"Don't touch him!" a voice roared. It came from my mouth, but sounded completely foreign to me. The tone was filled with unadulterated hate.

My body trembled with anger at the sight before me. Edward was kneeling on the ground, looking more than disheveled. His clothes were out of place, torn up, and plain dirty. My hyper driven senses took notice of his limp automail arm and the look of terror and anger shining bright in his golden eyes that were looking at me. My eyes finally landed on the dark red substance seeping out of multiple cuts on his body.

Blood.

A violent tremor ran through my body, a sinister grin marring my features and bloodlust festering from within me. A deep breath allowed me to keep my head clear enough to focus on the laughing monster standing above Ed. Envy's and Edward's mouths moved, Envy looked to be saying something condescending and Edward looked to be yelling, but I couldn't hear either of them over the sound of blood pulsing through my veins.

I need to see it. I need to feel it covering my hands. I need more blood!

My hand immediately went to my dagger as I sprinted towards Envy with a new, powerful energy. He stood still, grabbing my outstretched arm. Using my momentum, I slid low, flipping Envy above me. His grip loosened enough for me to remove my hand. Throwing myself toward him, I stabbed at his fallen form, hitting his left shoulder. The sound of the blade slicing through his arm was a satisfying squish. My grin increased as I took a moment to relish the feeling of blood flowing onto my hand. Idiot mistake.

In a second, I was smashed into ground with such force I could feel my bones snap. Envy straddled my waist, a hand roughly clenching my neck. Edward's voice became louder with each call of my name, and with it was the feeling of pain radiating from every nerve in my body. In a few seconds, the adrenaline drained from my body, making me extremely aware of my situation. I could finally make sense of the prisoners in white uniforms, the pieces of fallen ceiling, and the walls made of red water. Looking a little further, I saw Gluttony, Lust, and Alphonse. Al's head was lying on the flooring next to him, since it was replaced with one of Lust's spiked fingers scratching dangerously close to his blood seal. Another tremor of anger rolled through me.

"Feisty now aren't you?" Envy mocked, his hold on my neck tightening. He leaned down to my ear, "You'll never be better than me, brat, so quit while you're ahead."

I attempted to glare at him, but my pain weakened the intensity of it. Envy just chortled at how pathetic I looked. He turned his attention back to the fuming State Alchemist, "Make the Philosopher's Stone or we kill both this girl and your brother."

I turned my eyes as far as they could go to see Edward's reacting. His gaze was hard, "I'll do it."

"No! You can't! Please, Ed!" the panic in my voice was painfully evident. 'He can't. I'm dead if he does.'

My thoughts and cries ended with Envy using his hold on my neck to lift me up and slam me back into the ground. A strangled cry escaped through my clenched teeth. My barely healed bones shattering even further creating a more intense wave of agony, forcing me to involuntarily squeeze my eyes shut.

When the pain became bearable, I looked up to see the room had become whole again. An intricate transmutation circle was now visible, and when I turned my head enough to see the room, I could see a matching circle on the ground. In seconds, my brain finally comprehended that the prisoners were huddled into the circle, with Edward slowly moving large cylinders of red water into their correct places. His eyes were dead, obviously trying to block out his brother's cries.

I tried calling out, to plead with him to stop, but the hold on my neck only allowed a few strangled gasps. 'At least I don't need to breathe. But how do I get Envy off of me without giving away I'm not human? It's going to be hard enough to explain how I magically heal.' Completely at a loss for what to do, I dumbly watched Edward kneel and clap his hands. Time slowed down as his hands inched closer to the transmutation circle, shaking more the closer they reached.

Finally, he dropped his hands and head, whispering in a voice akin to a little boy who disappointed his parents, "Al…I'm sorry… I can't do it."

The breath I didn't realize I was holding escaped through my lips in utter relief, only to be sucked back in by the sudden explosion in a corner of the room, blasting Envy off of me. I immediately got on my feet, wincing at my sore muscles and bones, but on high alert. Once the dust settled, I could see the blast had cracked the red water tanks, the toxic liquid spilling across the room. I frowned, this much red water was dangerous to Edward and the prisoners.

"Fullmetal Alchemist," a deep voice from above called, which I quickly recognized as Scar's, "Take your brother and the girl and go!"

