A/N: Yes, I must say, the last chapter was a filler, but necessary to introduce May into the whole thing, since we won't be seeing much of them for a while, so yeah. Just making sure everyone Scar has May by his side at this point. This chapter is a little bit cooler, or at least, I like to think so.

Confuzzling, huh? Well, I tried to make this one as less confusing as possible, but when it comes to fight scenes and Envy, that's hard to do, so sorry if it came out cofusing again, okay Opal? And by the way, that sounds like a cooler name anyway =)

Pi, no I haven't seen it yet. I'm only on episode 60 'cause that's the latest I've found it online. And yes, I know the feeling all to well. It's the same when you finish a book where you get so invested into the characters. For it to end is just a tragedy and I get a bit depressed for a while too, even if it is a happy ending. The real tragedy, however, would've been if it continued into some super long thing that you just got bored of. Once I see the ending, though, don't be surprised if I spend a couple of weeks without updating, okay?

IceFire, you thought it was funny? I'm pleased. Hopefully you'll be happier with this chapter, though.

Riss, again, I must say, 'too kind'. But where are you people seeing the ending to FMAB. The most recent episode of all the sites I know is still only on episode 60.

DramaQueen, you'll probably like the drama in this chapter ;)


Adelle knocked lightly on the door and waited for an answer. None came. "Alright, I'm coming in," she said, and with one deep breath opened the door to Al and Ed's room. Alphonse was nowhere to be seen, but the short, blond kid was lying on the bed, one hand on his bare belly, while he drooled with a funny smile. He looked like such a child, she thought.

"Oh, Adelle," Adelle shrieked and jumped five feet away. But it was only Al returning with his brother's breakfast. Edward had jumped straight up, looking stupidly around the room. Eventually his eyes landed on Adelle who was hiding in a corner.

"What are you doing here?"

"I—uh," she stuttered. Ed's attention quickly drifted to the food, though. "I came to ask if you had reported back to central about our meeting with Scar," she said as Edward began to scarf down his food.

"No way, I'm not going to do it," Ed said after he gulped down a whole mouthful.

"Brother! You said you already called Mustang," Al said, obviously disappointed in his brother.

"I'm not going to be the one to take the heat. You know how pissed he's going to be? 'Fullmetal, if you had been more attentive—' I don't want to deal with that!"

Adelle sighed, emerging from her safe corner. "I'll take care of it, then."

Ed stopped chewing, and Al looked at her intently. "Just like that?" he asked.

"I'm feeling charitable today, so don't get used to it," she said with a smile and walked out. Ed and Al watched her go and then turned to each other. With nothing to say, they both shrugged.

She walked down to the bar, finding the man attending the few patrons sitting there. "Hey, can I use the phone?" The man grunted but nodded. "Thanks." As before she went to the back, this time however, she pulled out a little black book to dial the number. She had many numbers there, but few were new. Most she had written before she ran away.

The phone rang. "Hello?" Roy's voice was unmistakable even on the phone.

"Colonel, it's the Coldtide alchemist reporting from Liore. We confirm the rumors but we have yet to find where he is hiding nor have we been able to catch him—"

"Wow, slow down there. Your orders were simply to confirm the rumors. I'm not about to send the both of you into the lion's den."

"But, sir, if I could just—"

"No. I want you on that train by tonight, you understand? You're not experienced enough to be on such a mission, am I clear?"

She gritted her teeth. "Yes, sir," she growled.

"Perfect. I'll see you all soon, then."

Why did she have to report to that man? Now she has less time to do what she wants. She threw the phone back to its holder. "Damn!" she cursed. Not experienced enough, well, what did he know?

She left the bar, slamming the door on the way out, making heads turn and follow her as she left the building. That bastard, she thought, he'll pay. But once she was out in the street, the sun beating down on her, she realized, she didn't know where to start. All she could do was wander around and hope she ran into him. She touched the pocket watch around her neck. At least this might draw some attention, but why didn't Scar kill her if she was a state alchemist?

