Winry couldn't tear her eyes away from (Y/n). She watched the exchange between her and Edward the moment she stepped inside, but that wasn't what caught her attention- what forced her to look at her and only her. It was how (Y/n)'s mind instantly went to the wellbeing of the blonde girl. How she had probably risked her life to come make sure that she wasn't hurt. Winry was scared, yes, but she was more so completely befuddled. Alphonse held her shoulder tightly and told her that everything would be okay, and though she appreciated the attempt to comfort, she wished that Alphonse would explain the situation to her instead. Why was she always the one who had to be protected? The one who had to be shielded from the truths within the lives that the Elrics led? Why could she do nothing but wait when things went awry?
The mechanic understood that the boys didn't want to make her worry, or frighten her with just how frequently they found themselves in trouble, or running from something. She understood that. As their precious childhood friend, they wanted to keep her away from the results of the mistake they had made. They didn't want her to see them like this, tired, violent, and uncertain. They didn't want Winry's image of them to change, the image of the two boys that she'd known all of her life. The boys who walked her to school every day, the boys who played tag with her out in the yard, the boys who smiled and laughed in the midst of the simple joys of the youth. The brothers wanted those memories of themselves to remain intact, and to not be hindered by the sights of them fighting, crying, and bleeding.
But she hated that.
Winry could handle whatever they were going through, she swore she could. Knowing what they were experiencing was better than being aware of something wrong, yet constantly being told that everything is fine. She knew everything was not fine. Winry Rockbell wasn't an idiot, and even if she weren't the boys' family, she would have been able to pick up on the peril they were in just as easily as any stranger would. She was older than them, two years older than Alphonse and one year older than Edward. Yet somehow, somewhere along the line, she was the one who began to be treated like the baby. She was the one, out of the three of them, who was being mollycoddled and patronized. It was all unintentional, out of love, but she hated it so much.
That's why she became an automail mechanist- so that she could help people, just like her parents. She wanted to prove that she could handle herself, that she could protect others just as much as the boys protected her. Winry could spark life back into people's eyes with the very talent in her fingers. She worked diligently, tirelessly, and effortlessly to help others. This tedious work was what made her happy, because she got to make other people happy whilst doing the one thing she loved most in the entire world. She'd managed to bring hundreds of people back onto their feet, both literally and figuratively, and yet she couldn't manage to find a way to look out for two of the closest people in her life. It was so frustrating.
The last thing she wanted to do was live vicariously through another person. Winry was growing happier with who she was each day, but sometimes she found herself thriving off of the life of a separate soul- the only other person she found to be quite similar to her. She didn't mean to thrive off of (Y/n)'s experiences, but it was honestly so easy to do. She and her loved the same person, held the same morals, experienced similar traumas, and longed for the same thing- to stay by the boys' side. And Winry discovered that if she couldn't achieve her one goal in life, then she could always rely on (Y/n) to. (Y/n) didn't give up on the boys, she was a constant. She refused to leave their side, and Winry couldn't have been more grateful to her for being someone that the boys could share their troubles with.
It hurt that Winry couldn't monitor them the way (Y/n) could. It hurt that (Y/n) had taken the place beside them that she had thought she would always have. Winry knew that she meant a great deal to Edward and Alphonse- that wasn't what she was worried about. She was just worried that she'd become less important to them, that they'd forget about her. Not that they'd forget about their love for her, but about how things used to be- about how she wanted to be just as involved in their lives as (Y/n) was. She didn't want to be the girl they left out forever. She knew she was naive to think that things would return to how it had been before Trisha died and before the boys committed the Ultimate Taboo of alchemy, but she at least wanted to return to some kind of normalcy. Normalcy where the boys would confide in her with boyish smiles, that displayed both their content and lack of need to worry any longer.
"Well?" Buccaneer's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she watched curiously as Miles inched closer toward the three of them.
(Y/n)'s face contorted from annoyed, to confused, to guilty. Her tense posture slumped slightly, and even as shouts and yells erupted from just outside of the door, she looked completely lost in her own head- separated from the world just on the other side of the door.
She sighed, and when (Y/n) didn't give any kind of response for a few moments, Edward turned slightly to see what she was thinking. Her eyes flickered up to his momentarily, and she shook her head.
"I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I was not expecting something like this to happen," she started, glancing over at Winry and Alphonse. They watched her patiently, awaiting what she had to say. "I know what follows me because of who I am, and I know what kind of danger will impact those around me as long as I'm a target. I can't... keep apologizing for this stuff. As sorry as I am and as ashamed as I am for this to be what attaches itself to me, I can't apologize because it's exhausting to constantly feel sorry for myself- to feel sorry for something that I didn't ask for. You asked me who I am, and I- don't know. I mean, I am the Empath Alchemist, daughter of the Flame Alchemist, and you can curse that name as long as you remember it for the destruction I've caused. But I can't tell you why I caused this, or why I'm supposed to be what everyone expects me to be."
She stopped herself upon realizing that she was going off track.
"That's not- that's not what I'm trying to say. I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, honestly. It's hard not to apologize when that's all my conscience is telling me to do. You just- need to know that I didn't want any of this. I don't want monsters to follow me and I don't fear to linger around me. I want to help people, I want to protect people and that's all I want to do. That's all I've ever wanted to do. I can't tell you who these creatures are or how they are related to me. Maybe you'll find out sooner than later. I don't know, but you have to know that I truly, honestly, just want to keep people alive. I never thought that would turn out to be so hard, just keeping the people I care about safe...
"If I explain all of this to you, you will die. And I will continue to lose more people close to me, and I'm sick of living in this paranoia. I don't want to constantly worry about the wellbeing of people around me anymore. So please, I am begging you, just work with me- trust me, because what happens next depends on your cooperation."
"Young alchemist," Miles said, lifting his hand and hovering it in the air in a gentle manner. He now stood beside Buccaneer, serving as the softness and understanding that the Captain refused to show. Miles' face was uncertain, indefinitely. But his crimson eyes showed his sympathy, and his willingness to comply with her without questioning. No matter how confusing this child would be to him, nothing would change the fact that she was still a child. Mature or not, every child displayed insecurities and fears. He was trained to pay no mind to it, for anxieties were open to both adults and children, but he understood. Her mind was not fully developed, therefore her head swarmed with more of these thoughts than that of a secure, adult military officer. "No need to explain any further. We understand."
"Do we?" Buccaneer scoffed, turning to face the Ishvalan officer.
"Look at her, Buccaneer. Do you really not believe anything she's saying?"
"That's not my problem!" he argued. "I don't like any of this."
"I don't care if you like it or not, this is the reality of our situation! Don't you get it? I'm telling you that people will die if you do not listen to me! Please, I can't deal with another death on my hands. I can't."
"Mustang, calm yourself," Miles eased. "It'll be alright. Just tell us what you need us to do."
(Y/n) inhaled and exhaled slowly, choosing to focus on Miles rather than the officer who was doing nothing but spiking her anxiety. She didn't notice the way his hardened features faded as her expression grew more panicked. Edward, on the other hand, was oddly silent. He looked at her carefully, keeping his mouth closed as the exchange occurred right in front of him.
"Winry- I need you to just help protect Winry. That... that thing out there is here for me, but it's also here... for her."
