We Go Together

Parting to a Different Place

Edward is holding a note pad and is drawing on it with a pencil, and when he holds it up, I almost burst out laughing. I contain the laughter given that we're with Hughes and Armstrong, and this is supposed to be a serious situation.

But then I can't keep it in any longer. I giggle, and subtly, my giggle turns into a nice, loud laugh.

"Is that supposed to be Envy?" I say between giggles.

Edward frowns but at the same time there's a hint of a smile in his face. "Doesn't matter. It's just as ugly."

"That's true," I say.

Edward grins at me and then he gets serious again. "Anyway, after the whole incident, we have no other knowledge about them."

"Did you get engaged with them directly?"

Edward answers the question, telling them how they got rid of one of the suits of armor and then the woman came in. While he does, I let my mind drift off with doubt after doubt. It is true, we did engage them. The woman could kill us right there, she looked like she wanted to, but she didn't. Envy could have hurt us more if he wanted to, but he didn't.

"Alice?" Armstrong says.

"Huh?" I reply.

"What happened with you and Envy?"

I stare out the window. "He could have inflicted more pain on us if he wanted to. He carried Edward out of the laboratory. I didn't trust him so I had a flame ready to shoot if he tried anything. When we were out and the laboratory was falling apart, all he said was Edward's life wasn't in danger but we should take him to a hospital anyway. Then he disappeared."

Hughes puts his hand on his chin and looks down. "That's odd."

"I caught a glimpse of Envy," Alphonse says. "He was looking at Alice with a creepy grin."

"He always has that creepy grin," I say.

"I DON'T CARE!" Edward yells angrily all of a sudden. "HE CAN'T LOOK AT YOU THAT WAY!!"

"What?" I say, "Edward what do you mean?"

He blushes fiercely. "Forget it."

I hug his arm. "You're cute when you're jealous. But don't worry."

He keeps blushing. "I'm not jealous."

Then the door opens and someone unexpected comes in. He's tall, he has an eyepatch, he's tough-looking.

Every single one of us is shocked when we see him. It's Fuhrer King Bradley there to visit Edward.

"No need to be so surprised," he says with a smile, "you can be at ease."

"Fuhrer King Bradley!" Hughes says. "What brings you here?"

"I got some information of my own on what's been happening recently," he replies.

Edward and I exchange worried looks. Everyone starts to get tense at what Fuhrer King Bradley just said, and I start to feel certain that he has something in mind to make us pay for the mess we made at the laboratory. But even if we hadn't gone to the laboratory, that woman and Envy would have come for us, wouldn't they? But maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if we hat the other Alchemists here.

Fuhrer King Bradley chuckles. "I'm just teasing you. Don't worry."

Edward and I sigh with relief.

"But still," Bradley continues, "the Philosopher's stone is something far too dangerous, especially for you, Elrics. You can't just take it all on your own."