his feet when he felt someone trying to connect with him.
"Olivier wished for me to inform you that Kimblee is in Fort Briggs. You are still under orders to stay out of sight of both Raven and Kimblee," Anahlia informed him before abruptly disconnecting from him and Ed swore.
"I didn't think I'd ever meet an Animal who got to the point and disconnected from me quicker than Michella," Ed joked to Ayala, who had given him a worried look.
"Anahlia?" she asked and Ed nodded. "What happened?"
"Kimblee's in Briggs, being escorted by Major Miles," Ed revealed, speaking out loud for the benefit of Al and Buccaneer, who'd looked moments away from demanding to know what Ed was talking about, "and Anahlia wanted to remind me that we're still expected to stay out of sight of the two visitors if possible," he added. Buccaneer nodded once.
"Eric, where's Amaya and Major Miles now?" Buccaneer asked his Animal. He must've gotten an answer almost immediately because not even ten seconds later, he was addressing the Elrics. "They're on a different floor to your rooms. Let's get moving before that changes," he ordered. Ed was tempted to point out that he was technically higher ranked than Buccaneer but ended up remembering that he didn't care enough about his rank to raise any sort of fuss.
The four followed Buccaneer and Eric out of the room and down to the elevator. They didn't worry about who was in the elevator car with them as every single man and woman stationed at Fort Briggs had been informed that the Elrics were no longer in the fortress and that they hadn't been since a month ago, should anyone decide to ask. The thing that amused Ed the most was that Armstrong hadn't had to order them to lie about it. In fact, she hadn't even said anything to those in the fortress about it. The word had spread from the research and development floor where someone had obviously overheard Ed and Armstrong talking that morning and, in typical Fort Briggs fashion, everyone knew about it within an hour.
"Stay in here. Someone will bring you some lunch later," Buccaneer ordered as they came to a stop and Ed was a little surprised to find himself standing outside his temporary room.
"Thank you, Captain Buccaneer," Al said as he opened the door to let the Animals and Ed through. Ed simply gave the captain a nod of thanks that the man returned before he and Eric headed back down the corridor. "Come on, Brother," Al said, jolting Ed out of his slight trance and got him moving into the room. Al shut the door firmly behind him and locked it, making sure no one would be able to surprise them by barging in unannounced.
"I can't believe Kimblee's here," Ed grumbled as he sat then collapsed backwards onto his bed. Ayala and Chester joined him, Ayala laying next to him with her head on his abdomen while Chester was situated on the head of the bed, since Ed wasn't using it. "Raven was bad enough. Why does the universe hate us so much?" Ed muttered and Al gave his knee a comforting pat as he passed by his brother to sit on the other bed where his books sat neatly next to it.
"You should tell Nala that she and Colonel Mustang were right not to trust Raven," Al said, electing to ignore Ed's question.
"Yeah, I suppose so," Ed reluctantly said. Though he had no problem with telling Nala she had been right, he did have one with telling Mustang he had been proven right about something. "Nala?" Ed called mentally and the lioness was quick to answer.
"What's wrong? You seem worried and annoyed," she said and Ed huffed slightly.
"You guys were right about Raven," Ed told her and felt her shock and a slight amount of smugness.
"How do you know for sure?" Nala asked, concern drenching their bond.
"He's here in Fort Briggs," Ed said. "He and Kimblee both, actually."
"Kimblee's there?" Nala asked and Ed nodded in confirmation. Nala seemed to disappear for a moment but Ed knew it was only because she'd started talking to Mustang, likely relaying the news to the man. "Roy wants to know what's going on and so do I," Nala informed Ed. The blonde knew that Nala had only added the part about herself wanting to know so that he didn't refuse to tell them just on the principle of pissing Mustang off.
So Ed relayed to her everything that had happened since Armstrong had found him helping the tank crew. He revealed the plan he'd come up with Armstrong to take Raven's place in Bradley's inner circle. Ed also revealed that he was certain that Armstrong was planning on killing Raven to do so and that he wasn't sure whether he was alright with it. Nala had taken the opportunity to tell him that the guilt and disgust he was feeling over the idea of Armstrong killing Raven and Bella was a good thing but that sometimes there were no other options. Ed had nodded but Nala knew her words hadn't alleviated Ed's guilt over what was going to happen.
Deciding to move the topic along, Nala asked about what had happened after they'd come up with their plan and Ed launched into the tale. He told the lioness about what Raven and Armstrong had spoken about and how Armstrong had gained Raven's trust enough that he offered her the chance to become immortal, revealing that he was indeed on Bradley's side. He'd been forced to pause as Nala let out a string of expletives that had Ed almost grinning with amusement. Once Nala had calmed down and stopped cussing Raven out, she allowed Ed to wrap up his report by telling her about the unknown soldier's interruption and Anahlia's message.
"So, Armstrong's plan is to have you on house arrest until Raven and Kimblee leave?" Nala asked and Ed gave her a mental nod. "That's alright for short-term but does she have a plan if they're there for more than a couple of days? I assume the reason Kimblee is even in the north because Scar's there," Nala said, "and we know how well Scar can avoid capture if he wants to."
"True," Ed agreed, "but I don't know what General Armstrong has planned if they stay here for too long. I think that Raven will be taken care of sooner rather than later but I don't know what her plan is for Kimblee, if she has one to start with,"Ed told her.
"She better come up with one. I don't like the idea of you guys being stuck at Fort Briggs with those two in the same building as you. If you were in North City, you'd stand more of a chance of being able to sneak away," Nala said, her protective nature flaring slightly.
"I know you don't and trust me when I say I would rather be in Central right now than here but we can't do much about it now," Ed told her gently and Nala sighed.
"I know," she whined slightly. "Do you think I could convince Roy that he needed to get to Fort Briggs now so I could take care of Kimblee before he becomes a problem?" Nala asked. The hope in her voice was almost overshadowed by her feral desire to draw blood from the Crimson Alchemist. Ed figured he should've been feeling afraid of her in that moment but just felt grateful she cared for him and Al so much.
"Something tells me that even if you managed to convince Mustang to come up here, your time would be spent making sure he didn't find himself with General Armstrong's sword through his neck because he pushed her buttons too much," Ed told her and she sighed.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Nala admitted and Ed felt the glare she sent Mustang's way that would likely confuse the older man until Nala decided to explain what he'd done this time to deserve it.
Ed sighed, already dreading the boredom that would soon hit him from being locked in a room with barely anything to do. Deciding he didn't want to read just yet, Ed changed the subject with Nala rather than letting her go back to whatever she had been doing. "So, what's been happening in Central while I've been gone? Has Kate tried killing Mustang yet?" Nala's soft chuckle she gave before she started giving him all the gossip from around the base had Ed smiling slightly as he closed his eyes to better concentrate on the lioness' voice.
Armstrong wanted to snarl as she received word that General Raven wanted her to escort him down to check on the progress the workers were making on sealing the hole the homunculous had made when it broke into Fort Briggs. It had been two and a half days since Raven had ordered her to seal the opening rather than sending a team as she'd wanted to do. The loss of respect from her soldiers had been a small blow but she was willing to bear it for the few hours it had taken for word to reach everyone on base that she'd had the Fullmetal Alchemist create a secret entrance into the tunnel that Buccaneer and a select few other soldiers had used to try and find any survivors of the underground tunnel advance team. Raven seemed none the wiser and she'd not seen any sign that Kimblee had overheard anything during his tour so Armstrong was willing to believe they'd gotten away with it, not that she'd expected anything less.
