See? Double-update. I will do my utmost to be consistent, but I do have a lot of doctor's appointments coming up in the next month and a half. Hopefully I'll get a diagnosis and a clear plan, be it meds or treatment, whichever, and this will all blow over. In the meantime, please bear with me. Comments, reviews, any interactions at all will be the most welcome distractions from real life as well.
"I can't believe this," Lissa grumbled, shaking her restrained hands halfheartedly. She and Ed had woken up to brand-new chains keeping them locked up—a wooden panel with two holes for their wrists, held together by padlocks at each end. Theoretically they could use alchemy to get free…especially with Al's help, though he had a set of restraints all his own, but that would just cause General Armstrong to dislike them even more. So they were stuck, which was…pretty frustrating, to be honest.
Al sighed and nodded wearily. "I still can't believe you two slept through it."
"Hey, we were exhausted," Ed complained. His own restraints rattled as he shimmied his boots on, probably already feeling the cold seeping in.
Lissa finished awkwardly tying her own boots and crossed back to him, sinking down beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. "We'll have to tell her something," she murmured. "She saw you-know-who, and she saw how indestructible he was… I can't even blame her for not letting that go. None of us would."
"I just have no idea what to say," he admitted quietly, leaning his head over onto hers and sighing. "Considering they're holding Winry and the Major over our heads… We can't say anything."
Al shifted uncomfortably. "We have to think of something, though."
They all clammed up as footsteps rang in the hall outside the cell, afraid of being overheard—and a good thing, too, since Neil, the Briggs automail technician, came strolling down to them. "Hey," he greeted easily. "You three sleep well?"
Ed sat up from Lissa and eyed him a bit hesitantly. "I guess, considering…" He held up his restrained hands pointedly.
That just made Neil laugh. He offered Ed the cup of coffee gripped in his hand—but Ed stared at it with his nose wrinkled, a bit suspicious. "I heard you helped defend the fort from that monster," Neil explained. "Go on."
"…This is gonna cost me, isn't it?" Ed muttered. Apparently he was a little distrustful after his experience the day before.
Neil smirked. "One hundred cens. You're catching on."
"I think I'll pass… But thanks anyway," he sighed, leaning back a bit.
Al tilted his head curiously. "So, did you find anything else out?" he asked.
Neil nodded, chewing on the toothpick stuck between his teeth. "We sent a party down to investigate the hole. They should be back anytime now. Oh, also, Major Miles is at the hospital."
Ed frowned up at him. "Is he hurt?"
"I didn't see him get injured last night," Lissa mused, worried a bit as well. Though they'd had a rocky start with Miles, she grudgingly respected him—and besides, they weren't looking to get anybody up here injured.
"He didn't," Neil snorted. "He's there visiting a soldier who was wounded fighting Scar."
Ed glanced sideways at Lissa. "Scar's in the north now?"
She supposed that made sense… And it gave some credence to their tip that Mei Chang had come up here too, since they'd been working together previously. Maybe that was a good sign, though she wasn't exactly eager to come across Scar again.
"Oh! Here they are!"
"They're awake, good."
Lissa blinked in surprise as four other Briggs soldiers filed in around Neil, all grinning down at the three alchemists. Why were they here?
"Thanks for yesterday," one of them piped up, sounding genuine.
Another nodded his agreement. "Yeah. You saved our buddies' lives."
She couldn't help but smile. It was sweet, to know their efforts had actually mattered here—Lissa shuddered to think how bad it could've been if Sloth had shown up when they weren't around… Though it had been just a coincidence they were all here at the same time, she was suddenly grateful to have been involved.
"I'm impressed," Ed told them, smiling. She knew he'd gotten into the same headspace. "You guys stick together. You really seem to care."
"Well, here at Briggs we have to look out for each other," one of the soldiers explained.
"You saved our pals back there," another added, grinning brightly, "so that makes you our pals as well."
Ed held up his restrained hands a bit hopefully. "Well, you want to let your pals out of here, then?" he tried, marshaling his face into something kind of angelic. Lissa nearly laughed outright at his attempt.
"No, we're not allowed to do that. Sorry," the soldiers chimed.
Ed wilted. "It was worth a try, I guess."
Lissa bumped his shoulder with hers and smiled up at the soldiers. "We're glad we were here to help," she told them. "Is everyone okay?"
One bobbed his head quickly. "Yeah, no casualties, thanks to you guys."
Thank goodness.
All the soldiers snapped to attention as Buccaneer strode up, taller than any of them and bearing an armful of rope. "All right, you three. The General wants to see you."
"Do we get these off at least?" Lissa asked, holding her hands up.
Buccaneer grinned. "Yeah, you can have those off. But you're not goin' around loose just yet." He shook his arm, where that coil of rope sat, and Lissa exchanged an unhappy grimace with Ed. But there was nothing for it, really—so they all consented to be tied around the waist, outside their coats at least, and only once they were secure did Buccaneer open the cell and unlock the cuffs around their wrists. Lissa rubbed at hers, where the wood had chafed her skin, as Buccaneer took the ends of the ropes and led them out of the cellblock.
