We managed to get to the Fifth Laboratory easily with the cover of night. We snuck around the side of the stone wall and Edward we muttering to himself as I saw a guard around the corner, I put my hand up and Edward stopped. He slowly peered around with his brother,
"Hmm a guard posted by an unused building… interesting," Edward spoke, as we moved back and Alphonse looked at Edward,
"That is suspicious," Alphonse added, I nodded and left the brothers as I looked up at the barbed wire around the top. I wouldn't be able to climb across that without bleeding.
Alphonse moved to my side and looked at me,
"How do we get in?" Alphonse asked,
"We could make our own entrance," Edward spoke,
"But wouldn't the guard see the light from the transmutation?" I asked,
"Well, in that case," Edward looked up, I took a breath as I was worried that me leaving blood behind would cause any issues as I frowned.
Alphonse lifted Edward up onto the top of the wall as Edward started feeding the barbed wiring down, I shook my hands not knowing what to do, but I knew I had to say something,
"I'm not going to be able to climb that," I stated and looked up at Edward,
"Why not?" Edward snapped and glared down at me. Did he forget that I'll bleed?!
"Cos, I don't have bodies like you two, I'm gonna bleed all over this!" I whispered sharply at Edward glaring,
"It's ok Rea, I'll carry you up," Alphonse spoke,
"You sure?" I asked,
"Just hold on to my armour and I'll climb for both of us," Alphonse suggested,
"Cool," I nodded and jumped on Alphonse's back as he started to climb, I wrapped my arms around the neck of his suit of armour as I waited to safely drop down.
The rest of the lab was blocked off as well, we slowly made our way around the building and coming to a door we all stopped,
"They're not taking any chances are they," Edward spoke,
"Seems that way…" I frowned and folded my arms.
I looked at Edward and then followed his gaze to a vent above the top right corner of the door,
"Al, you need to wait here," Edward spoke,
"You're fine going in there?" Alphonse asked,
"Whether I'm fine or not isn't the issue, you're too big to get through here," Edward spoke, Alphonse lifted Edward on his shoulders, and he climbed in as I moved beside Alphonse,
"It's not like I asked to get this big," Alphonse sulked, I smiled sadly and put my hand on his armoured arm gently,
"It's fine, mind giving me a lift in there too?" I asked and Alphonse nodded,
"Sure…" Alphonse stood up and helped me in, I stood on his shoulders as he pushed me up and I climbed into the vent.
I managed to catch up with Edward as he was slowly checking everything as we went, the vent was covered in dust, and was incredibly small. As I was about the same size as Edward, we both managed to fit,
"Damn, it's even tighter in here then I thought. I couldn't get through this far if I was regular sized, lucky I've got a small body," Edward stopped, I paused and took in what he just said. I frowned; did he just call himself small?! I burst out laughing, "Oh no! I just called myself a tiny little pipsqueak!" Edward yelled, I couldn't stop myself from laughing, it was a blessing to be able to hear Edward call himself small after all this time,
"Shut up Rea!" Edward snapped,
"I'm so sorry, but that was just… so God damned funny… I can't stop laughing," I kept chuckling until Edward found an opening and we both jumped down.
"Sorry about that Edward, I haven't had a good laugh like that for a while," I wiped the tears from my eyes, Edward looked at me for a second,
"Crying with laughter because I'm small, thanks Rea," Edward stopped, "AH, I DID IT AGAIN!" Edward yelled, I laughed again and held my stomach because it was starting to ache with laughter. Edward looked at me and smiled slightly, he had never made me laugh so much previously. I slowed down and held my stomach as I took a breath,
"I'm alright…" I smirked as Edward playfully glared at me.
We both looked up a moment later and I frowned,
"The lights are on," Edward spoke,
"I just noticed," I looked down and noticed the floor lighting too,
"Who are they trying to fool? This is it alright," Edward smirked and moved away from me as I followed behind.