Shortly after the order for the hole to be covered was issued, Armstrong had ordered the Elrics and their Animals moved to a small suite normally kept for visiting generals or important visitors. This particular suite was on the opposite end of the fortress to the ones Raven and Kimblee occupied and they'd only been moved because the suites came equipped with bathrooms attached to them, unlike the room they'd been staying in. Though he hadn't asked when she gave him the orders, she'd informed Buccaneer that them not having to leave the room to use the shared bathroom and shower lessened the risk of Raven or Kimblee finding out they were here. Armstrong hadn't told him of her reasons because she felt she needed to justify her order but because she knew it was likely that the brothers would wonder about the order and she hadn't wanted Buccaneer to give the reason he thought her decision was based on and not the real reason.
Her afternoon had ended with a soldier delivering a report for her commander that detailed the materials they'd need to repair the damage to the floor. They needed to create a stable and strong base for the concrete to sit on before they could pour it. The good news, according to the lieutenant who'd written the note, was that they had the materials needed to start on the base right away. The bad news was they only had enough concrete mix to create a third of what they required and they'd need to order more. The lieutenant had helpfully written the amount they would require and made a note that if the requisitions officer ordered that amount, they would end up using all the concrete mix available without leaving any spare for future repairs. Armstrong had made a mental note to find the lieutenant and chew him out for not asking outright for her to give the requisitions officer permission to order surplus so they would have a supply for later use, if needed.
Armstrong had signed off on the order, giving instructions that the requisition officer was to call the store in North City that supplied the city and surrounding small towns with building materials immediately upon receiving her orders and placed the required order. She also instructed the officer to make sure the man who took the order was aware that the bill was to go to the military and not Armstrong personally. After some consideration, she also added a notation stating that the order was to be delivered so she wouldn't have to give the order to send almost all of her available cars and drivers into the city. Only an hour later did she receive a message informing her the order was successfully placed and that it arrive no later than 2:00pm the next day. She'd barely given the messenger a nod of thanks and that only happened because Anahlia reminded her to do so.
General Raven had not been impressed that the hole wouldn't be sealed immediately but he hadn't said anything, least of all to Armstrong. Armstrong had received word only two days after the requisitions officer had confirmed the order's placement that they were getting ready to lay the concrete an hour before Raven had sent her the message requesting to join her. She'd snarled internally when one of the Central soldiers who'd accompanied the general and Kimblee had informed her but she'd managed to keep her voice professional enough to send the soldier away with a message that she would be delighted to have his company.
Armstrong had left her office with Anahlia wrapped around her right wrist, sword strapped firmly to her left hip where it always was and Buccaneer at her side with Eric. They met Raven when she stepped out of the elevator and onto the balcony that overlooked the construction worked. They'd greeted one another with polite words before they moved down to stand next to the hole that was being slowly filled with wet concrete. To Armstrong's estimate, her workers had filled the hole one-third of the way with the liquid, stopping after each load was emptied so they could smooth the concrete to guarantee it would dry level.
The two generals watched the workers in front of them, Bella on Raven's shoulder as always, for a minute or so as Buccaneer stood a respectful distance away with Eric at his feet before the silence was broken by Raven himself. "You see, General? We are the chosen ones and we will soon receive near godly immortal bodies and rule the entire world," Raven said, an unsettling amount of glee and greed in his voice. His eyes flicked over to her face and something like pity crossed his features as he took a guess at what she was thinking about as she stared at the glistening unset concrete. "The name was Smith, wasn't it?" Raven asked, eyes looking back to the hole. "There was nothing we could've done to save them."
Armstrong willed her clenched fists to cease their trembling. "Those who aren't chosen; will they be sacrificed for those who are?" Armstrong asked, ignoring Raven's comment about Smith for the moment.
For a moment, Raven didn't say anything. Armstrong waited him out as he appeared to be debating about whether she'd proven herself enough to tell the whole truth to yet or not. He obviously came to a conclusion because he started speaking once more. "Yes," he confirmed. "Survival of the fittest, after all. I'm sure the Northern Wall of Briggs can appreciate that," he said, grinning as he looked at her. "The weak will become the foundation of the country and the strong will take their rightful place on top," Raven told her, apparently uncaring if anyone overhead them or not. Armstrong almost sneered in disgust as she realised it was likely that Raven expected her to order her men to be silent on anything they heard.
"Is that what happened in Ishval?" Armstrong asked casually and Raven nodded.
"Indeed," he said. "They were part of the plan. They were weak and they deserved to perish for their betters." The superior tone of his voice made Armstrong want to punch him in the throat. Her anger for Miles' people and knowledge that the people of Ishval were sacrificed for no reason except to further the eventual destruction of Amestris almost overwhelmed her and it was only thanks to Anahlia that she forced herself to present an unaffected mask.
"When did all of this begin?" she asked instead.
Raven hummed contemplatively before he answered. "From what I've heard, it began the moment this country was first founded and now my generation shall reside over its completion," Raven said with relish. He turned unexpectedly and grabbed Armstrong by her shoulder. She resisted the urge to shake it off as he spoke again or to let Buccaneer do as he wanted. "I'm grateful for your assistance. You're a true servant for your country. I'll speak with my superiors about preparing a seat for you back in Central," he told her as though this was some sort of award.
"There's no need," Armstrong told him and Raven looked confused.
"What's that?" He asked, obviously believing he'd misheard her.
In one fluid movement, Armstrong twisted and dropped the shoulder Raven had been resting his hand on as she drew her sword. Before the general could register what had happened, Armstrong thrust the blade of her sword through Raven's forearm. His and Bella's shrieks of pain were music to her ears and she couldn't stop herself from twisting the blade slightly, causing the blood-covered tip to glisten gruesomely in the light. Neither Buccaneer nor Eric so much as twitched at her sudden movement.
"Which arm did Smith lose in the tunnel? The left or the right?" Armstrong asked Buccaneer, voice nearly a hiss and Raven's eyes opened wide in understanding, fear and disbelief.
"Wait!" he begged, cutting off any answer from the captain, as Bella tried launching herself at Armstrong in a bid to help her human. Anahlia reared up from the wrist she was wrapped around and sank her fangs into the weasel's neck, earning herself a squeal of pain from the Animal. "What are you -?"
"Growing old is truly terrifying, isn't it?" Armstrong asked, cutting the general off from saying whatever he'd been about to. The workers in the room were watching the scene in front of them with interest but not a single one of them stepped forward in an effort to help Raven, despite his desperate eyes searching for someone to come to his aid. "You would know, General. Before you became so afraid of your own mortality, I'm sure long ago you had an earnest love for your country."
"You can't!" Raven wailed as Armstrong used the sword in his arm to turn him so his back was to the wet concrete. "You were going to be one of the chosen ones! You would've been one of us!"
Armstrong made sure her sneer was completely obvious on her face. "I don't need a new seat from you," Armstrong informed him. "You're going to lose the one your mouldy arse has clung to for so long right now! You disgusting, old traitor!" Armstrong snarled, wrenching her sword out of Raven's arm.
Instinctively, Raven pulled his arm close to his body, clutching the bleeding wound with his other arm. His Animal lost her grip on his arm due to a mixture of the sudden movement and Anahlia's venom surging through her veins and she fell to the floor. Armstrong took no pity on the snivelling man in front of her and slashed at his gut, aiming to spill his intestines on the floor but he moved backwards far enough that all her sword did was carve a large gash in his abdomen. However, Raven had forgotten where he was standing and as a result, took one step too many and found himself falling a short distance before coming to a stop in something thick and wet.
With horror, Raven realised he'd fallen into the concrete pit and was slowly sinking. His eyes sought out Bella but knew that even if his Animal was at full health, she wouldn't be able to help him. Instead, his eyes fell onto Armstrong and for the first time, the reason behind her nickname of 'Ice Queen' was glaringly apparent as he looked into the cold, merciless blue eyes of the general. His blood still ran down the blade she was pointed to the ground, creating a small pool of red, as she watched him sink slowly. Buccaneer's presence at Armstrong's side almost went unnoticed by the dying general. "But immortality was right before our eyes!" Raven cried as he felt the concrete creep its way over his arms and legs.
