Alchemist ½

Chapter 10: Laboratory 5

They all sat in the hotel room, the three officers staring down at the two alchemists, whose heads were bowed low in shame and defeat.

"We would have been better off not knowing about this." Ranma muttered. "Hell, we would've been better off not startin' this stupid quest to begin with." She glared, scowling in anger. "If what we have deciphered is correct, and I don't see how it couldn't be, the Philosopher's Stone is made by sacrificing live humans. And, it will take multiple sacrifices to even produce just one."

"What's more," Kasumi continued, "the documents pretty much allude to an organization working under the military trying to make a stone, even knowing full well what it needed..."

"Hell, Doc Tofu is pretty much proof of that." Ranma added blithely.

Mint growled. "Unbelievable...to think anyone in the Military would try and...it's just...INCONCIEVABLE!"

Lime shrugged. "Seems pretty 'conceivable' to me."

Shampoo glared at the younger brother. "Keep your mouth shut, Lime." She turned to Ranma. "We need to report this. This is just unforgivable..."

"Shampoo, Mint, Lime..." Ranma said emotionlessly. "Don't tell anyone about this. PLEASE."

"But—" Shampoo began.

"Please." Kasumi repeated. "Don't tell anyone about this."

The three officers stared down at the two alchemists, and sliently agreed, seeing the dark look of distress on both of their faces.

Meanwhile, at the far side of the city, the military were investigating what appeared to be the site of a massive explosion, destroyed several buildings and most noticeably the area above the sewer system. Lieutenant Hawkeye spotted something floating by the stream leading from the sewer. She swam in and fished it out, bringing it out for her superior to look at.

It was bandana's cloak.

"Is there a body?" Colonel Mustang asked.

Ukyo shrugged noncommittally, wanting to be with Ranma. "We're looking, but with all this rubble here, we can't say for certain one way or another."

"Even if he did manage to get out, he seems to be suffering from a massive wound, from what I can tell from the blood on this thing." Konatsu added. "He's probably not in very good shape anyway."

Mikado Mustang nodded. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't be wary. Don't let your guard down until we find a body!" He shouted at his subordinates. "Havoc!"

Ukyo glared at him. "What is it, Casanova Colonel."

Mikado's eye twitched at the mention of that slanderous nickname. "You and your men are to clear away the rubble. You will not be taking any breaks, not until you find that man's corpse and drag it out for me to see with my bare eyes!"

Ukyo growled. "Sir...you'll work us to the death..."

Mikado shrugged. "I need to get this investigation done with as fast as possible so I'm not late for my date."

Ukyo glared. "Of course you have an ulterior motive...you lucky bastard..."

The two homunculi stood, looking out in the horizon.

"He got away..." Picolet whined. "I didn't get to partake of him..."

Kodachi smirked. "Maybe next time, Picolet. Besides, I don't think he'll be getting far, not with the damage he sustained. Now, I'll have to go back to central. I have to report to Savior."

Tatewaki Louis Armstrong-Kuno waited at the reception desk of the hotel at which the Elrics were staying. "The Elric sisters are still in their room?" the man asked incredulously.

"Yes." Mint affirmed. "They also have yet to eat something."

"Ah I see." Armstrong-Kuno nodded. "The fatigue must have gotten to them."

"I can understand." Shampoo whispered to her subordinates. "All that research ust have tired them out. Plus...what they learned..."

"Indeed." Mint whispered back, nodding. "The truth must have really hit them both hard...even remembering makes me feel sick..."

"I don't get what the big deal is..." Lime interjected.

Shampoo and Mint glared at the younger brother, who shrugged and sighed.

"What was that!" Armstrong-Kuno cried out suddenly, turning to them.

"N-NOTHING!" All three denied loudly, waving their hands dismissively.

"SUSPICIOUS!" The Major yelled out, throwing off his shirt and swinging his sword, destroying the reception desk. The three subordinates sweated nervously.

"Brother..." Kasumi said concernedly. "You need to eat something..."

Ranma turned away. "I don't want anything." She replied hollowly. "I'm gettin' tired of this." She said after a while. "It's like, just when I think I am just in reach of it, it runs away from me at the last second, and then, when I finally find it, it hits me on the head and turns out to be something I don't want anymore." She sighed, smiling self-deprecatingly. "He must really hate us, those who have sinned against his design." She bit her lip in anger and resentment. "Are we...gonna be like this for the rest of our lives?" she turned to her sister. "Kasumi...there's something...I always wanted to tell you...but...I didn't have the heart to tell you..."