"(Y/n)!" Alphonse gasped, and Winry pulled herself from under his arm. She walked over to (Y/n), the two officers and Edward parting the way for her to approach the (h/c) haired girl. (Y/n) looked at her with glassy eyes, her lips twitching as they threatened to tug down into a remorseful frown. Edward still said nothing, for he knew that they would have to tell the blonde at least this at some point. There was no point trying to protect her from something she didn't know was after her. Winry needed to understand why she needed to be safe, why keeping her away from this world of chaos was so important.
Her brown eyes held no disdain as she looked at (Y/n). Her hands were intertwined before her, and the neutrality of her face was making (Y/n) somewhat nervous.
"I- I can't tell you why, Winry. I just have to- you need to-"
"That's why Alphonse called me up here," she interrupted softly, a knowing look on her face. "You all knew that this was going to happen. You sent me up north then came up here to check on me because... this was something inevitable. You knew about this all along."
(Y/n) lowered her head and nodded slightly. She was oblivious to the looks of realization that adorned the officers' features, and Alphonse stood as still as a lifeless suit of armor, unsure of how Winry would go on to react. She had every right to be frustrated, angry. She was probably so confused, she probably resented them for pulling her life into this mess. All three of them were guilty of roping the mechanic into this. If it weren't for them, she'd be safe in Rush Valley, working under the hot sun as women, men, and children lined up to await her treatment. She wouldn't be in this freezing weather, quivering both from the cold and fear. Edward looked at her with somber eyes, and (Y/n) sensed the dark blue festering within him once again. God, would he never be free of that awful color?
Winry closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering against her cheek gracefully. She looked so calm as she processed the events to the best of her understanding. She had no idea exactly what that thing that was supposedly after her was, therefore she didn't know how serious this was. But given the urgency of (Y/n)'s tone and the stiffness of the Elrics' figures, she could decipher that this was bad. The way (Y/n) talked about death was as if she would lose her mind if she lost anyone else, whether it be to killing or loss of mind. She talked about death as if she were inches from it, as long as that creature outside drew in closer.
Winry kept her cool. She would not allow her fears to overpower her and make her friends worry. She would not let her emotions bubble over into tears and make her friends feel more guilt than they already did. Panicking would not do anyone any good. The blonde would remain calm, understanding, and compliant.
"All of this, and you still have to worry about protecting me," she finally said, opening her eyes. Edward's lips tightened.
"Winry..." he began, only to trail off when she looked at him and gave him a sad smile.
"You've found yourself in a really bad situation, haven't you Edward?"
His nose flared slightly as his eyes trained on hers. He gave a harsh nod, eyes tempting him to look away though his mind would not let him. Winry couldn't know the details, but she could at least be made to understand them with the way he looked at her.
She chuckled lightly, a short, sad sound. "And yet you worry about me. I should be the one worrying about you, you know. I don't know what you're up against, but it doesn't look good."
"Winry, please, don't trouble yourself with this," Alphonse spoke up as he made his way over. "We never wanted you to be involved. We're sorry."
"You two are idiots," she said, turning around to look at the suit of armor. When the boy faltered, Winry swore that she could see Alphonse' human face, at the ripe age of seven, staring back at her with shocked golden eyes. Eyes that resembled his brother's, eyes that she longed to see just one more time. "Of course I'm going to worry. You can't change how much I worry about you. What else am I supposed to do when I find out that thing out there is only part of what you're fighting? The only way I'd worry more is if you'd keep it all from me, and you have..."
She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, her ponytail swaying with her head's movements.
"Now I get that you couldn't tell me about anything because- well, because-"
"No," Edward sighed, walking over to her and placing his hand on her shoulder. "We could have told you before we were told to keep this information to ourselves. We didn't want to scare you. We- we care about you... we do, and we didn't want you to be involved with the part of our lives that we regret with each waking moment," he said softly. Winry listened to him earnestly, her brows curling. "It's kinda stupid now that I say it out loud, to think that we could just keep you in the dark and force the only memory of us before all of this happened into your head until we'd get our bodies back. It's actually a little selfish. We didn't want anything to change between us, but the reality of it is that as long as we're away from you- as long as we're still lost along with our bodies, things are going to change. We're getting older. We aren't little kids anymore. Sometimes I forget that you're growing into your own woman now. You can handle this kind of stuff. You should have been more of a part of our journey, and now it's too late to tell you anything. I'm sorry, Winry."
Winry didn't cry, but her nose twitched as if she wanted to.
"For now, just let us keep you safe. That's the very least we can do for you. And when this is all over, you won't have to worry about us anymore. You'll get to cook meals for Alphonse to eat. Isn't that right, Al?"
Alphonse nodded enthusiastically, his helmet clinking against his metal chest. "You bet! And you'll get to order Brother around again, too! Just like old times."
"Honestly, not much about that last one has changed," amusement laced the boy's voice. "'That sound good to you, Win?"
She gave him a wobbly smile, nodding in determination. Edward smiled faintly, slipping his hand from his childhood friend's shoulder.
"Good. Let us do this much for you, and I promise we'll come back to you in one piece."
"Okay."
(Y/n) couldn't help but smile at the two of them. She was glad to see that they were still close, that they could still have these intimate moments without her interfering somehow. Winry's eyes glimmered with both incoming tears and lingering yearning as Edward turned to look back at (Y/n). The (e/c) eyed alchemist didn't miss that look, for she had come to know it all too well. She wasn't sure whether she was yearning for him to come back to her safely, or for a reason unrelated to any platonic connection. She wasn't sure, but that look in her eyes stuck with the Mustang, and gave her the motivation to keep pushing forward.
(Y/n) froze, her back straightening and only the two boys in the room understood what that meant. She hurriedly moved her back away from the door, allowing Ling to come bursting through the entrance. His movements were clumsy, as if he were just dodging a very close attack. The Xingese prince looked disheveled, his back pressed against the now closed door and arms spread across the wall as a means of keeping what was outside from breaking in. He struggled to catch his breath, and his dark bangs were a bit unruly. Once he had regained his composure, he looked up and was met with six pairs of perplexed eyes.
A cheesy grin spread across his face and his eyes fell closed. "Sorry to interrupt. Just taking five," he chuckled sheepishly.
"That's not that Ling guy, is it?" Alphonse asked.
Miles and Buccaneer looked at him. "Who the hell is Ling?" the Captain questioned.
"I wouldn't worry about it, right now," the onyx eyed fifteen year old said, casually.
"Ling, what's going on out there? Are you alright?" (Y/n) asked, moving to stand in front of the boy whose hands refused to fall to his sides. He looked down at her, his smile remaining.
"We told you not to worry, didn't we?" he teased. He felt a certain pair of eyes more prominently than the others, and he looked up from (Y/n)'s face to see Edward glaring at him. "Ah, Edward! What's up?"
"'What's up'?" Edward echoed, his tone growing irritated. "Really? That's what you have to say right now? Where the hell did you even come from?!"
"I told you, we can chat about it later."
"Hold on," Alphonse interjected. "What about Gl- um, the thing out there? What's going on?"
"Oh, you must be the brother! Nice to meet ya, I'm Ling Yao, twelfth son of the Emperor-"
"Ling!" Ed and (Y/n) shouted.
