Of all the moments to lose something is so important, that was the time where I had the taste of it taken away from me. My specialty was fire arms and weaponry, and all the weapons that I have held in my career had been through hell and back, just like how I did. They were weapons for protection and are very handy when you need them to bring your enemies down but just as all machinery, there would be some complications.

"Uh!"

"Leave her alone!"

I watched as he ran towards me as the men who had pinned me down had his grip on me was getting tighter, he was about to light his flame when the two men chasing him sliced the insignia on the cloth into two. "NO!" I whispered, my breathe was wearing thin. Scar who was fighting behind him had been cornered by another two men; the colonel was made to sit on the floor with his arms paralyzed from movement. The dust settled and silence, I was pulled by my hair and was forced to sit upright, my captor held on to my neck with the insides of his elbow and forearm, with full intention of strangling me. My own arms and hands were making sure that it didn't happen, the wound on my shoulder from earlier one stung painfully from the pressure. The doctor who stood calmly over at the centre of the room and oversee our fall, he clapped his hand joyfully and comfortably.

"All right, good! Just hold him there, here we are colonel Mustang, I'm afraid we have run out of time, at this point you got no choice but to cooperate with us."

I glanced sideways to look at his face, to my surprise he was gazing back. It was a quick glance but the message was clear, he was going to try to break free from them and I have to be one his cue. He nodded slightly and returned his attention to the doctor.

"I would like you to perform some human transmutation and open a portal for me"

I froze up; human transmutation? I peered in his direction worryingly.

"What! Are you serious?"

"It doesn't matter who, a parent you lost, a lover, a friend; or that man you were so close too, I forget, what was his name again? HUGHES, isn't that right? He would do just fine."

I was more worried than I had ever been, our confrontation with Envy earlier on and the pure mention of Maes had cause him to run into a frenzy, I was afraid inside that he would lose control once again. I saw his darkened face, but it was taken over by other emotions, there was neither anger nor hatred. Just the colonel I know when he desired answers.

"You mean, I'm a sacrifice?"

"Not yet, but as soon as you opened a portal, you would certainly become one."

"The Elric's told me that human transmutation couldn't be done, why would I even try to do it; knowing that it would fail?"

"You are right there. But all I really needed you to do is open the portal and then return."

My eyes darted across the room, from the doctor to the colonel. It was probably time to do what he instructed, the grip on my neck was getting tighter and more painful, I winced, though from the corners of my eye had not shifted from the colonel.

"NO! Not a chance, I won't be your puppet, you open it yourself!"

His voice echoed through the room, the last few words words rang heavily.

"I told you, we have run out of time."

The grip on me loosen itself but I never thought that the long awaited breathe I wanted would come as fast as it left, cold steel touched my skin and the pressure the edge pressed deep into my flesh, there was no pain at first and I was not sure what had happened, however I felt liquid sliding slowly down my left arm, it was warm and viscous. I caught the widened eyes of my superior and traced his line of sight down to my neck; it could have been the shock upon seeing blood spewing endlessly from the gap, there came the pain, a stabbing hot sting jolt every senses left in my body. The arms which held me down let go, and I fell to the sides. Instinctively I held the bleeding wound with my free hand.

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant!"

I heard him calling, it gave me strength, I forced myself to stay awake despite the deep penetrating stabbing ache in my shoulder, I tried to reply his calls but my throat was blocked, all the while feeling that I was gargling warm salty liquid.

"Now then, maybe you had a change of hearts, what say you Mustang?"

"I'll kill you!"

~ (You bastards, leave her alone! I watched as she was dragged and thrown uncaringly upon a drawn circle on the floor, the purpose was plain. She was looking at me, her eyes filled with meaning and the rest of her body shivering. Every part of my soul was itching to set the men holding me back on fire, I needed to reach her!)~

"Lieutenant, are you still with me? Answer me!"

~ (Her eyes had closed and the color was draining from her face quickly, i clenched my teeth tightly, so tight that It was piercing through my gums. My thoughts were only on her; what should I do now? I can't perform the transmutation; I can never but…she is at stake here) ~

'Now, perform the transmutation and become the fifth sacrifice." The doctor cooed

"Come on, if you don't hurry, the lieutenant would be lost to you forever. Ah, I understand; would you like to transmute her after she has already died, that would be acceptable."

~ (I heard her moan, her eyes opened with much struggle. In my heart I was hoping she would not speak, she had to rest, conserve energy. She must not die, I can't let her…) ~

"…I am not going to die… what you don't know is that I'm under strict orders not to die…"

~ (I jumped in my skin, she took the orders to her heart, and it was keeping her alive. She spoke up even though her energy was wearing out, she wanted me to know that she would never give up, and that is why I can't give up either.)

