[The Great Desert]
Ling and the team were on their way to Amestris for the first ever Amestris-Xing official meeting. Everyone was riding a horse. Yang was at the front, Yin was at the back, Lan Fan was at the left side, Mei and Xiao (Mei's panda) were at the right side, and Ling was at the center with Hu Zemin….
Ling: "When are we going to reach Amestris?"
LF (Lan Fan): "Few more hours, young lord"
Ling: "I can't believe I am going back to Amestris just after few months, and that also as royalty. Now, I will be fed all the delicious cuisines" (He started imagining with his mouth watering)
Mei: "I can also meet my prince, the handsome and kind alchemist, Alphonse Elric" (Dreamy tone)
Hu: "Are you talking about the Elric brothers?"
Mei: "Yes"
Hu: "Isn't Edward Elric the youngest state alchemist?"
Mei nodded her head…
Hu: "But, you are yourself very good in alkahestry, aren't you?"
Mei: "You can say that, I helped some Amestrians in the war" (Blushing)
Lan Fan and Ling looked at her with a questioning look, and Mei regretted what she just said…
Yin: "There was a war? I heard it was some terrorist group that entered the Central command, and killed the Fuehrer while he was travelling by train"
Ling: "Yeah, it was kind of a war, we helped defeating the terrorist group involved and catch the traitor Generals" (Hesitant tone)
Yin: "I see"
Yang: "My lord, you never told how you got the philosopher stone. I am sure, the government didn't just handed it to you, and it must have been protected"
Ling told them the story which he told to everyone after bringing the philosopher stone…
Ling: "After the terrorist group entered inside central command, they were able to get their hands on one of the philosopher stones. But, before they could get out, they faced the Amestrian military and the infamous flame alchemist, Roy Mustang. They knew that they were outmatched, so they somehow held Mustang's lady friend as hostage. Mei and I decided to sneak attack them as they were holding the philosopher stone, but our timing was a little off. We managed to separate the philosopher stone from the terrorists, but they were able to hurt the lady. Mei went to help the lady, to seal her wounds and went after the philosopher stone. That's how we got the philosopher stone"
Yang: "So, it's true, they can create philosopher's stone"
Ling: "Yes, but it vaporizes after limited number of use"
Hu: "Is it true that it grants immortality?"
Ling: "No, it only grants an alchemist the power to perform human transmutation without any danger"
Yang: "So, one can bring back someone from the dead?"
Ling: "I think no, because we never encountered anything like that, even the state alchemists told us that it is impossible to bring back someone from dead even with the help of a philosophers stone. Although, we found some people whose soul was attached to an armor, still they were not immortal"
Suddenly, dusty wind started blowing. Yin looked back, and saw a dust storm was approaching toward them…
Yin: "We have to take shelter somewhere"
Ling: "Why?"
Yin: "Look back"
Everyone looked back and saw a huge storm coming toward them…
Ling: "I think you…are correct"
Yang tried to look for a shelter, and saw a cave at some distance…
Yang: "I think there is a cave there" (pointing toward the caves direction)
Everyone looked in that direction, and saw a cave…
Ling: "Okay, let's go inside that cave"
Mei: "What about the horses?"
Yang: "We will think about them later, first let's go to the cave"
They speed up the horses and reached near the cave. They were amazed that the cave was bigger than what they expected. All of them went inside the cave with their horses. After they were inside they tied their horses there, and lit up a torch…
Ling: "Looks like this cave is pretty big, how come we never saw this cave?"
LF: "We must have taken some other route"
Yang: "Even we never encountered this cave"
Ling: "Let's go inside, and check what other secrets it holds"
LF: "Young lord, we don't know what is in there, I think it will be good if we stay out here"
Ling: "Don't worry Lan Fan, as long as you are with me, we can fight all the monsters in this world"
Lan Fan blushed…
Yin: "Woohooh, so you are into your bodyguard, young lord?" (Mocking tone)
Yang: "Let's go inside"
Ling: "With pleasure"
Everyone went inside, Yang was holding the torch, and everyone was walking behind him. The path was without any humps and was covered with sand…
Yin: "She is the same age as yours, and she is protective when it comes to you. I think she will make a fine wife"
Lan Fan was feeling so embarrassed at that moment, that she was unable to say anything…
Mei: "What about you? Didn't you kiss him that day?"
