"EVELYN!!!" Someone hit me on the head with a hardcover book. I sat up on the couch, crying from the pain as I held my head. Uncle Roy stood above me, holding a book with a annoyed look on his face. "Evelyn, I've been trying to wake you up for the past 15 minutes!" He scolded. "Get more sleep-you sleep like a log when you are trying to make up the hours."
I yawned, picking at my ear. "What's up?" I asked.
"The military called us in for a emergency investigation," Uncle Roy explained as he buttoned up his jacket.
Sleepily, I tried to make it out of the couch but ended up getting tangled with the sheets. I cried out as I rolled off the couch, trying to untangle my limbs. Uncle Roy sighed as he helped me up. "You fell asleep in your clothes. Good," he said, throwing my jacket at me. "At leas we won't have to struggle of you changing out."
As I buttoned on my military jacket as Uncle Roy put on a black trench coat outside his uniform, I asked, "What's the emergency?"
"There's been a death," he informed. "Two deaths, actually. Both at the Tucker household."
*~*~*~*~*~
It was still raining, not lightening up the slightest from yesterday as Colonel Mustang and I stepped into the crime scene. Both bodies were covered up with blankets. Hughes and Armstrong were already at the scene, chatting with other military officers. Hughes glanced at us and saw our arrival. "Looks like we were a bit late," he sighed.
"We have to go after him soon," Major Armstrong suggested. "Or else..."
"You sound you like knew this was going to happen," Colonel stated. "What happened?"
Hughes and Major Armstrong stared at him for a bit. Major Armstrong sighed, "Lately there has been a string of murders, all involving State Alchemists. The cause of their deaths were always the same-their brains blown up from inside out. We have a few theories of the motives, but no confirmation yet."
"Do we have any reports of who the serial killer is or who they look like?" Colonel asked.
"Yes," Hughes nodded. "Second Lieutenant Ross picked up some info on this killer. He has a large, noticeable scar on his face. Because of that, we call him Scar."
"Hm..." Colonel placed a finger under his chin. "I don't know anyone of that described appearance. How about you, Evelyn?"
"No," I shook my head no. "Wait-you said he targets State Alchemists?" I asked.
"Yes," Armstrong repeated. "Lately the attacks have been concentrated in Central."
"Oh no!" I gasped, covering my mouth. "Edward is a alchemist! He could be targeted next!"
"Well, then go to headquarters and see if he's okay," Colonel ordered. "Get him and Alphonse to a safe place and hide. The murders have been recent so he might strike today as well. Go!"
*~*~*~*~*~
I sprinted through the ran, panting heavily with each burning step. I stumbled and had to slow down to regain my balance. Once I did and took a quick breather, I sprinted back to headquarters. Just as I feared, a man, matching Hughes' description, stood in front of Edward and Alphonse as they sat beside a statue. "EDWARD! ALPHONSE!" I screamed, catching their attention as well as the man's attention. I clapped my hands and slammed down onto the ground, splashing a bit from the heavy rain and sent a spark of a explosion at the man. The ground gave away underneath the man and he stumbled, falling to the rocking ground.
"What the hell us this about?!" Edward cried, getting up and looking at me.
"NO TIME, JUST RUN!!!" I screamed, grabbing the two by the arms and hoisting them up. We scrambled down the stairs, as they were on the top floor and roof of headquarters and they exploded. We screamed as the concerted ground gave away and Alphonse grabbed Edward's ankle and he held onto my arm. Scar stood above Al and placed his hand on the ground, making the crumbling ledge Alphonse was holding onto break apart as well.
"Al, Evelyn, hold on!" Edward yelled as he transmuted a pillar from the stairs below us. Scar placed a hand on the pillar and it exploded. We tumbled downhill and we took off running. "Damn it, what's this about?!" Ed asked. "Making enemies is something I've never...really avoided...but there's no reason for anyone to try and kill me!"
