Authoress' Note: I'm on the verge of graduating so with so many final projects to get ready, I didn't have time to write at all last week. Yet I somehow managed to multitask my way through this one during the weekend. :D

Moving on, from here on, there will be a lot of scene switching. To avoid confusion, I decided to use line breaks whenever that happens. Thanks to Shiloh Moon for the design ideas! :)

Disclaimer:Fullmetal Alchemist is copyrighted property of Hiromu Arakawa.

Chapter 7 'The Dawn of a Full Out War'

Right after battling his way out of the boiler room, the least Ed expected to encounter as he ascended the stairs was the barrel of a gun directed at his face. He staggered to a full stop just inches away from it; his hands shooting up in a calming gesture as alarming exclamations sounded behind him, when the seniors caught up to him.

"It's us, Lieutenant," Mustang's voice called from somewhere at his right.

The gun was withdrawn from his crossed-eye vision letting him see its holder. Hawkeye looked somehow relieved at seeing them.

"Why is Miss Elizabeth holding a gun?"

"That kind of doesn't surprise me much..."

Ed snorted at the senior's quiet conversation before redirecting his attention when hearing footsteps approaching them. Coming from behind a pair of bookshelves, Major Armstrong stride forward and stopped in front of them.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, it got away," he informed Hawkeye.

"Good timing, Mayor. Help us block the door," Mustang said as he signaled the entrance they had just come from.

"Right away, sir," Armstrong nodded and got to work.

"What got away?" Ed asked in curiosity, turning to Hawkeye.

"There was this inhuman creature that showed up from below while we waited for you to come back," she explained. "It moved so fast I barely graced it."

"Did you manage to see if this thing was wearing the administration uniform from the Institute?"

"Now that you mention it, I believe it was…" Hawkeye confirmed.

"We couldn't capture it, but this female creature dropped something that might be helpful," Armstrong commented as he passed him a rough notebook with loose sheets of paper sticking out of it.

"Are you sure it was wearing the school's administration uniform?" Mustang asked towards Hawkeye.

"Not a hundred percent, but it's a high possibility."

As Mustang looked at Ed, he nodded in agreement.

"Lieutenant, call the others. And tell Fuery to get in contact with Hughes. We need him to investigate the staff's background."

"Sir."

As Hawkeye reached for the nearest phone, Mustang checked his pocket watch before continuing. "Falman, do you have access to the keys of the library?"

"Yes, I've got a duplicate here."

"Good, make sure no one enters unless it's one of us," he ordered next.

"Yes, sir."

"How long have we been here?" Simon wondered beside Ed.

"It's almost dawn," Hoffman answered.

"Should we go back to our rooms? Our roommates must be worried."

"That's not a good idea," Ed told them as he opened the notebook he was handed."Whatever attacked us could still be out there. With the day still dark and nobody else up yet, we would be an easy target."

Simon shivered at the thought.

"Fullmetal, bring the notebook over one of the desk. Let's see what we find," Mustang voice got their attention.

Ed grunted in understanding as he walked to the nearest table; his attention already in the book in his hands. The two older teens share a glance before following the young alchemist, and just stare in silence. Ed didn't even get past the first page before the feeling of being watch was too much.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked in irritation.

"... Are you really him?" Simon asked 'intelligently'.

"Who?" his eyebrow shot up in confusion.

"Fullmetal, the youngest state alchemist that has ever existed," Hoffman recited.

"Oh," Ed felt as if an internal light bulb had turned on. "Yeah, it's really me."

"That's unexpected… I always thought you were…"

"What?"

"'Taller'?" Mustang supplied casually and in disinterest. "Yeah he gets that a lot."

"Who are you calling so small that he has to get on a chair just to pass below a door?!"

"That's not what he said," the rest dismissed it with dull voices.

"W-Well, I wasn't talking about your appearance," Simon regained his attention. "What I tried to say is, I thought you were someone out of reach."

"Yes, he's not unreachable; you just have to bend down a little to be at eyes level."