Yin: "It was just a kiss on the cheek, a sister or mother can also do that. Well if you think that I will be a good future queen then I am ready to marry young lord, but I don't think he will be marrying someone so much older than him, even after my unparalleled beauty. Right young lord?"
Ling gulped, he was unable to reply to the strange talk going on there. Suddenly, Yang stopped walking and everyone stopped eventually…
Hu: "What happened?"
Yang: "The path has ended"
They saw the walls but there was nothing significant there…
Ling: "Looks like this cave do not hold any mysteries after all"
Yang: "The path"
Ling: "What about the path?"
Yang: "The path is too perfect for a normal cave"
Ling: "Now that you mentioned, it is weird for sure"
Yang: "Everyone close your eyes"
Ling: "What are you going to do?"
Yang: "Remove sand, and if you won't close your eyes, it might get into your eyes"
When everyone closed their eyes, Yang pulled out his sword which had a transmutation circle on its handle, and pierced it through the sand to the floor and threw a dagger at some distance. Suddenly, sparks started appearing on his sword and all the sand below started getting accumulated at the daggers location. After he was finished, Mei and her panda started rolling on the floor, rubbing their eyes. Watching that, Yang sighed…
Yang: "I told you to close your eyes. Somebody help them please"
Lan Fan went to her to clear her eyes. In the meantime, everyone looked at the cleared floor and everyone was shocked at what they were watching. The floor was covered with lots of transmutation circle…
Hu: "Why are there so many transmutation circles doing in this cave?"
Yang: "Have a look over there" (Pointing toward the accumulated sand)
Everyone looked at the accumulated sand and saw some bones mixed up in the sand…
Mei: "Those are of animals, right?"
Yin: "We can't be sure, those bones can also be of humans"
Mei and her panda gulped…
Yang: "Something terrible must have happened here, this place is nearer to Xerxes ruins. And everyone knows the story how Xerxes turned to ruins one day, nobody knows what happened there, how such an advanced nation got destroyed all of a sudden"
Suddenly a gust of wind came and extinguished the torch. Due to sudden darkness, Mei screamed…
Ling: "Stop screaming Mei, the torch will be lighted up in a moment"
Suddenly, Yang said something frightening…
Yang: "Are you guys sensing something? It's very faint, but it suddenly appeared out of nowhere"
Yin: "Yes, it's something inhuman"
Ling: "I am sensing it too"
Mei: "LIGHT UP THE TORCH" (Frightened tone)
Yang quickly lighted up the torch. As soon as he lighted up the torch, he saw a black dust particle near the flame.
Yang: "I think we are sensing this particle"
Suddenly everyone except, Hu and Xiao stood in defensive stance with their weapons outside as if something was going to attack them.
Hu: "What happened?" (Frightened tone)
Mei: "There are something lurking here"
Ling: "The chi is similar but I am sensing it from different positions"
Soon they saw some other black particles emerging from below the floor.
LF: "Let's get out of here, this place doesn't seem right"
Ling: "I can agree on this one, the storm might have gone by now"
Everyone went out of that place, rode their horses and continued their journey to Amestris.
[Wellesley, West Area]
A couple were climbing the cliff at the outskirt of Wellesley…
Woman: "How much more do we have to walk?"
Man: "Just a little more, we are almost there"
Woman: "Why are we even walking, we could have come here in some vehicle"
Man: "To feel the wilderness, honey"
When they reached their destination, they could see the entire city from there…
Man: "So, what do you think? Was it worth it?"
Woman: "No"
The man was looking at his wife, while she was walking toward the end of the cliff…
Man: "You could have lied at least, just to make me happy"
Woman: "For your information, our relationship is based on trust, not lies"
The man sighed. When the woman reached the end of the cliff, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she breathed in, she smelled something dead…
Woman: "ooh, what is that?" (Disgusted tone)
Man: "What happened?"
Woman: "It smells like something is dea.."