"Right! Right, um..." Ling sighed, his smile fading. "He knows both you and the girl are here, (Y/n)."
Winry perked up at this, her heart jolting against her chest.
"Then we must find a way to get you both out of here," Miles chimed in. Ling looked at him curiously before confirming that this was a Briggs officer. That explained why Alphonse refused to call Gluttony by his name.
"Yeahhh, I can help you with getting Winry to safety but good luck with trying to do the same with (Y/n)," he said knowingly. (Y/n) gave him a harsh look, and he shrugged as if to tell her that he had no idea what else he was supposed to say.
"Are you kidding?" Buccaneer grumbled. "Idiot, you told us that lives are on the line, here. That obviously means yours, too. We're getting you out of here," he told the young girl.
"I'm not going to explain myself to you. All I asked was for you to help Winry. Not me," she groaned, refusing to turn to look at anyone. She kept her gaze on Ling's shoes. "That goes for Alphonse, too. Get him out of here."
"What?" the fourteen year old protested. "(Y/n) why would you say that? What are you..." his voice faded when he took in Edward's expression. "What are you two about to-"
"Get down," she hissed.
"Huh?"
"Get down! GET DOWN, NOW!"
(Y/n) couldn't even comprehend what happened next. It all unfolded in slow motion, their actions lagging as a harrowing sound ripped through the air. She lunged over to Winry, arms spread out before her. The blonde girl watched with wide eyes, but was smart enough to stay put. Ling did his best to move away from the door in time, and the Elrics were already transmuting before anyone could hit the floor. Buccaneer and Miles seemed unsure of what to do, but they ducked down at the very last minute as the boys' transmuted hands combined to hover over their heads. (Y/n) held the back of Winry's head as they collapsed to the ground, and she cringed harshly when her fingers sandwiched harshly between the ground and Winry's soft hair. None of them could see it happen, for they had all taken cover underneath Ed and Al's transmutations.
There was yet another unsettling sound, as if the atmosphere around them was being suctioned into the opposite direction by some kind of hot tornado. The sound of brick and wood ripping apart filled their ears, and Winry's eyes screwed even tighter as she clung to (Y/n)'s back. (Y/n) felt her gloved fingers dig into her blazer, and in that moment her only focus was keeping Winry beneath her. She didn't care what happened to her- hell, she had jumped over to her without any coverage of her own. (Y/n) didn't know where Ed, or Al, or Ling were, therefore she could only hope that they were alright as the foundation around them was torn apart.
(Y/n) gulped when her last name was screeched by the distraught Homunculus. She shook involuntarily, and Winry blinked her eyes open upon feeling the way her body trembled against her. Gluttony really was after the Mustang, and now that he had called her name in such a dauntingly desperate manner, everyone knew that (Y/n) was the real target.
Then it was silent.
All that could be heard was the heaving breaths of the individuals protected by the alchemy manipulated concrete caging them and shielding them from the outside. (Y/n) finally opened her eyes and went to lift herself from Winry, only for her back to bump into somebody's chest. She turned around slowly and expected to see Edward, but was caught by surprise when violet hues met hers. She blinked at the figure as Winry let go of her, and her (e//c) eyes hastily searched for Edward. He was kneeling by the arm of the hand he transmuted, his hands still pressed into the ground.
(Y/n) released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Greed rolled his eyes and shifted away from her to stand. "I'm starting to think you like putting your life on the line," he muttered, holding his hand out to her.
(Y/n) shook herself out of her stupor and pointed to the blonde, who was staring up at the Homunculus in confusion. She could have sworn that his voice hadn't been this deep before. "Help her, not me," (Y/n) frowned. Greed narrowed his eyes at her, but did as she said. He bent down further to reach the mechanic, and pulled her up uncharacteristically gently by her elbow. Winry watched him with wide eyes as her body was hoisted up effortlessly, and he onced over her body for any sign of injuries.
"You good?" he asked her, seemingly uninterested. When Winry told him that she was fine skeptically, (Y/n) realized that Winry was conversing with Greed and not Ling, and she gasped lightly. Greed turned to the girl and gave her a look.
"What's up with you?"
The Mustang raised her brows and tightened her lips, and Greed instantly realized what she was talking about. Ling reappeared not so suddenly, and (Y/n) really wished she could have strangled the avaricious Homunculus in that moment for being so careless.
"That's great to hear!" the prince beamed. Winry furrowed her brows, now beginning to think that she was going crazy. She glanced over to (Y/n), who exhaled loudly and slumped her shoulders.
"What about you, (Y/n)? Are you alright? You jumped in to save me," the blonde asked her. She glanced down at her left hand and noticed that it was shaking slightly, from what looked to be both pain and anxiety. Winry's protectiveness activated, and she inched closer to her to inspect her current state. "(Y/n)..."
"I'm alright," she hid her hand behind her back, smiling in a rather fake manner. Winry looked at her sorrowfully.
"But your hand..."
"It's okay, I promise. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt."
She waved off her concern so quickly, and Winry wondered if this was what Ed and Al had to deal with whenever (Y/n) was the one to get hurt and not them.
Miles gazed up at the alchemy manipulated ceiling, curling his brows downward. Buccaneer rubbed his head as he stood. Luckily, the makeshift cage that the Elrics created was large enough for the suit of armor and the tallest man in the room to stand up straight.
Edward and Al met the rest of them in the middle, and they all checked on each other to make sure that no one got hurt.
"Okay, so... what was that?" Winry asked once everyone was sure that they were alright.
"I'm not even sure," Edward sighed. "It sounded like the entire roof was being torn off."
"That wasn't anything like that thing that broke into the basement," Buccaneer pondered. "Let me guess, you can't kill it. Can you?"
"No..." Alphonse admitted, defeatedly. "Shooting it or anything like that won't work."
"What in the hell are these things," Miles grunted, only to be met with silence.
"It's quiet now," (Y/n) spoke up. "I should probably check-"
"Bad idea," Ling shook his head. "He's pouting right now. You go out there, and he'll pounce on you, completely forgetting everything he's thinking about now."
"You talk about it like it's a person," Buccaneer grimaced.
"Force of habit," the prince shrugged. "You two- officers- I heard that you encountered something like this back at your fort. How exactly did you take care of it?"
"Who the hell told you that?"
"I did," (Y/n) said. "Don't even start with me. He can help us, alright? I wouldn't have told a stranger that kind of stuff."
"Yeah, well, he may not be a stranger to you but he sure as hell is one to me!" Buccaneer complained. "You're not even Amestrian, are ya? How do I know you're not a spy?"
"I'm a prince of Xing, I told you. Frankly, I don't want anything more to do with this country. I've had my share of Amestris. I just want to get home to my people in one piece, and I can't do that if I'm leaving you guys behind to deal with this," Ling said sternly.
"How exactly are you familiar with this kind of thing?" Miles asked.
"That's a long story that I don't have the time to get into," he sighed. "As I was saying, tell me about the monster that climbed its way into the most secure fort in Amestris."
Buccaneer was on the verge of starting an argument, for he had thought that this boy was patronizing him. Miles was quick to stop him before he could get ahead. "We had the help of the State Alchemists and the Elric boy. The Empath used her alchemy to force the creature into our elevator, while the Elrics helped our Captain pour gas on the addled monster. They pushed him out into the snow, and the gas that drenched his body froze him from the inside out."