Now there was a smug grin on Mustang's face and surely Ed's teeth would have break had he applied any more pressure.

"Sir, behave yourself," Hawkeye warned as she got into the task of reloading her gun once she was done calling the team.

"I guess Simon means you are… pretty normal and easy to talk to," Hoffman supplied.

Ed sobered up. "Is it really that strange?"

"As Fullmetal, you're supposed to be this super genius kid whose abilities in alchemy could surpass that of a full grown man," Mustang explained. "Of course most people would think that could get over your head."

"Yeah, well, I didn't become a state alchemist for the fame or the recognition…" Ed thoughts trail to the memory of his little brother, suddenly feeling the need to see him. Unknown to him, Armstrong had started sparkling, crying silent tears at his statement.

"And again, most people don't know that," Mustang retaliated.

"Why did you-?" Simon natural curiosity was stopped short by a jab on the ribs from Hoffman, who seemed to be the more sensible of the two and read the situation easier.

"I will request of you to please keep his identity and ours hidden from the rest of your peers. At least for the time being," Mustang told them with severity. "We are in the middle of a serious investigation and the least people aware of our cover the better."

"My lips are sealed," Hoffman nodded.

"Yeah, mine too," agreed Simon with excitement.

It wasn't long before the rest of the team joined them, wearing their undercover garment and yawning in tiredness of the early awakening.

"So the cover was blown?" Havoc was asking in amusement as he looked at the two student among them; their bewildered faces noting the strangeness of three teachers, a librarian, three cooking helpers, and one of their youngest peers being all part of the military. "I think you boys owe me some money."

Breda and Fuery breathed in disappointment as they reached for their pockets.

"Just so you know, it wasn't me who did it," Ed crossed his arms in disinterest.

"Huh?"

"It was the Colonel," he elaborated as he pointed at Mustang.

"That changes things, Jean," Breda said as he put his money away with a smirk. "The bet was that Ed wasn't going to last the week before blowing the cover not the Boss."

"What? It still applies!" Havoc argued indignantly. "I feel cheated…"

"How come I'm the one you're making bets about and you're the one feeling indignant?" Ed asked with a deadpan expression.

"Concentrate," Mustang interrupted. "Fullmental, anything relevant in that notebook?"

"It's a journal," he announced as he skimmed through its pages. "It has dates registered from ten years back all the way to last week."

"That's a long time," Breda commented with an impressed sounding whistle.

As he skip read through a few pages, his neutral expression started to gradually change into a horrified scowl; his trembling hands supporting the notion that something was terribly wrong.

"Fullmetal, speak up," Mustang commanded.

Ed's mouth formed a thin line as he turned away from the journal and looked back at his superior. "They are all recordings… of human transmutations and their final results."

Severe looks of different levels of anger or incredulity followed as the suspicions of most of them were proven to be truth.

"Does it say what they were done for?" Mustang pressed.

"The first experiments, dated from before this Institute was founded, were all chimera creations in the attempt of making the human body compatible with the usage of mercury to avoid poisoning."

"Mercury poisoning?" Hoffman thought outloud.

"There have been a few cases of people dying through poisoning that could only be attributed to mercury, but since there had not been a clear study on the subject yet, it's still unclear what the damage could really be for ingesting it," Falman supplied.

"What could the mercury be used for?" Hawkeye asked next.

"That's…what the other half of the experiments are about," Ed continued as he read one of the files; his gaze intensifying. "...I don't really understand these formulas here, but there are notes recording attempts at creating Alkahestry's own version of the Philosopher's Stone… The Elixir of Life."

"What?!"

"Were the victims used as test subjects for the elixir?" Havoc asked more to himself.

"It's… worst than that…" Ed replied.

"W-Wait a moment, isn't the stone just a myth?" asked Hoffman in desperate confusion.

Ed just shook his head in denial, before severely answering. "It is very much real, but it's not something anyone should attempt to create."

"Does that mean… the ingredients for this elixir…" Armstrong didn't need to finish, Ed understood what he was asking.