"So what does General Armstrong want us for?" Ed asked, as they followed the Captain down through the base.
"Our investigations team came back from that hole—but they couldn't find the end. We figured a couple state alchemists might have better luck figuring out what the hell is going on down there." Buccaneer shrugged. "So we're taking horses and supplies, and you three lucky kids get to come on in with us."
Lissa grimaced at that. "Great. We won a trip down the creepy hole in the ground."
"At least it won't be snowing?" Ed offered weakly.
Al nodded. "And you can keep your fingers out, I bet. So that'll be nicer."
She couldn't help but smile at the boys, feeling so fond of them. "Well, I can accept that much at least."
Buccaneer brought them out onto the R&D floor, where they joined up with Falman—also tied around the waist—and General Armstrong. Using winches and cranes, their group was lowered into the hole where a handful of horses waited, pawing and snorting anxiously. Lissa had never really ridden a horse before save the one time in Xerxes, not that she remembered, but she knew enough to get herself into the saddle at least. She stuck her foot into the stirrup and hauled herself up over the saddle, swinging her right leg across, and sat there watching as Ed stared up at his own horse a bit hesitantly.
"Hey, Ed," she hissed, leaning over her horse's neck and getting his attention. "Remember, use your automail—left leg into the stirrup, and right arm to pull yourself up. It'll be easier."
He scrunched his nose. "It's not my fault the stupid horse is so—damn tall."
Lissa grinned at his plight. They were taller than the ones they'd used in the desert. "Just trust me, dummy."
Ed sighed heavily, frustrated, but did as she said anyway—and finally managed to haul himself up into the saddle, a bit unsteadily but in one motion, at least. He shot her a look afterwards, and she just winked at him, amused. Those few inches really made a difference.
Impatient, General Armstrong started off down the tunnel, and the three alchemists—and poor Falman—had no choice but to follow when Buccaneer headed on after her, nudging his horse forward. Thankfully the horses were Briggs horses, sturdy and well-trained enough to just follow without much effort. That was good…because Lissa could see the boys had very little idea what to do, either. They just sort of held the reins and hoped.
"Awesome," Ed breathed, as they rode deeper in. "This is a serious tunnel."
"I wonder how long it's taken to excavate," Lissa murmured, staring up at the shadowed ceiling above them. "Was it just that…creature, or did he have help?"
General Armstrong growled low in her throat. "I still can't believe that an intruder was able to get this far through our defenses," she muttered.
Ed looked at her curiously. "So has anyone ever made it into the fort before?"
"No, not in all the time I've had command here," the General told him. So that's why she was so sore about it—this had never happened to her before, not even a single time. "But once, nearly twenty years ago, there was a strange incident where the Mountain Guard was attacked in the middle of winter. Apparently, a mysterious woman stole food and supplies for a full month."
Lissa stared sideways at the boys, utterly shocked. They'd said Izumi survived up here for—for a month. So that was true?! And I survived her. Holy shit.
"This should be far enough," the General announced suddenly, reining her horse in. "You three. Dismount."
With no other options, Ed, Al, and Lissa all dismounted from their horses right there in the tunnel. Buccaneer grabbed a crate for the General to sit on, while Falman dismounted too, still being carted along with everybody else, a hostage in his own right, really. Thankfully, safely down in the tunnel now, they could be released from the ropes at least. The General sat her lantern down beside her as she settled onto the crate, and rammed the sheath of her sword against the stone floor of the tunnel. "Now then," she began shortly. "We're safely away from any prying eyes. You can tell me everything without fearing discovery. And I mean everything. Don't hold anything back."
Lissa gripped Ed's sleeve tightly. Was she… Did she really mean what it sounded like?
"Yesterday I asked you about that monster," General Armstrong continued, her voice firm. "Remember what you said? I can't answer. And you begged for my understanding." That was directed at Lissa, making her suck in a sharp breath. She had. She absolutely had. "You two refused me. And that, even as a hint, is a dangerous thing to do. I told you to answer my questions fully and completely. At great peril to yourself, you neglected to do so." She regarded them severely. "I think there's something you're trying to hide, and you'd risk your lives to protect it. Something… Or maybe someone."
Ed slid his hand down to Lissa's, his fingers threading between hers. General Armstrong had figured it out so…easily. She knew. She'd sensed all of it. There was no pretending otherwise now.
"This time, don't lie to me," the General ordered sharply. "I want the truth."
Lissa clenched down on Ed's hand. Go for it, she urged him inside her own head. She's opening this up to us, she took the threats seriously and brought us all the way down here… We've got to do this, Ed. You have to know that.
Ed met General Armstrong's gaze with a fierce one of his own. He sucked in a deep breath—and put everything, absolutely everything on the line as he told her, "We need your help, General."
Her blue eyes flicked over their faces, studying them, searching for signs that they were lying. But finding none, she inclined her head, just faintly. "Tell me everything. And we will see what can be done."