"General," Armstrong said, voice as cold as her eyes, "you are one of the weak who will become the foundation for this country in the most literal sense," she informed him and he almost sobbed as he realised his death was imminent. The thing he feared the most was about to come to pass and he could do nothing to stop it.
"We were going to be immortal," he managed to say, eyes on Bella's writhing form. He didn't get the opportunity to say anything else as concrete poured its way into his open mouth, up his nostrils, in his ears. Darkness engulfed him and the last thing he let himself see was his Animal. All he could do was tell her how sorry he was that he wasn't able to keep his promise to her.
Armstrong watched as Raven's body sank far enough that the only sign of it was the bubble of air caught in the concrete. A look at her feet showed that the weasel was still breathing, having not yet been killed by Anahlia's venom or her human's death. Armstrong nodded once to Buccaneer, who drew his gun and fired one shot through the small creature's skull, killing her instantly. This kill was not made out of mercy but as a final way to make Raven suffer further. She knew he was likely still alive in the concrete, reflexively breathing in the thick, wet, unforgiving concrete as his body tried to desperately draw in oxygen and thus he'd be able to feel the loss of his Animal. With a swift movement, she kicked the Animal's corpse into the concrete so that both Animal and human would disappear together.
"Captain get a hold of Miles. It appears General Raven and Bella have gone missing," Armstrong ordered and Buccaneer saluted.
"Sir!" he said before disappearing to the nearest phone to do as he was ordered.
While he was doing so, Armstrong turned to face the unmoving workers scattered in front of her. Not a single face showed fear or worry and Armstrong allowed herself to feel pride at that. Her men knew the laws of her fortress well and she knew that not a single one of them would find themselves feeling any pity for the fallen general. "The rest of you! We've got work to do!" She glanced at the concrete in front of her. Bella's still body was already half swallowed by the concrete. "I want this cement nice and level." If anyone noticed the slight upwards pull of her lips as she looked at the grave of Raven and Bella, no one said anything.
Ed was relaxing in their new room, allowing himself to enjoy the luxuries the room offered to its occupants while he still could. Al, Ayala and Chester seemed to be following his lead and he watched as Ayala stretched out so she was spread over the king-sized bed as much as possible. Ed shook his head at her antics before his gaze flicked over to where Chester lay on the ridiculously soft sofa. Al sat next to it, not wanting to stain it with any oil from his armour nor risk his metal body scratching the leather. The fact that he couldn't feel how soft it was anyway just added to his argument when Chester pointed out there was enough room for him to sit as well. It was just after dinner and Ed was expecting someone to turn up with some food for them now that the majority of the base had eaten.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Ed got to his feet to open it, wondering who was delivering their food this time when a quickly squashed sense of glee and excitement crossed through his mind and gave him the clue he needed. Grinning, he opened the door and was greeted by Falman and Rachel standing on the other side. "Hey, guys," Ed greeted, opening the door wider to permit them entrance.
"Hey, Ed," Falman said as Ed shut the door, locking it, and Falman placed their dinner on the table. "Hey, you three," Falman greeted the others once he was relieved of his burden.
"Hello, Lieutenant Falman. How are you?" Al asked as he stood to help Ed with dishing up dinner while the two Animals waited eagerly for food.
"Doing alright, Al," Falman told him. "Did you guys hear about what happened this afternoon?" Ed and Al exchanged a confused look before Ed shrugged.
"No, no one's swung by to tell us anything. What happened?" Ed asked, placing Ayala and Chester's dinner plates on the floor so they could dig in.
"Officially, General Raven has gone missing. No one can find any trace of him or his Animal anywhere in the fortress," Falman told them and Ed raised a brow.
"And unofficially?" he asked, though he was certain he knew what Falman was going to tell him.
"General Armstrong disposed of him and his Animal while they were checking the progress of the construction that's happening below," Falman said and Ed grimaced, hating the fact that he'd contributed to the pair's death, even if it was only a minor role.
"Aw, Ed, you know she would've had no other choice," Rachel said and Ed sighed, hating the fact that he couldn't hide his emotions from any of the Animals. "She couldn't hold him hostage because Bella would've alerted someone and she couldn't let him leave the fortress alive and risk him drawing unwanted attention to Fort Briggs and her men."
"I know," Ed said and he felt Rachel give him a her version of a hug.
"But it doesn't make you feel any better knowing, does it?" Rachel said knowingly and Ed nodded.
"I'll deal so don't worry," Ed assured her, giving her a soft smile. She obviously wasn't buying what he was trying to sell but she did trust that he would seek out help if he needed so she dropped the subject. "Has anything else happened?" Ed asked Falman.
Politely ignoring what had just happened between Ed and his Animal, Falman nodded. "Yes, General Armstrong has asked me to pass along a message," he said. "Kimblee isn't buying that General Raven has gone missing and that no one in the fortress doesn't know anything about it. Right now, she doesn't want to deal with him if he starts asking questions so she's decided to use you and your brother as distractions," Falman told him.
"How so?" Ed asked, ignoring Ayala and Chester's snarls of protests.
"She wants you to 'arrive' tomorrow morning. She doesn't care what excuse you use for your appearance so long as it's believable. I would suggest claiming that you need to do follow up interviews for your last mission here or that you heard Scar was in the area," Falman said and Ed nodded. "She's hoping that your presence will be enough to distract Kimblee while she figures out a way to deal with him without raising suspicions," Falman said.
Ed didn't say anything for a few moments, mind working overtime as he tried to figure out how he could best play this idea to his advantage. Finally, he came up with something he thought he could use and nodded to Falman. "Alright. Let Major Miles know what's happening, if he doesn't already. See if he can keep Kimblee somewhere far away from the door we used when Kemp drove us here between 6:00am and 7:00am. That's when I'll claim we arrived if he asks when we run into him," Ed said. He could feel the disbelieving stares he was getting from his three family members but he ignored them.
"I will," Falman said as he stood. "I'll let General Armstrong know you're onboard," he said and Ed gave a wry grin.
"I'm sure she wasn't expecting a different answer," he said and was rewarded by Falman's passive mask being broken by a small smile.
"I'm sure you're right," Falman responded. "I'll take my leave before someone starts questioning where I am. Have a good night, you four."
"Night, Falman. Night, Rachel," Ed and Al chorused back, Ed grinning when Rachel flapped one of her wings happily. Al made sure the door was locked once both had left then turned to face Ed.
"I thought the point of us staying in our room for the last three days was because we were trying to stay out of sight of Kimblee and you just agreed to meet him!" Al exclaimed angrily and Ed made a calming gesture. He could feel the barely repressed anger oozing from the two Animals and knew he'd better make his case quickly.
"Look, we know that if Kimblee came north, it means that Scar did too, right?" Ed said and received three reluctant nods of agreement. "I think it's safe to say that if Scar came north, he did so for a good reason and as far as we know Mei is somewhere in the north as well. I think Scar is trying to catch up with Mei," Ed said.
"I'm not hearing a reason as to why you've agreed to be seen by Kimblee," Ayala growled and Ed raised his hand in a silent request for her patience.
"If we can somehow convince Kimblee to let us join his hunt, we might be able to catch up with Scar and get him out of Kimblee's clutches as well as meet up with Mei. If we can manage that, we might be able to disappear with them and learn alkahestry. We'll be on the run from the military and technically I'll become a deserter but that'll be a small price to pay if alkahestry ends up giving us the edge in the upcoming fight," Ed said.
"That's a lot of 'ifs', Brother," Al said quietly and Ed nodded.