"Yes... The notes show the use of the students' lives as an ingredient for the experiments," Ed confirmed.

The tension suddenly rose as everyone reacted with a mix of horrified expressions and shock.

"Is that how the Philosopher's Stone is created, too?!" Mustang asked in cold anger. "When were you planning on telling me about this?!"

Ed looked down at his feet unable to answer. Armstrong looked like he wanted to say something, but contained himself in acknowledgement to the fact that the question was not directed at him.

"Fullmetal, I asked you a question," Mustang pressed making the students flinch in their place.

Ed turned back to his superior with the same intensity. "Please, Colonel. Can't this wait?"

The polite and stern yet soft tone in which he said that took everyone aback to the point where Havoc's cigarette ended up falling off his mouth. The only one not fazed by the uncharacteristic request was Armstrong who was aware of the brothers' findings and the Fuhrer's orders. Ed couldn't expect him to help on this, since he was sure the Major was just as lost as he was in knowing how much he could tell them.

To his relief, Mustang sighed in defeat. "Very well. We'll discuss that at another time."

"Yes, sir. Thanks."

Simon and Hoffman exchanged uneasy glances at everyone's display. Not really understanding why the mood had changed all of a sudden and why Havoc had yet to close his mouth. Being the one craving for answers the most, Simon took a shaky breath before speaking.

"U-Um… w-when you said their lives were used as ingredients…" he began. "W-What does that mean for them? A-are they going to be okay?"

Ed couldn't have look more miserable. He bit his lip unable to meet the seniors' eyes, and shook his head in denial.

"I'm sorry..." he murmured so quietly it has barely heard by the rest.

The implications of his answer were clear. Simon collapsed on his chair looking lost and defeated. Hoffman looked just as beat but he seemed to take the news a bit better, placing a hand on Simon's shoulder in a sign of support.

"What should be the next course of actions, sir?" Hawkeye spoke after a brief silence, deciding to move forward.

"No doubt our culprit is aware of our little excursion to the underground tunnels," Mustang said as he placed his intertwined hands below his chin. "They won't stay idle after being compromised, so neither will us…"

.o:O:o.

"So what's the plan?" Al asked as he and Winry stood just in front of the Institute's gate.

"I was thinking… A place like this must have one or two metal armors for decoration, right?" Winry explained. "How good are you at stay still?"

Al made a huffing sound, already seeing that coming. "But what about you?"

"I could hide inside your armor plate until we find Ed," she simply said as she knocked lightly on the chest area.

"Mewh…"

"..."

"..."

Winry could have sworn she saw a drop of sweat rolling down Al's helmet. She sighed. "Why am I not surprise?"

"I-I couldn't just leave him there alone…" Al tried to justify. "That would have been cruel!"

"Hello, kids. What are you doing here so early?"

They turned to the voice behind them to find Hughes standing there with his usual cheeriness.

"O-Oh! G-Good morning, Mr. Hughes!" Al greeted feeling like a deer caught in headlights.

"Are you here to check on Ed?" he guessed. Not that he needed to be a genius to figure it out.

"We just thought we could surprise him," Winry explained with a smile.

"Hm, yes... I see…" Hughes placed his hand below his chin with a thoughtful expression as he nodded his head in understanding. "But you are aware of the Institute's rules about not allowing girls to visit, right?"

Winry deflated immediately and Hughes' glasses seemed to glint, even though there was no direct light to reflect on them.

He bent forward to her level and grinned mischievously. "Do you want me to show you the best route to sneak in?" he asked with a plotting tone.

Winry's smile couldn't have been wider. Al, for his part, didn't know if he should had been feeling relieved or worried with the direction this was going.

"Follow me, kids. I'll show you the way in," Hughes told them while taking the lead.

Winry gave a girly giggle and jumped in her place out of excitement. The moment she touched ground, a sudden uproar surrounded the school grounds, followed by earth tremors, causing both teens to scream in surprise.

"Winry, what did you do?!" Al asked in alarm.

"Huh?! It wasn't me, Alphonse!" she defended angrily at the insinuation.