"Huh. Clever," Ling commented.
"Even so, we can't exactly pull that on this monster. To start, there's no blizzard that would freeze him. And it's not like we have the gas on us at all times," Edward pointed out.
"That's true... but we can find a way to immobilize him somehow," (Y/n) added. "If we can't kill him, then the best thing to do here is to trap him."
"Also, just because he can't die doesn't mean that we can't destroy his body."
Miles tilted his head slightly in disagreement. "The thing that we froze at Briggs was near impossible to approach. Our bullets wouldn't even impale it. They bounced off of it like it was some sort of iron wall."
"Hm, but not all of these things are the same in that manner. This one's different. Blades and bullets can cut through him just as easily as it would for any mortal man. His skin is like an expandable rubber, it stretches out and regrows once it's wounded. He can't die, but he can be ripped apart."
"How exactly would we go about doing that?"
Ed, Al, and Ling snapped their heads into (Y/n)'s direction. She froze, looking between them incredulously. "What?"
"(Y/n). This is all you," Ling said.
She scrunched her brows. "How- what would I even be able to do?"
"You know," Al said softly. (Y/n) looked at him, her face softening. So this was what it came down to.
"Hey, hey, we're the only adults here and you're pinning this on the bratty kid? You kids have a death wish or somethin'?" Buccaneer sneered.
"Why is it so hard for you to trust what we're saying?" Edward asked, though there was no displeasure in his tone. It sounded as if he were asking an innocent question, genuinely curious to hear the response. "You don't know who we are. You have no idea what we're actually capable of doing."
"Don't say it like that, Ed," (Y/n) said, tiredly.
He looked at her oddly. "Why not? It's true, isn't it?"
"I know, but... hell, I really don't know."
"You sound rather unsure of yourself," Miles observed.
(Y/n) winced as her hand continued to shake behind her back. "I'm fine. I'll- I'll do it. Yeah. I'll do my best."
"I'm confused," Winry said. "What are you gonna do?"
(Y/n) was about to tell her not to worry about it, but chose words that wouldn't make Winry feel left out. "I'm gonna empathize with a monster," she smiled.
"God, could you stand to be a little less cryptic for one second?" Buccaneer said.
"Nah, I like it! Makes you sound super cool," Ling grinned, giving the girl a thumbs up. "Me and Ed will be your backup while you guys get Winry and Alphonse outta here."
"But- why am I going?" Alphonse asked, clearly upset. He looked at his brother and his friend. "Guys... what are you doing...?"
Edward and (Y/n) exchanged glances as everyone, but Ling, stared at them suspiciously.
"Ed?" Winry called.
"Relax," he said. "I told you, we'd be back in one piece."
"But, what are y-"
"General. Captain," (Y/n) spoke up, and the said men turned to her. "When you get back to Briggs, tell the Major General that she doesn't have to tolerate me anymore. And just let her know... if this could have unraveled any other way, I wouldn't have even shown my face to her."
Ling's eyes widened when he remembered he hadn't informed (Y/n) of what he had had the misfortune of happening upon before he ran into Scar. Ling walked over to her and bent down, cupping his hand over his mouth as he leaned by her ear. (Y/n) flinched away for a second, wondering what the Xingese boy was up to. Her mouth moved to ask him, and she stopped when he whispered to her.
"Pride made it to the north. If it's here, it'll use those tunnels that Sloth dug to get into Briggs."
Her eyes widened. That was what Greed was trying to tell her before Gluttony came. Pride was on the prowl. Her eyes hesitantly moved to Winry and the officers, and her stomach dropped. Olivier had men exploring that very tunnel, and they would no doubt run into the savage Homunculus during their hike underneath the ground. She inhaled shakily, moving her right hand to cover her mouth. More people were going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it.
She couldn't send Winry or Alphonse back up there, not when Pride would be lurking just beneath their feet. Pride was one of the few Homunculi who genuinely horrified her. It was unlike the rest of them- it was like a feral wild animal. (Y/n) could tell that much from the energy she sensed from it when it had been creeping just within the trees behind the telephone booth where Maes' body had been found.
Then she remembered that Scar was still around, and not only that, but he was in the north with other people. The longer she thought about it, the more she realized that the safest place for Alphonse and Winry to go would be with the Ishvalan and the avaricious Homunculus.
"Hey, hey, back up," Edward bit, stepping between the pale skinned boy and the alchemist. When he saw (Y/n)'s face, he frowned. "What did you just say to her?"
"We can't send them back to Briggs," (Y/n) whispered to him, and he turned to her.
"What? Why?"
She looked at the way everyone was watching her and bit her tongue. "Pride," she mumbled.
(Y/n) didn't even wait to see how the boy reacted when she turned to Ling, no longer caring if she were making things too obvious. It wasn't like they'd understand what she was saying. "Greed. I'm counting on you to take Winry and Alphonse to Resembool."
"Resembool?" Winry repeated.
Alphonse inwardly cringed. "(Y/n), you just called him..."
"I know," she exhaled. "Did you hear me? Greed?"
The dark haired boy's eyes shifted to purple. "What happened to being discreet?"
"Did you hear me?"
Greed gritted his teeth. "If I'm taking them to the east, where the hell will you two end up?"
"Hopefully in Central. After everything goes down, he won't really know what to do with himself. He'll have devoured us, so of course he'll go running back home once he realizes that he messed up."
"Devour?" everyone shouted.
"...I'm not a damn chauffeur, (Y/n)," Greed said, ignoring the reactions of those around him.
"Does it look like I'm in the mood to go back and forth on this with you?" (Y/n) said sternly. "This is life and death. You're the one who felt the need to point that out to me, so get your shit together and help like you said you would."
He smirked. "You're really bossy when you're nervous."
"What did I literally just say?"
"Alright, alright. Cool your ass down, I'll take 'em to Resembool."
"And make sure you aren't alone either."
"Why would I-" he stopped when he understood that (Y/n) was telling him to bring Scar with him. "Jesus, alright."
"And Ed and I left our stuff in that hotel. If you could go get our bags and bring that with you that would be great."
"Okay! Anything else?" he growled.
(Y/n) allowed herself to smile. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Her jutted his bottom lip outward and averted his gaze, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Whatever."
After a shit ton of convincing from (Y/n)'s side, Miles and Buccaneer hesitantly agreed to head back without Winry and Alphonse. They weren't sure when they began taking orders from a fifteen year old, but there wasn't much time to dwell over it when a Homunculus was lurking just outside of their transmuted cage. Winry had no idea what was going on, and Alphonse only understood what (Y/n) and Edward were up to when they pulled him aside to explain it to him. He was completely shocked, and 100% against the sentiment when he first heard about it. They had no way of knowing what was truly within Gluttony's stomach, and they were willing to take the chance in order to strengthen her power. Much like Edward, he could hardly understand what this power inside her truly meant or how it would strengthen her. He just knew that (Y/n) would do whatever she could to use it to help others, to use it to save those in danger.
