Even though you know what's coming, you're never prepared for how it feels.

**********

Flames burst into the room and forced the overgrown fat man out of the tower and onto one of the houses below.

"I barely made it," Roy whispered. He'd been worried that he'd lose another friend and judging by the situation he came in on, he was correct.

Kain sighed in relief and Hayate wagged his tail.

Riza rounded on her superior with narrowed eyes. "Colonel, why the hell did you leave your post? No matter what happened to us you could still have kept your involvement a secret! That was the whole idea! But you just come waltzing in here, plain as day! Are you a complete idiot?" she shouted.

He rubbed his ears as her words rang in his skull. "Yeah, yeah, I'm an idiot. Happy?"

But the Lieutenant wasn't done yet. "What would I have said to Aiden if you'd gotten yourself killed?"

It was a low blow and she knew it, but Riza needed to express the seriousness of his actions. Roy grimaced and looked away without an answer.

Kain called out that Barry and the rampaging man were on the move. The Colonel ordered him to stay behind and clear the mess while Riza told Hayate to stay behind. They rushed out of the tower and jumped in the car, taking an alley to get behind Barry and the thing.

The car stopped and Jean went to hop in when the distinctive clanking of metal reached his ears. He turned just in time to see Alphonse walk up behind him.

"Are you going after Hughes' murderer?" he asked.

"You in?" the Colonel responded.

"Yeah."

Alphonse hopped in the back with Jean and they took off down the road in an attempt to catch up to Barry. The moment they did Roy ordered Barry to not lose their target. There was no way in hell he was going to pass up a chance at avenging Hughes.

The revelation of that walking piece of fat being a homunculus did throw him though. It was said that homunculi were supposedly artificial humans, but any attempts at creating one weren't successful and it was classified as human transmutation. The fact that homunculi were tied in meant that they were working with the military and if that was the case who knew who was on which side.

They followed Barry to the Third Laboratory. Roy stopped the car around the corner and they walked the rest of the way to peek around the wall and open gate.

"My body went in there," Barry chimed, pointing at the building. "Seems to think it can hide from me."

The Third Laboratory wasn't guarded by more than a single guard dozing. Regardless, they would need clearance and at the very least a reason to enter the building. Any notice prior could alert the enemy and they may clear out, which wasn't what he wanted. They needed an immediate response to a threat. Roy smiled. Either it would work, or it wouldn't.

"You're all terrible at being discreet," a voice drawled. The group looked up in unison to stare at Aiden who was perched on the wall with a raised eyebrow. "With the exception of Jacqueline who is dressed for the part. So explain to me why I wasn't invited to bring in our suspect?"

"Get down! Someone will see you," Roy ordered.

The woman rolled her eyes and slid off the wall. "For the record, I'm dressed in black, I was behind a tree, and those scientists at the door can't see for shit."

He looked her over and true to her word, she was wearing all black. Every item on her was black. The hooded trenchcoat, combat boots, fingerless gloves, shirt, and slightly baggy leather pants. In Aiden's mind, she was the very definition of Paint It Black. He raised an eyebrow at her choice in pants and another part of his mind commended her for it. But there was no time for that.

"Colonel," Riza said, drawing their attention. "You realize this connects them to the military."

"I do."

Alphonse glanced over at the Lieutenant Colonel as she listened intently to the words spoken between Mustang and Hawkeye. He and his brother had made an agreement to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. But that didn't mean he couldn't watch her.

"That's all we need for now. We're pulling back."

Barry ignored Roy's command and charged into the lab. "You have fun with that!" he called.

"Get back here!" Jean barked to no avail. The suit of armor kept going. "That psycho stormed the building."

"Yep. It's our lucky day."

"Huh?"

Roy hummed and looked back at Alphonse. "You can back out here if you want," he offered.

"No way. I'm staying."

Aiden smiled at the determination in the teen's voice. Then Roy turned to her. "You joining up?"

She shrugged. "Well someone needs to be the voice of reason."

He nodded and quickly walked around the gate. The building was full of startled scientists. They only had to follow the sounds of screaming and Barry's laughter to get where they needed.

"All personnel must evacuate immediately!" Roy ordered the scientists.

A man walked up behind them, an arm up in a salute. "Uh, C-Colonel?" he questioned.

"Stay back," Aiden ordered before he could speak. "The man who broke in is a deranged murderer. This unit can handle his capture. Order your men to seal off any exits!"

"Yes Lieutenant Colonel!" The man hurried off to help evacuate the area and spread word to security.

They stared down the steps where Barry had disappeared to and when the soldier was gone they charged down them. Jean and Alphonse pushed the cage doors open and the five people stood in the hallway, glancing to the left and right. Barry could have gone in either direction.

"How the hell are we supposed to find him?" Jean asked.

Roy scratched his head and sighed. "We're gonna have to split up. Lieutenant, you take Alphonse and go that way." He pointed to the left of the staircase. "If you reach a dead-end come find us, if you find Barry apprehend him and don't wait up."

