Inextricable
Chapter Eight: Cut Off

Winry watched as Edward headed back to his office, appreciating the grace and ease of his authoritative stride. He made her automail look good. When he looked back briefly, saw her watching and gave her a quick wink, she felt herself blush.

Oops, she thought. She'd promised herself she wasn't going to bring any expectations with her to Central. She wasn't going to hope too much. But now we're going to be LIVING TOGETHER! As friends, of course. Roommates. No different, really, from any of the times before they'd shared living quarters — at Granny Pinako's, at various hotels, at Izumi-Sensei's. But it is different. Because I want it to be different.

One thing she was not going to do, however, was pay the asking price for the building. Even if they were going to save money by... doing the repairs themselves.

Winry packed up the remains of their picnic lunch, looked a long last time at the building, and then locked up and made her way to the agent's office to return the key.

Having explained the situation to the agent, and advising her that an offer was forthcoming if the sellers could be made to see reason about their asking price, Winry returned to Gracia-san's house, her brain filled with thoughts she really needed to discuss with someone.

Gracia-san listened with a small smile on her face, then said, when Winry was done, "it sounds like a fine plan to me. You'll both save money, and neither of you will have to be alone. You're practically family already."

Winry dropped her forehead to her arms, which were crossed in front of her on the table, and confessed in a muffled voice, "but I don't want him to think of me as his sister!"

Gracia-san laughed at that. "Winry-chan, men do no look at their sisters the way Edward-kun looks at you."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ed caught the last train from Central Station that night with Falman along for the ride — at Hawkeye's insistence — as his assistant and bodyguard.

The last known location of Vera and Marissa Landis lay a full day's ride due north, so he'd have a lot of time to think. He hoped Maria and Denny's investigation was going well. He wished some clue would turn out to lead somewhere soon.

He'd followed Hawkeye's advice and asked Roy about Vera Landis which had led the older man to go far-away-eyed and nostalgic.

"Ah, Vera... True Blood, indeed. The Landis's used to be one of the great alchemy families, like the Armstrongs. After Rafe — the Green Alchemist — died at Ishbal, though, Vera vanished into more and more secret research. I think they were the last of their line, so unless Vera's had a child, that's the end of them."

"So he and Marissa never had children?" Ed asked.

"Oh, yes. Marissa..." Roy frowned at Ed. "Is that who was in the alley?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "You aren't reading my reports at all, are you?"

"I am! I'm... skimming them."

On the train, Ed snorted at the memory. Roy hadn't known too much that was useful. Unsurprisingly, he'd dated Vera but never seriously. He didn't know too much about the Landis family, beyond rumor, as they'd been more senior than he had been. It seemed Vera had not been involved with the slaughter on the ground at Ishbal. Perhaps she'd fled after her brother died and missed the worst of it.

But why go work for Gran if that's the case? Ed wondered.

One theory as to why suggested itself: Power and the ability to restore what was lost. He was certainly not the only alchemist to be tempted down that path. She hadn't done it at the time, though, or there would have been yet another homunculus resembling her lost brother wandering around. Or maybe there was.

Ed growled, annoyed at all the unknowns, and tried to get some sleep.

- - - - - - - - - -

Winry arrived at the hospital early. Today would be her first surgery, though she'd only be observing, and she was too excited to wait.

The hours passed far more quickly than she could believe, and by the time the surgery was over, Winry's head was stuffed with new ideas and techniques, and she was even more excited that the next time, she'd be able to assist.

Dr. Grantham seemed suitably impressed by what she already knew and, before she left, had arranged her next training surgery.

Later, she wondered if she'd been more tired than she realized or if she'd just been too distracted. Something pressed into her spine as a hand caught her arm. The voice was odd and barely human, but its words were perfectly understandable.

"I have a gun," the voice rasped. "And I'll use it if you don't come with me."

I have a wrench! I have a temper! I have alchemist best friends! I have to tell Ed I love him!

But all the thoughts screaming through her brain gave way to hard logic. The gun could be fired long before she could twist out of its way, and if she got herself killed, Ed would never forgive her.

"Fine," she breathed. "Let's go."

- - - - - - - - - -

Edward and Falman returned to Central just a day later, arriving on the last train back. In spite of talking to just about everyone in the tiny town of Menalos, he'd uncovered little about Vera Landis aside from the fact that she'd been the black sheep of the revered Landis family. No one wanted to talk about why, but no one seemed to know what had happened to her, either.

Of Marissa, he'd been able to uncover a bit more. Before marrying Rafe Landis, she'd been Marissa Phelan and had been born and raised in Central City.

"At least we can investigate that without having to take another train ride," Falman had commented. Ed had nodded agreement.

He climbed down from the train, debating internally whether he should stop by Gracia-san's to see everyone or just go to his dorm and go to sleep, when he saw Gracia-san standing on the platform, her face drawn. Beside her stood Hawkeye.

Ed froze, his hand still on the railing, and stared at the women.

- - - - - - - - - -

Winry and her captor didn't go far. The building was a dilapidated, boarded-up mess in an industrial area a few blocks away from the hospital. A space had been cleared in the center of a large, interior room, illuminated only by what fading sunshine could make it through the filthy glass of the skylights. A figure lay on a mat in the center of the room, covered in ragged blankets. The blankets were covered in blood stains, and it became clear, as she drew near the mat, that large pools of blood had been mopped up all around the space.

Her captor had not allowed her to turn around. She had no idea if she was being held prisoner by a man or a woman, but it was a woman lying on the mat.

"She was attacked by an animal. Tore her arm off. I need you to make her a new one."

Winry tried to turn around, then. Such a statement required her to stare aghast at whoever had said it. But the gun shoved itself more violently into her spine, bruising her.

"Don't," her captor ordered. "Just tell me what you need, and I'll get it."

"She doesn't look well," Winry said. "Automail installation is one of the most physically difficult surgeries there is. Even if she were completely healthy, she could die from it."

"She can't die. I need her. You have to fix this."

"But—"

"I know who you are," the voice rasped. "I know what you're capable of doing."

"If you know who I am," Winry said. "Then you know people will be looking for me. He will be looking for me."

"I want that, too. In fact, that's exactly what I want."

Oh, God. This is a trap for Ed! This crazy person is using me to get to Ed!

"I'll need my tools," Winry said. "And I'll need surgical-grade steel. A lot of it. And a fully-equipped workshop..." she trailed off, staring around the filthy, barren room. "I can't do this without the proper equipment!"

The gun shoved itself into her back again, and Winry bit her lip to silence a cry of pain. "This way," her captor ordered.

They crossed the room and went through a door half-hidden by shadow. Stepping through the doorway, Winry was greeted by a sight both impressive and frightening.

"What is this place?" she rasped, wanting to turn around more than she ever had wanted to in her life.

"Lab 13," the voice said, sounding amused. "A little joke. We moved our work here after your boyfriend destroyed Lab Five. The work had to go on, no matter what. We were so close..."

"But Tucker—"

"Tucker's work was only part of it," the voice growled. "He had his own agenda, but we had ours, too."

"Who are you?" Winry demanded. Tucker was dead, and the homunculi were gone, too, so who could be coming back to haunt Ed now?

"You wouldn't know me. I kept out of everyone's way, biding my time. Watching as that Fullmetal upstart dismantled everything we'd worked so hard to build."

Winry felt a surge of pride at this statement, but she also felt panic. If Ed came to save her, he'd be in danger. So I'll just have to save myself, first.