"I know that a lot of this plan hinges on luck but it might be the best way for us to find Mei," Ed said.
"I don't like it," Ayala said after a couple of moments. "What happens if he sees through you and figures out that you're just using him so you can team up with Scar. From everything Nala and Mustang told us, I don't think Kimblee would be the kind of person to take that news well," she said. Her worry for his safety was overriding everything else.
"I know a lot could go wrong and that we'd be in serious shit if he found out but I trust General Armstrong to come up with a plan to get him out of our hair before he can become an immediate danger to us," Ed said, surprising even himself at what he'd just admitted to.
"You trust her that much?" Al asked and Ed frowned.
"I trust that she'll keep her word about trying to find a way to get rid of him without raising suspicion and I trust that she'll keep her word about helping us against the homunculi. I wouldn't trust her to not throw us under the bus or to not sacrifice us if it was for the greater good but I think she's like that with everyone," Ed told them and Al nodded.
"Alright, Brother. I'm onboard with the plan," he said. "We do need the help to find Mei and if Scar is here, Kimblee probably is our best hope at finding them,"
"There is another reason I wouldn't mind talking to Kimblee," Ed said.
"And what would that be?" Ayala asked. Her voice told Ed she still wasn't as willing to let this happen as Al was. Chester seemed to be wavering between wanting Ed and Al to have nothing to do with this plan and letting them go through with it.
"General Armstrong told us that Major Miles reported that Kimblee was admitted to the North City hospital because he suffered an injury indicative of an impalement," Ed reminded them. "I'd like to know how the hell he's out of the hospital and walking around not even a day later if his wound was serious enough for him to be hospitalised," Ed said and he saw the three others in the room stiffen.
"You don't think he's a homunculous, do you?" Al asked and Ed immediately shook his head.
"No, he wouldn't have been hospitalised if he was. He would've just healed straight away," Ed said. "Not to mention, Anahlia and Eric both know what a homunculous smells like now and they would've alerted to him being one," Ed pointed out. "No, I think either someone's working with him and they possess a stone or he has one. I don't know any other way he could be up and walking around after an injury like that."
"Don't you think it's possible that maybe the hospital was being cautious? Maybe it really wasn't that bad an injury but they wanted to be sure," Al suggested and Ed shrugged.
"Maybe," Ed replied, "but maybe I'm right and I'd sure as shit like the chance to find out in a public setting I'm less likely to be attacked in than out in the open and at each other's throats," Ed told him.
"I suppose that would be better," Al conceded reluctantly.
"I'm still not happy about this," Ayala told Ed and he really wasn't surprised.
"Neither am I," Chester said, speaking for the first time in a while.
"Honestly, neither am I but what else could we do? General Armstrong needs to buy some time where she won't have Kimblee breathing down her neck and the only thing she's got up her sleeve is us," Ed said. "That's a good enough reason for me to agree to this. The other reasons I listed before are just bonuses."
"As long as we do this carefully and we listen to Ayala and Chester if they tell us something bad is gonna happen. If they say we get out of the situation, we get out. Agreed?" Al asked and Ed nodded.
"As long as they actually sense we're in immediate danger," Ed said, looking at the two Animals with a knowing look, "and don't try and claim we are because they're worried."
"We haven't done that for ages," Chester said and Ed raised a brow.
"You literally tried it the other month because you didn't like the amount of attention someone was showing us. You claimed they were a dangerous criminal when they just wanted help fixing their cooking pot and needed some time to work up the courage to ask!" Ed exclaimed, throwing his arms up for dramatic effect.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I remember doing nothing of the sort," Chester huffed and Ed almost banged his head on the table.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, you little shit," Ed muttered and Chester's response was to grin cheekily at him. Ed flipped him off before growing serious once more. "But that's what I mean. You can't pull us out of this mission just because you don't want us spending too much time in Kimblee's presence. He or someone else needs to be about to attack or kill us in order for you to make that call, got it?" Ed asked. It took them several moments but the two Animals did end promising to do as he asked. "Good. Now, if that's all, I'm gonna eat my dinner before something else happens to distract me," Ed said, pulling his plate of cooling food towards him and dug in, ignoring the laughter coming from the two Animals and Al as he did so.
As Ed got out of the shower three hours after dinner, he was startled when he felt someone trying to contact him. After a moment, he identified the Animal as Soren and – even more surprised now as he hadn't from the owl since Mustang had had his team split up and removed from his command – allowed the connection to happen. "What's up, Soren?" Ed asked, pulling on his sleep shirt and leaving the bathroom.
"Riza and I have identified the seventh homunculous," Soren told him and Ed stopped dead in his tracks, effectively gaining the attention of Al, who hadn't noticed his brother's distraction since he wasn't bonded to him like Ayala and Chester were.
"Are the two of you alright?" Ed asked, ignoring the urge to ask about the homunculous for the moment.
"He cut Riza on the cheek. He used shadows to do it," Soren revealed and Ed felt horror grow in his stomach.
"It can manipulate the shadows?" Ed asked, sitting down on the couch as he struggled to absorb this information. Of all the powers these homunculi had displayed, shadow manipulation seemed to be the hardest one to grasp. The implications of what that could mean were almost numerous. Could this homunculous find them using the shadows no matter where they hid? Or was there a limit to its power? The idea of being spied on by literal shadows was something Ed had never dreamt could happen, not even in his nightmares.
"Is Miss Riza alright?" Ed asked and Soren gave an affirmative nod that had Ed sighing in relief. "That's good to hear." He allowed a moment of silence before getting to the big question. "Who is the homunculous?"
"Bradley's son, Selim," Soren told him and Ed knew his mouth had dropped open.
"The kid? He can't be older than 10!" Ed exclaimed and Soren almost laughed at his reaction.
"He's not. In fact, I believe he's the oldest one, or at least one of the oldest ones," Soren revealed. "He smells far more powerful than Gluttony did. It makes me think that he's been around longer," Soren explained and Ed shook his head.
"This is unbelievable. I just took out another homunculous and one pops up near you,"he muttered.
"What do you mean?" Soren asked and Ed almost groaned again as he realised he'd never told anyone other than Nala and Rachel what had gone down at Fort Briggs, though he did only have to tell Rachel he'd destroyed the homunculous since she'd been there for the homunculous' appearance.
"Fort Briggs found itself with a massive hole in one of its floors when a homunculous decided to pay them a visit. General Armstrong and the soldiers here – including Falman – managed to pour fuel on it and get it outside where it froze solid. Rachel got in touch and extended an invitation from General Armstrong, asking us to visit and dispose of the homunculous," Ed summed up for the owl quickly.
"Riza is not happy that you didn't tell me immediately so I could tell her and she wants to know if you're hurt at all," Soren reported and Ed took a moment to thank whoever he could think of that he wasn't in front of Hawkeye right now.
"I'm fine. I didn't even have to fight it myself. General Armstrong and the Briggs soldiers did that for me," Ed told him. "Are you sure you and Miss Riza are alright? How did she even come across Selim Bradley? I would've thought Bradley would've kept his wife and kid out of the military as much as possible so no one would realise anything was up."
"Riza had to drop off some paperwork to the Fuhrer's mansion. She met Mrs. Bradley and gave her the paperwork. Selim made an appearance, claiming to have thought Riza was his father. I sensed what he was immediately and told Riza my suspicions," Soren told him. "We left and were ambushed by Selim on our way home. He knew Riza knew what he was and told her that they were watching everyone before he used one of his shadows to slice Riza's cheek lightly. It's no worse than a papercut, before you ask," Soren assured Ed quickly. "I've already told Nala and the others so don't worry about doing that yourself. There was something I noticed about Selim's shadows. They seemed to have eyes and mouths so it's likely that he can see using them and he eats whoever he catches. I don't know if there's anything else I need to tell you about him," Soren said, churning over his memories to try and see if there was anything else but he came up empty.