So they did. Lissa, Ed, and Al told General Armstrong everything. From the original search for the Philosopher's Stone, Scar's appearance, the Fifth Laboratory… The homunculi, Mustang's involvement, the Xingese, the identity of Führer Bradley, Father… And the hostages over their heads. Winry…and Alex. Lissa knew she wasn't imagining the harshness that set into the General's gaze when she admitted that Alex was the hostage being dangled over her, used against her as a motivator to do whatever the homunculi wanted. They told her every piece of information, every scrap they could come up with, and laid it all out in front of her without a single lie.
When they finished, ending with their reasons for coming to Briggs in the first place, Lissa felt…oddly free, somehow. Keeping so much to themselves was…hard, she realized. It was so damn difficult handling it all on their own.
For a while, General Armstrong sat there, tapping one finger on her opposite hand, taking in everything they'd told her. "The Philosopher's Stone," she mused finally, her brow furrowed. "Homunculi. Führer King Bradley. A mysterious man called Father. Corruption in the senior staff."
"There are hostages involved as well," Buccaneer pointed out.
General Armstrong inclined her head towards Edward. "Your childhood friend, the automail engineer… All Mustang's men… And my own brother."
Lissa bowed her head. That was her fault, and her fault alone.
Yet the General moved past it immediately. "We've done some joint training with Eastern Command over the years, so I know officers Hawkeye and Havoc, and I'd hate it if we lost either of them. I would like to help them." Well…at least she cared some about Riza and Havoc.
Falman lifted his hand hopefully. "And, um… What about Colonel Mustang?"
"Yeah… I couldn't care less about him," the General told him bluntly. "I'd just as soon see him fall from power. That would eliminate another rival."
Lissa bit down on her lip to keep her jaw from dropping. Well, Mustang… That's an obstacle I'd like to see you bypass.
"Never mind him. There's nothing we can do for the hostages here, anyway, and it's useless to linger on such a dead end." The General got to her feet decisively. "The question is, what do we do next?" She jerked her thumb to the side, pointing down into the darkness. "This tunnel here. I would like to know what you alchemists make of it."
Now that's something I can focus on.
Ed exchanged a look with Al, and immediately got to work, crouching down and testing the cart tracks stretching along the floor, while Al checked the wall. Lissa hesitated only a moment—before stripping her coat off and tossing it aside. She was ultra-conscious of the General's eyes on her as she yanked her sweater over her head too and threw it atop her coat, leaving her arms bare but for her gloves, until she put those aside too. That left her in just a tank top on her upper half, not enough clothes for the climate…but it would have to do for now.
"What exactly are you doing?" General Armstrong asked, sharp-eyed.
Lissa rolled her shoulders as the frigid air currents brushed along her exposed skin, raising chills all over. "My alchemy is a bit different than the boys'," she explained, twisting her hands in front of her. The tattoos on her hands glowed blue and the air crackled with the same energy, concentrated around her hands and forearms. "I work in what's called intangible elements—which just means small particles that most alchemists can't control. It lets me manipulate the air, among other things. And I can use it to sense air currents, to trace them or harness them, depending on what I need to do." She stretched her arms out in front of her, planting her feet solidly beneath her, and summoned up her energy. The air shimmered blue before her, streaking out into the tunnel and heading off into the darkness. Light flared all along the uneven surface, casting wild shadows, yet still Lissa pushed, reached further and further into the unyielding dark.
She could feel the air rushing along, the currents twisting and racing their way through the tunnel… But…there didn't seem to be any real direction. It took a slow, ambling curve, but no matter how far Lissa pushed her energy and her senses…she found no walls, no sharp turns, no end.
"Damn," she breathed, finally releasing the alchemy and letting her arms fall to her sides.
Ed stood up beside her, his brow furrowed. "I think you just confirmed a theory for me," he murmured, bending and picking up her sweater, which he offered to her sort of anxiously. "You didn't find an end, did you?"
Lissa shook her head. "No. And only minute changes in the currents, nothing to suggest much of a doorway within at least a few miles, maybe more. I'm hesitant to expend the energy it would take to check further, but it seems to just keep curving, at about the same angle as far as I reached."
"I didn't feel any exits nearby either," Al told them, his armor clanking as he approached. "Not much of anything, honestly. Just solid bedrock."
Ed snagged up Lissa's coat as well, and slid it onto her arms as he considered that. "So…that means…" His golden eyes lit up with a spark of inspiration. "Why, though? Why would it be… Mh… I'm so turned around down here."
"Hang onto that thought," Lissa urged him. "We can figure it out." She jogged over to Falman, knowing damn well where Ed was going with this—but they needed to confirm it. "Do you have a compass and a map, Falman?"
He nodded and reached into his bag immediately. "Yeah, I've got one. What kind of map? Just of the North Area or all of Amestris?"
"Amestris," Al piped up quickly, catching on.
Falman produced what they needed, and Ed hurried to spread the map out on a crate, settling the compass atop it to check. Sure enough, north pointed directly into the wall in front of them—nowhere near where the tunnel curved.
"Well?" the General demanded, staring down over their shoulders. "What are you thinking?"
Ed looked up at her from where he'd knelt down. "First of all, this tunnel didn't originate in Drachma," he told her.
"Are you certain?"
Lissa nodded firmly. "Absolutely. I sensed the curvature of the tunnel based on the ambient air currents running through it—and it didn't turn anywhere near Drachma."
