Roy Mustang's sister

Chapter 9

Back at the hotel, we were sulking in their room, I was even sleeping on the couch here. I didn't want to be alone with just Rogue to talk to, we hadn't gone outside to eat at all, and we barely slept. Ed and I didn't want to talk to anyone, Al and Rogue tried to get us to say more than a few sentences in days but failed.

That's where we were now, I was lying on the floor, Ed was on the couch, Rogue was near the window, and Al was sitting with his back to the couch. "Brother, Reyna. You should really get something to eat." I shook my head, not having any appetite whatsoever and Ed said, "No thanks." After a few seconds he spoke up again, "Pretty awful huh?" Al and I nodded in agreement. He reached his hand up to the fan, "After a while, I try to find the truth but it always slips away." He said depressingly. "Now that we finally caught it, turns out the truth is too dangerous to hold."

I sighed, "We're just full of sunshine aren't we?" I asked sarcastically. Edward grinned dryly, "I'm starting to think this is God's special way of torturing people who committed Taboo's. And I wonder, if it will be like this all our lives." He paused, "You know Al, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while. I guess I've been too afraid to say it." Al turned around in surprise, "What?" He asked. Before Ed could answer, a loud knock on the door made us all jump.

We heard the booming voice of Major Armstrong shout, "Elric brother's, Reyna Mustang, I know you're in there! Open up! This is the Major!" I sat up with Ed and Al, "What do we do?" I asked, Ed sighed, "We ignore it, that's what." But the door smashed open and the Major stepped in followed by a scared Maria Ross and Denny Brosh. "I know what it said Elric's, Mustang." His expression was so serious Ed, Al, and I screamed. Rogue stared at us strangely.

Then the Major started crying, "It's so tragic that the legend of the Philosophers stone is built with such a terrible secret." Edward and I glared at Ross and Brosh, "We.... We're really sorry." Maria said in defense, Denny nodded, "It's really hard to stay quiet when someone like him asks you." "Imagine the military being behind something like that! The truth is more truth than we bargained for." The Major continued.

We leapt up with Ed, "The truth." He muttered, "What is it brother?" Al asked him. I wanted to know too, Edward continued, "Do you remember what Dr. Marco said at the station? 'Maybe you'll find the truth within the truth'. I didn't have a clue what he was talking about then, but now I get it. It's the same with Alchemic notes, what you can see on the surface is only a portion of the truth. There's still more to find here. There has to be."

The Major slid a map onto the table in between the couches, "Currently there are four operationally laboratories in Central that are there for the government. Narrow it down even further, Marco worked in the third laboratory. We should start with that one, it's the most suspicious." Edward looked at the map thoughtfully, "Al and I have been to all the laboratories in the city for remarkable research," He gasped and tapped the fifth laboratory that was marked out, "Here. What's this building used for?" Maria explained, "It was designed for the 5th laboratory, but it isn't currently in use. The building isn't structurally sound so it's been classified off limits."

Ed looked down, "It's there." Denny peered over his shoulder, "Huh? How can you be so sure that's it?" Ed pointed, "There's a prison right next door." Denny was confused, but I got it, "You don't think....." Ed nodded, "That's exactly what I think." Denny looked between us, "What?" Edward grimaced, "What was the main ingredient for a Philosophers Stone?" Denny stood up thoughtfully, "You said it need live humans-" He gasped, "There were plenty of condemned criminals there, officially they would be recorded as executed." Maria looked sick at Ed's words, "They used the prisoners to make the stone."

Major Armstrong stared us down and Ed held up his hands, "Don't look at us like that, I don't like talking about this anymore than you do." Alphonse said, "Some other jurisdictions could be used too, I wonder if the government was involved." Maria and Denny both looked faint, "Why do I get the feeling we're getting involved in something really dangerous here?" Maria asked, Alphonse cried angrily, "That's why we told you to pretend like you'd never heard anything!"

Major Armstrong grabbed the map and stood up, "This has the potential to become a political nightmare before long, I'll look into what we've talked about. In the meantime," He looked at Maria and Denny, "Officers speak to no one about this." They saluted, "Sir!" They said in unison. Then he turned back to us, "And you Elric brothers and Mustang behave yourselves!" We shouted and he growled at us, "I know you three! You were thinking of sneaking to this building and taking a look around weren't you?! Admit it!" We all held up are hands and cried, "We weren't! We weren't! We weren't! We promise!" In unison.