"What is it?"

Suddenly, there was shouting from behind the door. "Sir, please wait! They're still resting!"

Suddenly there was a loud banging on the door. "ELRIC SISTERS!" Armstrong-Kuno bellowed loudly. "I, THE BLUE THUNDER OF THE MILITARY STATE ALCHEMISTS, HAVE ARRIVED TO AID YOU IN YOUR MOMENT OF DISTRESS!"

Kasumi and Ranma stared, pale and open-mouthed, and quickly began trying to figure a way of escape.

"!" Ranma said, running around in a panic, packing their things.

"Brother," Kasumi said placatingly, "I'm pretty sure the door is locked and that he can't get i-"

Suddenly, the door was flung open, with Armstrong-Kuno standing proudly. "The Blue Thunder has arrived!" He proclaimed.

Ranma stared, eye-twitching, and then cried out in surprise and horror. Kasumi similarly paniced.

"HOW TRAGIC!" Armstrong-Kuno cried overdramatically. "To think that the Philosopher's Stone hid such a terrible secret! And to think that some group in the military is behind this depravity! I, Tatewaki Alexander Louis Armstrong-Kuno, the Blue Thunder of the Military State Alchemists, shall not accept this!"

Ranma glared at the Broshes and Shampoo Ross.

"S-sorry!" Lime apologised quickly. "But when a guy that creepy and insane cornered us, we had to talk!"

"LIME!" Shampoo and Mint glared disapprovingly.

"What'd I do?" Lime blinked. "Hey...your arm is made of metal..."

Ranma sweated. "Um...this? Uh, you see...well...I got injured in a civil war a while back! Yeah, that's it!"

"And we wanted the philosopher's stone to return hi-her to normal." Kasumi added.

Mint sighed. "It's a shame it turned out this way...I feel for you..."

Armstrong-Kuno nodded. "The truth is always hard to bear, sometimes."

Ranma gasped softly, and scratched her chin thoughtfully. "The Truth..."

"B-Sister?" Kasumi asked, concernedly.

"Remember what Dr. Marcoh said?" Ranma asked, and continued when kasumi looked confused. "You know, what he said when he left us at the train station? 'The Truth behind Truth'." She looked at the ground, deep in thought. "He was trying to tell us something...that there was something else...something we have yet to find out..."

Everyone else looked at the young red-head, surprised. A few minutes later, Amrstrong-Kuno had produced a map of central.

"There are currently four facilities that act as alchemic research centers for the military." The Major explained. "Among those four, the third laboratory was the one that Dr. Tofu Marcoh worked at. Considering this, the third laboratory is the most suspicious."

Ranma shook her head. "I was actually shown around these places when I got my licence, but I didn't see anythin' weird, suspicious or important goin' on." She peered in closer at the map. "Hey, what's this place?" She asked, pointing at a particular point on the map.

"That place was once used as a fifth laboratory." Shampoo explained. "But it has since been abandoned and remains unused. Entry is prohibited due to concern over the structure collapsing."

"Yeah, that's the place." Ranma said. "That's where they're carrying out their research."

"How'd you figure that out, shrimp?" Lime said dismissively.

A vein popped in the red-head's forehead, but she didn't explode at him. "Because, dumbass, there is a prison right next door." She moved her finger to the prison in question. "To make a philosopher's stone, one needs human sacrifices, and what better place than a prison that just so happens to be right next door?"

Min nodded. "In fact, come to think of it, death row inmates don't have their remains returned to their families after execution."

Ranma nodded. "So, I'm thinking what actually happens is that they fake the inmates death, take them into the lab, and then use them to make the stone."

"How horrible!" Kasumi exclaimed, hands over her mouth. Even Shampoo and Lime looked a little nauseous.

"Yeah tell me about it, it makes me sick just thinking about it..." Ranma replied.

"Considering that this is a prison..." Mitn said thoughtfully. "Do you suppose that someone in government is involved in this?"

"We are not sure who is involved." Armstrong-Kuno interjected. "Or how high up they are. They could simple officers, wardens or even someone in the highest eschelons of government."

Shampoo shivered slightly. "I'm starting to feel like we're getting involved a conspiracy that's way over our heads..."

