CHAPTER 2: Tracking Lost Identity

They were walking going to the Central. The soldiers were greeting them. Their feet brought them to the workplace of Mustang. They didn't bother to knock, they bulged in, of course Ed was the one who did that, Al just followed him, and they saw Hawkeye beside Mustang who was sitting on his chair.

"Need something?" Roy clasped his hands.

The two approached the table. Ed hammered it by his open hands. He glared to the Brigadier General.

"What's the meaning of that look? And I don't tolerate things that you just did. Not knocking on the door and making noise inside my clean office (then Hayate stopped peeing on the wall of the room).

"I'm not here to follow your boring rules."

"Ed, that's too much, you should pay respect to a higher ranking official." Hawkeye stopped when Roy raised his hand. She didn't bother to argue more.

"What do you want?" Roy gestured for the two to have their seats. Al took his but Ed remained standing.

"We didn't come here for formalities. We need information. Do you know a curly, golden haired girl who likes wearing laces and dresses?" Ed said without a pause.

"I'm afraid that characteristics that you just said are not concrete. Everyone can make their hair blond or curly. Hmm, I think it will fit too to my first lieutenant," Mustang turned to the woman beside him.

"We're serious here…" Ed mumbled obviously controlling his temper.

"Oh? Are we? But like what I said, it is rubbish," he looked at him.

"She was using scalpels and needles as her weapons… doctor equipments for surgical operations," Al said out of nowhere.

"That can't be…" Hawkeye whispered.

Ed's eyebrow rose. "You know something about her?"

Mustang laid his back on the chair and put his hands on the armrest. "The blue eyed girl? She's Azureth Kruger. She's an alchemist. She would also be a state alchemist, and that would be a history because in the contrary, she would be the youngest one. If my memory's correct, she's younger than you by one or two years. Anyway she refused it. She is a medic alchemist something like that for she knows human anatomy very well and other living things. She could manipulate organs. That's her forte and that's the reason why she uses medical tools. Few years ago, the 15th laboratory was bombed and many witnesses said that they saw her making the explosion. That section 15 is one of the very confidential departments whereas I don't know also what's happening there. She became wanted after that incident. Many generals were hunting her. There, she lost for years and based on what you asked to me… I think you saw her somewhere else. So in short, she's here," Mustang concluded.

"You won't dare to take her away from me. I'll take my revenge to her, for Winry's sake." He fled away

"Uhm, I'm apologizing for bugging you here. Thanks for the info," and Al bowed his head and closed the door gently.

"I need to see also Azureth." It was Roy, holding a lace that he found on the wreckage.

They went again to where they met up Azureth.

"I know you're here!!!" Ed was shouting fumingly all over the place, but he failed.

A week later, Ed and Al were up to a mission again.

"Hah, another finished business again. One milkshake please, with many bubbles in it." Ed ordered.

"I'm glad that Hanna knew her father, and finally they're together again. I wonder how our father…is"

"Al, he shouldn't be in our topic."

"One fresh milkshake from the best cow in the whole world please!!! Wow! Are you the Full Metal Alchemist?" the girl asked Ed.

"WAHAHAHA!!! Finally someone recognized me as a state alchemist, whom they always misconstrued as Al." he murmured at the back of the girl. "Why yes. I'm the great FULL METAL ALCHEMIST. Huh. Huh," he said over confidently and he went like the poses of Armstrong (not forgetting the twinkles).

"… and you're his little brother? Alphonse Elric? Wow! Hi!" she slung herself to Al's cold metal arm, "I'm very happy to see you!" apparently she did not pay attention to Ed.

"Eh? I thought… okay I think Al is really famous too." Ed reasoned out. The girl made a space between them. She threw her coat and hat.

"Hello! Miss me?" she was making herself cute to Al.

"Ah… Azureth?!" Ed was surprised.

"Nice greeting from you Ed, shouting my name. People don't seem to like noises here," she ran outside. Ed went after her.

"Still with your scalpels?!" and he made a huge blow to her.

"And you're still hot tempered tiny Ed!" she was amazed that Ed didn't reply in an annoyed manner, instead he stopped attacking her.

"Azureth, why did you do that to Winry? She's innocent…" he asked in a low voice between his gritted teeth.

"It's your fault. You were blinded by your emotion and you sacrificed too much just to transmute your mother, that's why I hate you. Most of all, you made your own brother a victim…"

"Don't talk as if you know me well! It's an accident!" Ed tried to explain himself.

"I have my ways of knowing people, not through grapevines. I got it from a credible source. How can a father make a mistake to his children?"

