As the train gets closer and closer to the city, Iris feels the familiar buzz of the resident's memories around her. It's almost comfortable to her now; she's adapted to Central's enormous population shortly after transferring there with Mustang's group.
She sees the train station approaching closer to view and kicks Ed's non-automail foot with hers until he wakes up. He gives her a grumpy look but looks out the window to see Central City's streets outside.
Both leave the train and Ed immediately turns to go the military hotel, but Iris hesitates. He notices he's walking alone and turns around.
"I have to go see Roy. I'm gonna have to face him eventually, so it might as well be now. Say hi to the group for me, please. Let them know I'm okay."
Ed nods. "I will. See you soon. And hey, make sure Colonel Bastard apologizes."
Iris's grip on her suitcase tightens. "Oh, I'll make sure he does."
He chuckles and turns to walk away. She watches until he's out of sight completely, then walks to the apartment she and Mustang share.
It's a sunny afternoon, and while Iris loves Central, she already misses Resembool's weather. Not to mention there are fewer people there.
Once reaching her apartment, she fishes around her coat pockets for her keys to learn that they're gone. She sighs out of frustration and takes the spare from the plant. She makes a note to herself to transmute another copy later.
Iris expects to see Roy as soon as she opens the door, but it seems as if it's empty.
"Roy?" she calls out, not wanting to show any emotion in her voice, just in case he is in here. There is no response. She checks the kitchen, dining rooms, bathrooms, and both of their bedrooms, but every room is vacant and void of her guardian. Iris tries to reason with herself. She doesn't want to get worked up for what could be a false alarm. Doubt was gnawing at her sides, though.
'Where else could he possibly be?'
After throwing her suitcase onto her bed, she goes to pick up the phone in the hallway that separates their rooms to make a call. The hallway walls are adorned with pictures of them and friends and family. There's photos of Maes and Roy from their training days, pictures of Roy standing next to Chris Mustang and Iris in front of them beaming and holding adoption papers that can't be made out in the photo, even one with Mustang's entire crew on their first day. Roy kept these all in his desk drawer, but Iris convinced him to help her put them up one day. He looks at them much more frequently now.
Finally, the Central Command Center picks up. "This is See-All State Alchemist, Iris King. Can I be transferred to the office of Roy Mustang?"
"Your military code, please."
"Rabbit, Taylor, Oliver, 1, 9, 5."
Iris waits impatiently for the transfer, but the woman on the line gives her frightening news.
"I'm sorry to say, but no one is there. I imagine his team is visiting him at the hospital or has already gone home for the day. You can call back tomorrow and I'm sure-"
Iris hangs up and is out the door before the operator can even realize she's been hung up on.
She leaves the door unlocked by mistake.
•••
She can't believe it, even as she's staring at him. Hospitalized? Not Roy.
There's an odd silence in the air. Jean Havoc is lying in bed sleeping, and once Riza sees Iris come in, she decides to wait out in the hallway. This was meant to give them some privacy, but she can hear the yelling through the walls anyway.
"You're an idiot! All the things you said to me and what you made me go through, and now you've got yourself hospitalized?!"
"Iris, you can't speak to me that way! I am your guardian!"
"Sucks for both of us doesn't it!"
"You can go live back with Madame Christmas for all I care!"
Roy expected her to retort something smart back, but she suddenly hugs him as tight as she possibly can. He groans in pain.
"That hurts!" he complains almost childishly.
"You deserve it." Her voice is muffled by Roy's chest, but he understands her perfectly. "Such an idiot you are. You could've died and I wouldn't have known to forgive you until it was too late." She looks up at him, and their dark eyes meet. "Don't ever do that to me again."
He pats her back gently with his uninjured hand. "I'm sorry. For all of it."
Iris pulls away, satisfied with knowing he was genuine.
"So you want to tell me what happened?"
He sighs. "Can't you make this easy on me and find out yourself?"
"Fine." Roy remains quiet and lets her look through him. Briefly, she sees events from the previous night. Barry the Chopper. Alphonse. Hawkeye and Havoc. Havoc being impaled. Lust. Lust hurting them, tricking Hawkeye. Lust being killed by Mustang.
Having seen enough, Iris relaxes her body once again, a bit chipper over her powers being just as strong as they were before the Fifth Lab incident. She was impressed with her step-sibling, though.
"You killed Lust?"
"I did," he states simply. Iris gives him a proud look, and his mouth twitches upward in the slightest.
A knock on the door sounds and Hawkeye lets herself back in, along with guests Sergeant Fuery and the Elrics.
"Alphonse!" Iris yells in glee, getting up to hug him. "I've missed you."
The armored boy hugs her back as best he can. "Oh! Winry and I missed you, too."
She lets go to hug Fuery as well. Being the youngest in Mustang's squad, they bonded the quickest.