As we walked through the corridors Edward would glance at me from time to time as I wrapped my arms around my body,
"What are you feeling?" Edward asked,
"Hm?" I nodded towards him, but my eyes kept on the path ahead,
"Rea," Edward put his hand on my arm gently as I fully looked at him, "you're spacing out." Edward added,
"I… I just hope this leads to me becoming normal again." I frowned and Edward smiled,
"We'll help you. Don't worry." Edward moved his hand to my shoulder as I smiled gently and nodded,
"Thanks… I-" I stopped and saw some markings on the floor of a room, the door was partially open, and Edward turned around to see it as well.
Edward moved the door and it opened into a large dimly lit room with a transmutation circle on the floor. I noticed the blood smears as I felt my stomach jump about in disgust, I held my stomach and felt my throat gag as I looked away,
"Rea?" Edward looked at me,
"I'm fine," I waved my other hand as I still held my stomach, it made me sick that there were people who would gladly kill others for power…
"What is all this? I bet this is what they used to transmute a philosopher's stone," Edward smirked as I moved besides him,
"Yes, that's right. I don't know who you are kid, but you sure just figured out a lot just from looking at a transmutation circle," a man in armour walked out, his armour was similar height to Alphonse but wider in design…
"I'm just good like that, who are you pal?" Edward asked,
"The one in charge of guarding this place from curious brats. For the moment let's just say my name is number 48. And believe me I'm not your pal; my orders are to dispose of anyone who walks in here, poking his nose in where it doesn't belong. Try not to take it personally boy, and your little girlfriend there," 48 spoke, I glared at him.
"Alright we won't, and she's not my girlfriend," Edward clapped his hands and created the blade on his automail arm, "And you try not to take it personally when this boy kicks your ass," Edward smirked,
"Hmm, you're an alchemist, are you?" 48 asked, seconds later he was in front of Edward, "Alright then, let's see what you've got," 48 swung his blade in the air, I jumped backwards as Edward dodged, "A prosthetic arm, huh? No matter, my sword can pierce steel as well as flesh," 48 added,
"Rea, stay out of this fight!" Edward called,
"But Edward!" I snapped,
"No! I don't want you getting hurt!" Edward snapped, I growled,
"I can't get hurt like you…" I glared, as Edward was being brash. Edward wouldn't normally be this protective of me…
They both clashed for a moment and Edward pushed the blade out of the way, he charged at 48. Then Edward kicked 48 back and I heard an echo ring through his armoured body, he was like Alphonse…
"My, my, what's this? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say your hollow inside," Edward smirked, I walked around the outside of the two of them as I noticed 48 turn his head slightly towards me,
"You're a perceptive one," 48 stood up,
"I can tell from the sound; I spar against someone like you all the time." Edward explained as he glanced at me for a split second,
"So, there are people like me on the outside too, are there? That's surprising," 48 spoke,
"Yea, it makes me sick, to think there was more than one idiot in the word who came up with the brilliant idea of bounding a disembodied soul to a suit of armour," Edward smirked.
"Hmm… Perhaps I should introduce myself again, 48 was the number I was assigned when I was on death row, back when I still had a living body I was better known as Slicer, I was a mass murderer you see," Slicer explained,
"So, you were slated for execution, tell me something then, this laboratory, are they using condemned prisoners like you to make philosophers stones here?" Edward asked as I stopped, trying to get into the Slicer's blind spot,
"That I can't tell you, it isn't my area. They simply recognised my skills gave me this body and made me their trusty guard dog," Slicer explained, I frowned, makes sense… why would someone who loves to kill want to know about anything else if they get a chance to kill,
"Interesting, I'm sure they gave you a seal, to serve as a medium between soul and armour?" Edward asked,
"Yes," Slicer took his cloth off from his helmet and lifted the cover, this took us by surprise that he would show us the seal, "I have a blood seal, and this is it right here. If you destroy this, the fights yours," 48 explained,
"That's awfully considerate of you to show me your weak spot," Edward looked suspicious, I frowned and stood ready,
"I like to give myself a little extra challenge during a fight now and then," Slicer explained,
"If you're in such a giving mood then how about this, why not just let me go?" Edward smirked,
"Nice try kid," Slicer put his helmet back on, "But what kind of mass murderer lets his prey get away so easily, now, let's fight," Slicer lifted his blade.