She couldn't speak, her eyes widened when she saw below the cliff. She started breathing heavily, and then backed down screaming…
Man: "What is it?"
The man went to the end of the cliff and looked down, and he was shocked as well. It was Lieutenant Donovan's body, lying midway on a rock few meters above the ground. Crows and Vultures had already eaten most of his flesh. Soon, this news reached the military, and a group of people came from the military to retrieve the dead body. After retrieving it, the body was sent to Western command by train due to the order received from Lieutenant Colonel William J. Barns (Detective for Donovan's case).
When Donovan's dead body arrived at Western city, it was taken to the hospital for post mortem. William was with the dead body from the railway station. Donovan's body was somewhat recognizable due to some skin and flesh attached to his face, and he was confirmed to be dead. Now, William was in a difficult situation to convey the news to Donovan's family who were living in Western city. He went to Donovan's home in his uniform with Donovan's belongings. When he reached there, which was an apartment, he knocked at the door, and after few moments, a girl around 13-14 years old, opened the door. Watching someone from the military, the girl became very happy…
Girl: "Is daddy here?" (Excited tone)
She looked outside but couldn't find anyone except William, and listening to that, her mother rushed out quickly looking very happy, and all she saw was an unknown person from the military. Her smile quickly disappeared from her face when she couldn't find her husband. She looked at William…
Woman: "Who are you?"
William introduced himself and he told the truth about Donovan's death. As soon as she heard the news, she fell on her knees and started crying. Her daughter was trying to calm down her mother, but how could she calm someone if she was crying herself. The small family of Donovan couldn't believe that the person they loved was no more. William handed over Donovan's belongings to the girl, and stayed there for some time to give them some moral support.
[Central Command]
Everybody in Roy's unit was done with their work and was getting ready to leave for home. Riza came to Roy's desk to collect the paper works.
Roy: "Even after becoming General, I still have to do these paper works"
Riza: "I can't help you with that even if I want to"
Roy: "It's fine; you are doing more than enough"
While picking up the papers, she noticed something was bothering Roy, and he was trying to hide that feeling…
Riza: "What happened?"
Roy: "What?" (He was caught off guard)
Riza: "You heard me"
Roy: "Nothing…everything is fine"
Riza: "Don't try to hide from me. You know very well that you can't hide anything from me"
Roy took a deep breath.
Roy: "It's just the IFF issue, it's getting worse"
Riza: "I know but, there is something else bothering you"
Roy: "That's all, there is nothing else" (Hesitant tone)
Riza: "Fine…feel free to share whenever you want to"
She left after saying that.
Roy: {Damn, she knows me so well}
As the office hour was over, Riza left for home. She always liked to walk home so, she left the HQ and began walking as usual on the footpath. There were less streetlight and it was night time but, it was not a problem for her. After walking some distance, she felt like someone was tailing her and she knew who he was.
Riza: "Why are you following me?"
Riza turned around.
Roy: "I thought of walking with you tonight. Sorry if I ruined your moment with loneliness"
Roy came more close to her, and both started walking beside each other…
Roy: "Why didn't you bring Hayate with you today?"
Riza: "I forgot"
Roy: "And where are your guns?"
Riza checked her purse and everywhere she usually kept her guns but, there was nothing, not even the gun covers. Upon watching her disappointed in herself, Roy handed over two guns…
Roy: "Here…"
Riza looked at Roy's hand. He was holding her guns which were covered inside gun cover which she usually hanged on her waist or inside her uniform.
Riza: "Thank you General"
She took the guns from him and hung them on either side of her waist.
Roy: "That is not like you…yesterday also, you forgot your guns…and why do you walk? Office has provided you a car you know?" (Concerned tone)
Riza started walking again, looking forward. Her hairs were loose, covering the part of her face where Roy was looking. She replied…
Riza: "Sorry General…"
Roy: "You know, it's not safe wandering in streets without any protection"
Riza: "So are you still going to walk me home?" (Ignoring Roy's concern)
Roy sighed hearing her reply.
