Fullmetal Alchemist

INVADERS OF GALLIA

Episode 6

RAGING BLAST

Roaring Flame

Opening Theme: Hologram (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

Ed clapped his hands together and slammed them both into the ground, creating a path of spikes along the ground that knocked rebels in all directions while Vine continued to pick off the enemy soldiers with well-placed Blasts. Squad G was continuing to lay down cover fire, but it was having little effect.

"Colonel, we have to find a way to get past those shields!" Ed shouted.

"I'm all ears Fullmetal!" Vine replied blasting another rebel.

"Those shields have to have some sort of power, right! I don't see anything on the soldier's armor large enough to generate that much power though. I bet they have an outside power source!"

"You're right. It's not likely these soldiers carry their power source on their bodies. To generate a shield like that, they probably have a mobile power supply nearby. If we can destroy it, and get those shields down, we'll have a much better shot at this.

"How do we find it though!" Zeri called, "we have no idea where it might be!"

"It has to be close!" Vine replied, "I doubt it could power these things from much more than a hundred or so feet away. It's probably hiding out of sight in the trees. We just need to look for it."

"Just one problem," Ed replied, "these guys aren't gonna wait around while we look."

"Just leave them to me!" Vine ordered, "Divide up into teams of 4 or 5 and find that vehicle. It's our only chance."

"You can't hold them off by yourself," Ed declared, "we'll help you."

"Alright," Vine replied, "Avan, we're counting on you and your squad. Find their energy source, destroy it, and then hurry back."

"Alright. You two had better stay alive though," Avan declared.

"Don't worry, I'm not that easy to get rid of," Vine replied.

"That goes double for the two of us," Ed declared and Alphonse nodded in agreement.

"Alright you two," Vine said putting his hands against one of his earth barriers and transmuting a long lance, "let's give these guys some cover."

"Guess it's time to get serious then," Ed declared transmuting his Automail blade, "alright, let's go."

"I'm right behind you," Alphonse declared as the three alchemists leapt over the barrier and charged at the encroaching rebels.

"Get ready, Fullmetal, I'll show you some real Blast Alchemy now!" Vine declared swinging his lance horizontally. As he did, a long wave of blast alchemy emerged from it, cutting through several rebel soldiers.

"Whoa! Brother, he just used alchemy through his weapon!" Alphonse shouted.

"Please, is that all you can do?" Ed asked, "I don't think that's enough to make you a 'Master of Blast Alchemy'."

"Oh, this show has only just begun," Vine replied as the three Alchemists battled the seemingly invincible enemy soldiers.

….

"We need to hurry and find that energy source before those things overwhelm Ed and the Colonel," Avan declared as his five man squad consisting of himself, Franca, Zeri, Nichol, and Renee moved as quickly as they could through the forest.

"Avan, can you hear me," a deep voice called from Avan's communicator.

"Reiner! What is it man!" Avan asked.

"I think we found it. We found a strange looking vehicle that is emitting the same blue flame the shields are comprised of. It's not heavily armored. A well placed round into the ragnaid tank at the back of it would likely destroy it. The problem is that it's heavily defended. None of us can get close enough to take the shot. We need a sniper. One that's accurate at a long range."

"Nichol, you getting this? Where are you?" Avan asked.

"Our squad is nearby Avan," Cosette's voice replied through the communicator.

"Good. Get there as fast as you can. Nichol, we're counting on you," Avan ordered.

"Um, yes sir. I'll do my best," Nichol's timid voice replied.

"Avan, what should we do?" Zeri asked.

"We get down there and help 'em, that's what we do," Avan replied, "alright, Squad G, get to Reiner's position and get ready to support. We've gotta take down this energy supply fast, or Vine and Ed are gonna be in big trouble!" he shouted into the communicator so that all of Squad G could hear him. Following their orders, the members of Squad G quickly converged on the location of the Supply Vehicle.

….

Reiner and one of the Squad G swordsmen, a young, black haired youth named Morris hid behind some trees, watching the rebel guards bellow. They were ordinary soldiers, not the armored ones that Vine and Edward were still fighting, but they still outnumbered Reiner's five man squad. They turned as a young girl with glasses knelt down beside them, carrying a rifle, Lotte.

"Well?" Reiner asked.