"You met our father?" Al said.

"Hohenheim? Yes, actually it was an unintended get-together. He told many things about you two as his kids… and from there, I started to like you Al, and to hate Ed," her face was scrunched up. "… but that's not all. I even know who are your mother, and the people around you."

You may never know that girl may attack others, those are related to you. It echoed back to Ed's mentality what the old woman had said.

"This is not a reunion, you need to pay whatever you did to Winry!" he transformed the boulder to many shrapnel and aimed it to her. They started a big fight.

"Look at those fools. Shall we go Gluttony?"

"Can I eat them?" the big fat homunculus put his hand to his tummy.

The battle continued. Azureth always dodged the attacks of Edward. Al was just standing from afar and decided that when their past time gone worse, he would serve as the referee. Ed formed the ground to a life-size cannon and pointing it to her. Azureth on the other hand changed her scalpel to a huge one and cut it to half, it blasted.

"I think other players should be added to put spice to this nonsense bout," it was Lust together with Gluttony.

Azureth's eyes wander to the strangers. "Homunculi," she thought. "and who do you think you are just to pitch in on somebody else's battle? I mean, no matter how crazy what we are doing, you shouldn't interrupt it," Azureth growled.

"Ah? We're sorry. I talked to the wrong person," and Lust headed to Ed and eventually her nails changed sharply.

She and Ed began assaulting each other while the rest were watching them. Gluttony was still on the spot where Lust left her, Azureth was annoyed and Al on the other hand was bothered, he wanted to help his brother but he knew that it would end up as a burden or he would hear 'Al! Run!' his brother's standard line.

"Ugh… then what will I do? She's a stealer witch…" then she turned her head to a homunculus beside her who kept on sucking his thumb…or his entire hand.

"… I think he can eat me alive," she shivered on what she said; "It's on his tongue… that particular symbol… that lady on her chest. Hmm… I wonder if they are bunch out there."

The homunculus looked at her because he noticed that she was examining him.

"Ah?"

From Azureth's brainstorming, the voice of the stranger next to her seemed let her to back in reality.

"Uh huh?" she responded. She saw Gluttony's evil grin plastered on his face. There was even drool coming out from his mouth.

She was stepping back little by little. "Uhm, Al, what's this creature can do?" and she bumped to Al already.

Al took a not-so-hard grip on her body and jumped to higher place.

"He is Gluttony, from his name itself he is a greedy eater of anything. Keep yourself away from him…" Al warned her.

Azureth elevated her view to Al. actually she was bewitching him through the eyes. Al felt it otherwise and saw how pretty she was. As if he would suffer on a third degree melt on his armor.

"Azureth…?" he said slowly.

"You just call my name… it's like music to my ears Al!" and she blushed and held her head with her two hands and swayed it sideways.

"Ah… no… it's not what you think… well' uhm, you bring creeps on me. Please don't do it again, you know treating me like that," he explicated awkwardly.

Her jaw dropped, "Why? Does Alphonse not like me? I'm so sorry…" then she leaped down on land. "WAAAAH!!! I WAS REJECTED BY AL!!! WAAAH" she went there hysterically, and she rolled on the ground. Al was so guilty and neared himself on her. He slipped his hand to hers and lifted her up. He wiped the tears that were about to fall from her cheeks. She went red by that gentle gesture. Suddenly Ed was dumped by Lust few inches from them, there were little pieces of rocks flying on them.

"Wait a minute Al," Azureth let a very sweet smile while excusing herself, then put all her attention to Ed, who was still on pain. She was blazed up, just a pace and she kicked Ed and he had flown again, she resumed her very kind self and faced Al.

"Uhm, where are we again Al?" she said as if nothing happened.

Amazingly, Ed regained himself quickly and moved towards Azureth. He was behind her. He pulled her hair.

"Aww… Argh, you won't quit on disturbing our moment, Ed?!" she snarled at him.

"What moment? I think you're like a serpent and brainwashing my brother's innocent mind!" he positioned himself on the space between Azureth and Al.

"Hmp! Watch it. I declare that in this very day that you keep away from my brother… hmm… for about a million light years diameter starting in his point." Ed said authoritatively.

"I think you're becoming exaggerated and exaggerated every day. Why don't we let Al to decide for himself?" she dared Ed, and so the two who made the bets were looking at Al. If only Al could only read their minds he would definitely explode, just hearing the pleadings of the people in his front.

"Uhm… well I can't make up my mind…" he said shortly.

"Ting! Ting! That means Al wants me too! Yay!" she said happily.

