Both Ed and Al looked at Akari for a bit before speaking.

To them they hasn't seen a single person that stood out as more as Akari did with her pink hair and shirt.

'The pink blinds my eyes a bit.' Ed jokingly thought to himself as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you Akari. What's someone like you doing here at HQ?" Asked Ed as Akari chuckled.

"Oh not much. Just here to mess around with my step brother for a while and annoy him." Said Akari with a smile.

"Y-Your brother works here?" Asked a curious Alphonse as Akari nodded.

"Yep! It's always amusing to see my favorite firecracker lose it." She said.

The brothers heard the word firecracker and immediately put two and two together as they were suprised.

"Y-Your the idiot's sister!?" Said a shocked Edward.

"Well step sis to be more exact but yep! I am." Casually said Akari.

"B-But Roy's never said anything about you. In fact this is the first time we've ever heard of and seen you." Said Alphonse to which Akari playfully pouted.

"I see my brother is more brain dead than I assumed." Said Akari with a hint of anger.

"Tell me about it. He's probably been enjoying having us run around all over the place. We just came here to have him give us actual help and not just spout some nonsense." Said Ed.

"Well then let me handle him boys. With me harassing him you two will have your help in no time. Come on."

With that, Akari and the Elrics walked into HQ together and immediately made their way up to Roy's office.

Before the brothers could even knock on the door, Akari quite literally kicked the door wide open which startled Roy.

"Ma boi Roy! How's my firecracker brother been!?" Asked Akari in a highly cheerful voice.

Roy groaned in annoyance knowing full well what Akari was doing as he also noticed the brothers standing at the door way.

"You two are back here again? What is it now?" Asked Roy as Ed walked over and slammed his hands on the desk.

"What do you think you damn fire bender!? We're tired of just doing random crap for the last few days! We're here for actual and legitimate help from you and we ain't leaving until we get it!" Demanded Ed as he received a sigh from Roy.

"Listen Fullmetal. I'm trying my best here as well trust me. I can't do any more than what I've given. There isn't that much info on Sloth's whereabouts so I'm the doing the best I can." Said Roy but Ed wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"Oh cut the crap! I know your messing around with us!" Shouted Ed. "We want actual help and I know for a fact you have actual helpful info and your purposely not letting us!"

"What reason what I have for lying!?" Said Roy.

"Cause you've always enjoyed having us and me especially running around all willy nilly without us having a single clue of what we're supposed to do or go!" Replied Ed.

"I'M TRYING MY BEST DAMMIT!" Said Roy back to Ed.

Unfortunately for Roy he wouldn't get much help as Akari leaned over his shoulder.

"Come on Roy. Are you sure your absolutely trying your best? Cause I know you can do better." Said Akari.

"Akari. You have no part or say in this so please stay quiet and let me handle this for now." Said Roy with a pleading tone.

Akari playfully pondered this as she hummed to herself.

"Nah. I don't think I will." She said teasing Roy as he laid his head onto his desk sighing heavily as he had to deal with Ed's persistent arguing alongside Akari's teasing all the while Alphonse awkwardly chuckled feeling a little bad about Roy's current situation.

Roy knew he had to do something to get Ed and hopefully Akari out of his office so he could gain his peaceful day back in order.

As he tried to think of something to say, Ed continued to get an answer out of him all the while Akari continued to poke and tease him on how slow and long he was thinking to come up with something.

At the last moment Roy had managed to put something together as he remembered something he had received earlier that day.

"Okay listen you two. I got an exact spot for you two to explore. It's an old abandoned base that is illegal to trepass into the boundaries. Thanks to some connections I had I've managed to gain access for HQ to explore the grounds. You always seemed to complain about not having an actual spot to search FullMetal so now here you go. An actual location. So please accept it and go fuck off." Said Roy with a tone of confidence.

Ed simply scoffed as he knew Roy as right had finally given him what he was complaining for.

"Come on Al. We'll check this spot out tonight. You better be right jackass." Said Ed to Roy as he walked out with Alphonse following behind.

Roy took a sigh of relief before gaining a face of irritation when he remembered that Akari was still there as she sat on one of the seats in front of his desk.

"What do you want?" Asked Roy.

"You know full well what I'm gonna do." Said Akari.

Roy just grew more irritated as Akari chuckled.

"Just kidding. Actually, I wanna ask if it's okay if I tag along with the brothers on their adventure tonight." Asked Akari which intrigued Roy.

"What do you care about what they do?"

"Honestly even I don't know fully myself. It's just something about the two that intrigue me." She said.

Roy took a bit to respond before he finally answered.

"Alright fine then. You can tag along with them. Either way I'd like for an eye witness to give me some more details about what happens aside from the brothers." Said Roy.

Akari cheered and thanked Roy before leaving the office as Roy had a massive sigh of relief as his peaceful day had been restored.

[Timeskip: Nighttime]

Both Ed and Al stood outside the abandoned base and were preparing to go in.

"Alphonse. For now you stay out here and keep watch for any intruders nearby. I'll take a look around inside. After a bit we'll switch okay?" Asked Ed with Alphonse nodding in response.

With that Edward walked into the base and went down a dimly lit corridor before he slowly approached a light source as he noticed two bodies of water on both sides of the walkway with lights in them up ahead.

Before he could reach there, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He immediately turned to punch someone only to stop when he saw Akari there wave at him.

"Akari!? What the hell are you doing here!?"

"Don't worry. I asked Roy and he gave me permission." She said nonchalantly which got Ed even more confused.

"Permission!? Do you even know what your getting int-."

Ed stopped talking as he and Akari both heard the sound of heels in the corridor.

Ed turned to look behind him as out from the shadows stepped out a person

It was an adult woman who seemed to look around the same age as Akari, in her late 20s.

"Edward...." Said the woman.

Ed gasped in shock.

Not cause of the fact that she knew her name, but because of something else only he knew as his face went into a horrific realization.

His face then went pale as he saw the woman's face change

As her face morphed into water, she said some haunting, chilling words.

"Why............couldn't you make me right?"

Chapter 32: End