Chapter 10

Roy Mustang and Edward Elric were the deciding factors that stood between peace and destruction, hope and despair, life and death. No one else was presented with the same opportunity to save hundreds, if not thousands of lives. Only those two alchemists had the ability to be in the right place at the right time in order to stop the anti-government rebellion's plan before it could ever begin.

They were both painfully aware of that fact after sitting down and discussing what was truly at stake. The rebel's plan and objective seemed ridiculous; laughable, even. But what if they were actually able to pull it off? What if they somehow manage to topple the current government and take control of the country? If a man filled with so many rage and resentment as Vance Madsen became the most powerful person in the country, there was no telling what he would do with it. Even if they didn't succeed, the price of allowing them to try would be too great. When it came down to it, there was no alternate path to take; they had to stop the rebels as soon as possible. The question remained: how much time did they have?

Edward said that half of the rebels he saw in the forest were already dressed in the Amestrian uniform. That led Roy to believe that those were the ones who were truly part of the military and they came directly from the city, or they were planning on moving very soon. Or both. Which means that they had no choice but to act swiftly.

Edward had picked up a stick and drawn a rough diagram of the mountain into the warm dirt besides the lively fire. It wasn't much more than an uneven circle since it was all based on assumption, but it was enough to get the point across. He marked where their shelter was and where he went to find the path earlier that day, as well as where the rebels were seen. However, it was relatively difficult to see the details of the sketch in the dimly lit cave.

Once he was done, Roy also drew in where he believed the two sides of the path most likely led; which was down to the city, and up the mountain. They were probably on that exact same path before escaping several days ago.

"So, we could cut them off here," Roy explained, using the stick to point to the closest part of the path to their current location. "But it's a possibility that they'll go up the mountain for some reason instead..." His voice trailed off as he tried to accurately predict their opponents moves.

"Even if they do," Edward began, leaning back against the wall. "What goes up must come down." The older alchemist glanced up at him for a moment, then back down to their drawing with an agreeable shrug.

"Anyway, you will create some kind of barricade in the path here to slow them down. Meanwhile, I'll go over to their bunker and see if any other alchemists are trapped down there." It was never clarified whether or not there were other kidnapped alchemists, but they had to assume so. Roy and Edward already went over the plan but Mustang wanted to clarify it all again once more. "And remember-" the Flame Alchemists started, looking directly at the kid who sat in front of him. "You are not to engage them directly."

Edward rolled his eyes, brushing the warning off easily. "Yeah, I know; I'll just trap them in a giant pit, or something." The teenager already tried arguing that he was feeling well enough to get into an all-out brawl with the rebels by himself, but Roy couldn't quite agree. It's true that they have been getting proper sleep, food and water since escaping, but they were still both injured and he couldn't risk it.

"I highly doubt that Madsen's alchemy has gotten rusty since the war. It's possible to slow them down without being seen," he pointed out, cringing at the thought of Edward going toe-to-toe against a trained State Alchemist. Not because he doubted Ed's abilities, but because he didn't know what to expect from Vance.

"I'll be fine. But what about you?" Edward asked suddenly, pointing at his superior officer accusingly. "You're the one who's still recovering from hypothermia."

"I slept it off," Roy answered easily, earning an unsatisfied glare from the kid. In truth, Roy was still feeling the affects. He felt sluggish, occasional waves of dizziness and was constantly tired since he woke, and it was not easy to forget about the two stab wounds, but it wasn't enough to keep him there either, given the circumstances. Despite everything, he was confident that he could manage. He had to.

The blond eventually gave up on seeing through the Colonel's well crafted mask and seemingly shrugged the thought off.

"What did you do with my coat?" Roy asked suddenly as the thought came out of nowhere.

"Oh, right... I hung it to dry since it got damp last night," the teenager explained as he shuffled over to the wall besides the fire and reached for the dark blue military that had been hanging there, and returned it to Roy. The Colonel hadn't noticed it before within the darkness.

The fabric wasn't completely dry but it was undoubtedly much better than the night before. But at least his jacket was dry, so it should be fine if he put the coat on over it. He did so and slipped his transmutation glove into one of the pockets.

Having nothing else to discuss, the two alchemists crawled out of the small cave. Roy stretched his back and arms, then glanced around his surroundings.

"Well," the blond began. "Let's get going," he said as he turned to lead the way.

