(Age 15)
In the next few few weeks, nothing big had happened. We'd been staying in standard quarters, with a special co-ed exception for us siblings. Everything was calm and complacent, with only some repairs and other civic duties for us to take care of. It wasn't until the Alchemist killer popped up that we had issues again.
It happened when we were visiting Colonel Mustang's office to get any new assignments. We had hit a dead end with Lior and were simply digging around for any fresh leads in our free time.
Breda and Havoc sat on one side of the table, with their backs to us as we entered, finishing up some of Mustang's work. Hawkeye and Falman stayed on the other side, also doing Mustang's work. Fuery sat with Breda and Havoc, fiddling with his radio. It was really beat up, and looked like a hand me down.
As we entered, Havoc was holding a piece of paper that resembled a report, "Who's this?" he asked, looking at the picture.
Falman, who had probably just handed him the paper, replied, "That's Lieutenant Yoki. He was using the Youswell coal mine to line his own pocket while stationed there. The Elrics exposed the thief and now he's on the run."
Havoc went to work on the paper, doing who knows what with it, and Hawkeye spoke to Fuery, who was still fiddling with the busted radio, "Master Sergeant Fuery, How's the radio?"
He grimaced and removed the headphones from his ears, "The receiver on this thing's seen better days. I'm gonna have to replace it." I chuckled, he's got an alchemist for a commanding officer who can't even fix a radio?
"I got it," I replied, bringing attention to the fact that the three of us had entered. Fuery and Breda seemed surprised, as to be expected since they had their backs to us. I was a bit shocked that Havoc had noticed our arrival before I spoke, however. Nonetheless, I clapped my hands, being extra careful not to make a spark, and touched the radio. The familiar blue glow touched the room for a few seconds before dispersing completely. A new, shiny radio was left.
"A-Ah, Thanks!" Fuery stuttered, still a little shocked.
"Welcome back, boys," Hawkeye stated, not looking up just yet. She heard me let out a frustrated grunt and she added, "And Elizabeth." She shuffled a few papers and finally looked at the three of us, "Go on in, the colonel is expecting you."
Edward's entire atmosphere shifted into a much darker one, "Of course he is."
We entered anyway and sat down on the two couches. I sat next to Edward, and Alphonse next to me. I couldn't take being squashed in the middle, so I reluctantly stood and took a seat on the couch parallel to the one I had originally sat on, facin gmy brothers.
"Hello," Mustang greeted, "It's good to have time to actually talk to you three, rather than giving you a folder and letting you loose." It was true, he's been so busy that the moment we've entered his office recently we've been all but swatted out with our assignment.
He cleared his throat and I kept my gaze at my brothers, one with a blank expression like always and the other looking very annoyed and impatient. "I wanted to congratulate you three on the success in Lior," I snapped my head to him, was he being sarcastic? "and I wanted to ask what became of the lead."
Edward sighed, "It was a fake," he scratched the back of his head, "but the power Cornello gained from it wad real enough. He even had a huge chimera transmuted."
"Yeah," Al chimed in, "I don't know how he did that. We're not very familiar with bio-alchemy."
"I'm a bit curious, too." I added, thinking of the possibilities. An arm or a leg didn't require a soul to create. For that matter, a whole body doesn't either, I mean, we have Al's soul!
Edward nodded, "Might be worth looking into." he mumbled off-handedly.
"Sounds like you need a specialist," Mustang offered, flipping through some papers in his desk drawer, "Shou Tucker, The Sewing-Life Alchemist. He's done a lot of research into chimera transmutations, even creating one himself. I'll introduce you."
"Thank you so-"
"Why're you acting to civil?! What is it you want?" Ed jumped up angrily, interrupting Al's gratitude.
Mustang gritted his teeth and forced a smile, "Don't get me wrong, FullMetal. Doing you a favor is just better than being indebted."
Edward eyed him uneasily, "Fine," he relented, content with having the introduction, "Come on, lets get going."
He and Al exited, with Mustang and I close behind. Once they were through the door, I stopped and held my arm across the doorway, halting the Colonel. I knew I had a few seconds before Ed and Al realized we had stopped.
"Mustang," I whispered, "I've been hearing things around town, about an alchemist getting killed. What's going on, should we know about this?"
He froze, I'm guessing he wasn't expecting me to know about the IronBlood Alchemist just yet. "No, you shouldn't." He replied curtly.
"Then I'll do some of my own research. Ed and I aren't attached at the hip, you know," I paused, leaning towards him as threateningly as I could muster, "And I know for a fact that researchers get in trouble. Is there anything I should know?" I reiterated, more sternly and demanding.
Mustang gritted his teeth, knowing I'd fulfill my threat of snooping where I shouldn't be, "I'll drop off your brothers, and we'll come back here. Then I'll explain everything."
I lowered my arm just as Ed had turned around to look for us, "Thank you, sir." I left him in the doorway to catch up to Edward and Alphonse, "Guys, you don't even know where you're headed, wait for Mustang."
