The Phoenix Alchemist

Plan B

I touched my feet to the cold ground and wiped the tears from my eyes. I was somewhere in Central, in an alley. I retracted my wings and transmuted my tank top so the holes for my wings wouldn't show. I stumbled out of the alley and leaned against a building. Blood ran from my lips. Not only were my organs damaged, by my lip was split. I sighed and closed my eyes. The hum of an engine and the screech of tires braking made me open my eyes. A car was stopped right in front of me. The window rolled down and Lieutenant Hawkeye and Colonel Mustang were sitting in the front. "Hop in. You look like you need a ride." I smiled and got in the back. "You're real, right? Neither one of you is Envy?" Mustang laughed. "I think I would know if I were Envy." The car sped down the roads. "Right now, I can't be sure of anyone anymore. Or anything." I sighed and leaned back, but winced. "You're injured. We need to get to a hospital." I shook my head. "I'm aleight. Give it a minute. I just over exerted myself. Burning down a warehouse, being stabbed a few times and punched by Greed, and creating a box around a giant warehouse really wear you out." We parked in front of Ed's house. I knocked on the door and a sad looking Ed opened the door. "Ari! What the hell happened? Come in, all of you!" We got seated on the couch and Ed turned the chains on my hands into an ingot. I rubbed my hands while I explained. "Envy was posing as Brigadier General Arian and tried to detain me. I realized it on the drive to who knows where and threw myself out of the car. Envy and I got into a fight and I caught on fire after being force fed some red rocks. I woke up in a warehouse and Lust stabbed me a few times, claiming that 'I had to remember'. Greed came and punched me in the gut, prompting my escape. I somehow set Greed, Lust, Envy, and Gluttony on fire and used Greed as a kickstand to launch myself off of the hook I was chained onto." I paused when I remembered Lust's threat. "I put walls around the warehouse and made my escape to the alley." Mustang rubbed his chin and studied my face, like he knew I was hiding something. He realized it was probably hidden for a good reason and yawned. "We need to get goung. Goodnight." I thanked them for the ride and they left. Ed was steaming, though. "What were you thinking? How and why did you set everything on fire?" I yelped and hid my flaming hand behind my back. I used my free hand to scratch my head. "Uhm, I transmuted the air into butane and created a spark with the metal?" He crossed his arms and sighed. "You really shouldn't lie to me. You probably have your reasons, though. I'll let you rest." I sadly and guiltily smiled and nodded. We both laid in our beds.

~

The air was crisp. I pulled up the edge of my jacket and walked into the storage room. "Hey." I closed the door behind me. "I need you to do something for me." The man with light honey hair nodded and moved his wheelchair over to another seat. I sat down. "If something ever happens to me, give this to Ed. Hopefully, if something ever happens to me, Al will be with him. I will direct them to you with the code phrase: 'The stars have fallen'. This is only in case of my death or if I leave this world all together." He nodded and I handed him the package of papers and a map. "Do not give that to them unless they say that to you and do not look in those. Thank you."

~

I eased the door shut behind me. It was still late at night. I sighed in relief when it didn't make a sound. "You have even more secrets, huh?" Ed's voice made me jump. I sighed. "I was making a plan b. The secrets I'm keeping are for the safety of you and the people you hold dear. The other secret is only a secret because I don't know what it is, exactly. Try to trust me. We need to talk, soon." Ed crossed his arms. "We can talk now." He turned on a lamp and we sat down. "In case anything ever happens to me, go to Lieutenant Havoc's family business and tell him 'The stars have fallen'. Be careful with the information he gives you. It could be the death of you." He sighed and leaned back. "You could just tell me now." I shook my head. "It's too dangerous. You will know when the time comes back, and your life can go back to normal." My hand caught on fire and Ed started panicking. I put it behind my back. "Why are you on fire?!" He asked. I made an 'oops' face and shrugged.