As Roy wordlessly followed Edward through the forest, he racked his brain for anything else that needed to be said. He was basically sending Ed on yet another deadly mission. He wanted to be certain that the plan was solid enough and go over everything for the fourth time, but at that point, there was nothing he could say that would make a difference. He just had to hope that everything would play out accordingly.

The two alchemists reached the path and proceeded to move up the hill. When Roy looked over to the young blond, he was mildly surprised to see such a serious, determined expression on his face. It seemed that Edward truly understood what was on the line. (Not that he would expect anything less.) That familiar fire was shining in his eyes, slightly assuring Roy that everything would be alright.

Ed led him to the side of the snow covered road and they continued moving while dodging the thick branches and dead shrubs that were in their way. When they reached the top of the hill, the two ducked down out of sight.

There weren't as many people down in the clearing as the Colonel expected. Ed looked equally surprised, which told him that some of them must have already left. Those who remained were finishing the packing and were close to leaving as well.

Roy and Ed sneaked carefully down the other side of the hill, hoping to overhear something. Once they got closer, Roy easily recognized Vance Madsen below, scrutinizing the others as they did all of the heavy lifting.

"Alright," the blond man began loudly. "Finish up here, then get the rest of it from the other base," he commanded with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "I'll meet you all back at the city. Don't keep me waiting." Before his subordinates could even blink, Madsen turned and walked off to his own truck and climbed into the passenger seat. It seemed like someone else had been waiting in the driver's seat, because the truck immediately started up and turned away from the clearing.

"Looks like he's heading down the mountain," Edward noted quietly and stood straight up. It was his turn to jump into action and put their plan into action.

Roy nodded slowly, glancing over to the eager kid. The younger alchemists had gone off to far more dangerous missions and done far more reckless things before, but the Colonel was still worried all the same. Especially since he wasn't going to be by Ed's side to keep an eye on him. Not at first anyway. All the more reason to hurry up with his own part of the plan.

"Be careful, Fullmetal."

Edward glanced over to his superior, apparently sensing the weight in his words. He then grinned confidently. "Sure. You too. " With that said, he turned around and disappeared behind the hill to cut off Madsen further down the path.

The Colonel watched him run off for a moment before hastily turning his attention back onto the clearing. The few who remained had locked the bunker entrance and threw a white sheet on top of the large hatch to hide it within the snow. They then climbed into the several unlabeled black cars, now fully packed.

That door probably had a powerful lock mechanism of some kind, judging by the material. He was concerned about how he would break in; perhaps it was thin enough to be blown open with flame alchemy.

The engines all roared together as the vehicles began to move straight for him. Mustang kicked himself up and quickly fled back down the other side of the hill, out of their sight. Within seconds, he was able to hear the tires crushing the snow and snapping branches as they neared him. He crept deeper into the forest, further away from the path and hid behind a cluster of bushes and trees. Roy subconsciously held his breath as the group of trucks drove over the hill and straight past him. He stayed pressed against the base of a tree for several seconds and refused to even breath until he heard nothing but an icy silence.

Seems like they're gone... Alright, Mustang; let's get this over with.

Roy made his way back to the path; dead twigs pulled against his coat and pants but he broke through them and walked up the hill once more until he reached the top. He cautiously scanned the clearing below for a moment and continued down only when he confirmed that there wasn't any movement whatsoever. The Colonel was on constant high alert, casting quick glances in every direction as he quietly moved through the layers of snow.

When he reached the clearing, Roy hesitated for the slightest second. His years of military training taught him to always dislike open spaces, especially when in enemy territory. But nevertheless, he stomped that thought down and hurried over to the bunker hatch. Up close, finding the camouflage sheet was an easy task and he easily tossed it off of the thick metal doors that went into the ground.

He went in closer to examine the strength of the lock and pulled on the handle, despite knowing it wouldn't budge.

Except- it did.

Mustang was certain that he watched the rebels lock the doors, so why did it open freely for him? That was... unsettling to say the least. But he didn't have the time to let it slow him down. He would just have to proceed with extra caution.

Roy pulled the door wide open and slowly walked down the steep staircase, all while digging in his pocket for his ignition glove. Small, florescent light lit up the bunker and reflected off of the stone floors and walls, keeping the alchemist from tripping on the steps. He kept close to the wall once he reached the bottom and stared down a small hallway with about three doors on each side, then one more at the very end. Every door was closed except for the middle one on his left. Mustang hadn't seen much of the bunker and it was already much larger than expected. However, the ceiling was relatively low and the increasing wind from outside swept through the open hatch, creating an eerie whistle to resonate through the hall. And even though he was only a few feet below the surface, the air already felt colder.