"This is just my guess," Ed added, "based on what we found, but I'd say if we went far enough, chances are we'd find it's dug in the shape of an enormous circle."
"Why?" Buccaneer wondered, staring down as well.
"It has to do with alchemy," Ed explained. "In our field, a circle is the symbol used to control the flow of power." He beckoned to Lissa with the pencil he'd borrowed from Falman. "Liss, you got a sense for the curvature, right? Can you approximate that for me?"
She knelt down beside him and stared at the map, tapping her finger to where Briggs sat along the very top, at the tiny crescent-shaped dip in the border of Amestris. "It was a pretty gradual curve…" she murmured, taking a breath as she recalled the feeling of the air, the general angle it took. "So…I'd guess…" Slowly, Lissa traced her finger along the map, following a path outward from Briggs and through the East Area, near the very border of the country. Extrapolating from what she'd felt, she traced that path the whole way around and back to Briggs…all around the circumference of Amestris itself.
"The whole country," Ed murmured, frowning. "We need to look at this more closely. Briggs is a definite point, but…" He tapped a spot further down, on the very edge of the East Area. "Did you go through here?" he asked her.
Lissa squinted down, keeping her spatial orientation in mind as she regarded where he'd indicated. "Yeah, straight through. But that's…" Ishval. Ed was pointing out Ishval.
"It is," he confirmed softly.
She sucked in a sharp breath. "You're not thinking…"
"You said it yourself," Ed pointed out reluctantly, as he circled the spot on the map. "When we came down here, you wondered how long it had taken."
"And if Sloth didn't have any help…" Lissa stared down at the map with renewed tension.
"Lieutenant Falman." Ed looked up at him as the Second Lieutenant stepped closer. "Can you list the major events in Amestris that were accompanied by bloodshed?"
Falman's brow furrowed. "By bloodshed? Our history's pretty rough. That's most events."
Lissa licked her lips anxiously. "Not just small skirmishes. Big events—like Ishval. Ones that made a real impact in their locations."
He frowned and knelt beside them, regarding the map now as he thought. "What are you getting at?" he murmured. But then, as he stared down at where Ed had circled Ishval, so close to Resembool, right along where Lissa had traced the circle—Falman sucked in a harsh breath and leaned in closer, his posture going tense. "First, there's July 1588. In Rivière," he began, pointing out a small town near the borders of the North and West Areas, just narrowly in the west.
Ed circled that one as well. "Okay, Rivière. Next."
"October 1661. The Cameron Uprising," Falman continued, denoting the next point, which Ed circled as well. "February 1799. The Soapman Incident. Right there, in Fisk." Another circle. "Then March 1811. The Wellesley Incident." Ed circled it as well. "October 1835. The first Southern Border War, in what is now known as South City."
Some of these are further inside the border than where I showed… But some are right on that line too… But… That would mean… It looks just like… Oh, no.
"Then, in 1911, there was the second Southern Border War in Fotosett," Falman ploughed on, indicating a city in the far southwest of the South Area.
Lissa pointed at an as-yet unmarked area in the West Area. "What about up here?"
"Yeah, you traced right over…Pendleton, I think." Ed tapped the city's dot with the tip of his pencil. "Was there anything in Pendleton, Lieutenant?"
Falman considered that. "There's been fighting with Creta… A lot of soldiers have died. And then…" He broke off for a moment, sighing and regarding Ed and Lissa a bit reluctantly. "Later, in 1914… There was the Liore Insurrection. There were many casualties."
"What?" Ed breathed, looking up at him sharply.
"An insurrection?" Al clanked as he stepped closer. "But why?"
Lissa felt a chill run through her that had nothing to do with the temperature. "But… Falman… We went through Liore ourselves, we—handled that, I thought."
Ed nodded quickly. "I don't understand. We exposed that fake priest in Liore. And I reported it to Eastern Command immediately."
Falman inclined his head, visibly reluctant. "Yes, you did… But the Central forces pulled rank on us. They came in and ran out the troops from the east. We had it under control, but…after that happened, Liore just fell to pieces."
"Oh, no," Ed groaned, pressing a hand to his face in distress. "Damn!"
"No time for guilt," General Armstrong cut in. "Back to work, Fullmetal, Starlight."
Ed rounded on her, incensed—but Lissa put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him into her. "Ed. Later, okay? We have to focus on this first."
He gritted his teeth, but nodded all the same. "All right. Fine," he growled, and circled Liore on the map. "This follows the curve you sensed, right?" Ed confirmed with her, staring down at the map while he tried to calm himself back down.
Lissa nodded. "The outer spots do, at least. Exactly where I thought."
"Okay. And now…we just connect the dots." Ed traced out the lines on the map—first the larger circle, the one Lissa had denoted at the start, which crossed through Liore, Ishval, Fotosett, and Pendleton. The remaining cities were connected by concentric pentagons, within the outer circle… And as the shape was revealed, Lissa felt her heart drop right through the floor, her stomach churning with a sudden wave of nausea.
It's like I thought… Just like we guessed…
"How is that possible?" Falman asked unsteadily. "It…it looks like the transmutation circle from the Fifth Laboratory!"