Edward stole a quick look at me, making sure I was okay, before rushing to help his brother. Before he could make it to Al, he stepped in a puddle of the red fluid. Immediately, a transmutation started, blue sparks and smoke emitting from him. 'Shit! He never finished the transmutation, now he's a part of it! That can't be good. I have to stop it! But how?' Something in my chest squeezed painfully at the sight of him and the fact I didn't know what to do. To my horror, Ed unconsciously changed his automail into a harpoon that crashed into the glass in front of him, causing more red water to flood into the room. Parts of the ground turned into spikes hurtling across the room.

My feet carried me closer, until I was staring him in the face. The force of the reaction was slowly pushing me away from him. 'Come on! Think! I can't just stand here! How can I get us away?!' At that thought something clicked. 'Duh! I could really just try pulling him away from the water. It could be a horrible mistake, but it's the only plan I have.' I fought against the force, and grabbed his shaking arm, pulling him away from the transmutation with one hard tug. He fell onto me, the glow slowly fading.

Relief flowed over me in waves for multiple reasons. From what I could sense, the other Homunculi and Scar have disappeared and new people were quickly approaching, most likely military. Next, Ed and Al were safe, a little worse for wear but safe. I was shocked at how relieved I was, but what really shocked me was the slight tingly sensation that danced across my skin that was in contact with Ed's. I looked down at his face and my heart swelled slightly. I was mesmerized by the serene look on his face. Allowing myself to stare a little longer, I noticed that even though his face was bruised and covered in small cuts, he was still quite handsome.

The sound of footsteps coming from the door I originally came from broke me from my thoughts. I could feel my cheeks warm slightly at the realization at what I had been thinking. 'God, what is wrong with me? Just going to chalk it up to hormones and move on.'

I looked over to the military personnel who were stopped in their tracks, obviously stunned at the state of the large room. I coughed, getting their attention and smiled weakly, "Get us out of here."

Armstrong was the first to appear by my side, carefully taking Ed from me, "Are you okay? What happened here?"

"I have no idea," my voice growing smaller as a large wave of exhaustion barreled into me. My eyes started drooping on their own, no matter how hard I tried to fight it, and a yawn passed through my lips.

Armstrong chuckled and held out his arm as an offer to carry me as well, "Seems as though it was a long night. Feel free to go to sleep. We'll take care of it from here."

I shook my head weakly, "No, no. I'm okay… I'll…" I trailed off, my vision starting to blur with sleep. I soon slid to the ground, my body not having the strength to remain standing, and unwillingly let my fatigue take over.

xXxXxXxXxXx

When I woke up, I was absolutely confused as to where I was and why. I tried opening my eyes, but immediately shut them again at the brightness of wherever I was. I mentally shrugged as I tried to use my other senses to figure out where on earth I was.

Other than the feel of the warm sun, I first noticed the sterile smell in the room. Next I noticed that I was laying down on what I assumed to be a bed considering the softness of the material encasing me. I also felt the throbbing pain that stretched through me.

Oh right, I had practically every bone in my body broken multiple times last night. Even with superhuman healing abilities, I'm not surprised I'm still sore. I groaned as I forced myself into a sitting position. With a deep breath, I braced myself for the blinding light as I opened my eyes. A quick glance at the simple white walls and basic, light wood nightstand told me I was probably right about being in a hospital.

Since I was alone, I allowed myself to think about what had happened the previous night. 'Well, first off, I'm screwed. Ed and Al are definitely going to be used as a bargaining chip now that Dante knows that I will do everything in my power to keep them safe. However, does she know that I've completely turned against her? Most likely it's crossed her mind once or twice. I'll have to keep pushing the boys in the direction she wants them for the time being. Perhaps I'll try to feign my feelings as teenage hormones, because that's what they are. Right?'

I was sure of it until last night though. My cheeks warmed at the thought of the pin pricks of electricity that danced across my arms because of the skin contact with Edward. 'Damnit, I couldn't actually like the guy. I've only known him for a couple of weeks. I mean, yeah, he's attractive and has proven to be a good friend. But I couldn't possibly have feelings for him past platonic.'

Besides, how could someone like him ever come to like someone like me. Monsters aren't allowed the luxury of something as good and pure as 'love.' It's obvious he has feelings for Winry. I'm lucky he is even my friend.

My gut dropped at the image of Edward and Winry together. They would obviously make a beautiful couple. My heart retched further. 'I must be jealous because I'll never get to have something like that. I would feel the same for Al if he had someone he could easily spend the rest of his life with. But… I have nothing. I'll be lucky enough if I live through Dante's plans.'