Starting with the first door on his right, Roy slowly pushed it open, hand prepared to snap if necessary. However, the small room was completely empty save for a few empty boxes and crates in the corner. The next two rooms he checked were nearly exactly the same.

The fourth room was the one with the ajar door. The inside resembled an old hospital room. Slightly outdated medical equipment sat besides two empty beds. One of the beds were made, while the other looked like someone had been laying there the night before. The sight caused many questions to stir through his mind, but none of them seemed relevant to his objective.

Finding nothing of interest, Roy moved on to the next too rooms; one held many more small beds, while the last was yet another empty storage room.

The entire base was deserted. The must have all been called to the field to begin their destructive plan.

Eager to get out, the Colonel slowly turned the handle of the very last room at the end of the hall. He half expected it to be just as disappointing as the others; meaning that he would have completely wasted his time.

However, that was not the case. The last room was as brightly lit as the rest of the bunker but there was an old wooden desk pushed up against the back wall. It seemed terribly out of place in the harsh, lonely bunker. A few gray filing cabinets lined one of the walls, while the opposing wall was uncomfortably bare. This certainly wasn't there most luxurious base.

But at least he knew that the bunker door wasn't open because someone came in before him. Perhaps someone who was left behind walked out while Roy was in hiding? Or maybe they just failed to lock it properly.

Roy approached the desk and opened the top drawer. Inside were many folders and papers. Even at first glance, they already looked promising.

Looks like I'm not wasting my time after all, Mustang mused to himself as he took a seat at the desk and pulled the contents out. Wanting to get through the information as quickly as possible, he gave every paper he had out a quick glance and decided on the one that looked the shortest.

The Flame Alchemist felt his heart rate increase as he noticed himself and Edward included within a list of names.

Argus, Clovis (Firearm Alchemist) - Location: Base #1 - Experienced, calm, quiet. Is too loyal to the military and government. No amount of threats or bribery can convince him to join. Waste of time, energy and resources. Status: Deceased

Elric, Edward (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Location: Base #3 - Young, stubborn and brash. Isn't budging but it's believed he can be broken in time. His superior officer [Mustang, Roy] can be used and leverage. Status: Escaped

Galine, Nathan (Onxy Alchemist) - Location: Base #3 - Quiet and very uncooperative. Doesn't respond to threats. However, he suffered from PTSD from the Creta border war before transferring north. If guilt cannot be used to convince him, then it can be used for torture purposes instead. Status: In Custody/Relocated to Base #2

Roy stopped reading for a moment, disturbed to learn that there was another alchemist in the same cabin that he and Ed were held at. For all he knew, Nathan Galine could have been in the room next to theirs, separated by sound-proof walls to keep out their screams. He knew other trucks left the cabin and went in different directions, but he never stopped to think that there were other captives there. The thought made him feel sick to his stomach...

Garda, Niccolo (Iron Comet Alchemist) - Location: Base #2 - Confident and unwavering. Proudly participated in Ishval Civil War. No point in trying to get him to repent. Status: In Custody

Lorens, Beatrix (Toxic Alchemist) - Location: Base #1 - Clever and stubborn. Regrets fighting during Ishvalan Civil War. Gets flashbacks whenever the war in mentioned. She is yet to cooperate but with enough persuasion, it may be possible to convince her otherwise. Status: In Custody

Mustang, Roy (Flame Alchemist) - Location: Base #3 - Intelligent, cautious and difficult to read. Seems very resentful towards us but apparently prioritizes his subordinate's [Elric, Edward] life above his own. Largely involved in Ishvalan Civil War and carries deep regrets. Can be convinced using subordinate and/or guilt from war. Status: Escaped

Novellus, Simon (Glacier Alchemist) - Location: Base #2 - Stubborn, Ignorant and in denial. Spent majority of military career in the Briggs Mountain Range and paid little attention to outside world. Can be convinced with enough time and pressure. Status: In Custody

Ruler, Raine (Crystal Blade Alchemist) - Location: N/A - Escaped upon arriving at Base #5. Status: Assumed Deceased

Silvera, Diana (Living Earth Alchemist) - Location: Base #4 - Careful, agreeable and talkative. Spent several months fighting in Aurgro. Eagerly agree to join almost immediately after waking up. It's unclear if she is honest or is trying to deceive us. Is unable to convince previous cell-mate [Vitae, Besollus] to join as well, but is convinced he will in time. Status: Under Surveillance

Vitae, Besollus (Dark Stone Alchemist) - Location: Base #4 - Angry and resilient. Fought in skirmishes against Drachma and in Ishvalan Civil War. Seems to dislike war, but accepts it. Is unaffected by previous cell-mate's [Silvera, Diana] attempts to convince him. Status: In Custody

Roy stared at the page for several seconds after finishing before finally setting it off to the side with a heavy sigh.