Buccaneer scowled down at the map. "Is that so? The Philosopher's Stone array that draws power from human lives. If they make a Philosopher's Stone with something this huge, how many people will have to die?"
"Everyone within the circle would be killed," Lissa told him softly. "So, in this case…"
"Every person in Amestris," General Armstrong murmured.
Ed was still frowning at the map, that crease between his brows telling Lissa so much with so very little effort. She leaned in beside him, following his gaze thoughtfully. "You think there's more here, don't you?" she asked. "More than the transmutation circle being used to turn everyone into a super-powered Philosopher's Stone."
He nodded slowly. "What you said… It keeps bothering me, Liss. Sloth's pretty strong, but it's obvious this tunnel would've taken a long time to excavate, even for him."
"Our timeframe takes us back to…" Lissa consulted the map. "Rivière, right? That was the oldest conflict in the array."
Ed wrote the date in as she spoke. "Yeah, all the way in 1558."
"Right, it was just after the founding of Amestris," General Armstrong pointed out, watching over their shoulders.
Lissa felt something tighten in her stomach. "That was 1550, wasn't it? It's been a while since I took a history class, but… Amestris was founded only eight years before the incident in Rivière." She looked up at Falman, wondering. "Falman… What caused that incident? Amestris was still pretty small then, why did they go after Rivière so soon after declaring their own independence?"
"Well, it was the neighboring country at the time," he began slowly. "We attacked without even declaring war first. Then the military-" But Falman cut himself off with a gasp. "Hey… Wait a minute…" He grabbed up the map and held it up before him, eyes wide with whatever realization had struck him. "That's it, that's the connection. Not just bloodshed—it was the military! They were involved in all of it! Each incident was a coup d'état or insurrection!"
"All of them?" Lissa breathed. "I know Ishval and Liore, definitely, but…"
Falman nodded at her. "Every one. And it was just like in Liore—forces from Central would be sent in, and they would make everything worse."
Ed scowled, his jaw clenching. "It's been going on that long?"
"We kept growing… Our country started out as a small nation, but we expanded as we took over more and more neighboring countries." General Armstrong's eyes narrowed as Falman set the map back down. "That was all to create this circle?" she wondered.
"If this started just eight years after Amestris was founded…" Lissa traced her finger along the points Ed had circled, going by year, watching in her mind's eye as the borders expanded.
Ed met her gaze, anxiety mirrored in his gold eyes. "Yeah… Then that would mean…not only are they planning to use this country to do whatever it is they're doing… But they actually created it in the first place for that single purpose."
"My country," General Armstrong hissed.
Lissa touched Ed's knee lightly first, then gripped down as the reality of it all settled into her mind. Their whole country…had been created for this purpose. Just to make an enormous Philosopher's Stone. Yet… Could that really be all? Yes, the stone would be ridiculously powerful, created from so many souls, but…was that the full purpose here? And what were the sacrifices for, then—Ed and Al, and Lissa as a potential? Where did they factor into the homunculi's plans?
Could it be…that the sacrifices are like the ones at the Fifth Laboratory? Used to activate the array?
She dug her fingers into Ed's trouser leg. I won't let them touch you, she swore to herself.
Al's armor clinked as he looked down at them, something darkening his energy a bit. "Do you think… General Hughes…"
"Yeah," Ed agreed solemnly. "Before he was killed, he must've seen the transmutation circle."
Lissa swallowed hard. So Hughes really had been killed for sticking his nose into all this… He'd been trying to convey this exact information, so, so much earlier… It was easy to view him as just a kindhearted family man, but he must have had a wicked sharp eye to have caught something this big so quickly.
"He was serving in the court-martial office. He had all the information about the military incidents…" Ed sighed roughly. "He would've known that something wasn't right. Dammit… Damn them all!"
"I do not like this!" the General snapped, jabbing the end of her sheath against the map. "As far as I can tell, there's only one place left. If you two are right about your theory, then the next place they're going to hit is right here in Briggs. Those bastards in Central…" She growled lowly. "What kind of dirty plans do they have for my fort?! If they think they can-"
Lissa shot to her feet and cut her off with a sharp hand gesture. "Someone's coming, General," she explained, in response to the glare she received.
Sure enough, someone came riding out of the gloom, straight towards them—but in the light from the lantern they carried, it quickly became obvious that it was just a Briggs soldier, not an agent of the homunculi. "General!" he called out. "You're needed back at the fort. Lieutenant General Raven from Central is here to see you."
"Raven's one of the corrupt brass in Central," Lissa murmured under her breath, giving Ed a pointed look as he stood up beside her. "I bet he's here about Sloth."
The General's mouth thinned. "It looks like our time's already up," she observed softly.
Ed looked down at moment, contemplating—then he squared his shoulders and stared right up at her. "Excuse me, General Armstrong. I'd like to ask a favor of you."
Lissa touched his wrist lightly. Ed, what are you planning? What did you come up with?
He didn't back down for a moment. "Do you think you could con some information out of General Raven?"
She couldn't help but grin at him, impressed by the idea she could see forming in his mind.
