Fallen opened the door to their new living quarters, not bothering to take off his boots and layed on the ground of the entrance way, exhausted. Crissilly and Haida stepped over him, admiring the place.
It was much bigger than their apartment back home. Central had provided them with a small three floor townhouse. Crissilly set his luggage down, eager to check out the fridge. Basic food products were freshly stocked, like cheese, milk and water, but he was itching for an actual meal. "I'm going to head out to make some dinner. What are you guys in the mood for?"
Haida pursed her lip. "Maybe a lasagna? That way we could have leftovers for a couple of days."
"Ugh that sounds good." Fallen agreed.
Crissilly took the keys, waving as he left. Haida turned to Fallen. "What do you think so far?"
"Think." Fallen repeated, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of the cold hard floor. "Think, right now, is too much work. I want to sleep for at least half of eternity."
Haida laughed at the oxymoron. "That makes no sense. Eternity doesn't have a set number."
Fallen grumbled something under his breath. "I will find a way."
Haida grinned. "Go check out one of the rooms and pick one and take your half of eternity nap there." Groaning, Fallen got up, dragging himself- and luggage, away.
She looked at the living room, noting there was a large balcony door next to the couch, overlooking some civilian streets, and a large building that looked owned by Central's military. She made her way towards it, opening the balcony to enjoy some fresh air.
"Why is it that the air here smells just like back home?" She pondered, but she already knew the answer- it was just the smell of a bustling city. Looking down, she watched people going about their day, resting her head against the railing. A familiar mop of blonde caught her attention, however, and she squinted her eyes, watching as the Elric brothers walked down the street, carrying a wagon full of books nearly falling out. She raised a brow. "Wow. Is that their main library? I should go check it out."
She remembered a time back when her, Crissilly and Fallen did the same under Goodwright's mentorship. Her eyes softened, conflicting emotions swirling behind them.
Bzzz. She looked back, heading towards the front door and looked through the peephole. An unfamiliar man with short raven hair and glasses smiled back, waving. Haida opened the door. "Hi, can I help you?"
"I heard from Riza that the new transfers were staying here." The man said pleasantly. "You must be Miss Haida Baó Su!"
Haida was impressed by how easily he pronounced her name. "I am."
He grinned widely, startling her by grabbing her hand for an eager handshake. "I'm Lieutenant Maes Hughes, I'm so excited to have some Alchemist's from America working with us! How are you doing? Was the trip horrible- I heard it's about a month's journey with sea and train!"
Haida was bombarded with many questions, not sure which to answer first. "Oh, um."
Maes held out a giant basket with gifts, and fruit. "My wife put this together, as a welcome gift!" He shoved a basket full of sweets, and fruit out.
"Oh, thank you! I'll be sure to let Crissilly and Fallen know about the lovely gifts. It looks delicious! Oh wow, what's, um, this one?" Haida held out a scribbled drawing. "A jaguar? And a blue giraffe?" Maes snatched it, laughing.
"Oops, not that one, that's my daughter- she loves to draw." He folded the drawing neatly. "It's the Elric brothers! See, this one with the angry brows and toothpick teeth is Ed, and the tall one is Al in his suit of armor!" Haida laughed, seeing the resemblance. "So accurate."
"I know right?! Elicia's just good at everything!"
"How old is she?" The raven-haired teen asked politely, making small talk.
A scary glint shone on the lens of his glasses, making Haida sweat as he took out a heavily overfilled leather wallet from his breast pocket. A huge roll of pictures came out, Maes smiling from ear to ear. "Oh, she's just the cutest EVER! Here, I have pictures…"
After about an hour, Crissilly returned arms full of groceries for the entire week. He opened the door, seeing Haida now in the spot Fallen was when he had left, looking extremely tired. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, setting down the groceries beside her.
Haida only groaned in reply.
(Several Days Later:)
The Triple Threat Alchemists were starting to get acclimated to their new life in Central. Haida had been practically glued to the Archives Military Library, gathering any books she could find on theoretical alchemy concepts.
They hadn't met with Ed and Al yet, the two had been away visiting family.
Haida stretched, letting out a yawn. It was getting late, and she had been glued to her chair for hours reading the day away. She had been curious to find out more about the Elric's, so she had requested special permission to view their casework files. The main library- Central National, had mysteriously burned down several weeks before they arrived, so most files and books had been destroyed. From Maes, though, she had learned a librarian who worked there was currently restoring from memory most of the files from there, so she was eager. Some of them had already been transcribed, but Maes advised her to head to the Archives instead if she wanted to find any research data on bio-alchemy, as anything post Ishvalan War was held there.
Behind her, she heard someone clear their throat. "Um, miss." The Librarian said softly, fiddling with the hem of her dress shirt. "The Archives will close soon, in about 20 minutes." A wiry brunette with big glasses said shyly, fidgeting.
