Chapter 21

The Taboo

Edwina finished off the important events of her and Alphonsa's childhood at Izumi's home, with Sid having returned from work.

It was from 1908 to 1910, the Elric Sisters trained with Izumi. Edwina could only describe it as "The training from hell!". The alchemy teacher, on the other hand, smiled as she too remembered. She did not see how she was 'brutal' at all. She always gave her only students a hearty breakfast before the morning 'combat lesion'. She always patched them up afterwards. She only shouted and punished when transmutations went wrong for an easily-avoidable reason, or if they 'forgot' their manners. She gave them enough time to sleep before giving the (very loud) wake-up-action. That was not cruel…

The sisters' most distinctive memory was during a particular lesson about three months in. As they did the morning sparring, Izumi was simultaneously fending off and delivering blows, teaching, and reading a book called 'Easy Cooking'.

"The formation of alchemy's power is the Circle," Izumi recited to the Elrics as she swiftly blocked a jumping kick from Edwina and a punch from Alphonsa. The girls give a cry of frustration.

Izumi continued speaking regardless. "The Circle shows the nature of the power. And you may activate the power by writing alchemy formulae there." The women blocked a punch from each of the girls in quick succession and swung her own one, knocking Edwina off-balance, causing her to hop for a few moments. Alphonsa just managed to dodge by throwing herself to the side. "By understanding the flow of power and the laws of nature…" She blocked a low kick from Alphonsa. "You can apply it to anything." The girls took a few moments to recover. "In other words…" Alphonsa give a cry of "Yah!" and leapt in to the air, ready to kick, but Izumi calmly tossed the book aside and grabbed her by her legs.

"Wha?" the pigtailed girl squeaked as she was swung through the air, while the older girl's eyes widened as she could only look on.

"Assess your opponent's flow of power, and use it against them," Izumi still continued, and flung Alphonsa, onto the ground.

"Ow!" the girl moaned, sitting up to rub the back of her head, where she was sure a lump would develop.

The woman laughed. "It's better if you experience it first-hand." Her eyes shrivelled around to the older blonde. She gulped, but never got the chance to run. Izumi grabbed her and hurled her across the garden, with her screaming the whole way.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Izumi began the usual placing of plasters over small wounds and cleaning bruises. She also fixed their messy pigtails and ponytail receptively.

"One who accepts and understands the flow of power, and constructs using that knowledge…they are an alchemist." Izumi finished the sentence and her First Aid of Edwina with a steadying plaster over Edwina's broken nose (it was the first thing she had landed on). Like Alphonsa before her, the teacher patted her head comfortingly. Also like her sister, Edwina smiled slightly, both reminded of their mother's proud patting of heads and stroking of hair.

"The world is basically functioning according to this flow, life and death is part of this too. That's why you should never, ever try to revive a human being." At the last sentence, the dark-haired woman's voice took a turn from firm to stern. The sisters nodded nervously.

Izumi stood up from the meat crate she was sitting on, closing and picking up the first aid box and the 'Easy Cooking' book as she did so.

"It's almost lunch time," she told her students. "What should we have…we'll need something high in calories and carbs…we're going to have an extra combat session today."

"Good…" the sisters said in unison. Then they realised what Izumi had fully said. "What?! Extra combat?!"

"NO TALKING BACK!" Izumi whirled around and roared at them while jabbing a finger. "Go review while I prepare lunch."

"Y-yes, Sensei!"

"But, Sensei, I do have one question," Alphonsa said, taking a step forward and fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt (Izumi always had her wear shorts of trousers while fighting, and she now did not mind). "You transmute just by clapping your hands, while we have to draw the Circles. Why is that?" Edwina nodded behind the younger girl, being just as curious.

Alphonsa clapped her hands together in a mimic of their teacher. "From what you taught us, I can see that your hands act as the circle…but where is the alchemy formula?"

"I'm acting as the formula," the dark-haired women replied as they began to walk across the garden.

The older blonde also clapped her hands together. "I don't get it."

"How do you do that?" the pigtailed girl further questioned.

Izumi took a moment to reply. "You can only do it when you can 'true knowledge'."