"Hm…" General Armstrong gave him a thoughtful look. "I see where you're going, Fullmetal." She gave a decisive nod. "Yes. I believe I can help you with that. But you'll need to hold up your end as well, all three of you children will. If you screw me over on this…"
"We won't," Lissa assured her firmly. She tried not to quail as the General's eyes raked over her—the girl putting her brother in danger—but finally General Armstrong nodded again, cementing her agreement.
Ed gripped Lissa's hand tightly. "Then we need to hurry."
—
Lissa crawled backwards in the air vent, the metal freezing against her uncovered fingertips, but she didn't dare make a sound. She'd gone in here without her coat, just wearing Ed's black jacket as protection over her sweater since it was the only thing they had thin enough to help against the bitter cold, but still not prevent her from getting all the way in here. Not that Edward had wanted to let her take on that task… But he was busy with his end of the plan, and nobody else was small enough to get in through the vent. Besides, Lissa had the best chance of getting out silently, considering her alchemy.
She'd been given quite a dangerous bit—planting the microphone that would allow them to listen in on General Armstrong's conversation with Lieutenant General Raven. Lissa had only narrowly made it in time, having to crawl through a series of vents to reach the room without detection, and had reached the room and clicked the mic on just as General Raven walked in. From there, she had to make the long, arduous trek back to the little office they were using as a control room for the moment.
What she wanted to do was turn around, but that risked making too much noise. Lissa had never struggled with claustrophobia, honestly…but she really thought anybody would be a bit freaked out if they got stuck going backwards in these tiny-ass little air ducts.
Just take deep breaths… You know where to go, it's a straight shot back. Nice and steady.
Lissa bit back a yelp as her foot reached open air, her boot dangling through the open vent she'd come through—but it meant safety. She felt something tap the outside of her boot, and slid backwards immediately, releasing herself with the utmost trust that she wouldn't be left to just drop to the ground.
Sure enough, Al caught her in his arms smoothly, and carefully set her down on the floor. Lissa flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks, little brother," she murmured, squeezing his forearm lightly.
Ed surged up behind her and pulled her into his arms, and she realized he must have been genuinely worried something would happen to her up there. It was comforting to know the separation bothered him just as much. "You okay?" he asked softly, taking her face between his hands.
Lissa tilted her head and pressed a kiss to his palm, through his glove. "I'm fine, Ed. I told you, it wasn't a problem," she reassured him, shrugging out of his jacket and passing it back before slipping her coat back on.
He gave her a look that suggested he knew she'd been anxious up there by herself—but there just wasn't time for worrying like that, not when the two Generals' voices were coming through the receiver already. Eager to hear what was going on, Lissa took Ed by the hand and led him over to where Al, Falman, and Buccaneer had gathered, all listening in as General Armstrong laid her trap.
"…I think it's most appropriate to call it a monster," the General was saying, her tone remarkably even, "but fortunately, we were able to fend it off."
"A monster? What do you mean?" Raven asked.
"We killed it, but it didn't die, sir."
Blunt. Nice and blunt—implying she was being totally honest with him. Lissa would've been surprised if General Armstrong was a poor liar, but even so… It was impressive to hear.
Raven laughed in response, not exactly surprised, it seemed. "Is that so?"
"Originally, I suspected it originated in Drachma—but the Elric brothers and their partner…" She paused as Raven sucked in a sharp breath, surprised. "Didn't I mention? The Starlight and Fullmetal Alchemists are here, as well as Fullmetal's brother. I found it disturbing… They seemed to know about this monster, but they wouldn't talk. Obviously, if we have two state alchemists doubling as spies for Drachma, that's a serious problem. I've locked them up. Perhaps you'd like to speak with them?"
Admitting that Ed, Al, and Lissa recognized Sloth for what he was definitely was a calculated risk—but a necessary one. General Armstrong's own suspicion of them was a purposeful truth within plenty of carefully-wrought lies.
"Hm… Certainly," Raven agreed. Then he pressed on what was clearly more important. "They won't tell you anything?"
"Correct," the General confirmed. "They said they came here to research…living transmutation, or something." She scoffed. "What could be more suspicious? I distrusted them instantly."
Again, truth within the lies. She had distrusted them, when they gave that story.
General Armstrong paused a moment, as though gathering her thoughts. "I had thought about torturing them to get the information… But I am a woman, after all. The thought of hurting those children… Let's just say I couldn't stand it."
Buccaneer laughed heartily. "Now, that's rich! She would've tortured you in a second and not thought twice about it!"
Lissa cringed and exchanged an uncomfortable look with the boys. It wasn't surprising, necessarily, but still unsettling to actually hear. General Armstrong was a very different breed than the rest of her family, that was for sure.
"But General Armstrong, aren't you known as the Northern Wall of Briggs?" Raven pressed, sounding amused. "Walls aren't so soft as that."
"Sounds like he wanted her to torture us," Lissa mumbled.
"You know, General Raven," General Armstrong began, a faint smile in her voice—something Lissa hadn't properly heard before, even. "At my age, most women are expected to have had at least a child or two. Unfortunately, I'm well past that now."
"Come now, surely men are lining up to have children with you," Raven protested.
