Stand by You

XVI

Breda, Havoc, Fuery, Lieutenant Hawkeye, Falman, and I stood stiff in front of Colonel Mustang's desk. He called out our names one by one. "Sergeant Kain Fuery," he barked. "Warrant Officer Vato Falman. Major Evelyn Joyce. Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda. Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc. First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. You six men will be transferring to Central with me. I won't hear any objections. You're coming with me!"

We all saluted in a domino-like falling fashion when Havoc nearly choked on the cigarette he was smoking, as if he just remembered something. "Colonel, I'm in a fix," he informed. "I just recently got a new girlfriend."

"Dump her," Colonel replied back coldly.

Havoc gawked at such harsh words, his facade cracking and turning blue. He probably thought the Colonel would sympathize with him since he's a womanizer. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this time. As he slouched and crumbled with despair, Hawkeye patted his shoulder in pity.

*~*~*~*~*~

"WAKE UP EVELYN DAMNIT!!!" Screamed a voice.

The blanket I had lazily thrown over myself was forcibly removed. I shrieked at the instant wave of cold air, curling up into a ball. Uncle Roy stood above me with a not-so-amused look on his face, my blanket in my hands. "Damn it Evelyn, it seems like every time I try to wake you up it gets harder and harder!" He complained. "Go to bed early for once!"

"Coffee exists for a reason," I yawned, glancing at the clock. It was nearly one in the morning. What was going on so late, or early, perhaps in this case, in the night?

"Come, hurry!" Uncle urged, throwing my jacket on my face.

"What's going on?" I sleepily asked, slipping on my halter jacket.

"Lieutenant found one of the suits of armor you reported way back last month," Uncle Roy informed. "Apparently he holds information we want."

I took a few steps from the couch and tripped over a box. I fell down, arms waving around into a empty box, feet in the air. Because of his promotion to Central, Uncle Roy insisted on moving closer so transportation would be easier. We haven't unpacked everything just yet.

Uncle Roy looked at me in annoyance as I slowly composed myself as I got out of the empty box. "At this rate it'll be dawn by the time we get there," he muttered, rubbing his temples at a migraine he had at me already.

*~*~*~*~*~

Falman, Lieutenant Hawkeye, and I were in a building holding storage. Barry, as he said that was his name, was tied up with ropes, including one holding his hands behind his back. His cleaver was held by Lieutenant Hawkeye. Colonel Mustang sat on a box with a notepad and pencil, taking notes on wha Barry had to say. "The Philosopher's Stone...to think that the Fifth Laboratory was involved in making them," he muttered, scribbling down on his notepad.

"There's a possibility that the military's senior staff is connected as well," Hawkeye added.

"Plus, there are those others, Lust and Envy," he pieced together. "Are they the ones who turned you into that?"

"Nah, it was the researchers," Barry replied. "They ripped my soul out of my body by force."

"If we look into those researchers, we might be able to find out the identity of whoever ordered the experiments," Falman suggested.

"No chance," Barry shook his head no. "Those guys were all used to make Philosopher's Stones with, and there's not a single one of them left."

I sighed. Another dead end. Is this what Edward and Alphonse felt every single time they got a lead? "Both hushing them up and using them as ingredients," Colonel scoffed. "How economical."

"Does this mean there's no need to make the stones anymore?" Lieutenant Hawkeye asked.

"Let me ask you one last thing," Colonel added. "Are you the one who killed a military officer at a telephone booth in Central a little over a month ago?"

Everyone gasped softly. The mention of Hughes' death was a sore subject to all. "Don't know about that," he shrugged. "Was he all chopped up?"

"No," Colonel sighed, shutting his notebook. "If you don't know about it, never mind."

He turned to the three of us. "You three, as an order, I order you all to forget about this conversation."

Lieutenant Hawkeye and I nodded and saluted but Falman raised his hand in defiance. "Sir, if I may add," he said. "I have an impeccable memory, so even if you order me to forget this, I won't."

"Perfect, then," Colonel smirked. "I have the perfect job for you..."