Slicer charged at Edward as I moved behind them. Slicer would slash at the air as Edward would jump out the way or dodge to the side after deflecting an attack with his automail blade.
I noticed he got nicked a few times which caused my heart to leap in fear as I tried to find openings to fight but without a weapon of my own it was hard. Edward ended up moving in front of me as he fell back, and I caught Edward in my arms. Slicer was pushed back across the room; Edward was panting as I put my arms around him gently.
"What a cute little monkey," Slicer smirked as Edward jumped back away from him,
"Who are you calling little?!" Edward yelled,
"You should let me help," I whispered harshly as Edward glanced at me over his shoulder for a moment, Slicer laughed loudly.
"It's been too long since I've had prey that was worth hunting! But with you're tired and wounded now, you won't last much longer, then I'll kill off your girlfriend behind you," Slicer spoke,
"she's not my girlfriend," Edward spoke as I moved to help Edward stand,
"I can take care of myself as well." I snapped,
"Hm, I'm sure you can. But right about now my companion should be finishing off the partner you left outside," Slicer spoke ignoring Edward,
"Alphonse…" I muttered,
"Is this companion of yours strong?" Edward asked with a smirk,
"Yes, he is. He isn't as strong as I am though," Slicer smirked, Edward laughed and pushed me away gently,
"In that case, no need to worry. You see, we've been sparring partners a long time, and I've still never beaten him," Edward smirked as I looked between him and Slicer.
"Your brother is that good, is he? Then I'll have to hurry up and defeat you and your girlfriend, so I can get around to taking care of him," Slicer spoke.
"Go Al, do it now!" Edward yelled, Slicer quickly turned around; Edward ran at Slicer and chopped his head off his armoured shoulders as I gasped.
"That was dirty!" Slicer yelled,
"There's no such thing as dirty in a fight!" Edward yelled, as he landed, he put his blade away and walked over to Slicer's helmet as I stood in front of the suit of armour on the floor, "what's the matter, you still haven't destroyed the blood seal I so kindly pointed out, you going to or not?" Slicer spoke, Edward picked up his helmet,
"there's something I need to ask you about," Edward spoke, I knelt and looked over the armour, I leaned forward and put my hand gently on its chest as I examined it closely,
"The philosophers stone?" Slicer spoke,
"Yes, tell me everything you know about it," Edward demanded, my hand moved across the chest plate,
"Sorry can't," Slicer put it bluntly, I glared a little and looked back at Edward and Slicer,
"Hey now, I did beat you at your own game," Edward sounded smug,
"That's where your wrong I'm not beaten yet," Slicer spoke, I snapped my head towards Edward as he looked back at me.
"REA!" Edward called, I felt my hand get pulled around as I yelled, and the armour pulled me up from the ground and I saw the blade enter my stomach and pierce straight through me. I coughed immediately as blood fell from my mouth and Edward dropped the helmet and ran towards us.
I fell on my knees as the armoured body pulled the sword from me,
"Impossible!" Edward spoke, as I moved to sit on the floor as I clutched at my stomach,
"I forgot to mention about this mass murderer Slicer," Slicer spoke,
"His crimes we're really done by a pair of brothers," the suit spoke,
"An independent head and body, that's a dirty trick!" Edward snapped he saw me on the floor as I wiped my mouth with my free hand.
Where are my healing powers?