Lissa gagged in the back of her throat.
"Hardly, sir. I hate to say it, but like everybody else, I'm growing older. And my body is too."
Ed jabbed a finger towards the receiver. "There. She's baiting him."
"That Drachman monster, though," the General continued, not lingering on the oh-so pointed bait, "it had an outstanding body. An immortal body. Like something from a dream."
Lissa held her breath. If he took the bait…
"What if I told you that very soon, it wouldn't be a dream anymore?" Raven asked.
Beside her, the boys gasped, and Lissa felt a jolt go through her. He'd…actually taken the damn bait! Just like that! How the hell was it so easy? Was this guy so self-assured that he could just…talk like that to General Armstrong, without a single worry for the consequences? Idiot! I mean, it helps us, but what a fucking idiot.
"Tell me, General," Raven continued, his tone going softer, "would you be interested in a legion of immortal soldiers?"
"He took it!" Ed breathed, excited. "He really took the bait!"
Raven wasn't even finished yet. "Never dying, or getting old… You want it too, don't you?"
Unfortunately, General Armstrong paused long enough for Raven to be confused—though she covered it with a laugh, forcing lightness into her tone as she told him, "Oh, it's—just such an incredible question, I don't know what to say."
"Well, are you interested or not?" he pressed her. "There are only two answers."
"It is…intriguing," General Armstrong conceded, after a moment. "Can you tell me, General… On the day when this dream comes true, will my men share in this gift as well? Or is it only for me?"
"I can tell you when the time comes."
That wasn't much of an answer at all, really. It was less of a guarantee and more of a bargaining chip, really… A potential way to ensure her obedience. Not that General Armstrong was likely to expect anything less than willingness to do what needed to be done, at least from her soldiers… But that was clearly something General Raven just didn't see.
Someone knocked on the door, cutting the conversation short, and Lissa saw Ed's face contort in frustration. But there was nothing for it—one of the Briggs soldiers arrived and explained that something had happened to the team sent to look further into the tunnel, and that immediately became the priority. General Armstrong would be expected to focus on that anyway, so it wasn't strange for her to cut off her discussion with Raven in favor of looking after her own soldiers.
"Right, let's move," Buccaneer announced, rising to his feet.
Lissa, Falman, and Al followed suit—but Ed paused a moment, frowning. "Hold on a sec," he told them, before they could go. He darted over to some of the miscellaneous supplies in the corner, and with a quick burst of blue energy, transmuted a few coils of rope. "It has to look convincing," Ed explained, holding up the end of one.
"I'm really beginning to hate being tied up," Lissa sighed, as Falman followed Buccaneer's instructions for sufficiently binding a prisoner, which he was currently using on Ed and Al.
Ed grinned across at her gamely. "Sorry, Liss. You know I'm right."
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, rolling her eyes at him. "You can make it up to me later."
"Deal," he promised.
Given that it would look odd for Falman to be tied up—since General Armstrong had only mentioned the three alchemists when she spoke to Raven—he was allowed to go free, posing as Buccaneer's second and backup as they headed out into the base. Lissa was grateful to have her hands mostly exposed, at least, though she wasn't sure it was exactly the right way to tie up a prisoner. She suspected Falman had done it purposefully, to give her a little control in case they needed got dragged into a fight or something.
On the way, out of sheer curiosity, Lissa tapped into her senses, trying to feel out the Dragon's Pulse since she hadn't been focusing on it there at Briggs. It was difficult with everything else going on. She was stunned nearly into freezing right there in the hallway when she felt… Copper-iron sludge… Blood… Slimy all across my skin… But that feels like a Philosopher's Stone. Why the hell am I feeling that?!
She had no time to focus on it, though. For when Lissa looked up from her boots, she saw Major Miles coming straight towards them—and he had a guest. A man with long black hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a white suit and matching hat, altogether out of place here at Briggs.
"Buccaneer, what are you doing?" Miles asked as their groups met in the middle.
"Prisoner transfer, sir," Buccaneer explained smoothly. "I'm moving the Elric brothers and Lissa Caito from the east cells to the west." He inclined his head at the newcomer. "May I ask who this is?"
Miles' posture tensed slightly. "This is Mr. Solf J. Kimblee. He's General Raven's honored guest."
Lissa almost flinched, sensing Ed struggling with the same beside her. It was impossible not to know that name—Solf J. Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist. He had been a nightmare in Ishval, lost his mind completely and killed several Amestrian soldiers… So why the fuck was he out here?! He'd been in prison almost as long as Lissa had been in Central!
"Wait, did you say the Elric brothers? And Lissa Caito?" Kimblee tipped up his hat and smiled, a sickly, stomach-curdling expression. "The Fullmetal and Starlight Alchemists?" His gaze flicked right up to poor Al. "I see. Now I understand your nickname."
Wearily, Buccaneer and Falman pointed at Ed, who gave an exasperated look at the whole thing.
"Oh… It's this one?" Kimblee recovered quickly, tipping his hat towards Edward. "Nice to meet you. I've heard much about the Fullmetal Alchemist." His gaze slid sideways, and Lissa felt her muscles clench up in pure, visceral fear as he regarded her. "And of course, his lovely partner, the Starlight Alchemist. It's quite an honor to meet you both."