"What have you got there, Kain?"
He opens it to reveal a map of the part of Central that they had ventured off to last night. "For the Colonel." He hands it to him, who smooths it over on the hospital bed sheet.
"Let's see here... Here's the lab, correct?"
"Yes, sir," the Lieutenant confirms. "I counted the steps that it took to get to the white room with the colorful door, and while it's not exact, it seems to land..." she scans the map with her finger, "...right here." Her finger lands on the estate of the Fuhrer. And that's when Iris remembers the words of Hohenheim.
'Youknowabouthomunculi,don'tyou?Allthosepeopleyoufeel...'
"Are you suggesting the Fuhrer is working with the homunculi?"
"No," Iris says in realization. "The Fuhrer himself is a homunculus."
They collectively gasp.
"How do you know that, Iris?" Al is the first to ask what they all think.
"It's what I was explaining to Ed back in Resembool..."
"You barely explained anything to me!"
"Then listen to me now," she says, staring coldly into his eyes. "Remember when I told you that when I was faced with the Homunculi, I couldn't use my powers. I just had this creepy, unsettling vibe. I got that same feeling when the Fuhrer came into the hospital room. I brushed it off as my injury from Scar at the time, but after talking with Hohenheim... it makes sense."
"You talked to that bastard?! When?!"
"Forget about that, Fullmetal!" Mustang grabs Iris' arm. "Are you telling me, without a doubt that the leader of our country is a homunculi?"
"Have I ever been wrong?"
"But all homunculi we've encountered have ouroboros tattoos. The Fuhrer has none," Hawkeye tries to counter.
"We've only ever seen King Bradley in his military uniform, not the black garb all the others wear. I'm sure he's hiding it somewhere where it's hidden."
"This is all too much," the Sergeant breathes.
"All of you," Mustang speaks up. "You know what this means, don't you? Watch yourselves. This conversation does not leave this room, only to tell the rest of our team, understand?"
"Yessir."
•••
Iris decides to spend some time with Edward and Alphonse to catch up and see Winry as well. Mustang is sure to tell her personally again to be careful and keep an eye out.
"Youcanalwayscometome.Whetherasyoursuperior,oryourguardian.It'smyjobtotakecareofyou,youknow."
Irisappreciatedthesentimentgreatly,butcouldn'thelptomakeajabathim.Leaninginshewhispered,"Andit'sMissHawkeye'sjobtotakecareofyou.Butoffduty,youshouldtakecareofhersometime.Takeherouttodinner."Shelaughedathisembarrassedfacialexpression."That'swhatMaeswouldsay,atleast.Later."
The three alchemists were walking around Central City just as the night was setting.
"I can't begin to believe any of this," Al spoke quietly.
"I didn't want to believe it either, but it's true."
Ed opened his mouth to speak but turned around quickly when he heard footsteps rushing behind him.
"Second Lieutenant Brosh?"
He stops in front of them and rests his hands on his knees, panting from running through Central trying to find the State Alchemists. "What are you all doing out here?! Don't you know that Scar is back in Central? You shouldn't be out and about, especially late at night! Go back to your hotel; I'll escort you if you want me to."
"Scar? He's back?"
"Let's go, guys. Winry is waiting for us anyway."
Saying 'thank you' to Brosh, they run all the way back to the hotel, locking themselves in a room. Iris has found it useless to buy her own hotel room at this point - she never stays in there long, so it's a waste of money. Winry, however, doesn't like to sleep with the boys, so they bought her her own room. She's asleep when they get back, so they decide not to bother her.
"I want to give that asshole so much pain," Iris declares, giving a steel look to Ed and Al. "What he did to me, and hell, even worse, the Rockbells..."
"Winry's parents?" Al questioned. "What about them?"
"In Xerxes, we found out that Scar killed them. Well, it's a solid bet. An Ishvalan with an X-shaped scar on his face? Who else could that be? I've never had a chance to read into his memories because of those stupid glasses he always wears, but it has to be him."
"Well, Scar is back in Central. We can find out ourselves if we seek him out," Ed suggests, rubbing his chin in thought.
"You two can if you want, but I'm not ready to face him again. Not yet. I'm not strong enough."
"Sure you are, Iris!" Ed tries to convince. "We need you. Our chances are greater with more people. Al and I are important to these homunculi, so they won't let us die. Which means if Scar tries to hurt us, they'll be forced to intervene. Then, we can get some information out of them."
"Hey, just because you two know you won't die doesn't mean they won't kill me! No way!"
"Oh, Iris, don't be such a party pooper," Ling's voice rings out into the room. They now notice the draft coming from the open window where he and his protector are climbing through. "This could benefit all of us. You can come with us at least if you're so scared of the Ishvalan. Settled? Okay, settled. Ed, we're in."
The short alchemist grins. "Alright, perfect."