Just as he feared, all of the alchemists who he gathered with during the drills were all captured. Some of them were even murdered in cold blood. The Colonel glared down at the surface of the desk as he internally seethed. Those rebels dragged so many people into their game.

While Roy believed that those who participated in events such as the Ishvalan War of Extermination had to be punished somehow, that was no way to go about it. Nothing could excuse senseless murder. Not to mention that, judging by the information in front of him, some of the missing alchemists had done nothing wrong.

Nevertheless, Roy opened a file and continued skimming through the papers, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand.

The Colonel furrowed his brow as he shifted through several papers that seemed to be nothing but geography research. They held information on the mountains, trees and animals in the Northern area and even briefly mentioned early signs of human activity from thousands of years ago. He saw another set of papers just like it but for the Eastern area instead, and then another on Central.

How incredibly random...

It wasn't until he noticed how certain words were circled and underlines when he began to wonder if they were actually coded alchemy notes. Since Vance Madsen was the Mineral Alchemist, it wouldn't be stretch to say that he knew a thing or two about the environment. And because he was the boss, it made sense that he would take ownership of the only office in the underground bunker.

However, Mustang didn't have the time or interest to waste time decoding the notes. It would have been nice to understand how his alchemy worked, but taking the time to figure it out simply wasn't worth it.

He tossed those folders back into the drawer and moved onto another small pile. Several letters and notes were paper-clipped to each other.

The first letter he quickly read through seemed to be addressed to Madsen. The writer of the note was apparently sending weapons for him to use and give out to troops. Solid proof that resourceful people were backing the rebels.

Roy nearly missed it, but he noticed that there was another page underneath that letter. With a quick look, he assumed that it was Vance's response. The letter didn't look long, so he decided to skim through it until something caught his eye. He went back to beginning of the particular paragraph and reread it.

... I don't intend to use any of the weaponry myself. My alchemy is all I'll need to overpower the military, now that I am no longer bound to the law of equivalent exchange. Some strange people who are supporters of our cause gifted me with a small, red stone. I'm sure you have heard the rumors as well.

These particular supporters seem to share my opinion on the government and even encouraged me to wreck as much havoc as possible. Despite that, I'll only do what's necessary, but-

The handwriting suddenly stopped as if he was distracted mid-thought.

Roy felt his blood chill in his veins, and his heart skipped a beat. Vance Madsen was in possession of a Philosophers Stone. Of course, he had heard rumors of that; that's the exact reason as to why Edward traveled to North City in the first place, but he completely forgot about it in all of the recent activity.

I wonder if Ed forgot about it too- shit! Ed! If he sees that stone... His thoughts trailed off as he hastily stood from the desk, and stuffed the papers back inside.

Edward certainly had a good head on his shoulders but as soon as a Philosopher Stone is put into the equation, Roy could only guess what could happen. He had no doubt that the young alchemist would make a move for it if he saw the red rock. He'd do anything if it meant returning is brother to his original body.

However, Roy didn't want to think about what Vance was capable of with the stone at his disposal. He couldn't allow Edward to face him alone.

The Colonel turned out of the room and ran down the hall until he reached the large trap door that was thankfully still wide open. He hastily charged up the steep steps and shut the metal doors behind him.

He froze as soon as he reached ground level and stared down both paths. With way would be faster? Should he follow the path Vance originally took, or go back the way they came and hope that he could find the exact spot where Edward rejoined the other side of the path?

Whatever he did, he better damn well choose correctly.

The dirt road supposedly twisted and turned all throughout the mountain's curves. Unlike Ed, Mustang was apparently paying close attention to it when they were being relocated several days before. The sketchy diagram that they drew out earlier that day wasn't completely accurate, but it was close enough to give Edward a good idea of where to go. Besides, there was only one small section of the road that truly mattered.