We ran in it an alleyway as an attempted diversion but alchemic sparks ran along the building and it exploded, burying the path in rubble. "Oww..." Edward groaned as he got up, brushing off the remains of the building off his coat. The man stood in front of us, blocking us so there was no way out. "Who the hell are you?" Edward yelled. "Why are you after us?!"
"Think of it this way: if there is someone who created you, then there is someone who will destroy you, as well," Scar stated.
"Looks like there's no getting out of this," Edward sneered as he turned a nearby pole that was buried in the rubble into a knife.
We ran towards Scar. "You got guts..." he smirked, but clenched his hands. "But...too slow." Scar placed his hand on Alphonse, causing half of Alphonse's armor to explode. "Al!" Ed screamed. As Alphonse collapsed, I could see the insides of his armor and saw that there was nothing inside it.
I stare at Alphonse in awe. There's...no one inside? But why? The armor sounded like Alphonse, so it's gotta be him! Then...why is there no body within the armor?
"You bastard!" Edward yelled, dashing up to him with the knife.
"Too slow!" He said, grabbing onto Edward's right arm.
"Ed!" I shouted. His arm is going to get blown off just like those other victims! But, instead of it exploding into a bloody mess like I had expected, I heard the loud ringing of metal and Edward tumbled out into the streets.
"Damnit!" Edward grumbled, throwing off his signature red cloak and I gawked at him. In the sleeves of his black outfit, there was a automail arm. Was...was he like me? I clung to my left arm, feeling the cold metal.
"Automail?" Scar asked, walking out of the alleyway. "I see, that's why bodily destruction doesn't hurt you. You're a strange one."
Edward slapped his metal arm and a blade formed. No transmutation circle either? I didn't see a tattoo on his hand like me. "No, Brother!" Al begged, crawling across the cold pavement. "You should run! Evelyn, convince him!"
"You dumbass!" Edward shouted. "How could I leave you behind and run?!"
I jumped in front of Edward and clapped my hand together, slamming them onto the ground and sending a spark of a explosion at Scar. He countered my attack by slamming his hand into the ground and sending an explosion a me. "You're countering my attack...by sending the same exact thing back at me?" I asked.
Our speaks met and exploded. Scar covered his face wth my arms and I did the same, only to get blown back by the shockwaves of the explosion. I screamed as I tumbled back, slamming into a nearby brick building. Scar approached Edward in a intimidating fashion. "You press your hands together to make a ring, and then preform a transmutation?" He concluded. "In that case..." Edward ran up to him and went in for a stab but Scar grabbed his bladed arm, holding a hand on the bicep part of it. "I will start by destroying this abhorrent right arm of yours." Blue sparks appeared and Edward's arm was blown into millions of pieces.
"Brother!" Al yelled again, crawling more desperately now.
The pieces of metal clattered across the went pavement as Scar threw Edward onto the streets. "Now you can't you can't use your alchemy," Scar smirked in triumph.
"You jerk!" I screamed, struggling to get up from my spot. Once I did, with shaking legs, I ran up to Scar and clapped my hands, preparing to take the ground underneath him so I can grab Edward and Alphonse and run.
Scar stopped my attack by grabbing my left arm. "You're also a nuisance as well," he grumbled, alchemic sparks flying. Instead of blowing my arm to bits like he did with Edward's, a loud ring of echoing metal was heard as I gripped my left arm in pain as I fell back down. But, the pain subsided as if it was numbed. What...what happened to my arm?! I thought.
Edward attempted to crawl away but he ended up falling on his face. Scar looked over on top of him. "I'll give you a moment to pray to God," he said mercifully.
"Brother, run! Brother!" Alphonse cried, falling down and crumbling some more from the dragging of his hallow armored body across wet pavement.
"Unfortunately, I don't have a God to pray to," Edward stated. "Are you just after me? Or are you planning to kill my brother Al and my best friend Evelyn also?"
"If they interfere, then I'll eliminate them also," he replied. "However, Fullmetal Alchemist, you are the only one right now who will be receiving judgement."
"Oh yeah? Then promise me this; don't hurt my brother or my friend!"
"I will keep that promise then. However, Evelyn will be eliminated once you are finished."