The girl had no time to think of those words until they returned home in 1910. Of course, even then, they had to first go through avoiding questions from Pinako, Winter and the other curious children who had noticed their absence. Winter, the girls remembered, was the most determined. For almost a month they returned, after realising demanding or begging would not work, he had tried to charm his way into his friend's secrets. Using advice from the 'bigger kids' (the teenagers), he tried flowers, homemade cakes and pies, carrying their things, all manner of techniques. The sisters did not say a word, but they could not help but enjoy the special treatment.

In the present, Izumi smiled proudly at her students keeping their training secret.

Finally, once Winter had given up, and they had cleaned the dust from the house and washed up; they proceeded to their father's study to revise. It was than they returned to Izumi's words.

"What do you think Sensei meant by true knowledge, Nee-san?" Alphonsa asked as she looked up from her book.

Edwina clapped her hands together for the third time. "Hmm…" She placed her hands against the wall, and nothing happened. "I can't do it!" she flopped onto the floor hopelessly and waved her fists as she cried, "If Sensei would just tell us about 'true knowledge' we'd be done!"

Alphonsa chuckled. "I want to know too, but of course Sensei isn't going to just tell us it. She probably wants us to earn that knowledge ourselves, thought research, revision and whatnot."

Edwina paused in her tantrum. "Earning it, eh? That could take ages!" She sat up. "Alright! Let's try working on the Human Transmutation theory then."

In the present, the alchemy teacher could feel her pride fading, being replaced by boiling blood. She did not want her thoughts to be confirmed.

Edwina had to take a deep breath before continuing, and telling the woman about the most horrifically life-changing mistake the sister had made, that most forbidden taboo – the Human Transmutation. She spoke in a solemn, sombre voice as she reiterated the terrible events – the transmutation going wrong, Alphonsa losing her entire body, Edwina losing her leg after meeting Truth and seeing true knowledge, then losing her arm to bind Alphonsa soul to that suit of armour. Izumi began to feel pity as well as anger as she went on. The older Elric finished the sister's tale with just how she had become a 'Dog of the Military'.

After all was said and done, there was at least a full five minutes of silent contemplation. The only sound was the irregular dripping of a tap into a wooden basin in the sink.

At last, Izumi raised her hand and placed it over her face. "Along three-hundred avenue…" She pulled her hand away and slammed it into her other one as a fist. "THERE'S A COFFIN STORE, SO GO GET ONES THAT'LL FIT YOUR SIZES!"

The teenagers hugged each other with a yelp of fear.

Izumi sighed and became calm once more. "Enough jokes."

The girls slowly broke apart.

"After I told you repeatedly to not do Human Transmutation…"

"Both the mast the apprentices…oh boy…" Sid interjected.

The Elrics gasped.

"Sensei…you too?" a bewildered Edwina asked.

Izumi ran a hand over her chest and stomach. "That's why I was so determined to drum it into you two not to do it. My organs…most parts of them were taken. That's why I cough up blood. You guys sure are big idiots."

"We're sorry…" the students said together.

The teacher stood and folded her arms, a sure warning when she was getting serious. "You're morons!"

"We're sorry," the teenagers repeated.

"Ignorant!"

"We know."

"Stupid apprentices!"

"You're right."

Izumi unfolded her arms. "Still…it must have painful. It certainly was for me."

"Well…I guess we were asking for it…it was not really painful - not that losing a leg isn't excruciating - but more…" the older Elric looked at the younger for confirmation.

"Yeah…I don't really remember much, but it was more…horrifying," the armour girl concluded.

"Yeah. Horrifying. Especially when I saw that…thing…that was supposed to be Mum."

"You idiots." The Elrics were very surprised when the dark-haired woman placed a hand on each of the sisters' shoulders and drew them into a loving and pitying embrace.

After a moment of surprise at the sudden tender act, the girls wrapped their arms around the teacher's back. Edwina closed her eyes as well.

"We're very sorry…so sorry…" the Elrics repeated.

I'm beginning to sound like that woman Sciezka… the older thought.

A little later, Izumi took the girls outside onto the grassy hill again, wishing to talk to them in private.

"Becoming a State Alchemist at just twelve…it's what we'd call a genius," Izumi told Edwina.

"No," she replied. "That's not true! I'm not a genius at all! If I was, I wouldn't have performed the taboo, or persuaded Al to join."

"That was my choice, Nee-san," the armour quickly cut across.