That section was where the path swerved close very close to another part of the same path, but lower down the mountain. While vehicles would have to take the long way around, Edward had the ability to simply hike down the cliff side in a matter of minutes. With alchemy on his side, it shouldn't be a difficult task. In theory, anyway. Variables such as the thick layer of snow and his clumsy prosthetic leg made things slightly more tedious.

However, it was nothing that Edward Elric couldn't handle.

The teenager took one step down the slope and his foot immediately lost traction and his began to slide down the cliff. Ed was quick to clap and bring his hands down to the slanted ground, extending and straightening the earth to keep him from falling any further.

Edward steadied himself, then slowly pulled himself back up to his feet.

"That was close," he huffed quietly as he peered over the edge. The young alchemist was barely able to make out the other part of the path through the trees and snow. He still had a ways to go, but it was infinitely faster than going around.

The Elric took a deep breath before continuing down. However, he knelt to the ground as he stepped onto the slope once more, keeping his hands down to balance himself. His weight immediately pulled him down the slippery surface but he was prepared that time. He aimed to slide down to a tree that interrupted his path and latched onto the bark to still himself.

The teenager looked down again, grimacing slightly as the distance between him and his destination.

This doesn't have to be so difficult. He smirked to himself when several unique ideas appeared in his mind.

Edward clapped his hands once more, brushed some snow away from an area on the ground, and his palms against the cold earth. A staircase formed out of the steep slope, complete with a stylish rail to hold onto it. Satisfied, Edward stepped onto it and easily walked down the steps with a hand gliding down the smooth rail.

The staircase didn't go all the way down because he didn't want to exert too much energy by trying to keep it all together. When he got to the end, Edward leapt down to the ground, leaving deep tracks in the snow.

Finding the path once again was easy enough. There were no fresh tire tracks in the snow, so he successfully beat Vance to it.

Alright... What's the most practical choice here? Fallen trees, pitfall trap, a giant wall; a pitfall sounds pretty good. Or maybe-

While Ed was stepping out of the thick trees, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted when his eyes fell on a figure standing in the middle of the path. He gasped and pulled himself back under cover.

The blond waited, but there was no sound of movement. Perhaps they didn't see him? He peered out from behind a large bush to see the figure still standing there, several yards away from him. They had a semi-long black coat with a hood that effectively covered their face.

It looked like there was another player in the game. Edward couldn't begin to guess who that was and why there were there. He was only able to assume that they were waiting for Vance Madsen as well.

Perhaps it was another kidnapped alchemist who planned to stop Madsen and the rebels too? But then again, it could have also been one of his allies. There were too many possibilities, so Edward decided to sit back and wait. When Vance's car eventually arrived, he would stop anyway. Ed would decide what to do as soon as he found out who's side that person was on.

He laid low and waited in the cold with his arms wrapped around his body and occasionally one his automail ports. He didn't have to wait long before the sound of an engine was heard.

A black truck rolled around the corner and slowed to a stop when the people inside saw the person standing in their way. There was a sense of hesitation in the air as the two inside did nothing for several long seconds. Finally, the driver's door opened and a terribly familiar face appeared. Edward felt a blast of anger flow through him as he grit his teeth together at the sight.

Nicholas Dreyse stood up on the door frame, looking out at the lone figure. He looked exasperated and impatient.

"What are you doing here?" he sighed, addressing the stranger.

"... I can help," the voice responded. Edward furrowed his brow, straining his eyes to see and confirm his suspicions.

"No, you can't," the man responded firmly. "You need to go back to the base and rest!"

"I'm not going to just sit there!" She shot back quickly.

Nicholas sighed. "Evelyn-"

"No! You need my help! You don't understand-"

Edward momentarily tuned out their conversation. Of course the voice was familiar but it seemed impossible. However, Nicholas just proved it; that was Evelyn Walter, alive and well. How had she survived?! Ed wasn't particularly disappointed since he didn't want her to die per-say, but he was surprised all the same. It didn't seem possible those temperatures. But then again, Roy did exactly that.

Only because I found him, he reminded himself. Someone must have stumbled over Evelyn's body as well. But that just seemed so... unlikely.

Nevertheless, it was her and that meant that he just had another problem to deal with.

"-who escaped are still around here and they're trying to stop you," Evelyn warned, causing Edward to tune back in.