Alphonse completely understood the reasoning behind her wanting to do this suicidal thing. But he couldn't help but fear for her, and for his brother who was hellbent on sticking by her side. The fourteen year old tried to think positively as often as he could, but his concerns were still relevant. None of them were as familiar with Gluttony as they were with Greed or Wrath. Clearly, Gluttony held much more power within him than he appeared to have before. He couldn't deny that he was scared, but he trusted his brother and (Y/n) more than anyone. He had to remain hopeful, and tell himself that they would be alright. That was the only way he'd be able to let them go without putting up more of a fight.
As another shiver shook (Y/n)'s body, as the words fell from her mouth ordering everyone to move back, she wondered if this was her purpose. She wondered if she would always be the person to willingly put her life before others', without hesitation. She wondered if she'd always view her life as so minuscule in comparison to the lives of others. She wondered if lives would continue to be wasted, to be sacrificed no matter how many times she thrusted herself toward death's cold hand as a means of preventing the very thing that only continued to happen. (Y/n)'s body jolted when a heavy weight landed atop of the interlocked concrete hands, causing a few chips of concrete to fall atop their heads. (Y/n) held her hand out in front of Winry, who looked all around her, panicking when she could not see what was heaving its weight onto the alchemy.
"MUSTANG! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Gluttony roared, plowing his fists into the concrete above. The sound was loud, and (Y/n) couldn't even hear Buccaneer shouting over the ruckus. (Y/n) looked to Edward and saw him lost in his head, mulling over what his best course of action would be. The officers were shouting to each other about what they should do. Alphonse was watching the ceiling and Greed was standing completely still, almost as if he were waiting for something. He met (Y/n)'s eyes and raised a brow.
Why did she feel like she couldn't move? Why did she feel so nervous? Was it because this was the first time she'd truly fight after discovering the origin of her power? Was it because she was more uncertain about herself than she had been before? Was it because the girl she was fighting to protect was watching her every move, almost as if she were a spectator? It felt like (Y/n) was going to be graded on how well she handled this situation. Though Winry was an innocent victim, she couldn't help but feel like the blonde was judging her- like she was going to remember every single action (Y/n) took to prevent her from being exposed to harm. (Y/n) gulped. This shouldn't have felt like such a difficult task. She'd never had to tell herself to fight when lives were on the line. Her hand was still shaking, and she twitched her fingers to ensure that she could still move it. Her knuckles ached, likely swollen from the way they crushed against the hard floor.
She was trapped inside of her head, staring at the glass in that tall, lonesome mirror. She couldn't see herself in the reflection. She couldn't tell herself to move, not even the shivers running up and down her body were enough for her to go- to lift her arm- to do something. (Y/n) glanced down at her sword, which lay in the middle of the floor. She must have dropped in when she jumped over to Winry.
The Mustang leaned down to pick it up, deaf to the shout of her name that came from Edward, warning her to be careful. She picked up the iron weapon by the handle, gazing at it with a somber expression. It used to be of such conventional use. Now, well now she could do things with it she never believed to be possible. She didn't know why it was bothering her now, of all times.
Her eyes fluttered as particles fell from the concrete and into her hair as Gluttony pounded his fists into the foundation repeatedly. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, crouching to the ground and clapping her hands together once she held the handle of her sword between her teeth. She pushed against the transmuted stone and created an opening for the people around her to leave.
"Go," she said, though it was anything but a request. Buccaneer, surprisingly, looked rather put off by the entire ordeal. For someone who claimed to hate that girl so much, he sure as hell looked like he was angry about leaving her alone. Miles held him back from moving toward her. "You've got other things to worry about. Go check on your Major General. And if you can, tell her to pull those men out of that tunnel. Heaven only knows what'll happen if they're stuck down there for too long."
"You still need my help, don't you?" Greed asked and (Y/n) sighed. "Relax. I heard what you told me to do. I'm not just gonna leave two human kids to deal with a Homu- mm, that thing- on their own."
"Oh yeah?" Edward's voice was sarcastic. "Since when did you become such a saint?"
Greed rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles. "Good question." He turned to Al and Winry. "There's an abandoned building on the other side of these rows of buildings. Stay there until I come get you."
Alphonse shook his head in exasperation. "Be careful."
Edward and (Y/n) nodded.
"I'm sorry we have to part ways like this again, Winry," (Y/n) said to the blonde, who gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I thought you said you were tired of apologizing," she said, lightly. (Y/n) laughed.
"Hurry. I'll bring Ed back safely."
With that, Alphonse pulled Winry along and darted across the street. Miles and Buccaneer nodded at the kids and took off to their cars, leaving just in time for Gluttony to let out another roar.
The transmutation above the alchemists and the Xingese prince began to crack, and the three took an involuntary step back. (Y/n) breathed in and out slowly, clenching her fist around the handle of her sword. Edward looked over to her from beside her, transmuting his blade in an instant and moving into a fighting stance.
"You gonna be alright doing most of this work?" he asked the (h/c) haired girl.
(Y/n) nodded mutely, making sure that her gloves were secure around her fingers.
"You sure? You look a little pale. You're not still nervous, are ya?" Greed questioned from her other side. She shook her head rapidly.
"No," she breathed, twirling her weapon until the blade pointed toward the ground within her grasp. "Now I'm pissed."
Gluttony finally collapsed through the roof, and his body colliding with the ground sent the floor into violent waves. (Y/n) wobbled on her feet as the ground jerked upward, and as the Elrics' transmutation crumbled around her. She coughed, dusting debris from her face and eyesight. She looked around at the now open atmosphere.
Edward had been right when he said that the roof had been torn off, if not underestimating Gluttony's strength just a tad. The only thing that remained was the flooring that the three of them stood above, and the rest of the medicinal shop had been completely wiped out. (Y/n) recalled what Greed said about Gluttony's stomach: the Homunculus not only ate people and livestock, but he could consume buildings and structures as well. That deep, hole residing within his chest must have been the very depths of his stomach- and that eye of his that stood out above the rest of his appearance resembled that aspect of Father's experiment that failed. The pompous Homunculus had attempted to recreate the Portal of Truth, where it had been explained to her that an all knowing eye was the very center of it. This eye, wide with terror, was a symbol of the Homunculi's inability to create and wield what was omnipotent. If only Father could have seen that.
Once (Y/n) got a clear view of Gluttony, who was scrambling about the mess he created as a means to search for her, her brows narrowed and her jaw clenched. She planted her right foot behind her, firmly positioning it amongst the rubble while she leaned over her bent knee.
Gluttony. This childish, desperate, pathetic Homunculus had come all this way to kill a girl who meant a great deal to the Elrics, a great deal to her. Uncertain or not, there was no way in hell (Y/n) would let him get away with it.
She was terrified, but she charged toward him. Propelling herself forward with her foot, she lunged at the large Homunculus who could no doubt squash her brain between his upper and forearm. (Y/n) knew this, and she was terrified, but she forced her body into motion. She held her sword by its handle by the side of her face with both hands, prepared to thrust her weapon into any open area that Gluttony allowed to remain vulnerable. Her breathing was hard, her pupils were blown, and her teeth were bared. She still couldn't see herself in her own reflection, and it terrified her. She questioned herself, her abIlity, her strength. She questioned how Gluttony would react, if he would grab ahold of her once he finally caught on to her figure moving closer to her. (Y/n) questioned her capability, if she was really able to protect Winry or even bring Edward home to her, safe and sound. She was horrified that she'd lose someone else or even herself.