The blonde continued. "It was only because I saw that thing that I got the licence."

"No. You're a genius for being able to survive after seeing that," the dark-haired alchemist corrected. "I must admit, as stupid as you two are for attempting it, surviving it is impressive. And binding Alphonsa's almost-lost soul to that armour – a wonderful display of sisterly love. But we still have to settle things." The women paused, and stood in a military-like, commanding stance again folded her arms. "You guys are expelled!"

The sisters were dumbstruck.

"I didn't teach you alchemy so you could turn your bodies into these! I no longer consider you my apprentices." Izumi explained in that harsh tone before turning around and beginning the short journey home. "My husband is going to escort you to the train station, and make sure you don't try anything else. Just go straight home."

The teenagers stared at the ground, the shame of what they had done returning twofold.

"T-thank you for everything…" Edwina could muster in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

The older alchemist paused to show her acknowledgement of the statement before continuing on.

Sid came to the hill ten or so minutes later with Edwina's coat and suitcase gripped in his large hand. As dusk had now fallen, the streets of Dublith were quiet and near-empty, save for shop-keepers and employees shut up, and late shoppers returning home.

"Mr. Sid, why did Sensei attempt Human Transmutation?" Alphonsa asked quietly and nervously as the trio walked over a brick bridge.

The man took a moment to reply. "I knew one of you was going to ask that at some point. When she was pregnant with our first child, she became sick. It was only when she gave birth that we found out that, due to her sickness…the baby was stillborn."

"T-that's awful!" Alphonsa cried. "Losing a mother like us is bad, but your child? That's worse. I'm so sorry."

"Loss of any loved one is equality as bad as another," Sid told her. "Honey felt so guilty. She apologised for almost the entire night afterwards, but it wasn't like she'd done anything wrong. She couldn't bear to attend the funeral a few days later. She probably began about Human Transmutation around then. And as you know, it was because of that that she ended up the way she is now." Just like the Elric sisters, Sid remembered the scene as clear as always. He remembered running down to the basement after hearing a scream, seeing his beloved wife lying in a pool of her own blood on the Transmutation Circle, and wondering what on earth had happened. "I'm such a fool. I never noticed what she was thinking. She also waited until I was asleep the night she tried it."

For the rest of the journey to the station, there was only silence.

"Well, have a nice trip, girls," Sid told them as they stood on the platform. "Come over and see us if you're pass by again."

"Huh?" the confused Fullmetal Alchemist said. "Didn't Sensei tell you? She expelled us."

The tall man sighed. "You don't get it do you? Even though you're relationship is no longer master and apprentices, that doesn't mean you can't visit and talk like normal people. You just can't mention alchemy. Besides, what's stopping you? Hm?"

At this, an idea hit the older Elric like a brick.

"Al!" she cried in that determined, commanding voice. "Why did we come to Dublith?"

"We came to—" Alphonsa began, and then realised the blonde's plan. "Ah!" The two took off at a run. "Sorry about this, Mr. Sid, but we're going back!"

Also realising their plan, Sid smiled slightly behind their backs. "Try not to get yourself killed!"

"We'll try!"

Back at the house, Izumi was preparing suffer. Her head flew up as the door was slammed open.

"Sensei!" Edwina exclaimed, moments before she screamed and ducked. Izumi had thrown her knife at her head. Luckily, it embedded in the wall.

"Why the hell are you showing your faces again?!" Izumi hollered. "And who's this 'sensei'?! You're not my apprentices anymore! Didn't you hear me?!"

"C-c-calm down!" Edwina cried, waving her hands in front of her.

The two girls stood side-by-side, and in sync, dropped down onto their knees, their hands placed on them.

"We came here to look for clues on how to return to our original forms!" Alphonsa began, in her own determined voice.

"We won't leave empty-handed!" the Fullmetal alchemist finished.

"Go home!" Izumi repeated.

"We won't!" the sisters protested.

"I'll chop you up into tiny pieces!"

"Then we can't go even if we wanted to!"

"Just go!"

"No way!"

As the dark-haired woman noticed the Elrics expressions, and could not help but see the determined faces of those two little girls from years ago. Damn, they have the same eyes. She sighed. "You're still idiots, but you sure are determined and stubborn. Let's get down to it."

