Okay, after that really bitchy comment by Envy, I figure I better make this chapter a good one. It's got a lot of action in it, yay, and hand holding. Double yay! Anywho, on with the show...

My Misadventures of Alchemy

Chapter 10: Getting Out Alive

Envy's comment stilled the room. Gluttony stopped moving, looking over my shoulder. I stopped struggling, a chill running through my body as I watched the meaning of Envy's words reach Edward. Envy watched as well, smile widening and a sickening look on his face.

Edward didn't make a move, didn't make a sound. His eyes became hollow, as if he was thrust into another time, another place, reliving the horror of what those words meant. I knew whatever they meant, it was painful, without a doubt, but for the past month I had thought that Ed was strong. He was so strong, and yet here he was, crumbling like clay. He just stood there, looking forward at Envy, but not really seeing him.

I realized that had been the plan all along as Envy leapt forward, his fist thrust into Edward's stomach, tossing him backwards like a rag doll. I cried his name, tugging against Gluttony's bonds, trying to get to Ed to help as Envy closed in on him. The fight was back on, Ed's movements slowed. I had to get to Ed, I had to help him, before he broke both physically and mentally.

I looked around the room, for anything that I could use against Gluttony. In the corner of the room, thrown there without a second thought, was my backpack. I grinned, stopping my struggling and looking over my shoulder to the round man behind me.

"Hey Gluttony, do you like chocolate?"

Without a second thought, Gluttony grinned, nodding his head enthusiastically. I had to remind myself not to grin, lest I never be released. Instead, I gave him the same innocent look I had given Envy, whispering as I spoke to him.

"I have some in my backpack, do you want it?"

Again, without a second thought, Gluttony grinned and nodded.

"Okay, but I need my hands to get it out!"

Gluttony wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, now was he? I was turned around, the knots being loosened and the ropes falling from my wrists. Gluttony then turned to make his way over to the corner of the room to get my backpack, the whole event not once noticed by Envy. I looked around me, patting down my frame, trying to find something I could use as a weapon. I felt something in my back pocket and pulled it out, turning it over to see what it was.

My Nitro spray, modified nitroglycerin. As it turns out the same thing that gives dynamite that kick can also be used as medication. It makes the blood vessels in the body flood open, lowers blood pressure, keeps people alive…

It also hurt an unbelievably lot if you got it in your eyes.

Gluttony had returned with my backpack, holding it out to me and grinning as he awaited his treat. I took my backpack and smiled, keeping that innocent look about me.

"Thanks, Gluttony!"

Not wasting time, I slung my backpack onto my back and raised the Nitro spray to Gluttony's face, spraying him directly in the eyes. He emitted a cry of pain and I stepped away, dodging as he swiped in front of himself with one hand and wiping as his eyes with the other. I ran back to the shards of glass from the busted out window, grabbing a rather jagged looking one and turning to the other two figures in the room.

Envy had managed to get Ed on his back and the two were wrestling, throwing punches at each other and struggling to find an opening to land a deadly strike. I watched a moment as the two rolled, struggling for dominance, waiting for a moment where I wouldn't hurt Ed by accident. At last, Envy had regained control, raising his arm, the limb transforming itself into a rather dangerous looking blade.

"Leave him alone!"

I ran forward, jumping onto Envy's back and thrusting the sharp glass into his back between his shoulder blades. He howled and tried to throw me off, but I dug my fingernails into his shoulder and pulled the shard out, sending it into his back one more. Twice more. Edward stared, slightly stunned as Envy jumped off of him, his attempts to buck me off useless. I jumped off of him, dodging as he made a swipe for me. As I ran, I grabbed Ed's hand, pulling him up onto his feet and running towards the shadows of the entrance.

We reached a wide, dimly lit hall with many doors and by this time, Ed had regained himself from the shock and began leading me towards what I could only imagine was the entrance, practically dragged by his tight grip on my hand. Envy fell far behind us. The building was an old administrative building of some sort, offices on both sides of the wide hall, the doors busted in. There were no lights and in the dark I struggled to keep my balance as I felt the floor slope and realized with horror that it wasn't the floor, it was me. Another episode, at the worst possible timing!

I felt my heart begin to twist painfully and that dizzy feeling began, the cold washing over me and I knew that I couldn't keep running like this. I could hear Envy's angry shouts somewhere behind us and I could feel Ed pulling me along. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening as he saw me. He slowed and I stopped, doubling over and leaning my hands on my knees.

"Freddy, we gotta go! Come on!"

"Wait…"

I wouldn't make it running. I knew I wouldn't. I had to finish this as best I could right here and now. I gazed up at Edward, his impatient expression a sign that he just wanted to leave and get back to Central in one piece. I looked behind me, squinting down the dark hall and listening as Envy's shouts to catch up to us echoed, drawing closer. I glanced around, spotting a nearby door and I pushed Ed towards it.

The dark room engulfed us, safe for little light from the hall. There was a small, trashed desk in the corner and dust everywhere. Ed and I crouched behind the door, listening as Envy's footsteps drew closer and I bit my lip as my mind raced, trying to think of a way out of this. Ed did not like simply sitting here and he roughly whispered it to me.