How the hell did she know that?! She just appeared out of nowhere and knew that we were on to them!

Nicholas didn't respond right away. He glanced into the car as Vance apparently said something, too quietly for Ed to hear. The dark haired man straightened up again and faced the woman as he stepped down from the vehicle and shut the door behind him.

"Just get into the car, Evelyn. We'll drive you back to the bunker."

"Not when we're so close." She shook her head, causing the hood to fall off, exposing her light brown hair that wasn't tied up for once, but fell over her shoulders instead. "He's right there!"

Edward felt his heart jump through his chest when Evelyn pointed directly at him. She must have seen him when he blindly stepped earlier. Nicholas was quick to pull out a handgun from the holster on his belt and pointed it at the blond as soon as his eyes made contact with the flashy red coat.

Shit, Edward cursed inwardly as he reluctantly rose to his feet and held his hands up in surrender. (Not after lightly pressing his palms together, however.)

Nicholas narrowed his eyes at the kid. "What do you think you're doing?"

Edward returned his stare, trying his best to appear undaunted by the gun aimed for his head. "Just going for a nature walk," he forced himself to sound as casual as possible, though the worry probably slipped through his voice. "What do you think you're doing? And better yet-" his eyes shifted over to Evelyn. "- how are you alive?"

"I found my gun," she replied easily as pride laced her tone. Edward vaguely remembered hearing a gunshot before finding Roy, now that he thought back. But he never saw a gun near Evelyn. It must have been kicked behind a plant or something. She probably shot a few rounds to attract some kind of nearby search party.

Ed was just surprised that he didn't hear it. Then again, he was very distracted that night. And he passed out in the cave only a few minutes later.

"You've already wasted too much of our time," Nicholas growled from annoyance and pulled the trigger without hesitation. Edward shifted his weight to the side and felt the bullet fly past his head. He hit the ground and immediately collided his palms to the earth, creating a protective wall with an alchemic spark.

The situation reminded him too much of when he had to separate from Mustang because of those people; when he was surrounded in that clearing and had no other choice.

But this time, it was Edward who would be on the offensive. The blond clapped once more as he hid behind the small wall and suddenly, large spires formed from the ground, arched into the air, and aimed for where Nicholas was standing. Their collision with the snow-covered ground caused a poof of dust to spread into the air. He heard coughing, so the attack must have barely missed. That was more-or-less what Ed had planned.

The Fullmetal Alchemist charged out from the safety of the wall and went straight for Nicholas. The distracted man didn't have much time to react before he felt a metal fist ram into the side of his face. He tumbled backwards from the force and fell down into the snow, momentarily dazed. His gun went flying to the side and disappeared into the snow.

"Nicholas!" Evelyn gasped just before her blue eyes locked on Edward. However, it appeared that she wasn't armed. With a scowl in place, the woman started decisively walking towards the teenager as if she was about to punch him right back.

Before Edward could respond, Nicholas pulled himself up to a sitting position. "Stop," he murmured, now nursing a swollen cheek with one hand and raising the other to signal to her. "Just stay back. Don't-" he slowly rose to his feet with a huff. "- get involved. You're getting obsessed." Evelyn froze, and shock and uncertainty battled for dominance.

He turned back to the teenager, fists clenched in front of him. Surprisingly enough, it looked like no one planned on joining in a making the fight unfair. Ed looked past Nicholas and into the truck behind them; he saw Vance sitting in the passenger's seat, watching with a bored expression.

Nicholas advanced and aimed to punch Edward in the head. He took a step back and caught the older man's fist in his automail one; however, he had to release to dodge when the rebel used his other fist instead.

Edward immediately ran up to him and jumped into the air, all while swinging his flesh leg towards the man's head. Nicholas brought up his forearms to block the blow and throw him off. The alchemist easily landed into the snow and charged once more to strike him in the gut.

The rebel dodged to the side and brought a knee into Ed's side, landing a blow right below his ribs, causing him to hunch over in pain. He then kicked the kid down into snow and stood over his body. Edward shifted his angle on the ground to glare up at the man as he slowly made his way back up, gritting his teeth through the lingering pain.

Nicholas didn't want to give him time to recover and moved to kick him in the side again. Edward quickly drew his hand away from his aching side and rose his metal forearm to block the attack, particularly for Nicholas's shin. Edward turned his body to the side to keep himself from falling over from the force of the attack. Meanwhile, the older man drew his leg back, cursing angrily as he was forced to keep his weight off if his right leg.