The sisters smiled for a moment as they stood up. "Yes!"

"First of all, Alphonsa, did you see True Knowledge as well?" Izumi asked the younger Elric.

"Um…" she said, rubbing her helmet as she thought. "I don't think I did."

The teacher rubbed her chin. "Hmm…it could be that you did, but suffered memory loss as a result of the shock. It wouldn't be surprising…ok! First thing we need to do is recover Alphonsa's memory!"

"Wait, since that things needs a Passage Fee that would mean, that because Al gave more…she's closer to true knowledge than I am!"

"So, if I get memory back might be able to tell us how to recover our bodies. And not only that, I could finally perform alchemy without a Transmutation Circle!"

"That actually makes sense too," Izumi said. "You don't remember what you saw, so you can have the only benefit among all those negatives. But…that memory…"

"Yeah…" Edwina said knowingly.

"Is something wrong…?" the confused armour girl asked.

"Not wrong, more…scary," Izumi replied, waving her hands.

"'Scary'? Why?"

The woman and older girl leaned in.

"You could go insane," Izumi hissed.

"Maybe fall into a catatonic state," Edwina added.

"Well…" Alphonsa clenched her hands in fists. "I'm willing to take that risk, so long as the possibly of memory regain remains!"

"Alright then, let's find a way to return your memory," Izumi said, making her way back to the chopping board. "But first, since you're both not leaving until you find a solution, I suppose you could join Sid and I for dinner. Come, you'll help me." The girls were confused. Izumi gave a smile.

"Thank you, Sensei!" the sisters said.

"No 'Sensei'!" the women snapped.

"Sorry!"

That same evening, in East City HQ, Colonel Mustang was playing another game of chess with Commanding General Grumman, her sixty-something superior, in his office. They often had these games, and just as often, they spoke of topics regarding the Military while playing.

"I should have told you this sooner," Grumman began after a long silence of thought. He moved his Bishop to take the Colonel's first Knight. "You'll be working in Central starting next week."

"I see," Mustang replied, folding her arms as she thought of her next move.

"It'll be lovely," Grumman continued as Mustang moved her Rook forward five spaces, putting the General's King in Check. "You've been an interesting woman to have around."

"Well, not as interesting as your stories from when you were young," Mustang quickly responded, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Ho ho ho," the man laughed, causing his grey moustache to bounce. "When I was a young officer it was so—" He noticed the danger his King was in and adjusted his circular glasses. "Ah! Oh dear!"

The black-haired woman laughed. "Gotcha there, General!"

"Hmm…not quite." He moved a humble, unnoticed Pawn to take Mustang's Bishop, placing it in front of the King. "Thanks to your hard work, you made my job easier."

"I was able to learn quite a lot from the work you gave me here." Mustang moved her other Knight to take the Pawn, checking first that it could not be taken.

Grumman became a little nervous, moving his hand back and forth as he saw there was no way to get the opposing Knight or Rook away from his King. Nevertheless, he continued the conversation. "I heard Brigadier General Halcrow will be replacing you. I don't like him, he's too stern." He moved his other Rook forward six spaces, seeing he could at least take the opposing Rook that only had to the potential to be threat. "You, on that other hand, can be both laid back and cunning, calculating and intelligent. No stern air about you…well expect when you're angry."

Mustang smiled and picked up the Knight. "Then I wish you luck." She placed the Knight down again. "Check Mate."

"Aaaah!" Grumman cried again, and looked around hopelessly for a solution but seeing none. "I…I finally lost!"

"And I finally beat you!" the Colonel said with a laugh.

The General sighed, and also give a laugh. He actually felt happy that his subordinate had bested him at last. He pulled out a little black book from his trouser pocket and flicked to a page. "That makes it…ninety-seven wins to me, fifteen draws and now one win!" He jotted it down when the accompanying pen. "This is a special match."

"Thank you," Mustang said with a smile as she carefully brushed the pieces off the board, flipped it over and began placing the pieces into the hollow storage space. Once they both had packed up the pieces and snapped the board shut, the Colonel made to leave.

"Oh, Mustang, just one more thing!" Grumman called from his desk as the women placed her hand on the doorknob. She turned back.

"I just remembered, since you are still hoping to become the first female Fuhrer, would you consider asking my grandson to be the first…oh, what should it be called…First Gentleman? First Husband? First Man?"