She put her hands in her pockets and walked, trying to find as much shade as possible, which was really little as it was noon and the sun was almost directly above them.

"Hey, come back here, you little punk!" she heard an all too familiar voice shout behind her. A boy flew right past her, his head held low, but as she turned around, Wendy passed by her too.

"Wendy?" she shouted.

She turned around for a moment, and even smiled, but her expression quickly changed and turned back to the boy. Immediately Adelle clapped her hands and pressed them against the ground. A wall rose up right before the boy, who stopped in his tracks. Wendy caught up to him, and not as amazed as him, swiped her blue bag from him.

The boy was caught off guard and turned to Wendy in astonishment. He grabbed it again and tried to pull it from her grip but it was no use. Defeated, he ran away into an alley. Wendy laughed with a hand at her hip. She was back in a good mood. "Well that sure saved time," she said.

"Weren't you supposed to be depressed… and back at Central?" Adelle asked as she walked up beside her little sister.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, but can't I visit my big sister?"

"We both know that's not why you're here," Adelle said with a chuckle.

"Fine then! But I'm not telling you a damn thing."

"Fine," Adelle said.

"Fine," Wendy repeated. They both crossed their arms and glared at each other.

Oh, how she missed this. These childish fights with her sister; it was the only time she ever felt close to her. They both threw their heads back and laughed ridiculously, the passer-bys staring at them and rushing the children along.

"Hey, so, have you just been lounging around in the desert?"

"No, I'm looking for Scar," she said defensively.

"They're really going to send some inexperienced kid after him?" she asked.

"Shut up! I'm not inexperienced and I'm not a kid, you got that? I'm going to catch that bastard and prove everyone wrong. I'm going to show everyone I do belong in the military!"

Wendy lowered her head. "You know, belonging in and being in the military are two different things," she said.

"And what's that supposed to mean? Look, if I have a job I'll do it right," she said.

She shook her head. "A job is supposed to support your real life. Do you remember why you're here?"

Adelle stood silent for the longest time until she furrowed her brows and waved her hand. "Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore," she said. She couldn't remember at all, but somehow she felt embarrassed by that. There was no need to, everyone forgets, but she knew this was something too important for it to just let it slip your mind.

"How can you say that?"

"Well, I…"

"You don't remember, do you?"

"Huh, how did you know?" Adelle said, taking a step back from her sister.

"Because you've been forgetting a lot of things. I don't know what's wrong with you, but whatever it is, it isn't normal. Don't you remember that mom told us your dad was a soldier, and you said you'd be one too," she said in a low, eerily calm voice.

Adelle shrugged. "So? That man, whoever he was, was also Daniel's dad too, and that's if she was telling the truth. She probably had too many customers to remember any faces anyway. She probably made up that story for us."

"I don't think she was, but so what if she did? She told it for you. It made you happy and it gave you purpose. Now—why are you even here?"

Adelle spread her legs apart and put her arms out, ready to fight. That question, it struck her deep. Why was she here? She should've been dead, like Brandon, her dear friend. She no longer had much purpose, only some obscure drive to continue on, but no reason for it.

Then Wendy got into a fighting stance as well. This was strange for her. She never learned how to really fight, and ever since Adelle had come back from the North they had never physically fought. She had this scowl on her face that she'd never seen. Still, it felt as if she'd seen it before.

"You're a lot smarter than I expected," Wendy said, but her tone was lower, more controlled than usual. She ran at Adelle, her fist up in the air until she swung at her. Adelle ducked and clapped her hand and touched the ground, but a spear transmuted upward. She grabbed hold of it and swung it at Wendy, expecting her to be scared off, but she jumped back only to charge at her again.

As soon as people saw the fight they started to run away. It wasn't like when Adelle was picking on one of their own. They all knew she was playing games, trying to intimidate them. It was different, now, though. They only saw the bright light, a sharp object, and fast movements. The street was empty now.