"It sounded like an explosion coming from the Institute!" Hughes exclaimed as he ran forward pulling a breaking and entering on the gate.

"I just hope Brother didn't have anything to do with that one," Al commented as he followed the man.

"Wh-? Hey, wait!" Winry exclaimed as she ran after them.

.o:O:o.

"What the hell?!" Ed asked in shock, having troubles to keep his balance.

Just as the group was preparing to exit the library building, the bookshelves covering the secret door to the boiler room were sent flying after what seemed to be an underground explosion. Smoke and debris flew everywhere hindering their vision.

"Sir! There's something coming from the smoke!" Hawkeye's voice sounded from somewhere at Ed's right. Just as she had said, a few blurred shadows could be seen approaching through the dense clouds.

"On high alert everyone!" Mustang warned them.

"W-What just happened?!" Simon exclaimed from behind Ed.

"Stay close," Ed ordered as he made sure both students were within his vision.

The two seniors didn't seem to have any objections, seeing as they got nearer. Just then, the first shadow emerged from the clearing dust revealing to be one of the missing victims. Soon after, more followed the first. With the better illumination of the library, Ed could distinguish drools of silvery liquid pouring from their mouths as they walk unsteadily towards anything that moved.

"W-Why are they moving if they are not alive?" Simon asked in panic.

"It's probably a reaction as part of the experiments conducted on their bodies," Ed explained severely. "They were somehow turned into soulless puppets."

"What do we do, Ed?!" Hoffman asked him.

"Evacuate the buildings!" Mustang answered for him as he called everyone's attention. "Fullmetal, take these two back to the dormitories and alert your peers to get out of the Institutes perimeters!"

"What?! Don't you need help dealing with this guys?" Ed asked incredulous.

"We can't leave them without protection," Mustang answered shortly. "Falman, Breda, Fuery, go with them and call for back up!"

"Sir!"

"The rest of you, stay with me! We'll stall them here until help arrives!"

As the orders were give, everyone moved to do their assigned task, but right when Ed's group reached for the library's door, a large group of chimeras came rushing out of the underground. The added commotion made the group turn around only to find that some of the flying chimeras were already targeting them.

"Ed, watch out!" Fuery alerted him just as one of the birdlike creatures threw itself towards his general position.

Acting on instinct, Ed rolled out of the way seconds before getting tackled, only to hear a cry of panic from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Ed was horrified to see the creature had changed targets in seconds, opting to charge at Simon instead, and snatching the teen away and out the library.

"Shit!" Ed stood immediately and followed them out, with Hoffman right behind him.

"Wait for us, Chief!" Breda yelled after him, before being surrounded by a group of terrestrial chimeras. "On second thought… you go ahead."

Ed and Hoffman found the flying chimera just a few meters above the ground, with a screaming Simon still on its claws.

"You think flying will help you, huh?" Ed clapped his hands as his smirked. "Think again!"

"What are you going to do?" Hoffman asked him.

"Grab on!" That was the only warning Ed gave him before transmuting the ground beneath them into a platform.

Hoffman yelled in surprise losing his balance and falling on his hands and knees when the platform they were on kept growing into a large pillar as it ascended. When they were close enough, Ed clap his hands again and started forming a lance from the pillar.

"Hoffman, get ready to catch him!" he warned before throwing his alchemy created weapon at the humanoid bird.

The chimera was taken by surprise and dropped its cargo, who fell right on the platform, where Hoffman was ready to receive him.

"Simon, are you okay?!" Hoffman asked with concern.

"N-No," Simon answered weakly.

A crashing sound from the library got their attention, catching the sight of more flying chimeras breaking through the windows of the second floor to join the first. The two seniors gasped in fright at the suddenly increased danger.

"We are sitting ducks here," Ed commented as he crouched down. "Get ready to run for it! I'll make us a way down!"