"Don't think too much General," Mustang said with a sly smile, deliberately avoiding the question. "Though, speaking of special, I was wondering if I could take some special subordinates with me to Central. Maybe your grandson will be among them." She only added the last sentence as a tease, knowing full well she would take that particular man with her.

"Of course you can!" the old soldier happily replied. "Can't have you being amongst near-strangers without support."

"Thank you, sir."

"And, for another familiar thing," the General went on, and walked toward the women before holding out the chess set. "I want you to have this."

The Colonel was surprised by the gesture, but took it with thanks all the same before leaving for her office.

Near her office some other soldiers were crammed into one room, passing the time with their own game of chess, a rather different kind than the normal. Breda was taking on a Major.

"Check Mate!" he declared.

"Ah!" the Major cried.

Breda laughed. "Fifteen straight wins!"

Some of the observing men either cheered or booed.

"Ha, not as think as you look, Breda," a dark-skinned Sergeant commented.

"Heh, heh, you do have to use this," the Second Lieutenant replied, tapping his head.

At that moment Falman entered the room.

"What a commotion," he mumbled upon seeing the rowdy lot. He then noticed the chess board and his forever-near-closed eyes lit up. "What a rarity!"

"You know about 'Joug'?" Breda asked, turning in his chair. "It's the kinda chess played by Eastern countries?"

"Of course I know!" the older officer replied before launching into another of his encyclopaedic explanations. "Joug – a type of board game. To win, one must move to surround the opponent's king using all twenty of the pieces on the board. The origin of the game is—"

"Yeah, yeah, next!" Breda cut across him with a wave of his hand.

"Oh yeah, I did come to tell you something!"

"What…? And if you start going on again…"

"The Colonel wants you and me to come to her office, right now."

"You and me? Well, I guess can't ignore orders."

Meanwhile outside, on one side of the building, Sergeant Major Fuery was performing one of his usual duties - fixing a busted phone line. He was known for his skills with communication devices, and was often the first to be called when a radio or phone cable needed looked at.

"There we go…" he muttered to himself as he re-attached the last two wires and closed the electrics box. "That should do it." He stepped aside to allow the other officer to dial the number again. After a few moments, they both heard a click.

"Hey, it connected!" the soldier said happily. "You really know your stuff, Sergeant Major. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Fuery replied, before turning and starting to head back to the building. It was only now he noticed how hot it was. He removed his jacket and undid the top button of his shirt as he walked. A car saddening pulled up along aside him.

"You're Sergeant Major Fuery, right?" the bearded Lieutenant within asked.

"Yeah," the respected man replied.

"I've been told to tell you that your superior, Colonel Mustang, wants you in her office right now." The Lieutenant drove away.

"I wonder what the Colonel wants…" Fuery thought to himself as he went to follow the orders. "I hope it isn't bad."

Out in the city the search for Scar's non-existent corpse was still going on.

Havoc grunted as he heaved another sand bag over of the way. "We're been going at this for weeks…someone must have found something…"

"Afraid not," another soldier replied, hearing his tired mutter. "Just leave the work to us and take a break."

"Yeah, you're working more than us combined," another man interjected.

"Really?" Havoc replied, taking a puff from his cigarette. "I feel kinda bad now. I guess I could take a short br—"

"Second Lieutenant, sir!" the bespectacled communications officer called from the tent as he held the telephone. "Colonel Mustang wants to see you."

Havoc's face fell. Just as I wanted to rest…is she physic or something?

Hawkeye was at the shooting range, his military jacket discarded beside him. He was putting another bullet into his favourite rifle when another soldier approached him.

"Oh, you're doing well, Hawkeye," he told him when he observed the bullet holes in the human-shaped target. "Your aim's as good as always."

"Not good enough," the blonde male replied, cocking the gun. He shot the latest bullet, which hit the target dead centre in the chest.

"Well, sorry to interrupter your training, but the Colonel wants to see you."

"I see." He smiled to himself as the other man walked away. "It's time."

Ten minutes later, all the summoned men stood in the Colonel's office.

"I have brought you all here for a special reason." Mustang began. "So…Sergeant Major Fuery!"

"Yes!" the replied.

"Warrant Officer Vato Fulmen!"