'Ah yes, Dante's plans.' I finally managed to get my brain back on the track it was supposed to be on. I couldn't waste my time analyzing something as petty as emotions. 'Well, there really isn't much I can do about the future right now. I guess a push and pull method is my only current option until I learn more about what Dante has in store. That is if she tells me. Nonetheless, my plan is to follow orders, but leave room for them to back out. I guess that's decent enough. But the ultimate question comes down to when do I tell them the truth? Hopefully, I'll never have to, but I really can't bank on that. Not to mention I have to explain how I'm better within a night.'

A sharp knock pulled me out of my thoughts. When I looked over to the door, Mustang had already entered and closed the door behind him. I crossed my arms at seeing who it was and made sure I was extra snarky, "You know, you should wait for permission before entering a woman's room. What if I had been changing?"

Mustang smirked, his tone matching mine, "Well, good thing that you aren't. And besides, it's really my room since I'm paying for it, and here I thought I was doing something nice for you by bringing you lunch and pain medication."

Mustang sat the tray of food in my lap and then grabbed the chair that was against the wall, pulling it next to the right side of the bed. Even though I wasn't too hungry, I was thankful for the painkillers and quickly swallowed them with the glass of water Mustang had also kindly brought me. I picked up the sandwich and started eating it, looking expectantly at Mustang. Something told me that he was here for a reason other than friendly chit chat.

I didn't have to wait long because soon his playful expression hardened into a serious one, "I typically don't get deep into Edward's business for obvious reasons. However, I'm curious. From the state of the room and the brothers, it is quite amazing that you escaped with a few bruises, which have obviously cleared up since then." He paused to gage my reaction. I kept my face neutral, even though I was nervous. He continued, "It is also amazing that you managed to make it to Lab 5 within twelve hours of calling me, especially since it took you a few days to get back to your 'home.'"

I did stiffen at that. 'Fuck. I hadn't even noticed that.' Mustang smiled knowingly at my slight display of discomfort. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Edward does not suspect anything… odd about you. Besides that, I've come to two explanations as two how you ended up at Lab 5. Either one, you're working with an enemy and lied about your home, and you placed yourself conveniently at Lab 5 at the right time. Or, there is something different about you, and you really need the Elric Brother's help." His voice darkened, "If the first one is true, give up. If you don't, I'll make sure your death is as violent as possible. Those boys don't need another person betraying them."

He paused again when I flinched at his words. It was quite apparent that the threat was not an empty one. Mustang sighed, his face softening, "And if it's the latter, tell them. Edward might be young, but he isn't called 'Hero of the People' for nothing. Whatever it is, they'll help."

I nodded looking at my clenched hands. I heard the older man get up and move towards the door, "Tell them, and soon. If you don't, I'll tell them something is amiss, that is if they don't already notice, and knowing the Pipsqueak, he'll force it out of you. By the way, he's awake and in the room next door if you want to get up and visit him."

He didn't wait for a reply and left as quickly and quietly as he came. I flopped back onto the bed, childishly pouting. 'Looks like I can't procrastinate this any longer.'

They're going to hate me.

I sighed. 'They were probably going to hate me. However, they've come in contact with the Homunculi, which means plans are being executed, and I won't have many other chances.' With another sigh, I got up from the bed and took a minute to stretch. Looking down at the nightstand, I was able to see my bag, which carried all of my belongings. I grabbed some clothes and headed to the small bathroom that was connected to the room.

What was meant to be a short shower turned into a long one due to the wonderful feeling of the hot water. But all good things must come to an end, and I dragged myself out of the shower and quickly got changed into my traditional black pants and purple long sleeved shirt, taking extra care to make sure it covered my marked wrists. I moved onto my hair and decided to leave it down with the part leaning a bit to the right. Fingering the long, black ringlets I wished I could leave it down more. I really did like it down, and it made me feel pretty to have such a unique trait. Then again, it wasn't the most convenient for my lifestyle. 'Guess I'll just have to enjoy it when I can.' Giving myself a final once over, I grabbed my bag and headed to the Elric's room.

His room was down the hall from mine, and was easy to find due to the body guards stationed outside of the room. I knocked, and entered the room once given permission. When I entered, I gave a curious look to the two people I hadn't yet met, though with a little thinking, I recognized them from last night. In between them sat Ed in a bed, bandaged with his automail arm in a sling. I turned a little bit and noticed a badly beaten Al, whom was missing a decent amount of himself.

Ed smiled at my presence, though I could see a bit of shock in his eyes, probably due to the fact that I was fine after being crushed into the ground twice, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I'm a bit sore, but I really should be asking the two of you that," I walked up to the foot of his bed. Quickly, I noticed the crude drawings of the other Homunculi and Ouroboros tattoo on his nightstand, but brushed it off.