"Now, now, we're you the one who said there's no such thing as dirty in a fight?" the helmet brother spoke,
"Are you ready? Round 2's about to begin, and I suggest you make it quick because your girlfriend over there doesn't look too good, even though I think she's already dead," the armoured brother spoke,
"I won't let her die!" Edward went to clap his hands,
"I'm don't think so, I'm not giving you time to transmute!" the armoured brother ran at Edward; I felt my body slowly healing as I took a deep breath. Edward wasn't doing great; I could see he was beginning to lose his footing as I felt my stomach seal up completely.
I was grateful for not dying due to that wound, I would have been out for a few days.
I watch Edward trip as I started to lift myself from the ground,
"EDWARD!" I screamed, then he made the suit of armour blow in two, I stopped in my tracks and watched it fall, "A… partial transmutation," I spoke, as the armour hit the floor I continued in my path towards Edward and knelt beside him and put my hand gently on his shoulder and one on his leg as I looked for wounds.
"You reminded me of someone I don't like," Edward spoke, "and now I've done exactly what he did," Edward snapped,
"How could you! You brat!" the armoured brother yelled and trashed about on the floor, Edward jumped out of his skin,
"He's wriggling! That's freaky!" Edward was in shock.
"Brother…" the armour brother called,
"As much as I hate to admit it, we've lost," the helmet brother sighed,
"You're not going to tell me your really 3 brothers, are you?" Edward poked the legs of the armour that had collapsed beside us,
"No, no," the brothers spoke,
"Come on boy, you've won, hurry up and destroy us," the helmet brother spoke,
"No, I'm not a murderer." Edward spoke as I moved Edward's hair from his face to look at his head wound,
"With bodies like these are we really even people?" the helmet brother spoke,
"You're both people alright, whether you have bodies or not, saying that you're not, would say that someone I care about isn't a person as well," I stood up and looked at the helmet, "We won't take the life of a human being," I walked over to the helmet brother and knelt in front of it.
The helmet brother laughed,
"Brother?" the armour brother laughed,
"My brother and I have been lying, cheating and stealing together for as long as we can remember, and now that we are in these suede bodies, we are finally being treated like humans for the first time, don't you see the irony," the helmet brother explained,
"For that girl, we'll give you a parting gift, we'll tell you who made the philosopher stone and who ordered us to guard this place," the helmet brother spoke, I smiled but seconds later the helmet had small black daggers through it.
I was shocked as I stood up,
"My that was a close call, number 48 you should know better than to talk about things that don't concern you," I watched the daggers return to a woman in a black dress, the daggers turned out to be her fingers. She was incredibly beautiful, a long black dress with long gloves, black hair down to her waist to match. Her eyes were also a bright purple as she smiled gently with her painted lips.
Another person appeared from behind, he was a bit shorter, green hair which spiked outwards, a black crop top along with some shorts with a cloth in front and the back, he looked evil as he grinned and looked at us. I glared at them as I clenched my fists,
"Well, well, what is the Fullmetal Pipsqueak doing here? As well as the Morden girl… hmm…" he spoke, they knew who I was? Could they be linked to my past? Would they know something about how I became immortal?
"Such a troublesome couple, how did you find out about this place?" the woman asked,
"Who are you?" I snapped,
"Hmm, what should we do about Morden?" the woman spoke and looked at the man,
"I want to see if she's really immortal," the man smirked,
"Who told you about-?" I stopped talking as the woman had put her dagger fingers through my chest and most likely into my heart as I gasped, I coughed out some blood.
"REAKA!" Edward yelled; I felt my vision fading as I looked at the man's evil smile.
"Now in the head as well, for real damage," The man smirked.
Edward watched the second dagger go through Reaka's head, he didn't know what to do, he didn't know if she would live from that. Edward watched her body fall to the floor.