"Brother...what do you mean?" Al sputtered. "Brother...what are you doing?"
"I said both Evelyn and Al!" Edward yelled in defiance.
"If I'm correct, Evelyn...Evelyn Joyce is the Clockwork Alchemist," Scar recalled. "So, once I'm done with you, Evelyn is next."
"Evelyn!" Alphonse begged me, snapping me out of my numbing trance. "Save yourself! Run!"
I struggled to get up but fell back down. It was like back when I only had one arm again. Leaning on my right arm, I watched as Scar was about to blow Edward's brains inside out. "Stop...stop it...stop it you bastard!!!" Alphonse screeched, reaching out.
A gunshot shattered the excitement and caught all of our attention. We turned to see Colonel Mustang with a pistol in the air along with his team of soldiers beside him. "That's far enough!" He ordered. "You made quite a mess of things, Scar. I'll be taking you into custody under the offense of murdering a series of state alchemists."
"Alchemists are beings after the original form of matter," Scar replied, successfully catching Colonel's attention. He stood up above Edward. "In other words, an affront to God the creator of all. I bring judgement, acting as God's hand. If you choose to get in my way, I will eliminate you, as well."
"In that case," Colonel smirked cockily as he handed Lieutenant Hawkeye his pistol.
"Colonel Mustang!" She yelled.
"Mustang...the Flame Alchemist," Scar muttered as he approached the Colonel, breaking out into a run.
"So you know who I am and still what I challenge me," Colonel continued to smirk. "Bad decision."
He snapped his fingers but all that came out was a puff of smoke. Lieutenant Hawkeye, who was three steps ahead of him roundhouse kicked Colonel so he slid right under Scar just as he reached out his hand. Colonel Mustang cried out at how close he was to death. Hawkeye pulled out another handgun as she began firing at Scar, who jumped back with every shot and retreated behind a nearby building. "Hey, Hawkeye, why the hell did you do that for?" Mustang yelled.
"You know well as I do you're useless on rainy days," Lieutenant Hawkeye stated, cocking her gun at her head. "Please stay back!"
Colonel's head dropped at the realization and at his own stupidity as Havoc held his hand at the rain. "Oh yeah, I forgot," he remarked. "It's hard to get a spark out when it's raining like this."
"You being unable to use your sparks is quite convenient for me," Scar said, coming out of his hiding place. "I will destroy all those who interfere!"
"We'll see about that!" Major Armstrong swooped in behind him, punching the ground with his spiked knuckles. Scar leapt back to avoid getting hit.
"Reinforcements?!" He sputtered.
"You're quite good to be able to dodge my fist," Major Armstrong remarked, taking his fist out of the shattered concrete ground. "You said you destroy everyone here, right? Then try getting through me first! The Strong Arm Alchemist, Alex Louis Armstrong!!!"
"One after another..." Scar muttered. "This must be a divine guidance, as well."
"So you won't retreat, huh?" Major Armstrong challenged. "To show deference to that courage, I'll show you...a skill that has been passed down the Armstrong household for generations...Artistic Alchemy!"
Major Armstrong picked up a slab of concrete and punched it, turning it into the tip of a harpoon and sent it at Scar. He jumped to the side, narrowly missing being stabbed in the head. Major Armstrong punched the ground and sent up a wall of spikes but Scar broke the chain by destroying the one that appeared in front of him.
"Major! Try not to destroy much of the city!" Havoc scolded, tending Edward along with another officer.
"What are you saying?!" Major Armstrong asked, surrounded by his usual sparkles. He tore off his coat, revealing his chest muscles as he flexed. "Destruction and creation are like two sides of the same coin! You destroy and create! This, in other words, is the law of the universe!"
"But did he have to strip..." Lieutenant Hawkeye sighed.
"That logic is crazy..." Havoc reminded.
"But other alchemists won't find it crazy, though," Major Armstrong scoffed. "Right, Scar?"
"He's an alchemist too?" Colonel said.