Riza nodded. "Yes sir." She turned and walked down the left side of the hallway, Alphonse trailing behind her.

Roy turned and started off down the right. It only took her a moment to realize they were one short. Jean stayed at the bottom of the staircase staring after the pair leaving them, Aiden gave him a curious look.

"Jean?" He stared down the black corridor a moment longer before he turned and caught up with them. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing." 

Aiden raised an eyebrow. That was an obvious lie. But she had no place in calling people out in lies. So the soldier shrugged and looked forward. The tunnel went on for a long while. The further in they went the more dirty things became. The walls had some sort of grime stuck to them and Aiden wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it was. They passed empty cages with large dark spots stuck to the ground. She carefully avoided thinking about what it was and where it came from. Though she had a very good idea.

The trio paused at an open room, its prison door lying on the ground. They walked in and grimaced at the state of the room and the tools laying out.

"It doesn't look like anybody's used this lab in a while," Roy ground out and Aiden shivered. The room felt wrong. He gave her a look and nodded. As an alchemist, both of them could feel the apparent dirtiness the room was bathed in.

"I guess not. What is this stuff?" Jean questioned. He kicked lightly at an empty jar.

"I don't think you want to know," Aiden mumbled.

Roy glanced at a case of dirty medical instruments. "Well whatever it was, it was painful for someone."

"Well now, I am just shocked."

Aiden turned around and whipped her gun up, glaring down the sights at Lust. It was the first time she'd ever seen her in the flesh, but she looked the same from what she remembered. Which once again wasn't much. 

The clicking of her heels sounded as she strode forward. "It's bad enough you stood me up on our date. And now you point a gun at me? You've got some nerve, don't you?"

A startled gasp left Jean and she paid no attention to it. "Solaris?" he asked. He lowered his gun and Aiden felt the need to step on his foot. She didn't, but there was still the need. "What's going on?"

"Hey, Havoc, your girl's got the tattoo," Roy announced.

"Yeah. First I've seen it, sir."

Lust chuckled. "Quit staring, it's not polite."

Aiden grinned and shrugged. "I don't know about that. The last person who was attached to these often made his opinions known." Tristan never wanted to be bottle-fed. Roy glanced at her with a raised eyebrow but didn't comment.

"Maybe so, but men like that don't deserve women like us," Lust laughed lightly.

The Colonel sighed. "Well I can see how she tricked you so easily. You've always been a sucker for women with big boobs."

Jean grimaced. "I just can't help it! I love 'em!" he defended.

"Did you tell this woman anything?"

"No! I never said a single thing about work sir!"

Roy glanced from his subordinate to the homunculus in front of them. "Tell me, do you know who Maes Hughes is?" Aiden stared blankly at Lust, thankful she was ready for the question. 

"Oh, yes. He was quite the intelligent man, wouldn't you agree? I only wish I had the opportunity to pick his brain -" Lust was cut off as Roy shot her in the leg.

"On your knees!" he commanded. "I want to know everything!"

"Sorry to say," Lust said straightening up, her leg wound healing with sparks of red alchemy, "but it's gonna take more than you're capable of to make me get on my knee-"

Roy continued shooting at her. The woman skidded back a few steps and she chuckled.

"How merciless. Pick that up in Ishval, huh?" She licked away the blood pouring down from her head wound.

"You're a homunculus," Jean gasped.

"Gee, what gave it away?" Aiden snapped.

Lust grinned. "Indeed. How very astute of you Jean. But I doubt you've seen this one." Her fingers stretched into claws and she reached into her chest and pulled apart her breastplate. There, at the center of her chest, connected to veins, was a Philosopher's Stone. "Take a good look boys," she said. "It's a Philosopher's Stone. I was created with this stone at my core. It's not just a legend, it's my heart."

"You're a monster!" Roy barked, glaring at the woman.

Lust pouted lightly. "That was uncalled for. I do have feelings. Apart from a few things I was made nearly identical to you. I am human."

"Your core is a rock made from genocide," Aiden snarked. "Just because you look human it doesn't mean that you are!" She glanced at Roy to her right and Jean to her left. Roy was fine as could be but Jean, on the other hand, looked like he was having one of the worst days of his life. "And let me guess," she continued, "we're only gaining this information because you don't plan on letting us out of here alive. Am I correct?"

"Yep. It's such a shame."

Without further words Lust reached out and sliced their guns with her claws. Aiden growled and dropped the useless gun before stepping back. Roy pulled on his ignition cloth but Lust reached up and sliced a pipe causing water to rain down on them.

"Too slow!" she laughed. "Oh no, did I get your ignition glove all wet?"

The three gaped at her before they turned tail and ran from the room, screams falling from their mouths. They slid on the wet ground and hid on either side of the door.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Jean asked. "She'll shred us with her freaky fingers!"

Roy smirked. "No, she made a big mistake. She flooded the room with water. A simple transmutation and we have hydrogen gas."

Aiden and Jean grinned. Gas manipulation was out of her comfort zone so Roy transmuted the water while Jean threw his lighter into the room. A large explosion rocked the area and they had to cover their ears to avoid hearing loss. Silence reigned for a minute and the three soldiers stood and walked back into the room. 