But she moved forward.
It didn't matter what fear festered within her and threatened to drag her down to her knees. It didn't matter whether she thought she could do this or not, whether the Truth would really help her, or whether the pain and uncertainty within her would ever wither away. It didn't matter, not as long as she tried. She could be drowning in uneasiness and mistrust in herself and no one would know it, not truly, because she fought with a fire burning inside of her. She pushed herself off of the ground and forced her body into motion, even when all seemed lost. When she suffered from insecurity, she ran out of its reach and refused to let it swallow her. (Y/n) lived by this drive, this urge to keep moving and fighting as long as her heart continued to beat and as long as it was capable of love and protection. She wouldn't be anywhere without it, therefore no matter what she faced, she would keep on. She would move and swing her arms around until she collapsed.
She would fight, and as much as Father took away from her, he couldn't take away her undying initiative. Only when that day came would Father truly win.
And that day was not today.
"GLUTTONY!" she screamed, at the very top of her lungs. The said Homunculus shot his head upward upon hearing this voice, and when his small pitiful eyes met hers, his face scrunched with indescribable animosity. It was scary, but nothing stopped (Y/n)'s feet from carrying her closer to him.
Greed watched her with the corner of his nose scrunched upward. She was charging in like a mad woman, wielding a weapon that visibly appeared pathetic in comparison to Gluttony's mass. But she held that thing, that little blade, like it was the most powerful thing in the universe. Her entire body was shaking, Greed to tell that much, but she didn't stop moving. He was really beginning to think that (Y/n) really did have some kind of death wish, but when he looked over to a just as awed Edward, he knew that wasn't the case.
The Homunculus shut his mouth, which had been hanging open against his awareness. She didn't have a death wish. It was quite the opposite, actually. She chose not to accept death, no matter how dangerously close she inched toward it.
(Y/n) missed him when she swiped her sword toward his body. Gluttony dodged swiftly, his body moving rather fast for a creature with such impressive body mass. To Greed's surprise, she matched his speed with her own. Her body, nimble and small in comparison to the clumsy movements of her opponent, kept up with his fast and erratic motions rather well. He moved behind her to grab her head, and she ducked the large hand that grazed the top of her head. She tumbled backward, between his legs and out into the street in order to lead that brawl into an open space. Greed and the said boy were left to watch, dumbstruck, in the heap of rock that Gluttony left behind.
Edward's mind was telling him to move, to go help the Empath Alchemist, but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt for some odd reason. He was completely enraptured by the fight, his eyes wide as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. His heart was playing this game with him, in which it tightened and released his chest in correlation to the movements that (Y/n) made. It was like he was in the audience of a boxing match, watching the scene unfold before him. He was rooting for the rookie, the less experienced fighter that had the courage to throw themself into competition against the much larger, more experienced fighter that held a rather hefty grudge against the persistent combatant.
Ed's heart was in his throat. He wanted to help her so badly, but he wouldn't dare interrupt her while she was in her element. She and the gluttonous Homunculus held something of an unspoken rivalry, in which they needed to fight each other. They were both mourning because of Roy Mustang, and though it was strange to compare Gluttony's tantrum to (Y/n)'s grief, there was a distinct connection in the reasons behind why they fought. Gluttony, though dull and childish, was in pain. (Y/n), though young and inexperienced, was in pain. It was hard to pin it, but Edward wouldn't have felt right pulling her away from this. She needed this, and by the way her nose scrunched and her eyes trained on every minuscule movement Gluttony made, she was not backing down.
Edward wasn't even sure if she remembered why she needed to fight him in the first place.
"Hey," Greed hissed, nudging the Fullmetal Alchemist's back. Edward whipped his head around with a mean look. "Stop gawking and go on. You wanna get him to eat you, right?"
Edward cringed. "Why would you phrase it like that?"
"Go on."
"What about (Y/n)?" Edward questioned.
Greed paused and looked down at the blonde, his eyes dull. "Where do you think I'm tellin' you to go?"
Edward turned slowly into the direction that Greed's body was facing, which was Gluttony and (Y/n)'s. Edward huffed out a laugh, raising his automail and flexing his fingers. He gazed at the metal that peered back up at him, and he grunted. His eyes filled with determination as he tilted his head back up to look at (Y/n). She was now jumping backward as Gluttony dove before her, getting away from the incoming impact of Gluttony's body.
"Is she really gonna tear him apart?"
"Well, we gotta piss him off enough for him to accidentally use that eye of his to suck you in."
"Honestly, can't you find a better way to describe all of this?"
"There are better things to worry about," Greed shrugged, summoning his Ultimate Shield. "You goin' or what?"
"I still don't like you," Edward grumbled as he walked beside Greed into the direction of the fight.
"Yeah, yeah."
(Y/n) never thought of herself as someone who would experience the trials of life alone. Whether it was dealing with new and confusing emotions, struggling with her self identity, or struggling to keep a fight going after her body had already told her it was time to quit. She went into all of these things, believing that she would deal with them independently at first, only to be completely proven wrong by the blonde alchemist she had the privilege of growing close to. His presence and his undying will to be with her every step of the way made it impossible for her to imagine going through life without him by her side.
Even when all seemed lost, even when Gluttony managed to knock her down or when she fell to the ground struggling to catch her breath. Even when it really felt like she was fighting alone with no one to depend on but herself, the Fullmetal Alchemist always, always, swooped in at the last second. (Y/n) picked herself up from the ground, rage burning in her eyes, when she saw Ed take her place when she was in no fighting position. She blinked, watching him thrust his transmuted blade into Gluttony's face, completely uncaring of the shouts of protest that Gluttony released due to the fact that Edward was a sacrifice that he held no grudge against. She watched the boy move expertly, and though it was true that his brother was a better fighter, Edward fought with incredible balance and agility. His bangs flew about his face as he leaped and jumped, dodged and attacked. His eyes were filled with that very same determination that (Y/n) had thrived off of.
No matter how far it seemed that he was, he always came to help her. Not to show her up, but to show her that she wasn't alone when she thought she was.
(Y/n) huffed, tilted her head to the side and stretched her arms out. She went back to her training with Greed, and how she needed to focus more on looking for an opening on Gluttony's body rather than fighting him for the sake of taking her anger out on him. She breathed in and out, regaining her focus. Emotions were influential when it came to this intuitive ability of hers, but they needed to be kept at bay, or else her power would likely go haywire. She channeled her anger, her protectiveness, and her empathy into one objective.
Gluttony was at a complete loss. Not only had this traitor come to fight on the enemy's side, but he was being outnumbered. He knew that (Y/n) Mustang was Father's precious human sacrifice. How could he forget, when the man was constantly speaking about how no harm was to come to her unless Pride decided to bear his fangs upon confrontation? Gluttony wanted nothing more than to obey the being who brought him life, who gave him purpose, who gave him Lust.
Lust.
