The Price of Life [Fullmetal Alchemist]

Chapter Fifty Four

(tw; self-harm/gore, just in case)

gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean.
-t.s.

•••

The tunnel remained lit up by the remnants of the Colonel's fiery battle. In a corridor, Sonia and Edward could be seen helping him and Hawkeye get back on their feet, both mentally and physically. Once somewhat settled, the five of them continued onto their journey. The two young alchemists led the way while Roy held tight to his injured lieutenant. Scar protected the group from behind.

Not a word was uttered in the tunnel for quite some time. By themselves, they all played back the events of the Promised Day so far and were anxious to know, 'Who's next?'

Ed was the first to speak, but even then, it was with hesitation.

"Do you think your sister will make an appearance today? How do you plan to... I mean...Will you do it?"

Sonia knew what he was getting at. She steeled herself to answer, despite her constricted heart. "Mei taught me a technique with qi. With it, I can read a person's character, essentially. That's how I could tell Roy was going rogue there for a second."

Roy piped in from behind the two. "Hey! Don't patronize me!" The two teens looked back at him but decided to ignore him and go back to their conversation.

"I'll use this power to determine who she is, but... if my sister isn't in there anymore... that means the sin has taken over her completely. At that point, she's just a homunculus. A homunculus with all sins who we have to defeat."

Ed doesn't have any comforting words to tell her. All he can do is give her a nod of affirmation. "Well," he advises, "we'd better keep our guard up, then. Who knows what we'll find in these tunnels."

"Or who."

They walk on. Eventually, the floor becomes flat ground again instead of uneven pipes. They line the brick walls still though, climbing and growing like overgrown vines. It gives Fullmetal an idea.

"These pipes must lead somewhere. Maybe we could follow them."

Sonia dismisses this idea. "Maybe. But I'm placing my chances on my powers. I know for a fact it'll get us somewhere."

The group decides not to challenge her intuition and follow her into another corridor. They all notice that this is different from the others just by the fact that there is one single entrance at the end of the hallway.

"This must be it," Mustang concludes.

"We'll see."

The five step in. The area is a small and dimly lit circular room. Old, dried blood is splattered onto the floor and wall. Fragments of chalk and dust can be found around the room, but there are no transmutation circles or alchemic marks anywhere.

From Roy, Sonia snatches his ignition cloth and slides it over her hand. She snaps and her gloved fingers light up. Quickly she runs her other hand over the brick wall to feel for any secrets. She finds none. Yet still, she feels a strong qi emitting from just the other side of the wall, pulsating.

"We must've taken a wrong turn," Sonia says slowly as if trying to convince herself. But at her words, the wall she has her hand placed on rumbles. She backs away immediately, her hands in front of her to defend herself.

The wall crumbled into pieces and from the darkness, a figure emerged.

"A wrong turn, indeed..." the homunculus Jocelyn says, stepping fully into the room, "...little sister."