everyone in the world comes at some point to suffering

i wonder when i will

i wonder

-la dispute

•••

The sun grows higher and higher as the morning moves along. Seemingly with it, the group treks ahead into Central. Soon, they're close enough to see smoke rising from the heart of the city.

"It has to be Team Mustang," Iris concludes. "And something to do with the damn Fuhrer."

Hohenheim's frown he's been wearing deepens. "It's more than just them, surely. We have to find and kill Father, who is brewing up something right now. If we take him out then his homunculi will fall apart from under him."

"No time to waste, then."

They venture further and surprisingly find themselves outside of the main command center. Military police lined the garden on patrol.

"There are too many guards," Scar reasons. "Not enough to plow through without causing a disturbance."

The group looked to Edward.

"Any bright ideas?"

Ed gave himself a moment to think. "We can go through the third lab that Alphonse told me about. While we were in Resembool, the Colonel killed Lust there," he informed them. This caught Iris's attention.

"He told me about that. He said he sealed it up but I'm sure we could find it."

He nodded at her and began to lead them to the location. After a few minutes of sneaking around, the laboratory was in sight.

Two measly guards protected the entrance, which was no challenge to any of them. Quickly, two chimeras each took a guard to incapacitate. Even without their animalistic skills, the two watchmen were easy to take down. They hid them in the neatly trimmed bushes as best they could, then went straight for the front doors. Once inside, none of the scientists had the courage to ask about their business there.

"You should all get out of here!" Iris warned, simultaneously sarcastic and not. "If not, as workers of the military, Scar will personally tear you to shreds!" Needless to say, they didn't hesitate.

"Split up and check the hallways for transmutation marks!" Ed ordered. Everyone did as they were told, but didn't need to go far. Hohenheim found the hasty marks in the corner of a hallway. They all run over to him.

"Stand back!" Iris shouted, then clapped her hands. She thrust them to the wall. An entryway was built before them. It was simply a dark tunnel.

"This must lead to Father," she gathers.

Ed looks to her with a careful gaze. "Do you feel anything strange yet?"

"Tunnels are tricky when it comes to reading qi. But I can try."

Iris takes a few steps inside and wills herself to focus. Just like the fight with Pride, her surroundings are pitch black. She tries to pinpoint a pulse by stepping in even further. Then, she feels it! She starts to take off in the direction it leads her.

"Hey, wait!" Edward calls out to her.

Iris's voice echoes through the tunnel. "Hurry and catch up or I'll lose the trace!"

"Ugh," the alchemist grunts in frustration. He starts to run after her, but his father puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He stops in his tracks but roughly brushes off Hohenheim's touch.

"I think we should split up to find her," he advises.

"That's a stupid idea! We'll all just get lost!"

"You can take Scar and the chimeras. They'll be able to track her down with their animalistic abilities. I'll take Lan Fan for myself."

Edward quickly looks into the dark abyss, worry lines etching into his handsome face. He knows he'll lose her if he doesn't act now.

"Fine!" he hastily agrees, then sprints down the tunnel. His new group follows him. He places a firm hand on the wall to guide him. He creates miniscule transmutations along it to give him a small light source every so many steps. But soon, he doesn't need it. He sees a clear light 20 feet away. Better yet, Iris is standing right in front of it.

"Hey! Iris!" he calls out to her. She turns around at the sound of his voice and waves him over.

"Come check this out!" she yells in astonishment. He and his group walk over, relieved that the light was beginning to grow the farther they walked forward.

They reached Iris finally but were struck with awe just as she was when she first entered. The room was completely white, except for an old thick door that touches the ceiling at the back of the room. Unrecognizable symbols covered the face of the door.

Iris stayed a distance away, as if scared to approach it. "Do you think this is alchemy?"

Ed rubs his chin and stares at the door with scrutiny. "It looks something like that, yeah."

She snaps and points to him in realization. "It looks similar to the ruins we saw in Xerxes."

"Hm..." he ponders. Suddenly, he walks up to it and pulls at the slit in the middle to try to pry it apart.

"The door handles are probably on the other side, dummy," Jerso interjects.

"I don't see any of you coming up with bright ideas!"

Remnants of Barry the Chopper are scattered on a section in the room. Chunks of broken armor are littered around, right next to his signature weapon. Darius picks up the meat cleaver and tests its weight and cut by slashing the air in front of him.

"Looks like this could be useful," he muses.