It was odd for Homunculi to grow attached to living beings, but this relationship had become so domestic that it hardly seemed to be a problem for any of the artificial humans. Gluttony was constantly treated as a bumbling buffoon by Envy and Greed, before he turned his back on him. Lust had been the only one to treat him with kindness, with something of a mother's touch that a child often yearned for. Lust, though sadistic and selfish, had come to be Gluttony's sole source of excitement and affection. He remembered how she patted his head gently when he feasted on the flesh of a false priest from Liore, and how her smooth voice coaxed him into executing tasks that he wasn't comfortable with doing. To Gluttony, it wasn't manipulation. It was trust and friendship that he had built with the lustful Homunculus. He used to wait by those large doors for her to return to their underground base after she'd gone off on business, and whenever she'd walk into the destitute room, a wild smile would spread across his face and his nerves would jolt with happiness.
He waited for her to come home that day, just as he always did. Gluttony sat patiently by the door, watching it with doe eyes as the night grew later and later. He waited and waited until she never came.
One of Father's precious human sacrifices took Lust away from him. Now that the one person closest to that murderer was at the palm of his hands, he didn't want to waste the opportunity to avenge the pale skinned Homunculus. He sought revenge, he sought relief of this horrible feeling that he had been experiencing for the past couple days. He wanted to scream, and kill, and die, and it didn't matter if (Y/n) was supposed to be a tool used for the Promised Day. Lust should have been more important to Father, not (Y/n). If he'd stop planning this Godforsaken day to see the damage that he had caused, he wouldn't have been worrying about (Y/n) or Roy or anyone so much in the first place. Hell, Father didn't even seem affected by Lust's death in the least. Nobody had expected him to be, for he was a cold being that had stripped his very emotions away. Still, it was strange that he wasn't at least a little upset at the thought of being parted from one of his core emotions, one of the emotions that made him more lively, more human.
That must have been why he hadn't cared, even when Greed betrayed him as well. The farther the Homunculi grew from his grasp, the less he had to worry about his human emotions affecting him.
Gluttony couldn't comprehend that, and he didn't want to. He wanted to rip Mustang apart, and it started with his daughter.
But as she charged at him for a second time, with her face less infuriated and more calm, he almost regressed back to his childlike state. Why was he doing this? It wasn't her fault that her father had killed the one being that Gluttony had come to care for more than anything. Gluttony's goal was to impress Father, and he'd be doing the exact opposite by killing the person he obsessed himself over. Gluttony was confused, drifting in a sea of doubt and pain. It hurt, it hurt so much, and his basic urges were telling him to kill, kill, and kill some more. It was in his nature to never be satisfied, much like how it was with Greed's.
The difference between Gluttony and Greed was the Gluttony excessively consumed while greed excessively collected. Gluttony carried out his sinful desires while Greed held onto the things he wanted. Greed would never be satisfied with the things he obtained while Gluttony physically could not understand satisfaction, as he sought to devour and kill and repeat without knowing or being able to tell when an excessive amount was an excessive amount. Greed knew when he wanted more than an ordinary person, while Gluttony ate without ever being able to understand what more or less was.
He growled when (Y/n)'s blade almost nicked his skin as she came toward him, and now he was saddled with fighting two fifteen year old State Alchemists at the same time. They continued to come on to him, thrusting their sharp weapons into the direction of his flesh as he backed away and dodged. He had let his guard down momentarily, and he was displaying the side of him that Edward had been expecting to see. The immature, whiny, and panicked side. For a moment, he'd actually allowed the reality of what he was doing to settle in. He didn't want to make Father angry. That was the very last thing he wanted to do, but (Y/n) was the only thing that was giving him purpose right now. (Y/n) began to look terrifying, which was ironic considering that Gluttony was the one with the razor sharp fangs. She should have been fearing him. Why wasn't she scared- how wasn't she scared? Had she seen through him? Did she know just how hurt he truly was, and that he was taking it out on the only Mustang he thought to?
Gluttony continued to back up as Ed and (Y/n) inched him backward. This wasn't what was supposed to happen, was it? He was supposed to kill Winry Rockbell, that blonde friend of the Elrics. He'd sniffed her out, and yet here he was, fighting the Empath and Fullmetal Alchemists. What was he going to tell Father? How would he even go about telling him when he went back to Central? Would he even make it back to Central? Was he going to die? Could he be killed the way Lust had been?
Gluttony whimpered when his back met the cool steel of familiar hands. His eyes darkened, and all of his previous thoughts melted away.
"Alright, Gluttony. I'm gonna need you to stay here for a sec while the kid does something. Can you do that for me, bud?" Greed's low voice taunted him, and Gluttony could practically hear the smirk stretching across the traitor's face. He was so distracted by the indestructible shield that kept him in his place, that he was caught off guard when a red hot pain sent signals to his brain. He looked down at his stomach slowly and stared at the Shortsword that had pierced his skin and had been planted into his flesh. His large nose twitched, and his blank eyes looked up to (Y/n).
The Mustang stared at the blade and nothing but the blade as it sunk deeper into his skin. Her (e/c) eyes were dull and bags showed under her eyes as she watched the sight. For a moment, it seemed as though she was no longer inside of her own body. Her eyes grew distant and her entire body froze. Edward stood directly behind her, watching Gluttony's expression so carefully that his eyes began to strain.
This look, this lifeless and unaffected look, must have been the expression that adorned Roy's face when he burned Lust alive. When he burned her over and over again until she was nothing but a pile of ash that disappeared as quickly as Roy's resolve.
These Mustangs were demons in Gluttony's eyes, and he would not allow one to take him down. For Lust, he would kill the only sacrifice that truly held Father's undivided attention.
As (Y/n) blinked and reconnected with her surroundings, Gluttony's meaty arm rose ever so slowly. Edward watched, and his eyes widened the second the Homunculus' arm came down. (Y/n) was sent flying across the street and into the side of an abandoned car. Her sword fell from her grasp just before it could transmute itself by the manipulation of the orange color that (Y/n) had ingested from the Homunculus. Her breath was knocked out of her as she crashed against the metal automobile and slumped to the ground. Her head instantly began throbbing and her vision went blurry. She could barely feel herself slide onto the ground, and her ears rang as Edward's voice grew louder.
Gluttony was strong, stronger than (Y/n) had been willing to believe. It felt like all of her strength had been knocked out of her with the single swipe of his arm, and if (Y/n) had known that Gluttony was carrying this much resentment, she would have gone about this completely differently.
"(Y/n)! (Y/n)," Edward's voice grew clearer. The (h/c) haired girl felt hands grasp her arms that had been dragging the rest of her body across the ground and toward her sword before she could even stop the ringing in her head. Edward picked her up and threw her arm over his shoulder, his hand coming to hold her up by her waist. He knew that Greed had taken to keeping Gluttony from continuing after (Y/n). The blonde knew he didn't have enough time, but he needed to make sure that (Y/n) was alright. The way Gluttony threw her had knocked the car over. It didn't look pretty, but Edward was grateful to whatever higher power that reigned over him that (Y/n) hadn't been sent into the brick wall just behind the damaged car.
"Look, hey look at me. (Y/n), can you hear me?" Edward spoke gently as he sat (Y/n) down behind the car. She groaned, tugging her arms from Ed's hand to grasp her head. "No, don't touch it. You might be bleeding. You could also have a concussion," he told her, grabbing her hands gently and placing them into her lap. He was trying so hard to keep his anger at bay. He'd started shaking with anger, and his eyes could light the entire city on fire if he focused hard enough. But (Y/n)'s condition was his first priority, and then he could worry about killing Gluttony.