Roy: "Yes"
Riza: "Why are you walking? You could have just brought your car and dropped me at home"
Roy: "Then it wouldn't have given me enough time to spend with you"
Roy looked at Riza who was still looking forward. Roy didn't notice at first but, it was not that hard for him to figure out that she was hiding the tears which were slipping from her eyes, moving through her cheeks and falling on the ground. So he stopped and held Riza's hand. Riza stopped…
Roy: "It's okay…you can throw all your sorrow, pain, anger at me and I promise, I will gladly accept them" (stressed tone)
Upon hearing those assuring words from Roy, she hugged him and started crying on his shoulders.
Riza: "I still remember the day he was born… his tiny hands were reaching out to my face even though his eyes were closed. If you had been there you could have also seen, how he was yawning (small laugh)… I think it's our karma which took our son from us…we destroyed so many families at Ishval that it is our penance that we are unable to start a family together" (sobbing tone)
Roy desperately wanted to tell her that Oliver was alive but, he was afraid if someone was spying on him and, any wrong move could lead to his son's death. He hugged her tightly and moved his hand over the back of her head to calm her down. Suddenly, both of them heard footsteps of someone approaching toward them. The sound of footsteps was getting louder and louder with time. Riza stopped crying and looked into the direction of the noise along with Roy. She took out her gun and Roy was ready with his gloves on. Soon, they saw an Ishvalan man running toward them. He was bleeding very badly and when he saw Roy and Riza in front of him, he started shouting, "HELP, HELP" and was running toward them. Watching the man approaching, Roy ordered Riza…
Roy: "I am keeping a watch on him, you look around us…I think it might be a trap"
Riza: "Copy"
Roy: "Stop right there, or I will burn you to ashes" (He ordered the man who was running toward them)
That man's face and body was covered with blood, his clothes were shredded, his left arm was ripped apart and blood was dripping from there. After listening to Roy, he stopped around 10 meters away from him and said…
Ishvalan Man: "Help"
After saying that, he fainted. Watching his condition, Roy thought it might not be a trap and picked the bleeding man from the ground.
Roy: "Let's take him to hospital"
They were lucky that there was a phone booth nearby, so Riza called Central command and asked them to come urgently with a car. The Ishvalan man was still bleeding badly so, Roy decided to stop his bleeding by cauterizing the ripped left arm wound. After sometime Falman reached there in a car and they took the man to hospital. Roy, Riza and Falman left the hospital after leaving the Ishvalan man there. Roy appointed some military guards to look after the Ishvalan and ordered them to inform him as soon as the man gains consciousness.
On the other side, Colonel Alex Armstrong (The Strong Arm Alchemist) was having dinner in his house with his family except General Olivier Armstrong. While they were eating, the phone rang, and a maid attended the call. She then came near the dining table…
Maid: "Master Alex, there is a call from the Central Command"
Alex stopped eating and went to attend the call. On the phone…
Alex: "Hello, Colonel Alex Armstrong speaking"
Lady: "Colonel Armstrong, there have been report of explosion at the goods station. Also, people are claiming that they saw a monster with glowing red eyes"
Alex: "I am reaching there within one hour, in the meantime tell the others to surround the area and interrogate some people"
Lady: "Roger that"
Alex hung up the phone, and went to his room to wear his uniform. When he was leaving, Philip Armstrong (Father of Alex) asked…
Philip: "Where are you going son at this time?"
Alex: "There is some work I need to attend to"
Philip: "When will you be returning?"
Alex: "I can't say, father. Now, if you will excuse me"
He left after saying that and went to the goods station in his car.
[3 hours earlier at an unknown warehouse at the outskirt of Central City]
Oliver was locked inside a room. They had to tie his hands because he knew alchemy. Thomas (Leader of IFF) was sitting inside his room, reading newspaper when Rolan entered...
Rolan: "Thomas"
Thomas looked at Rolan
Thomas: "Come, have a seat"
Rolan sat on a chair
Thomas: "So, do you have any news?"
Rolan: "Yes…we found out who is Oliver's mother, it's Major Riza Hawkeye"
Rolan told him how he found out that. After listening to him Thomas spoke…
Thomas: "Hmmm…how amusing, they had been hiding their relationship for so long, and no one ever had a clue?"