"We can't just wait here, Envy's not an idiot."

"I know."

"We gotta get out of here!"

"I know!"

"We gotta go!"

"I know, will you shut up and let me think!?"

I sighed and looked down at my hands. I couldn't fight, the pain in my chest and the sick feeling in my stomach assured me of that. Envy was angry and running wouldn't do any good. He'd just chase us down. I was his sacrifice, he wouldn't let me get away so easy! The thought made me scowl and I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists. I remembered the sharp shard of glass in my hand with a painful gasp and I opened my hand, peering down at the shard and my bottle of Nitro spray. Hmm, my Nitro spray…

"Listen, I can hold Envy off. You get out of here, Freddy, and go straight to Central, I'll meet you there!"

"Forget that, I have an idea!"

I lifted the bottle and examined it. It was maybe two inches tall and glass, with a steel rim that held the plastic pump on. I read the label carefully. 'Nitroglycerin spray. 40mg. Do not shake. Do not heat.' I grinned and took one last dose before unscrewing the pump, ensuring that the siphon tube remained inside the bottle. I excused myself to Ed, grabbed the sleeve of his red coat and using the shard, I ripped a small two inch by one inch strip of cloth.

"Hey!"

"Oh, it's fabric, you'll live!"

I took the cloth and rolled the end into a thin rope, sticking the end into the siphon tube, snaking it down until the cloth caught the clear liquid inside the bottle. I watched as the fluid slowly soaked into the cloth, stopping halfway up the bottle. I unrolled the fabric that stuck out from the top of the bottle. I could hear Envy, he was getting close.

"Hey Ed, can you make a spark?"

Ed glanced at the bottle, then back at me.

"You gotta be kidding me!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Edward sighed and removed the glove from his automail hand. He clapped and touched his left hand to his thumb and middle finger, a moment later revealing rough steel where the pads of his fingers should be. Pointing his fingers away from the bottle, he snapped, a spark illuminating the room for a split second. He frowned and turned to me.

"I can't believe I'm doing something even remotely close to that Colonel Bastard!"

I smiled and nodded, looking him in the eye.

"When I throw it, run!"

Ed rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the side, voice sarcastic.

"Nah, I still have two limbs to lose!"

I sighed and held the small makeshift wick out to him, he snapped and a moment later a small flame settled on the red fabric. I grabbed Ed's hand and we stepped out into dark hall. I could see Gluttony and Envy, maybe thirty feet away and I grinned, glancing at my small but dangerous bomb. Twenty seconds left. I shouted.

"Hey Envy!"

Envy grinned, stepping forward as he spotted us, Gluttony following suit. Ed and I braced ourselves, ready to run, our hands still tightly clasped. At the sight of the bottle in my hand, Envy's grin faltered and he stopped his advance. Fifteen seconds. I gripped the little bottle, ready to make my move as I raised my voice.

"My name is Winnifred Radcliff and I am no one's sacrifice!"

I threw the bottle as hard as I could towards the spiky haired menace and turned, running with Ed towards the end of the hall and the exit. I counted the seconds as we ran. Ten, nine… The pain in my chest was unbearable and I was having trouble seeing straight. Eight, seven, six… Out of the corner of my eye I could see Edward running next to me and ahead the twilight sky shining through a set of double doors. Five, four… Ed's grip on my hand tightened and we were just a few meters from the exit. Three, two, one.

The shattering of the small glass bottle and Envy's shout were drowned out by the explosion and the heat was almost suffocating. Ed and I were thrown through the doors and landed in a heap, covering our heads as ropes of fire and bits of debris flew after us, pelting us in the back. The sound was deafening and I squeezed my eyes shut in an effort to keep the dust from them. At long last, the noise and rubble stopped pelting us and I realized we were on the front steps of the building. I staid still, not daring to move while Ed kneeled, swiping the dust from his clothes with his left hand and cursing.

"Don't ever, ever do that again, Freddy! I mean it!"

I didn't respond. I couldn't. I struggled to breathe, struggled to force the air from my lungs, but they were so starved for oxygen. The blast had rippled through my chest, pounding it as if it were a drum and I felt crushed. My heart raced, illogically beating, painful and dizzying and all I could do was lay there, trying to speak. Ed didn't notice, but simply continued his little rant as he uselessly attempted to move his automail arm.

"Dammit! The blast probably knocked the connections loose! Thanks!"

I gazed up at him and when he finally returned the glance, his face paled and he leaned forward, rolling me onto my back. He stared at me wide eyed and I finally managed to croak out three words as the world went dark.

"Ed… Get help…"

Wow, Freddy can make things go 'splodey too! DO NOT TRY THAT AT HOME! Interesting little fact: Nitroglycerin, the active ingredient in dynamite, was discovered to have medical attributes in the coal mines. An onsite doctor made a correlation between the fact that miners had low blood pressure and rarely had heart attacks, and the fact that they used dynamite for blasting. Dynamite seeps the nitroglycerin, especially in the hot mines, and the miners skin absorbed it. When I heard that, I thought it was pretty cool. Anywho, laters.