"Well, I'm glad you two are alright. Will you tell Miss Riza that?" Ed asked and Soren nodded. Al made a gesture and Ed nodded. "We're happy you're both alright," Ed amended and Al gave him a thumbs up in thanks that had Ed shaking his head at his brother. "Did Nala tell you what's going on here at the moment?" Ed asked.
"She told us that you were in Fort Briggs to deal with a problem but nothing more than that," Soren told him.
"Alright, well, she's right for the most part. We came here to deal with the homunculous," Ed repeated himself. "However, the day after we turned up, General Raven dropped by. Ayala and Chester both reacted negatively when we met him in North City and Nala told us that Mustang wanted us to stay away from him. We told General Armstrong everything after I took care of the homunculous, and I do mean everything. She knows about my abilities and I'm now bonded to Anahlia," Ed revealed.
"I'm a little surprised she was alright with you doing that," Soren admitted and Ed shrugged.
"Anahlia offered," was all he said on the matter. "Once General Armstrong got word from Major Miles that General Raven was heading for Fort Briggs, she found me and ordered me and Al back to our room so the general wouldn't see us."
Ed then went on to tell Soren about everything that had happened since that moment, though he did skip over the two and a half days where all he, Al and the Animals could do was try and entertain themselves. The only productive thing that had come out of that time was that they got to really practise their water alchemy, something that was proved easier when they were surrounded by all the snow. Ed had made sure he told Nala about that when he last spoke to her and hoped she'd mentioned it to Mustang. It would always do good to remind the bastard that he could deal with his alchemy easily if he kept pissing Ed off. He finished up giving Soren the news Falman had brought and telling him about the plan he'd just agreed to.
Soren had reacted far more calmly than Ayala and Chester had. Rather than outrage and overwhelming worry, Ed just felt concern from the owl. Ed figured that Hawkeye and Soren must've had some sort of interaction with Kimblee while they were all in Ishval so, aside from Mustang and Nala, they were the best people to tell him how careful he needed to be and Soren did just that. Once finished with the lecture, Soren settled down. "You will be careful, right?"
"Ayala and Chester aren't giving me any other choice," Ed told the owl dryly. "But, yes, I will be careful. All of us will be," he promised.
Satisfied by his answer, Soren nodded through their bond. "Alright, Ed. I'm gonna go now but try and keep in touch while you're not in Central, okay? And keep your guard up," Soren said.
"We will and I'll try," Ed swore. Knowing he wouldn't get a better answer, Soren bade him goodnight before disconnecting from their bond.
"So, Miss Riza and Soren discovered the final homunculous," Al said and Ed nodded.
"I cannot believe we never thought of Selim Bradley as the last homunculous," Ed said and Ayala rubbed up against him comfortingly.
"He looks like a small child. I don't think anyone would've considered him to be a homunculous," Al pointed out and Ed had to give his brother that. "Come on, Ed. We'll figure out how to deal with a shadow manipulating homunculous in the morning. You haven't gotten much sleep the last couple of nights and you need as much as you can get so you don't snap at Kimblee and cause a massive fight," Al said, tone coaxing but set and Ed knew there was no point in trying to argue with his little brother tonight.
"Yeah, alright. I'm too tired to deal with this shit right now anyway," Ed grumbled, getting up from the couch and startling all three with his lack of argument. None of them were stupid enough to comment on it though, just in case Ed decided to spite them and stay awake. "Night, Al."
"Night, Brother," Al said as he watched Ed crawl into bed and pull the covers up over himself. Both Animals joined him on the bed but it was so big that Al wondered if Ed would even notice Chester at the foot of the bed. Ayala made sure he did notice her by snuggling right into his side and placing her head on his stomach, as she always did. Al switched off all the unnecessary lights and settled himself in for the a night of rereading some alchemy texts and hoping that by tomorrow night, they would be able to get back to Central.
Ayala and Chester had made sure Ed was up and ready to leave the room so he, Al and themselves could 'arrive' at Fort Briggs by 6:30am. While he was drinking coffee, Ed had decided to go with the excuse that they'd heard Scar was in the area for their cover story since they were hoping Kimblee would let them join his search for the Ishvalen. Since Ed wasn't bonded with Amaya, Ayala reached out to the coyote and made sure Kimblee was nowhere near them. Once she'd gotten the confirmation she sought, the four headed for the front entrance, Ed wrapped up in his winter gear to complete the charade.
The whole fortress was working with them and once they reached their destination, the workers on the floor acted like they'd only just arrived and greeted them as they were expected to. That meant Ed had to deal with a lot of salutes and 'it's great to see you again, Major Elric' or other variations of greeting. Ed wanted to growl at everyone that he didn't want to be addressed by his title but refrained since it was pointless to do so while Armstrong was heading their way.
"Major Elric," Armstrong addressed him as though she hadn't been speaking to him recently and Ed saluted like he was supposed to.
"General Armstrong," Ed greeted, dropping the salute when told to. "We're sorry about dropping in on you unannounced but we were recently in North City and heard rumours that Scar had been spotted heading your way. We were wondering if you or your men have heard anything about it or spotted Scar in the area." Ed switched to his bond with Anahlia, who sat wrapped lightly around Armstrong's throat. "Selim Bradley is a homunculous," he told the snake.
"I believe we should talk in my office," Armstrong said before turning to Buccaneer. "Find Major Miles and have him escort his charge to my office."
"Yes, Sir," Buccaneer said, giving Ed a warning look before he and Eric headed off in a seemingly random direction.
"Keep up," Armstrong instructed as she turned on her heel and led the way to the elevator. The boys and their Animals scrambled to keep up, quickly falling in line behind her. They stayed silent in the car and short walk to the office, an echo of what had happened after Ed had destroyed the homunculous. Once inside the office, Armstrong spoke. "How do you know?"
"Soren – that's 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye's Animal – told me last night. They had a small run in with him and Soren recognised the scent as a homunculous. Selim himself confirmed it to Lieutenant Hawkeye only a few minutes later as she and Soren walked back to her apartment," Ed told her and Armstrong scoffed.
"Taking the form of a child," she spat as she sat behind her desk. "It's a clever move. No one would expect a homunculous in the form of a young child." Her eyes flashed angrily and Ed was curious as to whether it was because she was against the homunculous taking the form of a child or because she hadn't suspected it either. He then had to inform Ayala that he wasn't suicidal when she asked why he didn't ask the general which it was. "So, you went with Scar as your cover story," Armstrong said and Ed nodded.
"We're hoping to convince Kimblee to let us join him if he gets word of where Scar's hiding out," Ed divulged.
"Why?" Armstrong asked.
"The reason we came to the north in the first place was to try and find the Xingese princess we mentioned earlier," Ed said. "I'm of the opinion that of Scar is here in the north, he must be trying to catch up with Mei. If Kimblee lets us join him and we find Scar –"
"You'll find this Xingese princess and learn her version of alchemy," Armstrong interrupted, finishing his explanation for him and Ed nodded.
"Plus, I do have a truce with Scar and in the interests of that truce, I do need to try and warn him of any danger he might face until after the homunculi's plan comes to pass," Ed told her.
Armstrong seemed to sneer at the word 'truce' but she nodded once, showing she understood his reasons for choosing Scar as his cover story. Ed stood patiently as they waited for Miles, Buccaneer and Kimblee to show up. Armstrong didn't bring up Raven and what happened to him and Ed didn't ask, not needing to know the details about how she took care of him. Anahlia didn't seem fazed by the lack of conversation in the room, if the way she stayed drooped casually around Armstrong's neck instead of keeping a close eye on them was any indication.