He shifted and kneeled, keeping his hand overtop (Y/n)'s as he held up the other. "How many fingers am I holding up? (Y/n), please, come on. You gotta tell me."
She scrunched her nose and blinked, focusing her vision on the two boys before her until they became one. "Three," she groaned, finally adjusting.
Edward breathed out heavily and lowered his hand. "Good, that's a start."
His hands moved to hold her face as he gazed all over her body. He told her to turn her head to the side, and he inspected the back of her head to check for any bleeding in the back of her skull.
"I don't have a concussion," (Y/n) muttered stubbornly as Edward's hands roamed her face delicately.
"How would you know that?" he grumbled, clenching and unclenching his jaw.
"I'm alright. See look, I'm fine," she said louder, her voice growing a bit more stable.
Edward refused to let his hands leave her face. "What's your name?"
"(Y/n) Mustang."
"My name."
"Edward. Edward Elric."
"Where are you right now?"
"The north- dammit, Ed. I told you I'm okay. I'm okay!" she grabbed his wrists and looked him dead in the eye. His gold orbs searched her (e/c) ones, and he frowned. "I need my sword."
"(Y/n)-"
"Ed, I need my sword."
Edward narrowed his brows. "(Y/n), you can not fight like this."
"Watch me!" she shouted, and Edward looked genuinely taken aback. They'd argued and bickered so many times before, but this felt... different. (Y/n) had never yelled at him like this. Her mind wasn't with him, and it was clear that something was off. Edward lifted his hands from her cheeks as she pushed herself off of the ground. She wobbled on her feet, and Edward instinctively shot his hands out in case he needed to catch her. "I'm fine, I said," she grumbled. Edward watched as she trudged off to retrieve her sword, which lay in the middle of the street, now quite a ways away from where Greed and Gluttony were battling.
Her body ached all over, and her head the most. It felt like she'd just been hit by a train, and no matter how much she tried to hide it, Edward could see it all. He remained in his kneeling position with his hands stretched out as he watched her bend down to pick up her sword. The instant the blade touched her fingers, it captured itself in the familiar glow of (Y/n)'s gold alchemy.
An orange bladed Machete replaced the meek Shortsword she once carried. It was heavy in her hands, but proper for Gluttony's character. She sniffed, tossing the weapon over her shoulder and limping toward the Homunculus.
Edward watched her, now with fear. She lived by the motto of fighting until she couldn't fight any longer, no matter how hurt or exhausted she was. Her drive was astonishing, but it proved to be detrimental as well. With each step she took, Edward winced. It was as if he was feeling the pain that shot through her body the further she moved. He wanted to call her, to tell her to come back to him- to beg her, but he knew that wouldn't work. She kept going. Her back was hunched and the wide blade of the machete she sported reflected the light of the grey sky. Edward's chest heaved up and down slowly. For the very first time in his life, he was somewhat afraid of (Y/n) Mustang.
"I didn't kill Lust," she growled once she was within Gluttony's earshot. Greed turned to her as best as he could while Gluttony's hand grasped his face, and his pupils shrank.
A shadow cast over the girl's face, and the sight of the machete almost twice her size hanging over her shoulder complemented the dark aura she emitted. Gluttony released Greed's face harshly and walked toward the Mustang. When Greed tried to keep him back, Gluttony shoved him into a nearby lamppost. "I understand how you're hurting. Believe me, I do," she hissed.
(Y/n) lifted her machete from over her shoulder and tilted it before her. Her eyes scanned the intimidating weapon, and the way her trembling fingers held onto the handle for dear life.
"I can feel it," she almost chuckled. "I can feel it all, every single emotion you're experiencing. Jesus Christ, it feels like I'm witnessing Hughes dying all over again." This time she did laugh, running her throbbing hand over her face while the other continued to grip the large sword. All of this, while Gluttony continued to run toward her. "Do you really think I'd wish this upon another being?!" she shouted, laughter mixing into her yell. "Hell, I'd rather die than force someone to live through this! Homunculus or not, this pain is fucking unbearable! No wonder you want to kill me so bad, I'd want to, too!"
"(Y/n), the hell are you doing?!" Greed yelled.
(Y/n) lifted her head, revealing the harsh smile that stretched her lips and the tears that brimmed her eyes. "But I didn't kill her! Do you know how tiring it is to constantly be associated with my Roy's psychotic episode?! I didn't kill her, I didn't kill her, I DIDN'T KILL LUST! AND I'M SICK OF BEING BLAMED FOR MY FATHER'S MISTAKES!" she screamed. Gluttony jumped overhead, hands grasping the air as he inched closer to (Y/n)'s figure. She continued to snicker harshly to herself as the tears fell down her cheeks. Gluttony's shadow loomed over hers, and as Edward and Greed shouted for her to move, she lifted her machete and grasped the handle with both hands as she swiped it ferociously through the body.
The gruesome sound of flesh being sliced open and bones being cut through echoed throughout the empty street. (Y/n)'s breaths were ragged and blood spattered across her chin as Gluttony's severed body collapsed to the ground next to her with two resounding thuds. She breathed heavily, leaning over to begin to collect herself as the tears flowed from her eyes like a stream. Her laughter was painful, as it kept coming without any sign of ceasing. She moved to embrace her knees as she crouched to the ground, dropping the blood stained machete to the ground. Her body shook heavily with the sobs that blended into laughter, and she held her hand over her mouth to quiet the noise.
She was hurting so badly, and she had no idea that this amount of pain had been what Gluttony was experiencing. She choked, her throat going raw as the crazed sounds continued to spill from her muffled mouth. (Y/n) didn't understand why everything had to hurt so much for everyone. She couldn't tell what pain was from her body smashing against a car and what pain was from the emotions that had been forcibly passed onto her from Gluttony. She didn't know anymore, and she couldn't stop laughing. She couldn't stop crying. She didn't move, not even as Gluttony's body began to mold itself back into one piece. The red light from the sparks that surrounded Gluttony's body illuminated (Y/n)'s face, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
And as the darkness closed in on her, warm arms came to surround her and pull her from the ground that was sinking before her. She was laughing hysterically at this point. It was all funny, wasn't it? This full circle pain was all just some big joke. It hurt so bad it was comical, and she couldn't stop.
Edward's arms pulled her into his chest as he sat on the ground with her. His legs splayed across the concrete as (Y/n) lay between his legs. She slumped against him, laughing, crying, empathizing. His face was scrunched with anguish as he pressed her head into his chest by her neck, cautious as to not bring pain to her skull. She didn't have the strength to cling to him, or to stop crying, but she leaned into him. That was enough for Edward to know that (Y/n) was still in there somewhere, that she just needed to be reminded that this world was not as dark as it was when she attempted to take it on alone.
Gluttony's shadow now consumed both of them once he healed himself and stood back on his feet. Edward looked up at him expectantly, clinging to (Y/n) in such a comforting manner that (Y/n) was having a hard time believing it to be true. Edward closed his eyes when he felt his hair lift from his forehead and blow into the direction of the void within Gluttony's teeth. The last thing he saw was an eye staring at him before he and (Y/n) were drawn into a pit of nothingness.