Haida smiled, thanking her. "I'll be done in five minutes, and hand it back."
The librarian left, and she started to gather all the books she had finished in a pile, setting the one she was reading currently on the table, hastily.
Not noticing she left it slightly off the end of it, the book fell, and its contents fell onto the floor. "Crap." She bent down to pick everything up, feeling bad that the files were no longer in numerical order, when a weird parchment file, one that looked out of place, peeked through the bottom of the pile she was currently on.
"What's this?" The parchment was thick, and had a different feel. Smooth, matte, bumps and ridge where a gold-plated seal was at. She flipped it over, her eyes scanning it. Her blood ran cold at red ink...
The Librarian looked up from her desk to see Haida, setting her checked out books on the return table nearby. "Ah, thank you so much for returning them all in order."
Haida waved the compliment away. "It's no problem, thank you for letting me look over these."
Mustang looked up at the sudden burst of his door, mildly surprised it wasn't Ed. Rather the short raven-haired girl. His brow raised when she slammed a large book on his desk, glaring.
"Why did you lie." He frowned, walking over to the door.
Haida watched him, cautiously.
"I knew we'd eventually have this conversation when you and Fullmetal would start missions, but I didn't expect it to be so soon." Roy said, his eyes peering from the file at her.
"You didn't answer my question, Colonel Mustang."
"Roy." He corrected. "Might as well call me that, given we're going to become very well acquainted in the next two years." Haida said nothing. "I suppose I should apologize, in no way is this a sign of trying to instill a treason between our countries." Roy sighed. "I do how to ask though, what exactly you're referring."
Haida made a face, crossing her arms. She took out the paper, placing it already opened on his desk. Roy sighed again after he realized what it was.
"If you're trying to blackmail me with this, you'd have to try better, miss Bao Su. It's not like it isn't already somewhat of common knowledge amongst the military that the Elric's committed the worst sin in alchemy- human transmutation."
"I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for your military insignia medal that's on your arm. It's the same one on a lot of their documents. And it's not blackmail, Colonel Mustang." Haida pointed out. "We might be in a mutual alliance, but I don't serve your country."
Roy leaned his chin against his gloved hands. "This document isn't even accessible unless it's granted by me, or the Fuhrer. So, how did you get your hands on it, hm?"
"Someone must have done a clerical error, because it was in one of his public files at The Archives." Haida countered.
Roy observed her. She could be telling the truth. "..."
"There's nothing good that comes out of that horrid side of alchemy, Colonel."
"You talk as someone who's experienced it first hand. " Roy commented, egging her own to spill whatever she knew. Haida wasn't stupid- he probably had some suspicions about them after receiving whatever the hell was on the briefing documents Colonel Raye sent over. She had a feeling Felix had ommitted some important things that, facts that wouldn't benefit Shallahje from being known by Central.
Whatever was going on behind the scenes, she suspected it involved some serious powerful people from both countries, so if she was going to snoop around, she shouldn't temp the 'handlers of the dogs of the military.' Right now, she didn't know where Colonel Mustang stood regarding that.
... Was he prey, or predator?
Her fists clenched. "I read Fullmetal's files."
Roy sighed. "Of course you did." ... He would've done the same, that was fair.
"What I can't wrap my head around, is why on his files it says something different about his recent research grant? The one's sent to Colonel Raye didn't mention anything about finding the philosopher's stone." Haida glared at him, leaning closer.
"If I knew the real intention, we wouldn't have come here. Colonel Raye wouldn't approve something like that. Not like we had much of a choice, but I'm sure it's not something the Emperor of America would like, given its current illegal status in the international alchemy committee."
"Tell me, is it true you and your friends are the only ones alive from the Whestley Suin incident." Haida scowled, surprised he knew that. No way would Felix put something like that on the briefing.
Seeing her shock, Roy smirked. "What, you think i wouldn't have looked up more about you guys? All the information about it was hidden pretty good, but I pulled some strings with the court martial office to find out. That's your connection to the late alchemist, Goodwright, no?"
Haida got up. She composed herself. "I take it you're the one who lied about the real reason behind Edward's recent grant request, then." She commented. "Is that why we're here?"
"Yes, but please don't misunderstand. I'm not forcing you- well, that's partly a lie. What I mean to say is at anytime, you three are free to no cooperate with Central, Germany. Of course, were that to happen, you wouldn't be returning back to Shallahje."
"We're political prisoners." She deduced. Dammit, she couldn't think of a way out of their current situation. If she blabbed back to their country, she's to be imprisoned for collecting sensitive data she wasn't privy to, and possibly for instigating an international incident. Roy knew about the Suin incident, which meant he knew what they were- if Central found out that, they would most definitely go back to a life of being experimented on. Roy had the Triple Threat Alchemists at a checkmate.
