Same, But Different (A Fullmetal Alchemist fan-fic)

The Halfmetal Alchemist

Eclair's POV

"Now, there are only two ways you can do this; the hard way, or the hard way!" I taunt with a smirk, throwing on a wild devilish grin.

"Not if you can't do alchemy!" The man—my 'just claimed three minutes ago' enemy— Claps his hands together. His alchemy Circles were on his gloves. Now if I could just get a hold of them...

The man jumps over me without warning, leaving no time for a quick counter. I get a good look at him as he tries to lay his palms on my skin. I do the only thing I can think of: use my left arm as a diversion.

I push my left arm up into his grasp while turning away. It makes it look like I was reacting out of fear. He gets what he wants...

...Only it's not the results he anticipated.

My long coat tears, exposing my left arm. No damage was done. I slightly turn back to face him, before jumping into a back-flip. My feet meeting his chin. I land with a skid on the muddy pavement before him.

"Dammit, now I'm gonna hafta repair this, again" I roll my eyes.

He nearly screams in anger, "How'd your arm not explode? I had you!"

I roll my eyes yet again, "I'm not called Halfmetal for nothing now, am I? Gosh, criminals these days, only getting dumber and dumber." I clap my hands together, charging him. My lavender eyes coated over with my pride, and my long dark brown hair fanned out behind me. I hit the ground, doing a flip over him. A cage sprouted from the ground, enclosing my opponent.

I lay on my belly on top of the cage, looking down into it. That was not a bright idea, since the only thing I saw was the man clap his hands to place them on the cage.

Then the cage went bye-bye

...As well as me.

I was flung off with the force, landing upside down and back to the middle of the brick building in the alleyway that became our battle field.

The ground and I collide, as I pick myself off of it. My legs are shaky at first, but become more stable as balance was regained. I wiped the blood off my forehead, flinging it off to the right then down with my right hand. This was my signal that I was ready for whatever he was going to do.

 Well, there's no holding back now.

He came charging at me, trying to copy my battle tactics. But to his disadvantage, he tripped over some of the cage remains and went diving for my legs. I was ready for this, and jumped over him. He slid head-first into a wall. Blood gushed out from his head. The win was mine.

I could now freely move in, and strip him from his alchemy power. I tore his gloves off his hands. Such Alchemy circles....seen them before. Wrote a lot about how simple and how much you couldn't do with them.

The man reacted by tearing off mine to weaken me. Pfft. They were useless to me.

"Why you!" I shouted anyway, since I do NOT like people touching me, or my things. My long overcoat is fine, I usually am repairing that weekly due to my stupidity and likelihood to attract criminals. But you do NOT touch my gloves. EVER.

I clapped my hands using the ground to make sturdy handcuffs. That should hold 'em.

He scowled, "How'd ya' do that without—"

"I don't need a transmutation circle, dumbass" I cut him off. I hear that same question so many times, I already know it.

I fix my coat before flagging down the nearest military member.

I am Eclair Elanie.

The Halfmetal Alchemist.