Edward smirked victoriously as he climbed to his feet but the expression was quickly swept away from Nicholas reached into his jacket and pulled out another gun.

The older man glared at the kid as his finger hovered over the trigger. "You annoying little-"

He was interrupted when the land between them suddenly erupted in flames and the harsh warmth cut through the frosty air. Most people would have been terrified at the sight but Ed recognized that fire. It told him that everything was alright.

"Don't you dare," the Colonel breathed threateningly towards the armed rebel, who was currently distracted by putting out the fire that caught on his outstretched arm.

The blond took several steps away from the rebels and glanced over to the source of the flame alchemy. Roy Mustang stood at the side of the road, breathing heavily as if he just ran a marathon. His left arm was still held up in case ha had to snap again, while his right rested protectively on his injured shoulder. Small twigs and dead leaves stuck to his long winter coat and hair, telling Ed that he had been running through the forest. Since he managed to catch up so quickly, Edward had to assume that the Colonel managed to find the staircase.

The fire begun to die down as the four stared each other down on the small dirt path.

"Hey Evelyn." All four turned their attention over to the previously forgotten truck to see Vance watching them through the opened window. "Pick up that gun there and prove your worth," the blond man said easily. His casual order for Evelyn to kill them sent shivers down Ed's spine. That man probably had a god complex.

She stared at him silently for a moment- perhaps from hesitation or something else completely- and moved to pick up Nicholas's abandoned handgun. She didn't raise it, keeping the weapon pointed towards the ground. Her eyes jumped between the three males and the ground as she wore a strange, unreadable expression. Edward wasn't sure if she was just reluctant to shoot for some reason or what. Lately, the two State Alchemists have given her no reason to feel reluctant to shoot them.

He didn't have much time to ponder the matter before Nicholas clicked his tongue and rose his gun once more, but aimed for Roy instead. The Colonel already had his left arm raised and snapped just as the bang of the gun sounded through the air and echoed across the trees.

Roy's pin-point aiming hit the rebel's hands perfectly, forcing him to drop the weapon from the sheer shock and pain. He yelled and shook his hands to cool down the intense burning.

The bullet left a deep graze in Mustang's right arm, which earned a fresh scowl to find itself on his expression.

"Let's take care of these guys quickly, Fullmetal," the Colonel said, sending Edward a confident glance. The teenager returned it with a smirk and a nod.

Roy turned his attention to Evelyn, who was gripping the gun tightly but was yet to make a move.

Meanwhile, Ed decided to go after Nicholas while he was distracted. The man had dug his burnt hands into the thick layer of snow by the time Edward caught up to him. However, he apparently saw the teenager coming because he swung his leg out just as the kid was going to hand a hit and caused him to trip onto the icy ground.

The rebel stood up and rose a foot above Ed's exposed stomach. "You little shit," he growled just before his foot came down. The alchemist rolled out of the way but Nicholas's foot caught his red coat instead. Caught mid-roll, Edward had no choice but to turn and kick the man's legs out from under him. The two continued to wrestle in the snow, covering themselves in the frost.

Meanwhile, Roy and Evelyn were staring at each other showdown-style. She rose the gun slightly with every step he took until he eventually stopped. Mustang still had his arm outstretched with his hand poised to snap.

"Just put the gun down, Evelyn," Roy said in a last attempt to reason with her.

"You don't understand," she muttered. "This is all I have. I can't just give it up!"

"There's nothing here for you; don't you see that?" He asked insistently, glancing over to the other fight for a brief moment. She didn't respond, so he sighed and continued.

"I'm a war hero, remember? That means that I'm single-handedly responsible for the loss of countless lives," Roy explained solemnly, internally loathing himself. "Do you really want to carry that burden as well? Is this worth it?!" He demanded, gesturing to the two other rebels with his right arm as blood soaked down his sleeve.

"Be quiet!" Evelyn yelled as she brought the gun up to Roy's chest, tears swelling in her eyes. "I'm so tired of doubting myself. I don't care anymore! I've made up my mind and there's nothing you can say to change it!"

Mustang's attention was yanked away from the threatening woman when Edward was tripped by Nicholas once more and immediately pulled into a headlock. He clearly hated being so close to the man but no amount of struggling could've helped him. He strained to look over at the Colonel in the uncomfortable position that he was stuck in.