He chuckled, "We're a bit banged up, but we'll be fine. Winry's on her way so she can fix me up so I can fix Al. She's excited to see you." It took him a second to realize the slight awkward atmosphere, "Oh! By the way, this is Lieutenant Ross and Lieutenant Brosh. Lieutenant Ross and Lieutenant Brosh, this is Emmeline."

We smiled at each other and shook hands. I turned my attention back to Edward, a big smile on my face, "So when does Winry get here?" No lie, I really liked her. Even watching her beat up Edward was quite fun. I remember always wanting an older sister, and she naturally filled the role quite nicely.

Everyone but Al chuckled at Ed's sudden stiffness and nervous look, "She should be here by noon tomorrow. Ahhhh, she's gonna kill me for wreaking my arm!"

I laughed harder at the thought of seeing him getting beaten by a wrench again, to which he complained, but took notice to the quietness of Alphonse. When I calmed down, Edward turned to his bodyguards and politely asked, "Hey, do you mind going to get the paperwork I need to fill out for Mustang? I might as well get some work done while I'm stuck up here."

Ross, Brosh, and I immediately raised one skeptical eyebrow at the request. Still, orders were orders and the two saluted Edward and promptly left the room. I jumped onto the foot of his bed, sitting cross-legged, "You know, I feel like it would be weird getting saluted by people who are a lot older than you. Anyway, why did you have them leave because that was a horrible excuse."

He deadpanned, "What makes you say that?"

"You obviously will do anything to get away from doing paperwork," I shrugged. "But really, what happened last night?"

Ed's eyes hardened, to my surprise, at me, "The better question is how did you get there last night?"

"I asked a question first, so you answer mine and I'll answer yours," my matter-of-fact tone hiding how nervous I really was. 'Between this and what Mustang said, I'm going to have to tell them. But I didn't think it would have to be this soon. Between Mustang's threat and Winry coming soon, I'll…I'll tell them now.' My heart sank at the thought of what may happen when they know the truth.

He gave me a pointed look, but answered nonetheless, "For the past few days we have been researching Marcoh's Notes. Long story short, we found out that the main ingredient for the Philosopher's Stone is human lives. We found that Lab 5 supposed to be closed down and was right next to a prison, perfect location for creating the Stone. We both took on prisoner's whose souls were bonded to armor, like Al. Then those people from last night are artificial humans, called Homunculi. They said that they've been controlling us from the start so they can have me create the Stone. Apparently, they want to become human. You showed up once they stared threatening me with Al's life, and then they threatened to kill you too."

A dry laugh escaped my throat. I couldn't believe how much they had told him. It was definitely a risky move, making me really question what the old hag had in store. However, I had to control my heartbeat so I could figure out how to tell the Brother's what was really going on. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice even, "Interesting. Before I start my side of the story, I have two things." I reached into my bag and pulled out my father's notebooks, "These are what I found at my house from my dad's research. I doubt there will be anything new, but I still brought them. And two," I paused and took another breath. I knew this was going to sound extremely pathetic, but I needed the reassurance, "Promise again that you two will stay my friends."

Ed's face softened for a second, and he and Al promised, "Of course."

After a split second of thinking, Edward turned skeptic again, "Why, what have you done?"

Another breath, "I've lied to you. I don't know how to say this, so I'll just start over again." I paused, not really wanting to continue. The thought of them seeing me as the monster that I am hindering me to continue this story with confidence, "My name is Emmeline. My mother died of a disease when I was young. My father was a research alchemist for the state. A little over a year ago, I fell sick with the same illness my mother had, putting me in a comatose state. I remained in that state for a year, but was barely alive.

"My father took me to a well-known doctor named Dante. She's an old woman who lives by herself in the middle of the woods. She lied to my father and confirmed my death, and then she pushed my crazed and depressed father into researching Human Transmutation." I stopped at Edward's visible stiffen, remembering that they had tried it with their mother, and then continued with gritted teeth, "The old hag wanted to see what would happen if it was performed on a live person.

"Nonetheless, my idiot father did it, and it worked well. When it happened, I was at the Gate because I was so close to death. I'm guessing you know what that is since you can also do transmutations without a circle. Anyway, he didn't even notice me there. He just made the deal. His life for mine, a life for a life. Equivalent exchange at its finest. Then he just waltzed through the Gate. I could only see a glimpse of it as he passed through, but it was enough for me to see most of it. Then, as soon as it came, it was gone. Next thing I knew, I woke up and I was a monster.