Ten minutes later, a knock sounded at the door and Armstrong called for them to enter. Three men and two Animals entered the room. Of course, Ed, Al and their Animals recognised the two bonded pairs immediately and watched as Buccaneer and Eric moved to stand next to Armstrong while Miles and Amaya stayed with their charge, Solf J. Kimblee. Ed took a moment to study the man in white. As he'd been told by Nala, he was dressed impeccably. Not a speck of dirt, mud or blood was on his suit, coat, shoes or hat. His black hair was tied back in a neat low ponytail with only two small locks left loose to frame his face. His hat was held in one hand while he was inside the general's office and overall, he gave the appearance of a well-raised gentleman.
Ed had to admit that if he hadn't been warned about him, he'd certainly be wary as he was with almost everyone he didn't know but he wouldn't be as on guard as he was. At least until Kimblee locked eyes with him. Once that happened, Ed could tell that this was a man who was not to be crossed unless you either had a death-wish or were sure you'd come out on top. His eyes were cold and lacked the humanity Ed could normally see. Both Ayala and Chester were on high alert but amazingly enough, they seemed to be controlling themselves enough to merely appear cautious, as they would around anyone they'd never met.
"Major Edward Elric, this is Major Solf. J Kimblee, the Crimson Lotus Alchemist. Major Kimblee, you may know Major Elric better by his State Alchemists title, the Fullmetal Alchemist," Armstrong introduced the two of them, sounding only mildly annoyed she was having to do so. "Major Kimblee, I asked you here because Major Elric has expressed interest in joining you in your efforts to locate the serial killer known as 'Scar'," she told him.
"I'd be delighted to discuss it with Major Elric further. Perhaps somewhere that isn't your office? I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to two Majors discuss something as mundane as this," Kimblee said respectfully and Armstrong merely gave him an indescribable look.
"As a matter of fact, I do. I have a missing general to try and locate," Armstrong said. Edward wondered if Kimblee could hear the undercurrent of amusement in her tone. "The three of you are dismissed," she said, gesturing to Ed, Kimblee and Miles. Three rounds of salutes saw the Elrics follow Miles, Amaya and Kimblee out of the office and into the corridor.
"Major Miles, I was wondering if you knew of somewhere Major Elric and I could talk uninterrupted," Kimblee asked, using the same respectful tone he had with Armstrong. Miles had barely glanced at him but did nod in response.
Miles led them into the elevator then off it again when they reached the floor he'd selected. "I'll wait out here until you're finished discussing what you need to," Miles said, managing to sound both bored and like he couldn't think of anything he'd rather be doing in this moment.
"Al," Ed said, looking over at his little brother.
"I think you can imagine how unimpressed he is right now," Chester said as Al nodded once.
"My brother will stay out here and keep you company," Ed told Miles, who merely raised a brow in response but otherwise didn't react.
Kimblee watched the exchange with mild interest before opening the door so he, Ed and Ayala could walk into the room. It looked like an interrogation room disguised as a break room and Ed almost huffed out some laughter at that. It was probably a pretty secure room and he would bet that Miles had chosen here so that a fight would likely be contained if one broke out. Kimblee made himself comfortable at one end of the table, placing his hat neatly on the surface next to him and Ed moved to sit in the only other chair.
"So you're the Fullmetal Alchemist," Kimblee said, making an obvious show of raking his eyes up and down Ed's form to try and size him up. "Fuhrer Bradley has told me some interesting things about you."
"Really?" Ed raised a brow. "Like what?"
"Oh, things like how young you were when you were given the title of State Alchemist, about your two automail limbs, that your mechanic friend, Winry Rockbell, works under Garfiel in Rush Valley, that you and your brother tried to bring your mother back to life when you were 11 and that he's been reduced to a soul bonded to a suit of armour and that you've been spending your military life searching for a Philosopher's Stone," Kimblee said, leaning back in his chair as he gauged Ed's reaction.
Ed was sure some of his surprise and anger had shown on his face but it was Ayala's reaction that was most obvious. She'd gotten up from her sitting position and raised her lips in a snarl, a low growl sounding from her. Kimblee barely gave her a glance. "I didn't realise the Fuhrer was so interested in my life that he looked into my mechanic," Ed said casually. His heart was thumping in his chest and he'd never gotten the urge to talk to Michella more than in that moment. It was only after he'd repeated to himself that Michella would've definitely sent him a message if there was any danger a few times that he managed to fight back that urge.
"Oh, you're very special to Fuhrer Bradley. You and you brother both. It pays for him to know everything there is about you so he knows who he might need to keep a close eye on," Kimblee told him, eyes still fixed on Ed. Ayala was still growling where she stood but Kimblee continued ignoring her. "After all, you've already lost your Xingese friend. The Fuhrer doesn't want to see you lose another friend."
"Is that a threat?" Ed asked, voice low and eyes fierce.
"Just a warning," Kimblee said dismissively. "It only becomes a threat if you continue trying to defy Fuhrer Bradley and his kin."
"Listen, Kimblee, do you even know what they're doing? What you're helping them do?" Ed asked, throwing caution to the wind. Ayala was surprised enough that her growling let up though the snarl never left her face.
"I'm curious to see how the world will change," Kimblee told him, a complete lack of care in his voice. At Ed's gaping expression, Kimblee decided to elaborate on his answer. "Both sides clashing. Will against will. Life against life. Humans or the homunculi. Which one will triumph? Which side will the world prefer?" Kimblee asked and Ed's stunned expression slowly morphed into one of horror. "The homunculi like to see themselves as the next step in the evolution of humans but that's for history to decide. I just plan on helping it make up its mind," Kimblee informed him and the complete absence of basic emotions Kimblee was showing messed with Ed.
"Have you forgotten that you're a human being? How can you take sides with them?" Ed asked, voice rising slightly. Even Ayala had drawn back from her threatening position in shock.
"Because they've given me complete freedom to use my alchemy however I want," Kimblee told him and Ed shook his head.
"Bradley ordered your Animal's death," Ed reminded him. "How could you side with the homunculi after they murdered your Animal?"
"My Animal," Kimblee said, showing the first signs of any emotion, "was taken from me because I bet that we wouldn't be caught after I took out my commanding officers during the Ishvalen War. I was wrong and Steven paid the price for my losing the bet."
"You're insane, Kimblee," Ed murmured as he dug his hand into Ayala's fur, like he was trying to ground himself.
Kimblee shrugged. "My standards tend to differ from society's," he said nonchalantly. "However, if I survive this battle, the world will have chosen my sanity over yours. The core of my existence is what I'm willing to bet on the outcome of this battle," he declared and Ed shook his head.
"You don't make any sense, Kimblee." Ed clutched his fingers tighter into Ayala's fur as he looked at the madman sitting opposite him.
"That's surprising," Kimblee said, frowning at Ed. "I always assumed soft-centeredness was a trait found in all alchemists." He seemed annoyed by this for a moment before shaking it off almost immediately. "Well, then. Let's see if I can find something you selfishly crave. Something you and your brother want more than anything," Kimblee mused, tapping his chin in thought. Ed thought he saw something red flash in between the man's fingers and Kimblee grinned when he noticed Ed had seen it.
"A Philosopher's Stone?" Ed asked as he looked at the small red object Kimblee had just placed on the table in front of him.
"If you do a couple of small jobs on the Fuhrer's behalf, this little beauty will be all yours," Kimblee said, tapping the table next to the stone.
"What jobs?" Ed asked, bringing his eyes up to meet the victorious gaze of Kimblee.
"Your request to join me in hunting Scar down," Kimblee said. "I'll take you up on it. You just have to find him and I'll take care of the rest." Ed thought he saw a malicious glint in Kimblee's eyes. "You also need to locate Doctor Marcoh, who has very likely fled with Scar."
