A/N: A short one, but for some reason it took longer to write. And some depressed Alphonse – which is always fun to write. :D

For Nina
III. Sticks and Stones

Alphonse grabbed his brother's wrists – too late. They'd already clapped, and Edward collapsed like a house of cards falling inward, like their house had collapsed under the flame. But those things didn't cry, didn't bleed. They didn't have tears struggling to free themselves from lashes, or a small trickle of blood from the edge of mouth.

There was the sound of breathless, insane, laughter, and crashes and bangs above as the roof and door collapsed from two separate causes: the roof because of the alchemic reaction, the door because Brigadier General Basque Grande had just punched it in.

Alphonse could only hear the sounds of his loud voice shouting orders and questions as Nina and Alexander – or whatever they were now – were buried under tiles and mortar. And while his heart screamed, he couldn't cry at all, but just hold his brother in his arms and protect him from the falling roof. Just like he had held his brother that day years ago, drenched in blood and soaked with the knowledge of their failure…

But this time it was different. Or they same. He'd just tried the impossible, because Tucker had said it was impossible, just like getting their bodies back was impossible…

His large armoured frame shuddered as tiles fell upon and around. Shuddered from tears he could not shed and things he wished he could make possible – if not for other doors that had sealed hope shut.

And there was no Edward awake to reassure him. There was only Tucker, still laughing hysterically in a corner, safe from the falling tiles. There was only Basque Grande spitting out curses and orders and questions that nobody could answer. There was only Mustang snapping his fingers and turning the remaining falling tiles into a rain of dust, and Hawkeye, gun bared, trying to persuade him outside with her firm, even voice.

She reminded him of Pinako in a way, and he craned his head up, looked at her, and then followed mechanically.