Rolan: "So, are you going to tell him who his mother is?"
Thomas: "What do you think?"
Rolan: "It's your call…after all it was your plan to kidnap that boy using his mother's identity"
Thomas: "Are you questioning the way our plan was executed?"
Rolan: "No, I am just saying if it was your idea to lie about his mother, then it should be your responsibility to convey him the truth"
Thomas: "Fine"
Thomas stood up and picked up an apple on his table…
Thomas: "Now, if you will please excuse me, I have to deliver some news"
Thomas went to meet Oliver. He opened the room in which Oliver was sitting on his bed looking toward him…
Oliver: "When are you going to untie my hands?"
Thomas went near Oliver and untied his hands, and offered him the apple…
Oliver: "When are you letting me go to my home, Mr. Maxwell?"
Thomas: "Soon"
Oliver took the apple, and started peeling off its skin with his teeth and spitting on the floor, and eating the apple…
Oliver: "Did you meet my father?"
Thomas: "Yes, he was very much missing you….he even wanted to toast me, when I told him that I have kidnapped you"
Oliver: "Mr. Maxwell, is it necessary to hurt others to get what you need?"
Thomas chuckled…
Thomas: "Kid, you are way too small to understand the things going on…we were never like this, it's the constant oppression for years which made us like this"
Oliver was busy eating the apple…
Thomas: "Anyways, I have a very good news to tell you. I…"
Before he could finish off his sentence, they heard gunshots firing outside. Oliver put the half eaten apple inside his pant pocket and he got out of the room along with Thomas to check what was happening. Rolan was also standing there with some other IFF soldiers…
Thomas: "What is happening?"
Rolan: "I don't know, may be the military found us"
Thomas looked toward a woman soldier (Appearance: black long bun hair, well-toned physique, height around 5.6 feet, in her early thirties, some war scars on face, brown full pant, turtle neck black t-shirt, brown jacket) standing there and called her by her name…
Thomas: "Geeta"
Geeta: "Yes Sir"
Thomas: "Keep Oliver with you, and if the military passes us and comes here, you know what to do"
Geeta: "Yes Sir"
Thomas looked at Rolan…
Thomas: "Let's go"
Both of them walked toward the direction from where the noises were coming. The warehouse had lots of turns and spacious places in it. They were reaching the place where the shooting was taking place, soon they saw two to three soldiers shooting something or someone, and suddenly another soldier flew toward the soldiers and hit the wall behind them. Thomas and Rolan were afraid and curious on what was happening, they wanted to know the reason how that soldier was thrown away with such a force. Thomas removed his shawl and dropped on the ground and pulled out his hand gun, Rolan also picked up his rifle and moved forward. When they were in the place where shooting was taking place, they looked in the direction where the soldiers were shooting, and saw a very horrifying scene. There was blood everywhere on the ground, severed limbs and dead bodies of soldiers were spread across the place, and other soldiers who were alive or in good condition were shooting at a creature who was ripping the place apart. It was looking like a humanoid which had four arms, but it was crawling using all of its hands and legs instead of walking like a normal humanoid. It was pitch black in color with glowing red eyes and on some portion of its body there were skin fragments. Those skin fragments were of its own as if the creature was trying to complete its body. It was almost 15 feet in length and 6 feet high when it was walking on all its limbs, still it was fast for its size. All the soldiers who were present there were shooting at the creature, but whenever the bullets were hurting the creature, the wounded area was again filled with some black smoke like particles and its body was healed….
Thomas: "What is this thing?"
A soldier who was standing near to him replied…
Soldier: "We don't know, it suddenly broke through the main gate and started attacking us"
Suddenly, a severed hand fell near them…
Thomas: "Can it be hurt?"
