Scarlett's P.O.V.

"Guys?" I knocked on the library door, but neither answered. Looking around, I turned to Denny and Maria with a cold and stern look. "Don't come in. Or you'll totally regret it." I warned the pair, but I knew they wouldn't listen.

"Ed..?" I opened the door to my discretion, and I looked in to see Hughes on the ground with both brothers.

"Hey, guys, cheer up!" He knocked at Edward's shoulder playfully. Soon enough he gave up with a long sigh and a scratch at the stubble. "Oh Scarlett. Nice to see you again!" He gave me a toothy grin that I couldn't help but return. "I've gotta get on my way back with Sheska to work on some case files, but-

I felt Hughes grab my arm and pull me close, "cheer those boys up. I may not know exactly what they've cracked, but right now I think they need you the most." What does he mean by that? My face turned a light shade of pink as I nodded to him while he closed the door.

Now back to the problem at hand.

"Damn it." I heard Ed whisper under his bangs. "There's nothing good about this!! This is the Devil's research. It should've been destroyed. Doctor Marcoh was right when he said it was evil." He looked up at me, and what I saw staring back most certainly was not the Edward I knew. This one seemed horrified.

"You can tell me," I knelt down to where he was curled up in agony. "I'm here to carry this weight with you both." I saw Al's head rise up to look me in the eyes when I said that.

"The main ingredient for a Philosopher's Stone,

Is human life."

Even after hearing this truth twice now, I couldn't help but still gasp in horror as I looked wide eyed.

"To even make one stone, you'd have to make multiple human sacrifices." Alphonse elaborated.

"Why would the military authorize research into something so horrible?!?" I hissed as I gritted my teeth. Suddenly, both boys stood up with anger in their actions.

"Do us a favor, Scarlett? Don't let anyone know of this information?"

"I wouldn't dream of it." I answered.

~*~

Edward's P.O.V.

It had been days since Alphonse and I left our rooms. We just isn't feel like facing the world right now, it seemed. I heard whispering right outside our door until-

"YOUR BEHAVIOR IS MOST SUSPICIOUS!!"

Wow, I didn't think that Armstrong would pay us a visit. *note the sarcasm.* I sighed and simply tried to block out his voice as I times my breaths with the clock.

"Brother," Al finally broke the sad silence. "You should really get something to eat." I knew he'd say that sooner or later.

"No thanks." I replied softly. It's times like this where I find myself only wanting to be next to Scarlett. She always had a way of calming the two of us down, but right now Ross is telling me she has a fever and may not be out of bed for awhile. In all respects, I hope she gets well soon.

I rolled into my back and balanced my right arm into the he air effortlessly; looking at Winry's handiwork.

"You know, it always seems that we get so close to the truth," I commented, "and it ends up slipping away at the last moment." I closed my hand into a fist.

"Now that we've caught it, it seems the truth is too dangerous to hold." I let out a little chuckle. "I'm starting to think this is God's special way of torturing people who committed Taboos." Even if we could make a Philosopher's Stone,-

No, I couldn't.  I wouldn't be able to look at Alphonse knowing so many people died.

I wouldn't be able to look at Scarlett. Knowing she had faced such a cruel punishment for being selfless and innocent. "I wonder if it's gonna be like this all our lives." I smirked at our luck. At our dumb and cruel luck. I looked to Al on the bed, yet he didn't say anything. Should I tell..?

"You know Al, there's been something I've been wanting to tell you for awhile now. But I guess I've been too afraid to say it." I heard Al's armor clank signaling that I had his attention. Taking a breath,

"I-"

"ELRIC BROTHERS I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!" We both shot up as the door was pounded on harshly. Can't Armstrong see we're having a moment?!?

"What do we do?!?" Al freaked.

"We ignore him, that's what!" I grumbled impatiently. Suddenly, the Major stopped pounding, and I watched for a second before the door was knocked cleanly off the hinges.

"GODDAMNIT ELRICS! ANSWER THE MAJOR ALREADY." Scarlett's hair stood up as if it were on fire. HA! Bed head! Yet as I looked closer, her eyes had bags under them. Like she tried to sleep, but couldn't.

"I KNOW WHAT IT SAID!!" Armstrong wailed as he entered the room and I froze. What. What. WAIT. HE KNOWS?!? Maria and Denny blushed deeply.

"Sorry, it's hard to keep a secret when someone like him asks you." Denny murmured sheepishly.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE TE MILITARY IS BEHIND SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" Armstrong tried to stop the flow of tears. Key word: tried. "OFTEN THE TRUTH IS MORE CRUEL THAN WE BARGAINED FOR." I was in the middle of slumping back on the couch when-

Oh.

OH. OF COURSE.

"The truth..." I murmured as I turned to Alphonse and now Scarlett as she was next to him rubbing nonexistent sleep from her eyes. "Remember what Marcoh told us?" He said find the truth within the truth. I saw a smirk widen on Scarlett's pink lips as she understood me.

"We didn't have a clue what he was talking about then, but now it's the same with alchemical notes. What you can see is only a portion of the truth."

I saw Al jump for joy and Scarlett smirk.

"That's my Elric." She claimed.

~*~

Currently, Armstrong told us that there are six major laboratories in Central. And yet even though Marcoh worked in the third lab, both Al and I have been to every one of the labs in Central twice. I looked around the map, until I saw a building that caught my eye.

"It was supposed to be a building for he fifth laboratory, but right now it isn't in use. The building is classified as not structurally sound so it's off limits." Maria informed me politely.

"There." Scarlett interjected. She had spent most of the time leaned back against the wall and away from the conversation. Her ashy brown eyes sparked with an unexplainable interest. "That's the place."

"How do you know?" Al asked, and we all watched as she leaned off the wall and walked towards us. She pointed at the building next to the fifth laboratory.

"There's a prison next door."

"So?" Denny sighed.

"What is the main ingredient for a Philosopher's Stone?" I snapped, and watched as the two lieutenants gulp in fear.

"This could become a political nightmare." Armstrong sighed as he rolled up the map. "I suggest you let me secure and search the building. It would be best that way." No way! We just figured out what was happening and- Scarlett covered my mouth with her hand.

"Of course, we understand." She smiled a bit too sweetly for her character type. Yet it gave me goosebumps. Not sure if that's good yet.

Soon everyone had left our room and only Al, Scarlett, and I were left. I watched carefully as Scarlett sighed and sat down heavily into my bed; looking more tired than usual.

"You okay? You seem really tired; did you get any sleep?" I asked, but she simply waved me off.

"Just a nightmare." She shrugged. "Guess it's bothering me."

"What was it about?" Al asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Really! I'm fine!" She laughed suddenly, but I could tell it was to cover up her uneasy feeling. "It's silly anyway; so we gonna sneak out to the fifth lab or what?"

"I thought you'd never ask." I grinned mischievously.

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~ Saturnthehero