"Screw this!" Edward yells. He claps his hands then goes to try to open the door with his alchemy, but Iris's desperate shout stops him at the very last second.

"Don't, Ed!"

The sparks from his hand die immediately, despite his hands still being in position.

"We shouldn't open that door. I don't know what's behind there, but it's something evil."

"Could it be a homunculus?" Scar questions, already preparing for a fight.

"No." She walks up to the door and gently runs her hand over it. "The energies are too separated to only be in one vessel."

"How many are there, then?" Zampano worries.

Suddenly, See-All jumps back away from the door as if it shocked her. "I can't tell, but they're coming closer! Stand back!"

Moments after her warning, the door practically blew open. Gangly white bodies with one eye poured out and went towards them like the undead. Red strips of color lined their bodies, and their mouths were wide open and were either calling for help or chomping on their teeth.

"What are these creatures?" Scar questions to the two alchemists, hoping they would have some information. Ed shakes his head in confusion, and suddenly everyone is looking to Iris for answers.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure... But they're just like the philosopher's stone souls, just in many vessels. Looking at just one, they give off the energy of a fraction of a whole stone."

They reminded her of the green monstrosity that Envy had turned into back north. The souls were crying out to be heard, and they all seemed to want her help. Still, she had to snap out of it. She wouldn't compromise her team, not again.

"Try not to think about it," Ed advised, handing her a spear he created from the floor. She gave it a spin in her hands. It was dull due to the materials, but she figured it would do. He transmuted then unsheathed his prosthetic blade and gave her a nod.

Once everyone was ready, he screamed, "Everybody, attack!"

'Fortify,' Iris demanded of herself. 'It's you or them.' She knew what had to be done. Yet, when she made that first blow against them, she heard herself whisper an, "I'm sorry."

She couldn't keep count of them. One would fall to her attack, then three more would pop up after. She tried everything. She stabbed with her spear, sent kicks and throws and punches their way, and even broke one's neck. But more came through the door faster than they could exterminate.

She hears one right behind her. She twirls around, grabs its arm and takes the brunt of her palm into its chest. It goes flying in Edward's direction. He impales it through the chest with his automail blade. She gives him a thumbs up for teamwork but then points behind him.

"Don't let them get out!"

Fast on his feet he turns around and transmutes a wall to separate the room from the tunnels that lead back into the city. Though hastily transmuted, it's thick and sturdy and has the creatures trapped... along with them.

"How are we going to get out?" Zampano asks, throwing the creatures close to the wall back into the fray.

"I'll think of something!" he replies. "Just give me a-!" He's unable to finish his sentence as a row of fire shoots out from the door. It engulfs the monsters, but not his allies. The scent of smoke and charred flesh takes up the air immediately, and there are black, burnt piles of ash spread across the white room.

Everyone looks to the source, but Iris is already racing to the gigantic door. Once the smoke clears fully, all of them see her embracing her step-brother Colonel Roy Mustang. He pats on her head just like any older sibling would.

"Missed me?" he questions cockily.

"Shut up." She pulls away to give Lieutenant Hawkeye a small hug and happy smile. She elbows Roy lightly. "Glad to see you both back together again." Edward has come up from behind Iris now, giving a grin at the two adults. Mustang glares at them but changes the subject.

"Why does trouble always find you two?"

"Can't help it," Ed shrugs.

"Sure," Colonel rolls his eyes. "But anyway, it's been awhile." He turns to Iris. "I spoke to General Armstrong. She said these belonged to you."

From his pocket, he took a cloth. Unraveling it revealed two familiar, worn push knives. The girl recognized them immediately. Carefully she took one in each hand. The hilts fit her hands perfectly just as she remembered.

"Maes' push knives!" she exclaimed softly. She looks up at Roy, a sad smile gracing her face. "I miss him."

"Me too," he replies quietly. "He'd fight alongside us today if he were here, that's for sure." Iris nods in certainty, then looks to Ed, who still has a guilty look on his face. She shakes her head just slightly, trying to remind him, 'It's not your fault he's gone.' He sighs through his nose and grants her a half-hearted smile.

"But that's not all," Mustang speaks again. "Iris, Madame Christmas can't reclaim you. The Bradley's have to give you up out of their own volition. I'm sorry."

Iris's jaw clenches and she takes a breath to try to compose herself. Determination shines through her as she tells him, "Whatever happens, you're still my family. And we are going to win this fight."