The unexpected mention of the missing doctor caused Ed to jump slightly. "Doctor Marcoh? Why would he be with Scar?" Ed asked but Kimblee waved his hand at him dismissively.
"The only thing you need to be concerned with is finding them," Kimblee told him and Ed resisted the urge to snap at him. Kimblee seemed to consider him for a moment before continuing. "The last thing the Fuhrer has asked for your help with is with carving a crest of blood here."
"A crest of blood?" Ed asked, a sickening feeling growing in his stomach as Kimblee nodded.
"Just like I did in Ishval," Kimblee said, a thin note of pride in his voice. "It's very simple," Kimblee assured Ed. "We just kill everyone and soak the land with their blood."
Ed's face screwed up in anger and disgust. "I would never help you with something as appalling as that!"
Kimblee huffed at him. "Surely you still aren't against taking lives after nearly five years in the military?" Kimblee scoffed. Ed's stubborn set of his jaw had Kimblee come to a realisation. "You've never taken a life yourself, have you?"
"I was determined when I joined the military to never take a person or Animal's life myself," Ed told him, his teeth gritted slightly.
Kimblee rolled his eyes. "How original of you," he sneered slightly. "Those are the conditions you need to meet in order to be given this," Kimblee told him, swiping the stone off the table and pocketing it.
"I need to talk with my brother and our Animals," Ed said stiffly and Kimblee nodded.
"Fine," Kimblee said, getting to his feet. "Why don't the four of you have that talk now?" he suggested even as he walked over to the door and opened it, beckoning for Al and Chester to join them. "I'll wait out here for your answer, Major Elric." Kimblee's voice told Ed there was only one answer his fellow alchemist would accept.
"Brother, what's going on?" Al asked as soon as he and Chester were inside and the door was shut, he could still see Miles and Kimblee standing outside the door.
"The Fuhrer has asked me to complete my duty as a human weapon in exchange for a Philosopher's Stone," Ed told him before switching to speak with Chester. "They threatened Winry and everyone else we care about. I have zero plans on doing as they want but we've got to go along with it for now," Ed told the leopard.
"A stone?" Al asked as Chester spoke with him and Ed nodded in confirmation. "Brother, we can't! the ingredients for a stone –" Al protested, speaking loudly enough that his voice would be heard but not too loudly that they were making it obvious they wanted to be overheard.
"I know, Al," Ed said shortly and Al seemed to stiffen.
"Go ahead and do what you want," Al muttered as Ed stood.
"I will," Ed told him before he opened the door. "I'm in, alright?" Ed said to Kimblee. The smug look of victory on Kimblee's face almost made Ed strike him down. "Finding Scar is the first thing I want to do though."
Kimblee raised a brow at Ed's bossy tone. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"
"I have a score to settle with that bastard," Ed told him, stepping out of the room entirely and joining Miles and Kimblee where they stood. Kimblee seemed to understand as he just nodded in acceptance. "Also, I need Al with me," Ed said before Kimblee could try to separate the two of them as a way to use his brother as a hostage. "He doesn't have a physical body so he's immune to Scar's bodily destruction."
"Huh," Kimblee said. "That could come in handy." Kimblee didn't seem to notice the looks Miles, Ed and the three Animals shared. It was obvious Miles had been brought up completely to speed on everything, including what Ed had told Armstrong the day he destroyed the homunculous, and there was a slight nod that Ed thought might be a sign of camaraderie from the part-Ishvalen. "Major Miles, is there any way we can get a look at any reports North City or Fort Briggs have received that might be about our target?" Kimblee asked and Miles nodded.
"This way," the reluctant guide said, heading back for the corridor they'd turned off of to get to this room. Ed, Al, Ayala and Chester all exchanged looks as they followed Miles, Amaya and Kimblee up the corridor and Ed didn't need to be bonded to the two Animals to know they were thinking the same thing he was and what he'd bet Al was as well: that nothing good would result from this.
"We've received reports that Scar's been seen here recently," Miles told the group as they stood in the middle of an abandoned town. The snow did its best to cover the steel grey of the buildings around them and Ed knew that they would be hard-pressed finding anyone in this maze of buildings, let alone a serial killer who was an expert in avoiding the military.
"An old mining town?" Kimblee asked, a sneer of disgust coiling on his lips. The Crimson Alchemist had failed to ask questions when the reports the four humans had looked at had told them Scar was hiding out in Baschool, a town barely half an hour's drive from Fort Briggs.
"Yes," Miles confirmed. "Since Baschool closed its mines, the place has been abandoned. Everyone moved away to find work so there are plenty of places here for someone to hide in."
Kimblee's lips thinned as he pressed them together while he looked out at the dull grey and white surroundings. "This could be tricky," he admitted.
"We'll need to split into search parties," Miles said and turned to face the twenty odd soldiers grouped behind them. "All squads are to contact here immediately if you spot Scar! Do not apprehend him on your own. Remember, this man is dangerous and will take out anyone in his way!" Miles glared at them, making sure his message was received loud and clear.
"Yes, Sir!" Numerous voices chorused in response before they did as they were ordered.
Five scouting teams were formed from Briggs soldiers with four men to a team. The only exception was the team Miles joined. Kimblee had four of his own soldiers from Central and a look and gesture from Kimblee had two of them seperate from his group to follow Ed, Al, Ayala and Chester, as they headed to start searching their assigned area. At first, the boys elected to ignore them but couldn't after they'd nearly strode over the top of them and the Animals.
"We've got orders to keep the two of you company," the first soldier – a blonde with small, round lensed glasses and a face that reminded the Elrics of the original Greed in some ways – informed them when Ed gave them a pointed look.
Ed made a show of rolling his eyes as he turned back to join Al. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. He noticed the second soldier – a squat, dark-skinned man with full lips and black dreadlocks tied back – had glared at them but Ed didn't bother saying anything.
"Think they're Kimblee's men?" Al asked and Ed gave a small nod.
"Absolutely no doubt in my mind," Ed told his brother.
"That's not all," Chester told them, glancing back at the two soldiers before he looked up at Al. "They're chimera." Ed almost swore at the news.
"Are you sure? They don't look like any chimera we've seen," Ed asked, using the bond but knowing Al was asking the same thing.
"We can smell it. They're definitely chimera. Likely mixed with their own Animals like Dublith's Greed's friends were," Chester said. Ayala nodded next to him and that was all Ed needed to believe them.
"What about the two that went with Kimblee?" Ed asked and received another two nods and Ed swore again. "Right, we need to ditch these two and soon. We can't find Scar and try and help him get out of here with those two dogging our every move."
"I think I have an idea," Al said, for once not arguing with Ed about ditching someone. "Follow my lead." Ed would've smirked in amusement if it wouldn't have given the chimeras a sign that something was up. "Brother!" Al gasped dramatically, pointing to an open door in front of them. Ed thought the building might've been some small factory but that wasn't important right now.
"I saw him too, Al! Let's go!" Ed said, racing for the door. Al, Ayala and Chester kept pace easily and the two Animals soon got themselves ahead of the boys at Ed's urging. The chimeras, having not expected them to suddenly go tearing off, were a little slower to get moving.
"Hey!" The blonde chimera shouted as they followed the boys and their Animals. "Wait for us!"
The boys heard their calls and Ed grinned at Al. The four of them turned a corner then another one well before the two chimeras could and Ed clapped, slamming his hands to a wall as they came to a stop. Once the light show had stopped, they were facing a dead end and Ed grinned at their success. That grin only grew wider as muffled voices reached them from the other side of the wall.
"Wait for us!" Ed thought that was the blonde chimera calling. "Wait, what the hell?" Ed sniggered at the confusion. "Where are they?"