"No good, chief. I can't get close enough for a clear shot without getting seen," Lotte revealed.

"Reiner," another deep voice called from Reiner's communicator. It was his squads medic, Raymond, who was waiting at the top of the hill they were set up on with their Shocktrooper, a silver haired girl, Anisette.

"What is it Raymond?" Reiner asked.

"Cosette's squad arrived with Nichol. He's setting up at the top of the hill, but he says it will take some time to line up a clear shot with all of the trees and foliage on the hill. The rest of the squad will be here soon as well."

"They'd better hurry. If we're discovered, we'll be sitting ducks," Reiner declared.

"Reiner, you there man?" Avan's voice called through the communicator.

"Where are you Avan?"

"I think we're on the other side of the rebel force. We've linked up with Alexis and Noel's squads. Is Cosette there yet?"

"Yes, Nichol is preparing to take the shot now," Reiner revealed.

"Good, but we need to keep them busy. We'll hit them from both sides at the same time. Leave Anisette to cover Nichol and tell Cosette to get ready," Avan ordered.

"Yes sir," Reiner replied, "Lotte, go get Cosette and tell her the plan, we need to work fast."

….

Vine stabbed through a shoulders helmet with his lance before spinning and firing a blast through another ones chest. The one he blasted stayed down, but the one he'd stabbed slowly got back up.

"Darn it. These things just won't die! I don't think these things are human!"

"Do you think they're homunculus, brother?" Alphonse asked.

"Not a chance. We've killed some of them, remember. These shields are just keeping our weapons from doing enough damage. Vine's right about one thing, though. Whatever they are, they're not human!" Ed declared, deflecting a lance with his Automail blade.

"What I can't figure out is what they are," Vine revealed, "they don't sound hollow, so I don't think they're like Alphonse."

"What! Hey, don't talk about my brother like he's not human, you jerk!" Ed shouted.

"That's not what I'm saying!" Vine shouted back

"Guys, can we do this later! We're in trouble right now!" the Squad G Tank Commander, Lavinia, shouted over the APC's comm system.

"Right," Vine and Ed both replied as the two State Alchemists turned their attention back to their real enemies.

….

Back at the rebel camp guarding the Supply Vehicle, two rebel soldiers stood looking in the direction of the battle.

"Any idea what's going on over there?" one of the men asked as another huge explosion shook the ground.

"I just heard the report. They say those two State Alchemists, the Darcsen and the Amestrian, are actually holding off the Artificial Valkyria all by themselves. We don't know what happen to the Lanseal brats, but I'm guessing they turned tail and ran as soon as the real fighting began. With them out of the way, it's only a matter of time before the V2s purge the Alchemist scum and complete their task," the other man declared.

"Hah, what fools, sending children to do a soldiers job. This mission was way to ea…" the man was cut short as he was blown onto his back by a bullet.

"What in the…" his comrade shouted as Avan and Zeri burst into the clearing, dove behind cover and opened fire on the rebel soldiers around the camp.

"It's the Lanseal brats!" a man shouted, "take 'em down!" He was cut down almost immediately by a spray of bullets from the side. Franca and Marion had snuck around their side and were now firing on them from cover. Bullets started to fly from the other side as well as two scouts, a young man with silver hair wearing a blue military hat, Helmutt, and a young girl with short black hair, Melissa, opened fire on them as well.

"They're trying to surround us! Don't let us be boxed in!" another man shouted, but it was too late. Reiner's anti-tank lance's shell ripped through the camp, knocking rebel soldiers in all directions as Cosette and a shocktrooper with short blonde hair, Erik, opened fire from behind. Desperate, the rebel soldiers scrambled for whatever cover they could find and began to return fire at the Lanseal cadets who had surrounded them.

"Avan, I still can't get a clear shot at the vehicle!" Reiner shouted.

"Don't worry, leave it to Nichol! Just keep these guys' heads down!" Avan replied continuing to fire.

….

"Hurry Nichol! The others can't hold out forever!" Anisette shouted anxiously.

"I'm sorry. With all these plants and trees, I have to line this shot up perfectly or I'll miss," Nichol replied.

"I know, but hurry, darling. We don't have much time," Anisette replied. Just then, a loud crash behind her caught her attention. She turned to see one of the armored soldiers standing above her and Nichol, with its Lance raised to strike.