Soldier: "We are able to hurt it, but it is healing very fast, also it doesn't seem like it is made of flesh or bones"
Thomas: "Damn it" (Angry tone)
Rolan: "We have to do something fast, otherwise this whole place will be turned into a graveyard"
Thomas: "You (looking toward the soldier), take all the surviving soldiers with you and leave for Dublin, rest of us will meet you there"
After receiving the order from Rolan, the soldier took majority of the soldiers with him. Only ones who were left fighting the creature were Thomas, Rolan and three other IFF soldiers. All of them were shooting non-stop at the creature, but the shooting was only able to slow down it a little bit. Soon, Rolan's rifle was out of bullet so, he grabbed big iron pipe from the scrap which was lying there, and charged toward the creature. He jumped at the creature and with all his might, he hit the creature with the iron pipe he was holding. The creature stumbled, and as soon as it fell on the ground, Rolan pushed the pipe through its body. Getting the chance, one of the soldier moved closer to the creature and started stabbing its head with the knife at the front end of his rifle…
Soldier: "Die you fucking monster…die" (Sobbing tone)
Soon the creature stopped moving and its eyes stopped glowing which surprised the soldier who was attacking. He stopped attacking it…
Soldier: "What? Is it really dead?"
Suddenly, the eyes again started glowing and the area where the creature was stabbed with the iron pipe enlarged to get rid of the pipe, and some black dust like particles appeared there. Same thing was happening in all wounded area of that creature. Watching the scene, everyone backed down to maintain some distance between them and the creature. Rolan pulled out his dagger…
Rolan: "Aim for its eyes so that it won't see me while I attack it"
Soon the creature stood up with all its wound completely healed, and was glaring at them. Everyone started shooting at its eyes, and the creature was trying to block all the attacks with one hand. In the meantime, Thomas threw a grenade which blew off his front two hands. This gave them an opening to his eyes, and everyone started shooting at its eyes. Getting the opportunity, Rolan charged toward the creature with a dagger in one hand and a grenade in other hand. He jumped over the creature and penetrated his dagger on its neck and created an opening in its neck. Then he quickly dropped the grenade in the opening and jumped away from the creatures back. After few seconds, the grenade inside the creature's back exploded and its head was shredded into pieces with half of its torso. The remaining half of the torso fell on the floor. Watching that one of the soldier jumped with happiness and shouted "Yes"…
Thomas: "Nicely done Rolan"
Rolan: "Hope it is dead this time"
Everyone was happy that the creature was dead this time, but that happiness was only for a short moment. Some black dust like particles started accumulating at the remaining part of the torso, and the creature was again fully healed within few seconds. It was again standing glaring at them and before it could charge, the three soldiers again started shooting at it. But, only after two three shots, they were out of bullets and there was no more bullet to reload. As soon as the firing stopped, the creature charged at the three soldiers and attacked one of the soldiers with its claw like hands. The soldier was cut into two pieces from the middle, and his upper body fell near Thomas and Rolan…
Rolan: "Thomas, you should go. I don't think we can kill this monster, but if it kills you, then all of our dream will remain a dream"
Thomas looked toward Rolan and nodded…
Thomas: "I will be waiting for you at Dublin, don't be late…old friend"
Thomas' was looking toward his friend very sadly…
Rolan: "You don't look good when you cry Thomas, now leave"
Thomas went toward the place where he left Oliver, and Rolan picked up another iron pipe from the scraps lying there and charged toward the creature. When Thomas reached the place where he left Oliver, he couldn't find Oliver there. So he started shouting Oliver's name, and he saw Geeta coming out of the meeting room along with Oliver…
Geeta: "Are you okay Sir?"
Thomas: "Yes"
Geeta: "What is happening out there?"
Oliver: "Is my dad doing all this?"
Thomas looked at Oliver…
Thomas: "Let's get out of here through the back door"
Oliver: "I am sure my dad's men must have surrounded this place, and they will catch you once you get out"
Thomas closed in to Oliver…
Thomas: "Sorry to disappoint you, but that is not your dad out there. A monster is killing off my men, and the interesting thing is that when it will be finished off with the soldiers out there, it will come here and shred us into pieces like it is doing out there. Now, junior Mustang, if you want to stay alive then cooperate and come with us" (annoyed tone)
Thomas, Geeta and Oliver moved toward the back door, and when Geeta tried to open it, it was not opening.
Thomas: "What happened?"