There were burn marks on every surface and Aiden grimaced at the smell. It was like Ishval all over again. She glanced around for any sign of red sparks. If she knew where Lust would pop up she could move Jean to safety.

Jean picked up his burnt lighter. "Aw, crap. This was a gift from one of my ex-girlfriends," he moaned in complaint. He turned around. "Hey Colonel, mind giving me a light here?" The look he received made Aiden snort. "Oh yeah, you're all wet," he teased.

"Oh yeah? Well those things will kill you you know that?" he raged.

Aiden laughed and looked up at Roy consideringly. "Well the wet hair look's not bad." He turned to look down at her but she'd already looked away. "Anyway, what'd you do with the lighter I gave you?"

"Oh, it's in my pocket." Jean rolled his eyes and stepped on a piece of wood that crunched under his foot. "She's dust," Roy said. "I definitely cremated her."

"How can you tell sir?"

"The smell," the two superior officers answered at the same time.

"We're pretty familiar with that stench by now," Roy continued.

"You mean from that time you spent in Ishval?"

"For all we know she could still regenerate, so stay alert."

"Yes sir."

A scream drew their attention and they watched in alarm as Jean coughed, two spears going through his back and out his stomach. The nails retracted and Jean fell face-first to the ground. 

"Havoc!"

"Jean!"

Roy and Aiden rushed forward to aid him. A puddle of blood slowly grew beneath the unresponsive Lieutenant and she did her best to staunch the bleeding from his back. Lust rose from the ashes like an evil phoenix, grinning and chuckling madly.

"Hang in there!" Roy commanded.

"Don't kid yourself," Lust laughed, "he's a dead man." She raised her hand and her nails grew into their spears.

"No he's not!" He barked. 

Aiden glared at the homunculus. "You bitch!" she shouted. 

In a split second she clapped her hands and slammed them on the floor. Lust gasped in surprise as pointed columns of rock slammed into her body. Suddenly they were retracted as Roy grabbed Jean's shotgun and fired, leaving her Philosopher's Stone open for all to see.

"Give up! There's nothing you can do that'll kill me!"

Roy stepped on her shoulder to hold her in place. "Then you won't mind," he reached down and ripped out the stone, "if I borrow this!" Lust yelled and choked before she started to disintegrate. He turned and walked back to the pair. "I need it to save Havoc. I don't know much about medicinal alchemy, but this should amplify my abilities." 

Aiden stared in horror as Lust's body began to grow from the stone. "Roy! Watch out!" He turned and gasped.

"It seems like you should buy a girl dinner first, before you go sticking your hand in her chest," Lust's distorted voice sounded. 

Roy pulled back in alarm and Aiden wrapped around him to help. It was a bad decision on her part. Lust's fingers pierced through them both. Aiden immediately backed up and dropped to the ground clutching her side. The homunculus smiled at their pain.

"I told you," she said. "The Philosopher's Stone is my core." She retracted her finger spears and Roy fell to the ground, Lust holding up the hand that had the ignition glove. "I really hate to do this. You were a prime candidate for sacrifice and all," she said as she pulled the glove off. "But you forced me to kill you."

"Damn you," Roy gasped out. The cloth was shredded and Aiden watched as the pieces fell to the ground.

"Save your breath. I want you to watch poor Jean bleed to death, then you can die." A blue alchemic light drew her attention and Lust swiftly dodged the knife thrown at her. She frowned at Aiden who gasped and coughed up blood. "You, however, were a surprise candidate. You hid your alchemy well." She shrugged and began to walk away. "There's nothing for it now. Enjoy your last moments with your lover."

"You bitch," Aiden wheezed and Lust exited the room. Whether she heard her or not was unclear, but either way, Lust didn't respond.

"Jean. Answer me," Roy gasped. "You're not allowed to die before me."

Aiden reached up with a shaky hand and felt for a pulse. "His pulse is slow but strong," she coughed, "which is good."

"Are you alright?"

"P-Peachy." She rested her head on the ash-covered concrete and sighed at the surprising coolness it brought. It felt nice. "Sorry, but I think..." her voice slurred, "I think I'll go to sleep now."

Roy jerked in alarm. "Wilson stay awake." Nothing but silence met his ears. "Wilson." Still, there was nothing. "Aiden!"

When no reply came he felt something break inside him. He gritted his teeth and reached into his pocket to grab the lighter Aiden gave him. She needed a doctor and so did Jean. But he needed to get rid of the homunculus first who would more than likely going after Hawkeye and Alphonse. Roy glanced over at the dagger Aiden had thrown at the homunculus. That was what he needed.

The pain of searing the wound closed was excruciating but it had to be done. There was no sense in trailing an enemy and dying of blood loss before he could do anything. He grimaced and sat up, clutching his side. Then he crawled over to Aiden and felt her pulse. Strong and steady, she was just unconscious. Roy sagged in relief and checked on Jean as well. They'd be fine while he was gone.