"I see," Edward muttered. "The three main processes of alchemy are understanding, deconstruction, and reconstruction. He stops at deconstruction."
"Then he's going against 'God's path' as well!" Havoc scoffed at the hypocrisy.
"But...why is he only after those who posses a state qualification?" Colonel asked.
Major Armstrong started sparring with Scar until he cornered him. Major Armstrong swung his fist and sent it at Scar, who reached out at him with his hand. At the last minute, Major Armstrong pulled back as he jumped backwards. Scar stood there, confused. But, Hawkeye firing her rifle interrupted his trance. The bullets barely skimmed pass him as they struck the building behind him, leaving holes. She only got did get a hit thought; it struck the side of his head, knocking off his sunglasses and shattering them on the ground.
"Did you get him?" Colonel demanded.
"He's fast," Hawkeye sighed. "Just one hit, a graze."
Scar panted as he stared at the other soldiers with his piercing red eyes. "Brown skin and red eyes?!" Major Armstrong choked.
"Ah Ishvalan?!" Colonel gasped.
Scar, seeing no way out, slammed his hand on the ground and created a huge hole. Amongst the smoke, he jumped into it, escaping through the sewers. "Sorry," Colonel apologized to Major Armstrong. "And after you bought us enough time to surround him, too."
"No," Major Armstrong shook his head, putting his military jacket back on. "I was trying to avoid getting killed rather than surround him."
"Oh, is it over?" Hughes asked, popping up from the group of soldiers.
"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, where have you been up to now?" Major Armstrong demanded.
"Back taking shelter," he replied shamelessly.
"You could back us up for something!" Colonel Mustang yelled, popping a vein.
"Lay off!" Hughes yelled back. "Don't go dragging a normal person like me into this freak show with you bunch of pseudo-humans! And what was I supposed to do, hit him on the head with my slingshot? Besides..." He ran over where I was. I was struggling to get into my feet and he squatted down beside me. "We have bigger things to worry about," he pointed out.
"Oh no!" Colonel remembered, dashing up to me as well. "Clockwork!"
"I-I'm alright..." I stuttered. "I just can't feel my arm..."
"What's that?" Colonel repeated.
"I can't feel my arm."
"Oh, right..." Colonel glanced around to see if our whispering caught the attention of any of the Elric brothers. "Is your arm broken?" He asked, lying.
"No, I think it's sprained," I lied back.
"Don't just sit there!" Hughes ordered. "Deploy troops throughout the city! Circulate his description!"
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted.
Speaking of the Elric brothers, I glanced over to see how they were doing. Edward had approached his crumbling brother as he leaned against the brick wall of a building. Alphonse punched his brother, making us all flinch as it was unusual for the sweet boy to be violent. "Why didn't you run away when I told you to?" Alphonse demanded. "You stupid brother!"
"Well, I couldn't just run away and leave you here, Al," Edward yelled back.
"Which is why you're stupid!" Alphonse punched Edward again, and we flinched again.
"But why?" Edward demanded. "If I had run away, you could of been killed, you know!"
"And maybe I wouldn't have been killed!" Alphonse yelled. "Intentionally choosing to die is something only someone stupid would do!"
"Hey, go easy on saying your older brother is stupid!"
"I'll say it as much as I like!" Alphonse grabbed Edward by the collar of his shirt and held him up close. "Live on, live on, and survive. Once you do some more research into alchemy, you could find a way to get our bodies back, as well as a way to save kids like Nina. I won't ever allow you to do anything to abandon those possibilities and choose death."
In amidst his anger, his remaining arm fell off and and crumbled beside him. "And now arm has come off, hasn't it?" Alphonse groaned. "Brother, you stupid jerk!"
Edward sighed and dropped his head, his braid on the side of his face. "We're really falling apart, huh?" He dryly laughed. "How uncool."
The sun began to peak through the dark clouds. I just noticed now that the rain had stopped falling entirely. "But we're still alive," Alphonse pointed out hopefully.
"We're still alive," Edward nodded.
"Good grief, this is an extra special freak show, huh?" Hughes sighed.