"That's why we told you to forget about it." Ranma replied, eyes half-lidded.

"However," Armstrong-Kuno added, "this is all merely secpulation. It is even possible that whoever is involved acted independently of government and military assistance."

They all nodded in agreement and understanding. "Who's in charge of this laboratory?" Kasumi asked suddenly.

"That would be Brigadier General Basque Grand." Armstrong-Kuno replied.

"Then let's find him and ask him what's what." Lime suggested, Kasumi and Ranma nodding in agreement.

"You cannot" Armstrong-Kuno replied. "He was killed...murdered by Bandana..." he sighed. "In fact, several High ranking officers were killed by that man...some of whom may have known the truth..." Armstrong-Kuno looked at them seriously. "Should there be anyone higher up than Grand who is connected to this in some way, then this will surely become quite difficult and complicated. I will investigate further into this, and will inform you of what I find. Until then, the second Lieutenant and the Sargeants are to keep quiet and the Elric sisters shall remain here." He swung his bokken, glaring warningly. "Is that understood!"

"W-WHAT!" Ranma yelled out

"YOU WERE THINKING OF INFILTRATING THE FACILITY AND INVESTIGATING ON YOUR OWN, WERE YOU NOT!" The Major bellowed. "I, THE BLUE THUNDER OF THE MILITARY STATE ALCHEMISTS, WILL NOT ALLOW IT! IT IS FAR TOO DANGEROUS FOR ONES SO YOUNG!"

"I get it already!" Ranma cried out, annoyed. "We will not do anything reckless and endanger ourselves. Happy?"

Armstrong-Kuno smiled warmly. "Extremely so. Now, if you excuse me, I have some investigating to do!" He charged off, leaving the five of them alone.

Ranma and Kasumi snuck along in the darkness, heading towards Laboratory 5.

"Well, I never said we wouldn't go anyway." Ranma smirked. "It's our fault we're like this, and it's with our own two hands that we'll repair ourselves."

Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed, and this person remained hidden, and made absolutely sure as to not be seen.

Ranma and Kasumi stopped, spotting a guard outside the 'abandoned' facility.

"And why is there a guard at an abandoned building?" Ranma wondered, grinning. "Pretty suspicious."

"How do we get in?" Kasumi wondered.

"We could bust ourselves in." The red-head suggested.

"We don't want to be seen." Kasumi reminded her sister. "Otherwise Mr. Armstrong-Kuno will find out."

Ranma shuddered. "Ok, make a door?"

"The guard will see the light from the transmutation."

Ranma looked up over the fence. "that leaves...upwards..."

Kasumi held out her hands and Ranma leapt on them and Kasumi lifted ehr up into the air and over the huge fence. Ranma used her metal arm to remove the barbed wire and send it down to Kasumi. "Sometimes, though i ahte to admit, but sometimes it comes handy having a fake limb or two."

Kasumi nodded as she climbed up the barbed wire. "I agree." She said with a light giggle.

They leapt down and looked at the front entrance. "Damn, the front door is also sealed shut." Ranma growled, and looked up at a vent. "Kasumi help me up here."

Kasumi did as she was asked, and helped Ranma into the vent. "Are you sure you'll be ok, brother?"

"Well, it's not like I want to go in alone." The red-head admitted. "But, you're just a little too big to fit in here."

Kasumi pouted, sitting against the wall, sulking, as Ranma followed the vent inside the building.

In a darkened room somewhere in the depths of Laboratory 5...

"48!" Someone called out.

"What wrong, 66, please?"

"It would appear that we have some guest visiting us this evening."

"Aiya? Do guests look entertaining, please?"

"I do not expect so. There is only two of them: A short girl with red-hair and a large person in rather cumbersome armour. Quite an...odd pair, to say the least."

"You one talk, please."

66 sighed. "You have a point there. I think I will greet the larger one, it is only proper. You may welcome the young girl." 66 held up a wrapped up, long bundle. "I think I will prepare us a nice meal of roast pork."

Kasumi waited patiently outside for her sister/brother, sighing, lonely.

Above, a shadowed figure watched her, and grinned, and suddenly leapt down to attack her, but Kasumi dodged quickly, watching as her enemy's strike caused a large crack to appear in the ground.

"W-who are you!" Kasumi asked in surprise.