Haida stifled a laugh, briefly admiring how cunning he was. "... You'd make a great leader, Colonel. Have you ever thought of becoming Fuhrer in the future?" Roy laughed at this, smirking.
"Careful, that kind of talk can get you in trouble around here."
"I'll comply for now, but i want you to tell me more about the Elric's research grant, and why they're looking for the stones."
"... The Elric's committed the ultimate alchemy sin. Because of that, Al lost his entire body, and Ed, his arm and leg. They're determined to regain their lost limbs. That's why they want to find the stones."
Haida was quiet for a while. "I'm not too sure how using a stone is going to help them with that. As an alchemist, you know the three matter states of being in alchemy. If they manage to get limbs back, I don't think it'll be their original ones."
"The Elric's aren't sure either, but right now, it's the only lead there is."
"Nothing escapes from equivalent exchange, Colonel." Haida said. "What are the Elric's willing to lose to get their limbs back?"
Haida entered their new home, in an unusual foul mood. Fallen and Crissilly, who had been deep in a round of cards, stopped their game, puzzled. "What crawled up your ass?" Fallen quipped, smirking, but it quickly slipped off his face when he noticed the murderous look in your eyes.
"I confronted Colonel Mustang." She said, her hands balling into fists.
"?" Both boys looked at each other, in confusion. Then their eyes widened, their nerves shooting up through the roof faster than a diabetic's blood pressure after Thanksgiving dinner. "Uh, do we have to flee the country or something?!" Fallen said, motioning towards their barely unpacked luggage.
"What happened?" Crissilly brought her to sit down on the couch, holding her hand.
"We're here in Central to help the Elric brothers find the philosopher's stone, not because they want to advance tech and alchemy. The Colonel's the reason why we're here- he lied about the reason for Elric's research funding, which led to the ally program being made. It's not for that betterment bullshit they tried to feed us!" Haida yelled. She had quickly drawn a copy from memory of the papers. "They committed human transmutation trying to bring their mother back, and in the process, Al lost his entire body and Ed, his arm. It's why they can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle. That's why they want the stones. Mustang knows about the experiments."
"So he doesn't have a stone in his blood like us?!" Fallen said. "Look, those circles, they look a lot like Goodwright's towards the end…"
Crissilly pursed his lips. "If that's true, then maybe someone other than the Elric's are trying to get their hands on the stones!"
"Someone that in a high enough position of power is behind this. It smells of corruption."
They were quiet for a while, before they switched to talk in Tunese, a common language shared between their respective ethnic groups, given their close proximity. It was a mix of Xeruvian, Ishvalan, and Xhingese.
"Do you think the room is bugged?" Fallen asked. The other two shrugged.
"Maybe, but i don't think so, i already checked."
"I checked." Crissilly said.
"Just in case, we need to be careful when we're talking."
"Great, we're practically prisoners until the terms of the program end, that's in 2 years!" Fallen complained.
(The Next Day:)
Ed watched as his brother Al greeted the new alchemists, ushering them to have a seat in their apartment. He didn't feel the need to be here for this, but Al had insisted he should, saying that they should start getting better acquainted since they would be working together from now on. A pot of tea had just been set on the coffee table, and the suit of armor offered them tea biscuits.
"I have some other snacks if you guys are still hungry afterwards. I'm sorry I asked you all to come during lunch service." Al apologized.
"The tea smells great." Crissilly commented. "And it's no problem, Al."
"So what do you know about the stones?" Ed asked… Straight to the point.
Fallen rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath in a language Ed didn't recognize towards Crissilly.
Haida took her time, making sure to let Elric's curiosity increase as she looked at them. "We don't know how to make one, if that's what you're asking." Fallen nearly raised a brow. That was a lie.
Ed frowned.
"It depends on the quality of the stone. Different qualities have different results. And the power of a stone isn't forever. There's limits to how many times it can be used, the more impure it is."
"Has there ever been a stone close enough to be pure?"
Haida nodded. "As you know, research into the stones has always very limited, for both our countries. But yes. Roy said you guys have some notes from a Dr Marcoh, who was researching its ingredients?"
Al nodded. "Yes, but we're having a hard time deciphering it."
"Do you think it'll help you get your body back?" Haida chastised Fallen for being rude, turning to apologize to Al.
"I'm sorry."
Al shook his hands. "Oh, um, it's alright! We would've had to tell you at some point. And it's not like we haven't heard that before, to be honest, we don't even know ourselves yet. But yes, something as powerful as that should be able to bypass equivalent exchange without any rebounds."
"Are you guys familiar with Goodwright's textbooks?" Both boys nodded.
"Goodwright had a theory on the state of matter. He suggested that for every particle, there was an opposite, with similar yet completely different energy."