"Sorry," Colonel Mustang apologized.
"It's okay," Hughes shrugged. "I won't tell the higher-ups."
Lieutenant Hawkeye went over to Edward and took off her military jakcet, revealing her dark turtle neck underneath as she draped it over Edward's shoulders. Major Armstrong and Havoc came over as well to help the brothers. "If this got out, things would get complicated," Hughes added.
"Yeah," Colonel agreed. "The older brother aside, we couldn't even explain away the younger brother's body. "
I tugged on Colonel's sleeve with my good arm. "Colonel, why are Edward and Alphonse like that?" I asked.
"Um...as their best friend, you should ask them and let them tell you themselves," Colonel replied.
Hughes smirked, "I had to admit, though, you've got one tough customer coming after you."
"And Ishvalan, huh..." Mustang muttered, thinking about the recent fight.
*~*~*~*~*~
"Now are you sure you can't feel it?" Colonel asked me. He and his squad of soldiers, which he had named Team Mustang, along with Major Armstromg
"Positive," I nodded. My left arm sat in a sling. "I can't move it nor feel it. It's just there."
"Alright then. Are you sure you don't want to get it fixed when you're down at Resembool? You did mention your best friend down there was a mechanic."
"I'm sure. I can wait for mine here."
"You won't get it fixed until you come back since they're out of the city at the moment."
"I understand that."
"Alright then," Colonel leaned back in his chair, stretching, back to his usual lazy nature.
Edward came back in, all clean and bandaged thanks to the doctors here. Alphonse unfortunately wasn't as lucky as his armor fell apart some more when he arrived. So much that his remaining parts had to be loaded into a wooden crate and carried by Major Armstrong. "Evelyn!" Edward cried, seeing that I was okay.
He ran up to hug me and I awkwardly hugged back with one arm, pretending to flinch and grit my teeth in pain so my "sprained arm" looked real. He pulled back once he felt me squirm. "So, it's really sprained, huh?" He asked.
"Yeah," I muttered in fake sadness.
"Hey, no PDA in my office," Colonel scolded jokingly.
"It's just out of concern!" Edward spat.
"Yeah, whatever you say," Colonel shrugged.
"Why you--" he scoffed before cooling down, remembering why he was here. He took a deep breath. "Just WHO was that guy earlier?" He asked.
"I guess we all could use a reminder and history lesson," Colonel sighed, putting his hands underneath his chin. "The Ishvalans were a race of people to the east who believed that Ishvala is the one, the absolute Creator. Even after they were annexed into the country, there were conflicts with a portion of them, but 13 years ago, there was an incident where a military officer accidentally shot a Ishvalan child dead, and it developed into a civil war. One uprising led to another, and before long, the rebellion has spread to the whole eastern sector. After seven years of bath-and-forth, the order came down from military command...was to exterminate Ishval. Many state alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons. Needless to say, the state alchemists produced striking results. Which is why this man, an Ishvalan man, has justification in taking revenge."
"That's nonsense!" Edward shouted. "There's no justification for dragging people who had nothing to do with that into his revenge. He's just dressing up his ugly lust for revenge by calling himself an agent of God and acting all arrogant."
"Still, the fact is, he's coming at us with fangs bared," Mustang pointed out the point he was trying to make. "And we can't let ourselves be killed either. The next time we meet, there'll be no more talk. Got it?"
"Yes sir," we all nodded at him.
"Edward, Alphonse, what are you going to do now?" Hughes asked.
"We're going to start walking again," Edward stated. "We can't just stand still, you know. Not as long as we're still alive. First thing we have to do to fix your body is to get my arm back to normal. I'm the only one who knows how to bind you soul to the armor, after all."
"Yep," Alphonse agreed.
"We got no choice," Edward sighed. "It's been a long time...we need to pay a visit to our mechanic. And, while we're at it, let's surprise her. Evelyn, you coming?"
I glanced at Colonel Mustang who gave me a nod. "Yup," I smiled back.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Riza Hawkeye is perfect waifu material oh my god