Anisette's scream cut into the ears of Class G like a hot knife into butter.

"Anisette! Hey, what's going on up there!" Avan shouted into the communicator. There was nothing but static from the other end, "Reiner!"

"I'm going! Raymond come with me!" Reiner ordered.

"Don't bother, Reiner. Just send a medic. I'm closer to the top. I can't do much here, so I'll see to Anisette and Nichol."

"That you Alexis! Awesome, take care of them. Just leave things down here to us!" Avan ordered.

"Got it," Alexis replied as she continued up the hill. She quickly reached the top and froze at the sight. Nichol was lying on the ground, unconscious and bleeding from a large gash on his shoulder. Anisette was being lifted several feet off the ground, her neck clasped in the hand of one of the armored soldiers and her face beginning to turn blue from lack of oxygen! "Hey, let her go!" she ordered charging with her sword and slashing at the rebels arm. The blade wasn't able to pierce the shield, but it knocked the arm away from Anisette. Alexis grabbed her comrade as she fell and jumped back laying the barely conscious Anisette next to Nichol then turning back to face her foe.

"Avan, she called into her communicator, "we've been caught. Anisette and Nichol are okay, but they're both out cold. You've got to take out that energy source, now!" she shouted as the rebel swung its lance at her. She was barely able to deflect it with her shield and tried to strike with her sword, only to have it bounce harmlessly off the blue flame shield. "I can't do anything to him! Darn it, I can't win!"

"Alexis! Behind you!" Anisette choked as loudly as she could. Alexis turned to see a massive figure standing behind her. It's fist was raised as though it was ready to strike!

"I can't stop him in time. No, this is bad!" Alexis cursed closing her eyes as the giant man slammed his fist forward, into the face of the charging rebel soldier, sending it flying.

"What in the…" Anisette gasped as the man stepped forward. He was huge with a blonde mustache and a single strand of blonde hair sticking up from his otherwise bald head, kinda like the strand of hair that stuck up from Edwards head, but what really distinguished this man was his size. Anisette was certain she'd never seen such a muscular man.

"Take heart children!" the man shouted in a loud voice, "I, Alex Louis Armstrong, heir of the Armstrong family, shall protect you. Behold my muscles and take comfort young ones!"

"Huh?" Anisette replied, obviously confused by the giant man's unusual antics. Then she shrieked as the Rebel Soldier rose to his feet, slowly.

"So you're still able to stand are you," Major Armstrong shouted as the rebel turned its attention to him, "no matter. That was but a small taste of the special brand of Strong Arm Alchemy that has been passed down the Armstrong family line for generations!"

"You won't be able to do anything to him while his shield is still up, Major," a gentle woman's voice said from beside Anisette. The young Shocktrooper turned to see a woman with short blonde hair pointing a large sniper rifle down the hill, "this should take care of that though," Riza Hawkeye declared pulling the trigger. The bullet struck its target and down below them, the Supply Vehicle's Ragnaid canister exploded, taking the vehicle with it! Anisette watched as the rebel soldiers blue flame aura vanished.

"Yeah! They got it!" Avan shouted excitedly, "let's finish this up and get back to Vine and Ed, guys!

….

Ed smiled as the shields protecting the rebel soldiers suddenly vanished. "Yeah, looks like Avan and the others did it!" he shouted.

"Hey, you guys might want to get out of the line of fire!" a voice called behind them. The three alchemists turned to see a man with spiky blonde hair, mounting a giant machine gun on one of the earth walls Vine had transmuted for cover.

"Al… is that…" Ed stuttered when he saw the man.

"I think so, Brother," Al replied.

"Jean Havoc?" Vine said curiously.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Havoc called as he began to open fire. Al and Ed screamed and frantically dove away from the line of fire while Vine transmuted a wall of earth to absorb the gunfire while Havoc mowed down many of the now shield less soldiers.

"I wondered who the Fuher meant when he told me that he was sending another State Alchemist with support from the Mother Country to help out in this Civil War. I guess that answers that question. It's been a long time," Vine declared as a giant flame suddenly roared across the remaining rebel soldiers. He looked up a small hill at the man with short black hair wearing an Amestrian Military uniform standing just within view of the tree line. "Colonel Mustang."