"I ran on pure instinct. Just ran out my house and somehow ended up on Dante's doorstep. Apparently all Homunculus come running to her. She took care of me, and in turn I let her experiment on me countless times… But she said I was her most perfect creation. I age, albeit slowly, my heart beats, other organs function properly, and I heal automatically like the other Homunculi. I still have all the skills that Homunculi have, like superhuman strength, speed, and stamina, which is why I could get here so quickly. I just ran. I can also transmute things to my body and can stretch my arms and legs. It's actually kinda cool."

I grabbed my knife from my belt, clapped, and transmuted it to my right hand. I then stretched my arm to the right wall and made a little scratch on the surface. My arm retracted, and with another clap, the knife and my hand separated. "But it's these reasons why I'm also completely fine today." I took the knife and made a small cut on the palm of my left hand and watched as red sparks danced on my skin, healing it quickly. I ignored the gasps from both of the brother's and continued, "The other Homunculi have powers too. Envy can change shape into different people. Gluttony can eat anything, and craves to do so. Then Lust has fingers that can elongate and pierce anything. I was given the name Malice. Dante ordered Envy to train me to fight since he's the best out of them. I've never been able to defeat him. I physically work quite similarly to them, and my differences are shown by the fact that I have two Ouroboros marks that are slightly different from theirs," I stated as I pushed up my sleeves to show them the tattoos on my inner wrists.

"Time passed and she eventually gave us the order to find a man named Cornello. She wanted to find out more about you, and she knew you would follow the lead. And you did. They were right about having everything planned out. It's scary, but they are always a step ahead of you.

"For example, after Cornello, she requested me back. Once I got there, and got to her door to her study, I heard her talking to herself. She said she needs the stone to take over my body. She wants to use me to become immortal. I can't let her though. So I was going to run away, but then she assigned me to befriend you and lead you to the Philosopher's Stone. At that moment, she gave me the perfect reason to get to know you because I know you are the only ones that can help me take her down. Dante told me you would be in Xenotime, so that's where I went.

"From there you know what happened, until I took a walk back in Resembol. Lust contacted me and told me that Dante wanted a status report. That's where my excuse for my father's research came from. After I visited my house, I went straight to her. She tricked me though, and I completely fell for it. The old bat wanted to see how much I cared about you, and now she probably will use you against me. She told me that you were in trouble and I came running. Mustang told me where you were staying and when I found the map, it was really easy to find you. On my way to find you, I tried to reason with myself, say that it was only because I didn't want to die… But I was taught that I was only a monster, one that no one could befriend, care for, and love. But you two treat me like an actual person. And I couldn't imagine giving that up…"

Looking up from my hands, I saw that Edward was shaking, "So… you still led us to the people that are going to kill us?! We almost died last night!"

My chest tightened at the thought, "I won't ever let that happen. I'll protect both of you with my life. I promise."

"You've lied before, so how can I know you aren't lying now?" his voice held a malicious tint to it.

I could feel my voice rising, "Because I'm telling you now! The only reason why I didn't tell you was because I was afraid that you would treat me exactly how I'm supposed to be treated! Who would help a Homunculus?!"

"You still should have told the truth. Get out. I even can't look at you right now. And I can't forgive you for putting Al's life in danger," he said as he turned away from me.

My heart clenched, "Please… you promised."

"I don't care, just get out."

Al's light voice pleaded with Ed, "Brother, she didn't know what to do. We can't just leave her when her life is in danger."

I was begging, "Please, Ed. This is my life."

He still wouldn't listen, and just repeated, "Get out."

With a shaky breath, I picked up my bag and walked out of the room. I managed to hold my tears back until I was safely out of the hospital. Not wanting anyone to catch me, I quickly managed to find a quiet park and climbed up a tree. The tears fell freely until I felt a new presence next to me. Glancing up, I saw Lust balancing before me on a branch with a sad smile.

"I told you, monsters like us cannot be loved. Only humans can be. We can become human with the Philosopher's Stone. You know what do to," were the only solemn words she spoke before leaving again since the message was clear enough.

'She's right. I have to become human first. I'm not going to remain like this forever. I'll get them to create the Philosopher's Stone, and then I'll handle the old bitch on my own.'

Sorry for the delay! Writer's block and school haven't been the kindest to me. But enough with the excuses. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. It really means a lot! By the way, please give me some constructive criticism on my writing. I'm by no means a natural writer, and I would really appreciate any ideas to help me write a great story.

Until next time!