Lissa resisted the urge to swallow—her throat was too dry for that. "Likewise," she managed, while Ed just stared up at him fiercely.
Miles cleared his throat. "Mr. Kimblee. We should be going."
"Oh, yes, of course." Kimblee flashed another slimy smile and stepped back. "I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you both, soon enough."
When he was gone, Lissa poked a bit hesitantly at her extra senses—but that oil-slick feeling of a Philosopher's Stone had faded with Kimblee. Which meant… That he might well be in possession of a stone. Even an incomplete one, in that horror-show's hands, could be a total catastrophe. But she didn't know what to do with that information. Especially here, with their situation so tenuous… She risked ruining everything if she let that little fact out.
Besides… The homunculi don't know I can sense the Dragon's Pulse. That's still private. I can't risk them finding out what I can do.
Buccaneer took them to their cell, and left them there after locking restraints back on their wrists. Lissa accepted it without argument, just in case Raven had brought anyone else along, or even had Kimblee trailing them—though she thought she'd sense him if he got too close.
"I can't believe Kimblee's here," Ed muttered, sinking down on a cot and resting his forearms on his knees. "I didn't even know he was out of prison."
"He had a life sentence, last I knew," Lissa told him. She sat down beside him, while Al took a seat opposite, all three sticking close together out of habit. "The fact that he's been pardoned… It's kind of…" She shook off the word terrifying. "Most of the state alchemists I worked with in Central talked about him with a lot of fear. Whatever he's doing here, we need to be careful."
Al sighed heavily. "Do you think he's here to—keep us in line?"
"Maybe," Ed admitted. "It could be anything."
Footsteps clicked on the floor down the hall, and all three fell silent as a guard led General Raven down. The Briggs guard reluctantly let the General in, and shut the cell bars behind him—then Raven turned and shooed the soldier away. Lissa caught the younger soldier giving them an apologetic sort of look as he walked away, but it wasn't like he had a choice. Not when a Lieutenant General told him to do something.
Raven folded his arms behind his back and looked down at them. "I am General Raven, from Central," he introduced, unaware they already knew. "I've heard a great deal about you from his Excellency."
The Führer… So he knew all about the hostages and their promise not to reveal anything.
"Hello," Ed greeted tersely.
"It appears you've been good little children and kept your mouths shut," Raven observed, eyeing them.
Ed looked down at his bound hands, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "That was the agreement."
Raven lifted an eyebrow. "You don't seem happy."
Lissa winced when Ed rolled his eyes and crossed his legs underneath him, sneering, "Oh, no, I'm absolutely thrilled. Who wouldn't love to have their friends taken hostage?" Though she agreed with him, Lissa leaned in and brushed her shoulder against his, warning him off it. They couldn't piss General Raven off, after all.
Attempting to cover for his brother, Al looked up at Raven and asked, "Um… Do you think you could release us from this cell soon?" He shifted where he sat. "The deal was, if we didn't mess with you, then you would let us continue our journey."
Raven smiled down at him, raising his hands in dismissal. "There's no need to worry. I'll let you out of here soon."
"That tunnel…" Ed peered sideways at Raven, through his bangs. "Is it part of whatever you're planning, too? If they find out…"
But Raven just flicked his hands once more, still dismissive, still treating them like little children. It was becoming really difficult not to kick him right in his stupid teeth. "Again, you don't need to worry. I've already spoken with the General. She's going to put the homunculus back underground, and seal up the tunnel's opening."
"She's—going to seal it up?" Lissa breathed, her mouth falling open.
Raven's gaze turned just a touch severe. "General Armstrong's on our side now," he told her lowly.
Lissa gritted her teeth and looked away. He'd bought it… But that didn't make her like him. She felt much more inclined to kick his teeth in or break his nose than she did to smile and kowtow to him—Raven was sleazy, she could feel it even without the Dragon's Pulse.
"Well," she began slowly, trying to pick her words carefully, "we want to keep our friends safe. We'll continue keeping our mouths shut, sir."
"Excellent." Raven clapped his hands together brightly. "Then I'll go see about the construction. In the meantime, just sit tight, you three." He called the guard back and left then, leaving the three alone in the cellblock. Again. Lovely.
Lissa twisted her fingers midair idly, playing with a few air currents as she thought. Was there some way for her to tell the boys her suspicions about Kimblee having a Philosopher's Stone? She couldn't risk just…saying it outright, voices carried in here and it was just too much of a risk to reveal her hand that way. But it was important for them to know regardless, because it really changed the whole damn game… How can I tell them safely? Without any real privacy…
At least she had time, she figured. It would probably take a couple days to fill in the hole in the floor, doing it properly—so twenty-four hours if they rushed, but likely more like forty-eight or seventy-two. That would have to be enough time to figure it out. If not… The boys could be caught totally off-guard, and Lissa couldn't let that happen.
I'll say thirty-six for safety. Okay. Let the games begin.
(Pardon the accent on Rivière... It's not strictly canon but I have some French sensibilities that refuse to stay silent.)