"Yes!"

"Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda!"

"Yes!"

"Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc!"

"Yeah…"

"First Lieutenant Rizo Hawkeye!"

As well as replying 'yes', the Lieutenant gave a small bow.

The dark-haired women stood with her hands on the desk. "All five of you will come to me to Central. I want no complaints."

"Yes, Ma'am!" all five said in unison. Only after this did Havoc step forward. While he was happy that he would no longer have to spend all day searching for Scar's corpse, he did have another concern.

"Wait, Colonel. I know you don't want complaints, but…" He began nervously.

"What is it?" the female officer asked sternly, straightening up and folding her arms.

"You see, the thing is…" the man rubbed the back of his head. "I got a girlfriend recently and well…"

"Leave her," Mustang told him bluntly. "Get a new one in Central."

"What?" Havoc cried.

"Ma'am, that's rather callus," Hawkeye spoke up. "What if it was you and a lover?"

"I'd still leave him. And you are to leave her, Havoc. That's an order."

Havoc was devastated. All the men tried to comfort him, knowing full-well he was a man on the hunt for love. Hawkeye again tried to give a comforting patting on the shoulder.

If you're rather heartless when it comes to someone else's love…I wonder how you will react if I were to— No! I won't think like that! I know you are not that kind of person! He thought to himself. But one day I will tell you…I know I will…even if the law says I can't…

Mustang turned away from them all to look out the window, her hands moving to her hips. "It's a good thing you just started dating that woman recently, Havoc. It won't be that much of a loss, since the relationship wouldn't be serious just yet. I should know." Mustang finished with a laugh.

Hawkeye ignored it.

The next day, back in Dublith, The Elrics sisters had taken their search for something to regain Alphonsa's memory to the streets. They had spent the last two hours in the library and it was now late afternoon.

"Man, it's late already," the Fullmetal Alchemist said as the two of them walked out of the building. They had found nothing but a few dead ends, even in the library.

"You always lose track when you read," Alphonsa said. "You're the only one not to notice."

"Oh. Anyway, if we don't get back soon, Sensei will yell at us!" the blonde turned down an alleyway. "Let's take the shortcut."

The alleyways of Amestris were often home to the criminal and poor, and Dublith had a good few of both.

The Elrics passed a dirty man sitting next to a bin where his cat perched, a bottle of half-drunk wine in one hand. They passed by two other man seeming to be in the middle of some kind of exchange. They passed by a sad-eyed woman gripping a very small sack of money in one hand and a in the other, obviously for protecting what little cens she had. As they approached the end of the alleyway, a sickly male voice called out. "Miss! Miss!"

The girls turned around to see a small, bald, ugly man with long fingernails approach them. As he came closer, they could see odd splotches of skin discoloration on his body. He was dressed in nothing but a ragged cloak with the hood drawn up. He held out a chipped bowl as he spoke again.

"Would a lady such as yourself be able to spare a cen or two?" he asked, addressing Edwina. "What about you, armoured one? If you have the money to buy that you must have some you can give to a poor man."

The girls did feel pity for him, but they did not want to give him anything. Something about him was making them feel rather disturbed. Something familiar. They wanted to get away from him.

"Sorry, we don't have any money to spare," Edwina said bluntly. "Get a job and earn some, you creep."

"Come on!" the man begged, his voice becoming as disturbing as his presence. "A State Alchemist like you must be loaded."

The girls were now walked quickly towards the exit.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the blonde snapped to the man as he trotted behind them. What she really wanted to say was "How do you know I'm a State Alchemist?" as her watch was hidden in her pocket."

"Now, now, don't act dumb," the bigger replied with a smile and laugh. "Your sister's quite famous in our world. She'd fit right in. You transmuted her soul, right?"

That made the girls stop. Again Edwina wanted to ask how he knew this, but instead she again tried to show the man away. "You're annoying and wrong. Just leave us alone. We're just two sisters here to visit a friend, nothing more."

"But the armoured fella has no body, right?" the cloaked male probed.

The older Elric could not stand it any longer. Turning around to the man, she took a running start, and kicked him hard in the face with her left leg. He fell backwards, blood spurting from his nose as he crashed into some bins. Edwina turned back around. "Let's go, Al."

But the confrontation was not over. The male sit up and shook bits of rubbish off him as he held his nose. "You broke my nose!"