More stone pillars rose from the ground below, starting to create a stairway that lead towards the dormitories. Without missing a beat, Hoffman pulled Simon to his feet and dragged him along as they started climbing down. Ed was right behind them when one of the human-beasts dashed forward and grabbed him by the neck of his jacket, lifting him above the platform. His cry of surprise alerted the seniors of his predicament and the both stopped short on their track.

"You are the one the queen needs…" murmured the birdlike beast, flying higher.

"Huh?"

"Ed!" Hoffman and Simon were climbing back up in an attempt to catch up with them.

"Go on ahead! I'll be fine!" he screamed back as he transmuted his right arm into a blade and slash it at his captor.

That seemed to do the trick, and soon after, Ed was falling to the ground below. Passing just by the transmuted pillars, he managed to grab the edge of one of the top ones with both hands, ending up hanging a good distance away from the ground. He grunted with the effort as he tried to pull himself back up, but his flesh arm, which was still injured, gave out and lose its hold on the platform's edge.

"Damn it!" Ed swore loudly feeling his right arm's grip slipping.

Just then, a pair of hands grabbed his automail and started pulling him back up.

"M-Man you're heavy..." Simon grunted.

"W-Wha-?" Ed was honestly surprised at seeing both seniors helping him up.

"C-Come on, Ed. You really didn't expect us to leave you behind, did you?" Hoffman asked as they both manage to finally pull him on the platform.

"You might be a State Alchemist, but we are still older. We should be the ones looking after our younger peers," Simon explained with a smile. "At least that's what Hoffman says all the time..."

Ed snorted in response as all three of them stood up. "Thanks for the save," he said as he analyzed their current situation.

Their attackers were already surrounding them from all sides; even if they ran, they wouldn't make it to the dormitories before getting caught.

"It seems will have to rush things a bit," he told the other two; alchemy energy already running through his hands as he observed the windows of the dormitories' second floor. "Hold on tight!"

.o:O:o.

"Has anybody figured out what was that uproar?"

"I've heard one of the laboratories exploded taking down the whole building!"

"Don't be stupid, that's just a rumor."

"Maybe it was an earthquake."

"Are we going to die?"

"I'm telling you it's the Countess! I swear I saw one of her flying pawns just outside the window!"

"Yeah, just like you saw the ghost of two of her victims coming out of one of the rooms five nights ago…"

"Hey, I did saw them!"

"It was too dark to tell, as it is now. You probably just saw a shadow."

The noise and chatter on the dormitories incremented gradually, despite the early hour. Most of the students had been awaken by the sound of the explosion or the tremors it caused. As it turned out, rumors were already spreading about the cause of their rude wake up call, but they were prohibited to investigate by the few adults in the building, who told them to stay indoors while the situation was figured out. That's the state in which Al and Winry found the dormitories when they were told by Hughes to stay put.

"Whatever it was, it sure is causing a commotion…" Winry whispered with the kitty in her arms as she watched some students passing by through the slight opening between Al's metal chestplate and helmet.

"Good thing we managed to get in before they all started getting out of their rooms…" Al whispered back when the coast was clear.

Winry sighed in disappointment. "How are we going to find Ed like this?" she whined.

"Klein, hold on!"

The new voice made both of them flinched, resuming their motionless position. Just then, three students walked by; the one on the lead looking stressed and angry.

"Klein!" the one following next called again. "What do you mean Ed didn't show up last night?"

"That's exactly what I mean," the Klain guy stopped and turned in irritation. "He said he was only going to work in the library for a bit, but he never came back to our room."

"Are you sure you understood right?" the third student intervened. "I mean… maybe he spent the night elsewhere…"

"How should I know that? I'm not his mom," Klein retaliated as he kept walking. "You shouldn't worry too much anyway. He can handle himself for someone so short."

Even with that statement, that didn't seem to appease his two companions.

"Didn't you say you were both attacked just the night before?" the third teen asked. "What if…?"

"Listen, if you are so worried, why don't you go look for him?" Klein said. "I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."

As the group disappeared from sight, Al turned his head towards the place they had gone.

"Brother is missing?" he asked; his whispering voice still managing to convey his worried tone.