"They turned down this hall!" The other chimera insisted. The four Elrics listened as the footsteps rapidly headed in the other direction and Ed and Al fist-bumped each other, elated with their success.
"And that's that!" Ed said as they started walking away. "Pretty sure that'll keep them off our trail for a little while, at least. Ayala and Chester, can you guys try and get Scar's scent?" Ed asked and both Animal's nodded before putting their noses to the ground. Ed and Al fell silent as they followed their two Animals through the strange and eerie ghost town.
"It'll take weeks to search this place!" Al exclaimed after nearly two hours of searching and finding nothing. There'd been a couple of false leads where one of the Animals had picked up Scar's scent but they lost it after only a couple of metres. Ed had been growing grumpier by the minute and he was starting to wonder if it would be a wise move to stand on the tallest building and shout Scar's name.
"This would be so much easier if Scar or Mei could just find us," Ed muttered, kicking at a nearby stone as Ayala tried to soothe his frustrations. To their complete surprise, both Animal's ears perked as they listened to something in the distance. "What is it?" Ed asked, a little concerned about their dumbfounded looks.
Before either Animal could answer though, the boys picked up on what they were hearing and they joined their Animals in looking gobsmacked. "Alphonse! Alphonse! I can't believe it's you!" Mei cried as she came out of nowhere and tackled Al to the ground. "What in the world are you doing here?"
"Mei!" Al exclaimed as he picked himself up and looked at the ecstatic princess. "I didn't think we'd ever find you!
Ed grinned in amusement as Mei's face turned fiery red as she blushed. "You came all this way just to find me?" Xao-Mei squealed in delight on Mei's shoulder when Al nodded.
"Yup! I really needed to find you," Al said and to Ed's worry, Mei seemed to flush darker. "I need you to tell me all you can about alkahestry and how it works." At Al's words, Mei deflated and pouted. Ed could hear Chester snickering and knew the leopard was teasing Al.
"Mei, it's really important we try and learn alkahestry," Ed said to the disappointed little girl.
"Hey, Mei!" A newcomer scolded and Ed and Al watched as an old man scurried into the room. His face and back were covered by an old white blanket and they were quick to notice that half his face was damaged beyond repair. "You shouldn't go running off like that," he chided before catching sight of the others in the room. His eye widened in surprise before relaxing into recognition. "Oh! The Elric brothers are here?" The old man questioned.
"Do we know you?" Ed asked after exchanging a confused look with Al.
"That's Doctor Marcoh!" Ayala and Chester exclaimed at the same time, having placed his scent.
"Right, my face," Marcoh said, oblivious to the fact Ed's question had been answered. "I'm Doctor Marcoh."
"Doctor Marcoh?" Al repeated and the old man nodded.
"But you look..." Ed trailed off, unable to figure out a polite way to put it. "What happened?"
"Why don't you tell me what you're doing here first," Marcoh countered.
"Ah!" An exclamation of surprise and anger sounded from the doorway and everyone turned to see a thin man with short black hair, thin face and even thinner moustache that was styled to point horizontally from his nose. "The Elric brothers are here!" The man sounded outraged and personally offended by their presence and Ed shrugged at Al.
"Who are you?" Al asked and the man gasped as though dealt a physical blow.
"Don't act as though you don't know me!" The man cried. Ed took the opportunity to ask the Animals if they recognised him but both shrugged. "How could you have forgotten Yoki, the great proprietor of Youswell?"
"Easily, apparently," Ed said flatly and the man let out another dramatic gasp. "Are you sure we've actually met?"
"How cruel! And after you destroyed my life!" Yoki wailed. A shimmer of gold next to the man's head caught Ed's attention and he noticed it was a goldfish that was trying to offer as much comfort as it could to the distressed man. The goldfish sparked a memory.
"Did you say Youswell?" Ed asked and Yoki nodded vehemently. "Are you the same lieutenant-colonel who taxed the townspeople so much they couldn't afford to eat, let alone pay you, and who we tricked into selling us the deed to the town so we could give it back to the people?" Ed asked and Yoki shrieked.
"I did no such thing!" Yoki screeched, turning to Mei and Marcoh. "You dirty Elric brothers tricked me out of my money!"
"Yeah, I think I remember you," Al said finally. "Didn't you get dishonourably discharged from the military for that?" This comment seemed to make Yoki even angrier.
"Nova and I didn't deserve that! I did nothing wrong!" Yoki cried.
"Yeah, life is hard," Ed said, flapping a hand at the man as he turned to Mei and Marcoh. "Trust me, I get just how you feel."
The comment stunned Yoki momentarily. "Are you patronising me right now?" he asked but Ed's attention was no longer on him. Yoki went to take a step forward when Ayala reminded him of her presence and sent the man scrambling backwards from her snarl.
"We've learned a lot since we last met, Doc," Ed said, addressing Marcoh. "Like what it takes to make a Philosopher's Stone. I know there's something wrong with this country and I know there's something rotten with its alchemy," Ed told him before nodding to Mei. "We've decided to look into Xingese alkahestry after seeing her use it and we figured she was our best chance at doing so."
Marcoh nodded, giving the boy in front of him a small, proud smile, or the best he could with only half his face working. "You're on the right path but you aren't the first person to put all the pieces of this puzzle together," Marcoh told them and they watched as he revealed a battered, nondescript brown leather journal. "This book," Marcoh said, waving the journal lightly, "is the collection of all his research and theories. It is written in code but we believe all the answers we need are contained in its pages."
Ed looked at the book with awe written all over his face and had to resist the urge to take it from Marcoh. "If we can decipher what's in there than Al and I –"
"Perhaps," Marcoh said with a nod and cutting Ed off. "I believe so but all of this will be impossible to translate without the help of Scar," Marcoh warned, expecting a fight or protest but was surprised when all Ed and Al did was nod.
"Scar and I have a truce," Ed explained. "We'll help you get that to him," Ed said, nodding to the book. Suddenly, a loud explosion ripped through the quiet air and everyone ducked on instinct before they realised the explosion was some distance away.
"What do you think that was?" Mei asked as they looked out the broken window to see a plume of smoke slowly dissipating.
"That's the building Scar was hiding in!" Marcoh gasped.
Ed nodded to Ayala, Chester and Al before the four of them started heading for the doorway. "All of you need to wait here!" Ed ordered before he raced after his brother and their Animals. Ed wanted to laugh at the fact that Scar had basically told them where he was after Ed's earlier bitching but his mind was stuck on concern for his temporary ally. In the space of a few minutes, Marcoh had just revealed information that had doubled Scar's importance in the upcoming fight. Ed gritted his teeth as the four of them tore through unfamiliar corridors, buildings and streets, using the plume of smoke to make sure they were heading in the right direction and he found himself hoping that the murdering Ishvalen hadn't just gotten himself killed.
A/N - and here is 38 for you all! We're getting close to answering a couple of questions everyone's likely had since the first few chapters of this story so I hope you guys stick around to find that out!
To my lovely guest reviewer: I'm sorry you couldn't eat Sloth :/
To the awesome SW: I hope you enjoy where I take the story and what changes I've made to it because of both Envy and Sloth being killed off early. I hope you liked what I did with Raven but as for Kimblee, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait to find out what happens to him :D I will try to keep up the great writing and I really hope you like the rest of the story!
Thank you to the two other people who were wonderful enough to leave me a review and I do apologise to both of you that I hadn't answered your reviews until today. I do hope you both enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! As for everyone else, I would very muchly like to hear from more than four people about what they thought to this chapter. I can't tell you how hurtful it was to go to post this week and find out I'd only gotten 4 reviews and as thankful as I am for them, I would love to know what more people think.
See you all next week!