In the car, Mustang began filling us in with details of Tucker's infamous chimera.
"He only ever made one successful chimera, but it could understand human speech." He read off, almost robotically.
"Understand...human speech?" Edward asked, a bit confused.
I furrowed my eyebrows, "You mean..." I paused, not really understanding the conclusion that I'd been brought to, "It could talk? How is that possible?"
"I don't know how it's possible, but it earned him his state certification." His expression turned a bit darker, "Supposedly it only said one thing. 'I want to die.' Then it stopped eating and got its wish." I was horrified, how could the state allow him to create something in so much pain that it wanted to die? That it starved itself down to death? Moreover, who rewarded that man with a certification so he could attempt to create more?
The car slowed to a stop, and the three men exited behind me. Well, Mustang, Al and Ed. We walked up to a large, rectangular house. It was really huge, and had I not been amused at Ed's dumbfounded expression, I would have been wearing my own. Mustang turned and rang the doorbell.
While Edward still hadn't recovered from his amazement, a huge white dog tackled him. I burst into hysterics at the sight of my brother under the huge mass of white fur. He started pitching a fit from under it, and boy was he using some colorful language. Alphonse was right next to him, asking if he was okay.
The door creaked open and an adorable little girl, with long brown braids, big doe eyes, and cute little bangs peeked out with a giant grin on her face because of the visitors, "Daddy!" she called to someone still inside, "There are people here!" her voice was sweet and innocent, still lacking a bit of diction. She couldn't have been but four or five years old. Behind her, a man with glasses an a soft smile also peeked out.
"Now Nina," he scolded gently, "This is why I told you to keep Alexander tied up."
Once he notice our presence, he let us in and lead us to the living room.
"Please excuse the mess," He offered apologetically, "the house has been like this ever since my wife ran out on us." He set down the cups and the tea pot on the table, sitting across from the four of us. I wasn't too pleased at where I was sitting, however. Roy and Ed were directly across from Tucker, as they were the main conservationists here. Al was seated on Ed's right, leaving me to be seated on Roy's left. I silently sipped on my tea, not uttering a word.
"Edward," Mustang motioned to him, "is interested in the field of biologic-alchemy. Would you allow him to read your research?" he queried on behalf of Ed.
"Certainly, I don't mind." Tucker replied. I noticed the atmosphere relax considerably. "However," And there went that atmosphere, "the code we live by, as alchemists, require equivalent exchange. I want to know why you're interested." he leaned forward, waiting for his explanation.
"Well," Mustang began, trying to come up with something plausible. Edward held up his hand.
"Colonel, let us handle this, we'll explain." I sighed at his beginning and decided to show Tucker my leg.
With a sad smile, I lifted my left foot to rest it on my right knee. I slipped the pant-leg up to give him a peek of metal. Edward just took off his entire red coat. And so the explanation began.
Satisfied, Tucker lead us to a basement door and showed us happily. Inside were dozens of animals, half-animals. They lined one wall, while books, scattered references and dozens and dozens of transmutation circles lined the other three.
"It's quite embarrassing, really." Tucker commented, "I'm considered an expert, but I don't really know the secret. And all hasn't been well recently." Regardless, he swung open another door and revealed a large library.
"This is my library, feel free to read all you like." And that was it. Just like before, in our Father's small study, they dove into the books like children again, greedy and excited for more knowledge.
"I'll send someone this evening to get you two, okay?" Mustang called out to them.
"Amazing," Tucker observed, "Their focus is very strong, I don't think they even know we're here anymore."
I chuckled, "Ain't that the truth. Winry used to threaten to burn our books when we were children. All because Ed and Al ignored her when they read. Pipsqueak and Tin-head," I said the names loud enough for them to hear, "Are not on earth anymore. Even short-fuse over there doesn't mind that height-jokes when he's got his nose in a book." I sighed, "Just like old times."
Mustang and I left to go back to his office. There he told me of the Alchemist Killer.
An Ishvalan man with no known name has killed ten people, five of them State Alchemists, the other five were with them, and presumably tried to fight the killer. The most recent murder was the Ironblood Alchemist, a very skilled man in hand-to-hand combat, which is what the two had engaged in. The cause of death of the Ironblood Alchemist could only be described as massive hemorrhaging. However, upon hearing descriptions, it seemed to me as if he were exploded or deconstructed from the inside.
The killer-whose only identifying trait beyond his race is a scar-has been targeting state alchemists specifically. Not just military, not just alchemists, but state alchemists, the dogs of the military.
"Thanks for your help, Colonel," I expressed truthfully, "if you need any help while my brothers are researching, feel free to consider me one of your subordinates." I smiled. When he acted like this, civil and professional, I didn't mind Roy at all.
"In that case..." He trailed off as I had turned to walk away.
"Yes?" I asked, turning back to face him.
"Could you help Havoc and Fuery? They're a bit behind on work, and because of that, so am I. They're fumbling around, with one problem after another." He replied, agitated at their misfortunes.
"Yes, sir." I saluted and headed out of his office to ask how I could help.