"Rea..." Edward muttered, the woman broke the helmet in her other hand as it shattered into several pieces,
"Brother? Brother? Brother!" the suit yelled as the man came over and started stabbing the blood seal with the brothers' sword,
"Stop your pathetic blubbering you idiot! You we're trying to kill one of our most important sacrifices, do you understand me? You could have messed up the entire plan, what would we of do then? Huh!" the man yelled.
Edward pushed himself up,
"Tell me who you people are? What plan are you talking about? What do you mean when you say important sacrifice?" Edward asked many questions,
"Oh, the pipsqueak is raring to go, I think I made it angry," the man smirked in Edward's face,
"Don't call me pipsqueak again," Edward warned,
"Then what would you prefer, a pipsqueak?" the man smirked more, Edward kicked the air,
"Whoa now, there's no need to fight here someone might get hurt you know," the man walked backwards away from Edward.
"This is a fight that you both started when you killed Rea! So come on!" Edward glared and clapped his hands, but his arm collapsed.
"Technical difficulties," the woman spoke as Edward yelled out in frustration and surprise,
"Lucky me!" the man walked over and his hand on Edwards head then kneed him in the stomach, "You're fortunate your arms broken, if not for that you wouldn't be getting off so easily," the man dropped Edward on the floor,
"Listen to me well boy, don't ever forget this, always remember we allowed you to live… we can't have him poking around this place again it's too dangerous, it will have to go, blow it up." The woman spoke.
Edward soon blacked out from the pain as he looked at Reaka on the floor on her back, a small pool of blood surrounding her as she lay there,
"Rea…" Edward reached out towards her as his vision faded to black.
"You know Al, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but I guess I've been too afraid to say it," What was Ed about to tell Alphonse? He said he'd been too afraid to say it, what could have frightened him that much?
"Are you sure you're not a puppet created by your brother? Were you even a real person to begin with?" Barry the Chopper spoke, "what's the matter little boy? You got something on your mind?" he smirked and ran at Alphonse,
"Shut up! You're wrong!" Alphonse yelled and blocked his attack,
"Just accept it, you'll feel better," Barry smirked.
"You're mine now little puppet!" Barry yelled from above, as a gun was fired and the blade was shot out of his hand, "What?" Barry questioned, Alphonse looked over and saw Maria and Denny,
"Stay right there! Or the next one puts a hole in your head!" Maria yelled,
"This isn't going quite as I planned," Barry spoke.
Next thing the whole place started to shake, as the building started to explode,
"What are you doing? Get away from there!" Maria yelled,
"But my brother is still inside the building with Rea!" Alphonse called,
"Ed and Rea are in there?!" Maria was shocked,
"Hmmm I know what this means, time to get out of here!" Barry ran off
"Hey you! Hold it!" Denny ran after Barry,
"Brother! Rea!" Alphonse called,
"Take cover Al or you're going to get caught in it too!" Maria pulled on Alphonse's arm,
"Ed! Rea!" Alphonse yelled.
The wall blasted down and a man walked out with Edward and Reaka with him, he was carrying them both under his arms,
"There you are! I brought a little present for you!" the man smirked and put Edward and Reaka down,
"Brother, Rea," Alphonse spoke,
"Their life's not in danger but they have lost a lot of blood, so you might want to get them to a hospital as soon as you can, also you really should keep a better eye on them, stop them from taking these crazy risks, they are precious resources," the man smiled,
"But who are you?" Maria asked,
"Lieutenant Ross, we need to go!" Denny yelled,
"Sergeant, help me with them," Maria spoke,
"What happened to them?" Denny asked,
"We'll talk later, and you should go too!" Maria looked back but the man wasn't there.
The whole building collapsed as Alphonse, Maria and Denny ran away from it carrying Edward and Reaka.
The two were taken to hospital for immediate care, Reaka didn't have a scratch on her body but there was blood indicating she had been bleeding from her stomach, chest, and head. No wounds were visible, but the destroyed clothing confused the doctors, but they put her to rest in a room besides Edward who was bandaged up and resting next door.