"Anti-matter." Ed answered. "I've read some of his stuff." Haida nodded.
"So, if that theory is true, then the possibility of you guys getting your actual body parts back is theoretically impossible. Would it still be your body, Al? Will it have aged with time, or be stuck as the same age when you guys transmuted? How about your arm, Edward? Is it the same arm? The same age as you currently- or will it be an entirely new arm? Since the laws of equivalent exchange is a fundamental one that can't currently be broken or bypassed… What if the arm you get is a different version of you, say from a world that's parallel to ours? If you guys succeed, then what? Wouldn't that disrupt the flow of alchemy in the world?"
Ed was quiet for a while. He crossed his arms, staring at the raven girl with a serious look. "… I've thought about all that. Not that I believe all of them- personally, I think it's crazy talk… But when I did human transmutation. I saw Truth at the Gate. He had my arm." Ed scoffed at the incredulous looks he received. "I know it sounds crazy, but it was really my arm. That same week, I got scratched up climbing a tree, and I saw the same scratch on the arm that Truth had. It was my arm. So, if Truth takes part of your body after you do human transmutation, then that means he has Al's body too."
Fallen, who at this point, thought Ed's words as crazy alchemy talk, was a bit curious about what Al was saying. A lot of it sounded straight up like Goodwright's ramblings before he passed. "Who is Truth? What's behind this gate?"
Ed looked at him "God's domain. Knowledge. Everything about the world, down to its structure. Anyone who's done human transmutation will go through it. But you don't know what part of your body you'll lose. Or if you'll come back sane, and with the same intellect. I think truth is a metaphysical representation, it guards the gate where if you pass it, you learn anything there is about everything."
Haida burrowed her brows, pensive. After a while, sighed. "Can we see Marcoh's notes?" She asked. "Goodwright was more focused on the actual limits of what the stones can do, but it seems Marcoh was interested in its actual ingredients. Whenever Goodwright used a stone, it wasn't made on site. He had it shipped from somewhere." Ed nodded. "Apparently, he worked for some laboratory 3 somewhere here in Central, where he did his research."
"Al. can you bring them?"
After a moment, Al can back, carrying large files and notebooks. "It's encoded like a cookbook."
"Did you manage to encode some parts?" They shook their heads.
"We're completely stumped. There's no pattern to this insanity." Ed mumbled. "The only parts I can understand talk about the ingredients of a human body. But I already knew that."
Haida glanced at Crissilly. She took some of the notes, inwardly grimacing with every line she read. "What about Dr. Marcoh? Can you talk to-"
"- he's missing." Ed stated. "We tried going back to the town he was staying at, but no one's seen him since. And his place looked like it was ransacked."
"Weeeird." Fallen hummed, munching on one of the biscuits. "And I thought our country was conspiracy central." Fallen commented.
"Marcoh coded his work as a recipe book?" Crissilly asked Ed, curious.
"Yeah, im not sure exactly what he's referencing at though."
Haida burrowed her brows. "... I'd like to visit Laboratory 3."
"You can't." Al said. "The building's been condemed for the risk of it collapsing at any moment, and it was abandoned years ago after the war."
"I'm sure we'll find out much more if we go to the source of Marcoh's notes."
Ed agreed. "Actually, she makes a good point, Al. Right now, we don't have anything to go by Marcoh's notes since we can't decipher it yet, maybe we'll get some clues if we go there. If it was deserted like that, chances are high that they left the place just as it was when it was still operational."
"I don't want to be the 'negative nancy' right now, but isn't that technically illegal?"
"Not if we ask!" Ed said, smirking.
"What'cha mean you can't?!" Ed slammed the Colonel's desk, fuming. Behind him, Crissilly, Fallen and Haida watched on with a nervous Al.
Roy rolled his eyes at his antics, leaning his head on the table. "Even if i did want to- I'm not the one you should be making that type of request. Even if i was, there's no way you'd get permission to enter that run down place. It's been condemed."
"So what, half of these building are so damn old, there's nearly renovations being done 365 days a year!" Ed countered, scoffing.
"Is there any other way, Colonel?" Crissilly asked, wanting to avoid committing trespassing since he knew his companions, along with Ed, we're more than happy to commit tresspassing crimes.
"If somehow, you were to come across the laboratory via an old misplaced map, maybe. But it'd have to be one about 4 years old- oh wow, would you look at that, what's this doing here. " Edward looked at the old map that suddenly appeared on the desk. By suddenly, meaning Roy had gotten it from his desk. "That's insane, this is a map, with precisely what you're looking for." Haida stifled a laugh.
"What map, Colonel Mustang?" She said, as she pocketed it. Edward mirrored her smirk.
"Yeah, what map?"
Fallen was cackling at the display, while Crissilly and Al only sweatdropped. They thanked the Colonel, leaving to head towards laboratory 3.