As he did so, he also saw Evelyn lower the gun and ran forward, straight for the older alchemist.

"Roy!" Ed quickly yelled once his mind managed to register that was happening. Mustang instinctively snapped in that instant, then turned just in time to shield himself from getting rammed in the gut by Evelyn. The flames were blindly shot into the air and harmlessly disappeared. However, the force of Evelyn's attack made him stumble backwards off the path until his back collided against a large tree, the wind knocked from his lungs. He stiffly opened his eyes to stare down the barrel of a gun.

Edward opened his mouth to shout something- he had no idea what- but Nicholas's grip on his throat tightened, forcing him to think twice.

"Bastard," Ed grumbled in the headlock and uselessly watched Roy and Evelyn. He had to do something. He had to figure out some way out to help...

Roy's eyes were widened for a moment but he was quick to recover his composure despite the gun that was held six inches away from his head. He returned Evelyn's conflicted gaze with a calm and calculating one.

"... Do you honestly think this is right?"

Evelyn looked as if she was going to argue and shoot his attempts down again, but she stopped and stuttered. "I- I don't know," she replied quietly. "But... It doesn't m-matter."

"Stop being ignorant!" Mustang yelled, causing the woman to flinch and tighten her grip around the weapon. "You keep pretending and lying to yourself... But if you think you can pull that trigger and kill me right now without any regret or remorse, than do it."

Edward stiffened as he listened to the Colonel. He knew that the other alchemist was trying to do, but it was risky. (And yet Roy thought he was the reckless one.) His golden eyes fell on Evelyn, watching for any sign that she was going to pull the trigger. But she looked very conflicted.

"Don't listen to him, Evelyn," Nicholas interjected impatiently. "Just get it over with so we can move on already!" Edward tried to elbow him in the gut, but it didn't really work out as he planned. The rebel just tightened his grip around Ed's head, causing him to cough uncomfortably.

"Well?" Roy asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. "What's it going to be?" He was judging her; reminding her that her actions would forever follow her and she would be dead wrong if she thought killing a man was something that could be brushed under a rug and forgotten.

Evelyn stared back into Roy's dark, scrutinizing eyes as her vision blurred from a newly formed moisture. The weight of his words caused her hands to shake uncontrollably until the gun fell from her hands. All of the strength left her body at once and her knees collapsed into the snow besides the gun.

Roy placed a hand on her trembling body as she sobbed into her hands. "Good choice."

Ed hadn't realized that he was holding his breath until he released a sigh of relief. However, Nicholas muttered something under his breath and looked around in search for his other lost gun. He shifted his grip around Edward's neck, giving him the opportunity to properly elbow the man in the gut, as he planned to do before. The rebel's hold weakened, allowing Ed to slip away and create a much-needed distance.

"That was disappointing." All eyes fell on Vance Madsen as he stepped out of the black vehicle, hands in his coat pockets. "I always had my doubts about you, Evelyn. But I never quite expected you to betray our cause." The blond man looked down at her from a distance as if he was looking at a inconvenient bug.

She flinched away from his harsh words and Mustang straightened up to stare him down.

"No, I-" She stammered to speak but didn't have any excuses.

Nicholas slowly walked over to Vance with a hand pressed against his torso after finding his gun in the snow. Along with the large bruise on the side of his head, he looked thoroughly beat-up.

"I apologize, sir," he struggled to speak clearly from Ed's most recent attack. "It was my responsibility to keep her on track, but-"

Vance interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it, Dreyse. She was just yet another waste of time from the beginning... Speaking of which, we've already been here for far too long. Let's clean up quickly and get going."

Nicholas simply nodded as Vance began to approach the other three. Edward ran over to join them and clapped his hands in preparation. Mustang tugged on his ignition glove and prepared himself to attack at any time as well. Evelyn remained hunched on the ground, most likely oblivious to the situation as she was trapped in her own mind.

As Vance stepped closer, his hands slowly rose out from his pockets. A faint, red gleam appeared from his hand. Edward suddenly felt everything around him freeze; the blood pumped loudly in his head as his mind rung from alarm and recognition.

Vance Madsen had a Philosopher's Stone.

AN: We're in the final stretch of the story. I hope everyone is still enjoying it. Also, a big Thank You to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, and checking my profile for updates. (I'm always amazed by the numbers!)

By the way, Nicholas was not being smart. Don't put ice directly on your burns! That'll make it worse.

Until next time- have a nice day!