Why was Wendy acting this way, Adelle wondered. Her movements were so quick, and whenever she landed a blow on her, they seemed so forceful, so heavy. She wouldn't hit her with the head of the spear, though. She hit her with the flat end, and sometimes smacking the stick across her, but no matter where she hit her, it didn't seem to have an effect on her. She only bounced back up with an eerie smile on her face.

But then there was a weight on her that wasn't Wendy's. It knocked her to the ground, and in a moment she realized that Scar's destructive arm was on her head. Of course, how was he supposed to know this was a family feud?

"Last time I wasn't certain of your role as a state alchemist, but now I am. You have tortured these innocents for the last time!"

She couldn't move. He was on top of her, holding her down. She could only stare, wide eyed, at the runes on his arm. She was going to die. The thought echoed across her mind. She might not have a real purpose, but she wanted to live.

Before Scar could even do anything, he was knocked off of her. She lied there, frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. She sat up and saw Scar and a long, spiked her man in a black mid-drift. Wendy had disappeared and the only ones there was Envy and Scar.

But how, she wondered. She was so certain that had been Wendy.

"Look here, you can kill anyone you want, just stay off her and the pipsqueak."

"What are you?"

"All you need to know is I'm not human," he said with that big, arrogant grin of his. What the hell was he doing, he's going to get himself killed, she thought.

But she couldn't find her legs. She couldn't stand.

Envy charged at Scar as he had done to her. Scar grabbed his fist and she saw red sparks. Envy jumped back, his forearm missing. But the injury, it was repairing itself. Even Scar was staring in amazement.

"You impressed?" Envy said, before running at him again. This time he was prepared for Scar's defense and jumped over him, landing behind him. Envy hit him across the back, forcing him forward, almost falling. "Too slow," he grabbed scar by the hair while he was still bent over, and then kneed him in the stomach. Envy punched him in the face but Scar escaped his grip and ran back. But Envy didn't stop for a moment. This time Scar knew better. He ducked Envy's blow and grabbed his leg, blowing it in another shower of red sparks. He took the time to retreat, leaving Envy cursing after him.

Envy sat as his leg built itself up again in smaller red sparks. He grinned up at her. "Looks like the Elric brothers weren't here on time."

"Huh, what do you—"

"Aren't they the heroes that always come for the rescue of a damsel?"

"I'm no damsel," she didn't sound angry. She was looking down at the ground her hands forming fists on her lap. "How did you know all that? Do you read minds too?"

He jumped up and started to kick with his formerly injured leg. "Well, reading yours would be useless, that's for sure."

Adelle gasped and looked up at him. "If you hurt her—"

"Relax, she doesn't even know she was talking to me," he said. That grin of his never faded. She hated it.

"Oh, then, does she really talk about—"

"Adelle!"

"Well that's my queue," he sprinted into an alley as Ed and Al arrived.

"Who was that?" Ed asked looking in the direction Envy had taken off in. It looked like he already had a faint idea. "Hey, wait, what's wrong?" he said looking down at her.

She looked up at both brothers. "What do you mean?" she said, trying to feign a smile.

"You're crying," Al said.

She touched her face and realized that there were tears flowing down relentlessly. She tried to stop them, but she only started to cry with more force. She bowed her head, her hair covering up her face. She wished those two could leave. No one has ever seen her cry in the longest time.

"It's okay," Edward said. She shook her head. "Here, I'll help you up," he said, extending an arm to her. She looked at his gloved hand. Was it his right or his left that had automail? She couldn't seem to remember. But then her bewilderment at his hand turned to anger. She slapped it away.

"I don't need your help," she said. "I don't need anyone's help."

"Adelle…" Al sounded on the verge of tears. He was lucky, though. He couldn't cry, show weakness, even if he wanted to.

"I've made it on my own so far, and I can definitely stand up on my own too."

She could feel her legs now, but they felt weak. Her body felt too heavy for them, and she quavered as she tried to stand. Ed and Al both jumped to her as they saw she was about to fall, but she regained her strength and smacked away their hands. She didn't need help.

"Mustang said we must leave by today," she said. She didn't feel like dying any time soon.