Geeta: "It's not opening"
Thomas tried to open the door, but still the door was not opening…
Thomas: "Looks like the door is jammed (Grunting tone)"
In the mean they heard the creature roaring…
Geeta: "What was that?"
Thomas: "That's the thing we are running from"
Oliver: "Do you have anything to draw on this door?"
Thomas: "Of course, you know alchemy…wait let me bring some chalks for you"
Thomas quickly ran inside the meeting room, grabbed some chalks and ran back to Oliver to give him the chalks. Oliver started drawing a transmutation circle on the door, and they suddenly heard some fast footsteps approaching toward them. Thomas picked up an iron rod lying on the floor, and Geeta pointed her rifle toward the direction from where the creature was coming. Soon the creature took the last turn and was standing few meters away from the group. Geeta paused watching that creature, so Thomas quickly pulled the gun from her and started shooting at the creature. But, this time the bullets were not even bothering the creature, it was charging toward them without even protecting itself from the bullets hitting it, because the wounds created by the bullets were healing at a much faster rate. Suddenly Thomas and Geeta heard the jammed door breaking, and with that assurance, Thomas turned around, picked up Oliver and got out of the door. Geeta was following behind them, but just when she got out of the door, the creature entered one of his hands through the door and caught Geeta's leg. Thomas looked behind and saw Geeta being pulled in by the creature, but he knew he could do nothing to save her and kept on running. The creature was unable to get through the door, so it peeked through the door and saw Thomas and Oliver getting inside a black dented car. It got angrier and started smashing the walls, it took few minutes, but finally the creature was able to smash through the walls. As soon as it got out of the warehouse by breaking through the walls, it started running toward the direction where Thomas and Oliver were going, even though they were long gone.
Thomas was driving near the railway tracks, unknown from the fact that the creature was still following them. While travelling, they saw a goods train was being loaded with some goods to be transported at the goods station. Thomas quickly stopped the car, and both of them got out of the car. While getting out, the half-eaten apple dropped from Oliver's pant pocket in the car. They ran toward the train and entered inside an empty carriage, but the train was yet to leave the station. After few minutes, they heard footsteps, they understood that the creature was near and the train didn't seem like leaving the station any sooner…
Thomas: "What? Why is the creature following us?"
Thomas and Oliver got out of the carriage, and started moving toward the engine. While they were running toward the engine, the creature saw them and charged toward them. Thomas stopped…
Thomas: "Run kid, tell the driver to start the engine, and board the train as soon as the engine starts"
Oliver ran toward the engine room on his own. Thomas pulled out his dagger and stood between the creature and Oliver, he was watching the creature charging toward him and he was holding a small dagger in front of it…
Thomas: "I never thought that I will be killed by some monster" (He smiled)
When the creature was very close to Thomas, Thomas charged toward it holding his dagger. The creature raised one hand and slapped away Thomas with back of its palm. Thomas flew away some distance and his head hit a cemented pole, his head started bleeding and he passed out. Creature then started chasing Oliver who was running toward the engine, Oliver was very much afraid, he didn't want to look back. Suddenly, a grenade fell in front of the creature, and when the creature was moving just over the grenade, it exploded and destroyed creature's four frontal limbs. The grenade was thrown by Geeta who was standing on the roof of the train holding a bag. The explosion created a disturbance in the station and some people came to look what was happening, the driver who was sitting in the engine room looked at the back of the train and saw Oliver was running toward him, and behind Oliver he saw the red glowing eyes and the healing limbs of the creature. When Oliver saw the driver he shouted, "Start the engine". He kept on shouting the words. In the meantime, Rolan rushed toward Thomas and picked him up, and ran toward Oliver. (Rolan and Geeta didn't die at the warehouse, they had few cuts on their body with torn up cloths) While the creature was healing itself, Geeta threw one more grenade below it which exploded and stopped the creature from healing up its limbs by blowing up the half healed limbs. Watching the explosions and the creature, people at the station panicked and the driver quickly started the engine. Hearing the engine sound, Rolan shouted…
Rolan: "BOARD THE TRAIN OLIVER"
Oliver who was running in front of Rolan, quickly got inside a carriage which was loaded with some goods. Rolan also got near the carriage and put Thomas inside that…
Rolan: "Take care of him"
Rolan then pulled out his dagger and stood at that position, looking toward the creature healing itself. Soon, Geeta got off from the train roof and threw away some cotton and bandages inside the carriage where Oliver and Thomas were. The train started moving slowly…
Geeta: "Oliver, put some cotton and bandages on Thomas' head to stop the bleeding"
Oliver: "BUT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT"
Because the train was moving, the distance between Oliver and Geeta was increasing…
Geeta: "YOU ARE AN ALCHEMIST, YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT"
After saying that, Geeta and Rolan charged toward the creature. Geeta had only one grenade left, and she was holding it. On the other hand she was holding a dagger. She first threw the grenade below the creature's half healed limbs, destroying them once more. There fight with the creature gave the train enough time to leave the station at high speed. When the creature was fully healed up, it started chasing the train, ignoring Rolan and Geeta. Even though its speed was not on par with the train, it was still chasing the train.