"Hmmm, you're pretty quick." The person turned to her, who was clad in armour with a skull-like helmet covering their face. "I do apologise for the rudeness of my attack, but if you had seen me, you might've tried to dodge or call for help."

"But I dodged your attack anyway." Kasumi remarked helpfully.

"That is besides the point." The person replied, almost in an annoyed manner. "But since you asked my name, it is only proper for me to answer. My name is Number 66, although, of course, that is only a name I use while performing my duties here. I shall refrain from revealing my real name, since most people have the obnoxious tendency of screaming and running away in terror upon hearing it." The person lifted up a large butcher knife and katana blade. "I will tell you once I cut you to pieces and cook you."

"So you're going to kill me?" Kasumi asked in affirmation.

"Do not worry, just stand still, act is if I'm not even here." The person held up their blades, a scary look in their eyes, ready to attack.

After going through the facility and evading a large number of traps (pretty much confirming her suspicions about the facility) Ranma finally entered a large room, its original purpose unclear. A large marking was apparent on the ground however. A transmutation circle.

"Was this where they made the philosopher's stone?" Ranma wondered aloud, walked forwards across the huge circle.

"Is correct, please." An armoured figure stepped forward, carrying a giant pair of shears. "We no know where girl come from, we no care. You want know more about stone, yes? We made protect place, please. Girl call us 48, please. We ordered kill outsiders, so no feel bad, please."

Ranma smirked, bunching her hands into fists. "Ditto." She clapped her hands and transmuted her arm into a blade. "Don't feel too bad about losin' though."

"Oho, girl very cocky, please. That alchemy, please? We show you what can do." Suddenly giant plants grew all around them, Ranma looking around worriedly as a giant, throned flower grew below her.

"Wh-what the hell!" Ranma cried out, and gasped as the armoured person charged at her, trying to slahs her with the shears, and Ranma narrowly dodged.

"Show us what can do, please." The person struck her arm, cutting along the sleeve as Ranma blocked the strike. The person chuckled. "Metal limb, yes? We cut through steel, please!" The person charged again, the shears open wide, and Ranma leapt onto a giant vine as they were increasingly surrounded by more and more plantlife. Ranma jumped over a thorned vine then kicked the person in the stomach, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Hold on..." the red-head muttered. "that sounded hollow..." She smirked. "You're...hollow on the inside?"

"You realise quickly, yes." The person remarked. "How you know, please?"

"I fight someone just like you." Ranma replied. "I recognise to how it feels to strike a hollow opponent."

"Oh?" The person replied in mild surprise. "There other person like us, please?"

Ranma frowned. "I don't like this at all. That there was another idiot who thought about bonding a soul to armour like this..."

"We say name once more, please." 48 said suddenly as they both stood on top of a vine. "name is 48, but that from death row number. When human, we call 'Gardener', well known killer, please. Officially, executed two year ago, please. We strong, so we brought back, made protector of facility, please."

"So where's your seal?" The red-head asked.

"So no need explain, please? Is good. Not know much alchemy, only know blood connect soul armour." The person opened up their faceplate, reavealing a blood seal on the back of the helmet. "Destroy weird symbol, you win, please."

"heh, that's pretty dumb, showin' your weakspot like that." Ranma charged suddenly, but was knocked aside by a giant vine.

"Plants allies, work as weapons during battle." 48 said as they leapt after Ranma. "You no win, please. We kill intruder, please!" They leapt down upon her, shears wide open, ready to tear her in half.

For those of you who don't recognise who number 48 is, I will tell you now. 48 is portrayed here by Pink and Link, manga only foes who focused on Shampoo, who attacked both sisters. One is constantly smiling, the other constantly frowning, and they usually end a sentence with the word 'please'. They ahd the unique fighting style of suing giant mutant plants as weapons and tried to get at Shampoo by using Ranma against her. I thought they would be perfect as 48 sicne they are villains and would make an interesting battle. They even resulted in me greatly deviating from the original fight, which is always good. ^^

As for who plays 66...well...I'll leave that as a surprise, but you can probably already guess. I'm sorry for going against the fans, but...I felt this role was better suited to this character, at least in terms of twisting it and making it interesting.

And more Kuno! Although, whether this is good or bad remains to be seen.

Kimbley may or may not appear next time, so try and figure out who will play him. I already have a good idea for who he'll be, but I'll put up another poll to see what you guys think.

As always, hope you enjoyed it, and please comment.

Also, i apologise for the long wait.