"If it were that easy to gain an immortal body my dear, it wouldn't be very sporting now would it?"

~ (I will not let her just perish right in front of me, but she was still bleeding profusely. If I don't act, she would bleed to death. Her eyes had closed again, and she was pale. There was no more time to lose) ~

"So tell me Mustang, what would it be? Your precious woman is about to die, if you don't act, she would bleed to death, all that blood right before your eyes. Luckily, I happen to be a doctor who knows the use of alchemy and I have a stone to add to the bargain as well, meaning this, I am able with all certainty to save this woman's life but if you don't make up your mind in time, there is nothing I can do."

"Whether you like it or not, her fate is up to you now, colonel Mustang. Do you want her blood forever on your hands?"

"Hmm, she look so quiet and still, perhaps she is dead, what do you think?"

~ (Lieutenant, No… You couldn't have, you wouldn't. You are stronger than this.) ~

"…colonel please, you don't have to do this; don't sacrifice everything for my sake…"

~ (Every soft and struggled breathe I hear from her was ripping my soul apart, I can't bear to see you suffer like this…) ~

"But you will do it, Wont you, mustang?"

"Well?"

~ (Why can't I sacrifice for you? What was wrong about that, I could never let you die, you are more important to me than you will ever know!)

~ Time seemed to have stopped and I was desperately peering at my precious fallen soldier, the arms that held me down were unrelenting. She was going to bleed to death if I do not do anything; I have to agree to the terms, she would never forgive me. I saw her eyes look up and the glare that shot through me, a glare that I know and had seen countless time before sent me a dire warning, a message to tell me to wait, help was coming…

"Alright."

"That's good; I knew you would see reason!"

"Alright, lieutenant! I won't perform the transmutation!"

~ (It was a deep stab in the heart to spit those words out, how long can the lieutenant wait? What if I did not reach her in time, what if she died if there was no one coming at all?)

I could see him, faintly at the distance tone full of distain talking to the doctor. He was strong after all, the colonel that I know for that long, I knew he would make the right decisions. I closed my eyes, and my limbs were turning cold. Even the hand that I was holding my wound was numb, "Colonel…" I whispered though knowing that he would not hear me, all of the sudden, I heard a scream. The men were panicking, and there was a tinkle as though a glass bottle had fallen to the ground, a person was shouting from above where I was. I could not open my eyes any longer; no matter how much I wanted to see what was happening around me. I heard the chimeras speaking, and more shouting around. Without wanting too, I coughed out a mouth full of blood, was the room this cold? And I believe I heard a girl voice and another one that I never heard before, there were things wheezing through the room. I was gasping for breath, I had orders not to die, I will not die…the noises were now distant and it was dark, "Colonel…" he appeared in my mind, that face and that stature I swore to protect. Will you forgive me, if I disobeyed your order, Sir?

"Out of my way!" Anger and worry rose from the deep, I had to get to her and I would not let anyone stop me!

"Lieutenant! Come on, stay with me! Lieutenant, open your eyes!" I had her in my arms, she was stone cold and her breathes was short and thin. She did not reply and every part of her was shivering, I placed her head next to my chest and my hands were on hers.

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Lieutenant!" ~ Don't die! Please don't die, don't leave me here alone! ~

"Don't you dare die! Now, stay with me lieutenant! ~ I cannot lose you, It…I will never be the same without you. You are very important to me, so please stay with me. She did not reply; I felt her hands slipping from my own. No...i need you…I really do…

"Uh…" It is so cold here, it is all darkness, yet I could hear. Voices, I was pulled into his arms and the pressure on my head that was too familiar.

"Lieutenant!"

"Thank you, I owe you one."

"…colonel, I'm…so sorry…"

"No, don't speak, just rest now."

"You understood my signal, I'm not sure how…but I'm glad…"

"We've been together long enough and besides, I know that glare; it means use human transmutation and I'll shoot you."

"Can you stand?"

"Yes…"

"Are you sure…?"

"Don't worry too much, Sir…"

"How can I not?"

"Sir?"

"Erm nevermind, hold on." He said as he placed a hand on her waist and pulled her up, she was unsteady in her footing. And she was still pale, even though the wound had healed by Mei chang's, she is in no condition to fight for now. He had to protect her this time, she meant everything to him, the lieutenant peered upwards and her eyes met with his, "Rest… don't speak…" he told her, her sentence which was at the tip of her tongue never left.

"Thank you, colonel Mustang…"