[After 3 hours of the incident at goods station]
Colonel Armstrong was at the station, going through the summary of interrogations and incident area. A military officer reported him everything that happened at the station including the fight between the creature and IFF soldiers to the point where Oliver and Thomas got inside the train and the creature followed them. Only thing which was missing was the identity of all the people involved in the fight, they were speculating that the people were of IFF. Alex was under the impression that Oliver was dead so, it never occurred to him that the child could be him. Because Alex was in charge of the Amestris-Xing meeting, the incident mattered a lot to him. He along with two other soldiers searched the nearby areas, and at some distance from the station, besides the railway tracks, he found an abandoned black dented car. He looked in the car, and found that the key was left inside the car…
Alex: "Looks like someone was in a hurry"
He looked toward the officers standing there…
Alex: "Take this car for inspection, and try to find out where this came from and to whom does it belong?"
Alex then saw a soldier running toward him, when the soldier reached near Alex, he saluted and spoke…
Soldier: "There was a call from central command…few moments ago, a badly injured Ishvalan man was admitted in the hospital"
Alex: "Hmmm…monsters, injured Ishvalans…looks like something terrible is happening which we are unaware of"
Alex left for the hospital where he met Roy and Riza coming out of the hospital, Roy's coat was stained with blood. Alex stopped and saluted Roy…
Alex: "General"
Roy: "Hello Colonel Armstrong, I guess you are here for the injured Ishvalan?"
Alex: "Yes…what happened to you?"
Roy looked at his coat…
Roy: "Oh this? I got it when we brought the Ishvalan man"
Alex: "What? You brought him?"
Roy told Alex everything that happened…
Alex: "Before coming here, I went to the goods station. People are claiming that they saw some people were fighting a monster using grenades, but the monster didn't die. And it chased the train where a boy 9-10 years old and an unconscious man boarded"
Riza: "An immortal monster? Sounds similar to the homunculi"
Alex: "Even I thought that for a moment, but how can they exist if Father is dead"
Riza: "We cannot rule out the possibility, after all Father was living under Central command for centuries, and we never knew…God knows what other mysteries he left behind"
Roy: "Colonel"
Alex: "Yes General?"
Roy: "Were the people fighting the monster, Ishvalans?" (Concerned tone)
Alex: "As of now we are unsure, but there is a high chance that they were from IFF"
Roy went on thinking something, and suddenly he got startled when Riza asked him something…
Riza: "Is something bothering you, General?"
Roy looked at Riza…
Roy: "No, nothing" (Hesitating tone)
Riza gave him a doubtful look…
Alex: "General Mustang, Major Hawkeye, I don't want to get into your private matters, but as a friend I can only say that, whatever happened has happened, we cannot change whatever is done, the only thing we can do is live on because we are no god, we are just his creations"
Alex then realized that his words created a gloomy environment there, so he tried to lighten up the moment…
Alex: "Like I can show the love that has been passed down in the Armstrong family for generations"
He closed in to hug Roy and Riza, but before he could hug, he saw Riza's glare and stopped himself from hugging them.
Riza: "Now if you will excuse us, Colonel"
Alex went inside the hospital, while Roy and Riza went home.