"I thought he should be the one to decide over this stuff? I don't really understand how the girl's mind works. Ed said wearily."

"I'm your arch-nemesis. I'll let you give up on this. Moreover I'm the word 'miserable' in your life. Anyway, even Al's decision is against my will, I'll make it to be changed! I've been desperate once, so I can make it happen again."

"Are you finished? I think you're forgetting somebody here," and Lust emerged out of nowhere. It was evident to her that she was impatient waiting for Ed. Everything returned to normal, a really serious one. The battleground was once again opened, but many participants at this time. The three audiences were now on the game too.

"That's what I like," Lust licked the tip of her nail. Gluttony shrieked.

"Let's begin it now!!!" Ed started it. Azureth was always with Al, she never let herself to be away from him. She would protect Al as much as she could. The status: Lust versus Ed. Gluttony versus Al and Azureth.

Azureth brought her big scalpel again, but because Gluttony was a monster, she couldn't find the right timing to attack. He swallows everything that blocks him. She planned to double up her speed so her opponent would not see her perfectly. At last, she found the back, but Gluttony anticipated it and made a quick dodge. Luckily she managed to wound the delicate part of an arm.

Her eyes gone big, "I forgot… he is not a human… his anatomy is different…" because of that her mind went blankly and that was the time Gluttony was waiting for. He opened his mouth widely to ingest her. On an instant Al shielded his own body and so, that was Gluttony had eaten. Al was buried down on the ground, the head and the legs where left, the entire upper extremity was lost. Ed saw what happened, he got furious and he put all his force to Lust. Lust was deeply injured by his attacks. Ed lost his control and he stabbed Lust continuously. Gluttony saw it and left Al and Azureth.

"GET AWAY FROM LUST!" and Gluttony was crushing anything on the way.

"GWARK!!!"

Azureth was still shocked. Accidentally her sight caught the fat homunculus who would attack Ed, who was obviously unaware of it.

"Al… Al…"

Al was not moving or making any sound. Azureth was too afraid to touch Al because she might not like what would happen after it.

"Al! Please wake up! Uhm… Please! I promise I won't have any fight with your brother. We'll be the best of friends Al!" She looked to where Ed was. Gluttony was getting closer to him. Even it was impossible, she made it to think correctly and clearly.

"Al, wait for me. I'll help Ed," she stood up and as fast as she could to reach Ed. She used the scalpel as a bat and smashed it to Gluttony. While the homunculus was fixing itself she ran to Ed, until she arrived to where he was.

She held Ed's both arms and tried to pull him away from Lust. "Ed, Al needs us… that won't help…" she was crying on his back.

Ed looked at her dreadfully, as if he would like to do also to her what he did to Lust. "TELL ME, WHAT YOU JUST SAID A WHILE AGO?! YOU WANT MY BROTHER? YOU'RE DEAD SERIOUS ABOUT HIM?! LOOK WHAT----" Azureth hugged him tightly.

"Forgive me Ed. I'll pay you whatever it takes…" she looked to his face. She could see how tired he was. Even his eyes lost its color. She felt disgrace for herself for causing too much problem. She assisted Ed going to Al, who was still buried on the ground. Meanwhile, Gluttony had already escaped together with the badly injured Lust.

"I'm sorry Ed… I didn't protect Al… I've been sloppy I admit…"

"Leave us now."

"But Ed, it is---"

"IT IS WHAT?" Ed took a deep breath, "you'll leave now. You may go. I'm too tired to talk, so I don't want to repeat it all over again," he collected the parts of Al. Azureth helped picking things up but Ed didn't permit to do it so. Though it was hard for her to leave the brothers, she pushed herself to go away.

It was night already before he found what he was looking for. He let himself fell on the ground. He rested there and closed his eyes for minutes and opened it again. He could see the twinkling stars scattered on the dark blue sky.

"Al!" Ed was holding the part of where the symbol was written. The soul of Al. that certain piece was far from where the big portion of his armor landed, that was the reason why Al couldn't hear Azureth a moment ago. Ed saw the scratches on it. There were tears flowed on his muddy face. He knew that Al was hurt by the attack of Gluttony. He touched it carefully.

"Brother?"

"Are you okay Al?"

"I think I got a little nick but I don't feel any pain now. I'm definitely good… but I'm worried about you…"

"I'm already fine if you're safe Al… so there's no reason for you to get anxious."

"By the way, where's Azureth? I don't feel her here."

"Don't ask the people who are not here. Most of all, she's our enemy before, till now… next to those destructible homunculi and Scar."

Second chapter… *yawn* oyasumi.