The girls continued to walk.

"Hey!" the man cried, standing up. "Don't act like what I know is wrong!"

"Shut up and go away!" Edwina screamed, grabbing one of the bins and throwing it at the male, again knocking him off his feet.

The man just rubbed the now growing lump on his head and laughed again. "Getting so worked over this…I bet that means that armoured fella isn't even human, huh?"

"Stop talk—" the Older Elric was cut off by the armour teenager placing a hand onto on her shoulder and moving her aside. The man's eyes began wide as saucers as the girl's large shadow fell across him.

"Mister…" she began, effortlessly lifting the man into the air by the back of his cloak using only one hand. "Please stop. If you don't I will take action."

"Sorry about that…" the man replied, sounding genuine. "I was just…" He gave up the act. Alphonsa gave a squeak of surprise and let go when a long, reptilian tail slid out of the beggar's cloak and whacked off her helmet.

"Haha, there's no mistake!" the man laughed as fell through the air, seeing inside the metal shell. "The State Alchemist thinks I'm a creep, but you're the one with the transmuted soul. Hahahaaa!" He landed lizard-like on the ground. The girls both now recognised that familiar feeling. It was the same one they had felt when they had each realised the identities of Shou Tucker's 'talking chimeras'.

"You bastard!" Edwina cried as Alphonsa searched for her helmet.

The blonde aimed a punch at the man's chest, but he jumped out of the way, avoiding a kick as well. He landed a few metres away with another laugh. "I'm done with you two. Goodbye!" He began to run.

"I won't let you get away!" the Fullmetal Alchemist declared, clapped her hands to together. With the ground as its source material, a wall sprung up at the alleyway exit, blocking the beggar off. It was a good thing the streets were beginning to empty, as anyone who saw the commotion happening would surely have questioned it.

"That's amazing," the male chimera marvelled as he came to a halt in front of the wall. "But…" he placed his hands on the wall. "So am I". Edwina cried "Damn?" as the man used the gecko pads on his hands and feet to stick to and climb over the wall. "Goodbye!" the man said one final time as his tail disappeared with a swish on the other side of the wall.

"There are chimeras here?" Alphonsa asked as she walked up to her bewildered sister, having located her helmet and was now reattaching it. "Strange. I didn't think normal could tell just by looking, but he's not normal, so that must be why he knew. But…if he tells anyone about my secret, then I swear I will make him pay..."

"If I even see him again, I'm going to kill him," Edwina hissed.

"Well, how about we forget about this for now and head back to Sensei's?"

"I suppose…"

Edwina demutualised the wall and the two returned to the journey back the Curtis house, going over the events of the last fifteen or so minutes in their head.

Half an hour later, the lizard-chimera arrived in another alleyway, went down a flight of stairs and entered "The Devil's Nest," a bar for the misfits and criminals of Dublith. It was filled with its usual costumers. He immediately reported to his boss, who sat with his two favourite concubines. He was a tall, slim, muscular man, with a strong jaw and spikey black hair that was pulled back slightly. He outfit suited his 'chief of the misfits' job. He wore a black, form-fitting sleeveless top with a black sleeveless, white fur-trimmed jacket and leather trousers into which the top was tucked. It was completed with tough black boots, small, round sunglasses, and leather bands wrapped around each wrist.

After hearing the lizard-chimera's news, his relaxed smile broke into a grin.

"Good job Bido!" he congratulated. "You're awesome!"

Bido laughed.

"Sure saved us a lot of trouble, coming to Dublith on her own," the boss said, turning to three more of his subordinates, a slim woman with tomboy-short, blonde hair called Martel; a very tall, muscular, man dressed in rumpled military attire with pony-tailed, pointed and messy hair called Roa; and an average height man called Dolcetto with even more pulled back spikey hair.

"What should we do?" Roa asked.

"Bring her over here quickly," the boss replied, stroking the hair of the dark-haired woman on his left. "You can use force if she resists – but! – she's an important guest, so don't kill her, no matter what."

Author's Note: I wish I could multi-task like Izumi. But with ADHD, it is hard, as we are so easily distracted XD.

In regards to posting, I think I got this up in good time considering my usual busywork.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, anyway, dear readers.

Thank you ^_^.