The Bloody Alchemist

Tracking Down the Boys

Cecelia had fully expected for a smug-faced Greed to strut into the car she relocated to simply to annoy her, but surprisingly the man stayed away from her for the rest of the two-hour trip. Getting off the train she was just as paranoid. Looking over her shoulder constantly. But in the end, she returned to the hotel without seeing any masses of black. Cecelia sprinted to Edward's door, she grabbed the nob but found it locked. She knocked frantically calling Ed's and Al's names but once again found no answer.

        Maybe he was out.

        Instead, she went to her room and threw herself on the hotel bed. Immediately covering her face with her pillow letting out a muffled scream. She didn't want to move the pillow from her face because she knew when she opened her eyes again she'd be alone.

        Still, she stuffed the pillow behind her head and stared at the ceiling, a numb hand wrapped around her philosopher stone necklace and she listened and listened hard. She heard nothing, but the memory of being inside that stone started to echo through her head. Despite the pain it reminded her of, she listened and she listened hard. Maybe she could hear the alchemy that pulled the necklace from her chest. If she could master this stone... she wouldn't be alone.

        Dangerous

        The one word rang in her head and she immediately took the stone off her neck.

        She'd never do it, she told herself that it was just a theory. Those thoughts were just meaningless intrusive ones.

        For the first time since she could remember, she slept with the necklace beside her bed. Not around her neck.

        The next morning she awoke quickly then went to the next door and banged hard. "Ed! Edward, you'd better get up and let me in! I've got to tell you something!"

        The door opened slowly and Cecelia's smile faded immediately. "Uhm," an unfamiliar voice mumbled. "I think you have the wrong room."

        That definitely wasn't Ed, but it was certainly the right room. He wasn't just out, he and Al were gone. "Oh, I'm sorry."

        Cecelia ran to the front counter and slammed her hand in front of the clerk. "The Elrics, room 502, did they check out?"

        "Y-yes," the clerk sputter, startled by her barking tone. "I am very sorry Miss Wood."

        "Damn," she grumbled before marching out of the hotel doors. They didn't even leave a note. She knew enough. If she found that Xingese girl, she'd find the boys.

        Cecelia slammed her fist down on Mustang's desk and flared into his face. "I don't have time for this Roy! Quit beating around the bush!"

        "I missed you, Cecelia," Roy grumbled. "It's been pretty lonely without all my men."

        Cecelia flopped down into the chair opposite him. "You know, you're a lot more like Maes than you care to admit."

        "Well someone's got to make sure you're raised well." Mustang turned his hand out to her, his voice suddenly very serious. "Now tell me, what's eating you. You're not that good at hiding your feelings you know."

        Cecelia glared at the wall. "Greed, that homunculus, he followed me around Rush Valley."

        "Was he spying?"

        Cecelia shrugged. "Something like that. Not like I really did anything. Just talked with Winry. He said Bradly thought I was a flight risk."

        "You?" Roy sounded amused. "You'd never be able to forgive yourself if you ran."

        "Right?!" Cecelia agreed angrily. "I mean why am I the flight risk out of all of us? That's bullshit."