A/N: Hey again everyone! I am back after a months' Hiatus. If there are people still reading this, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WAITING. While I am still extremely busy, the appointment thing is okay now... well, not really okay, more like... settled? Yeah. For now, anyway. So, I'm going to give writing this another shot. Oh, by the way, I have replaced the old Chapter 23 with a new, completely rewritten chapter, because the old one didn't make any sense. PLEASE READ THE NEW CHAPTER 23 BEFORE YOU READ THIS ONE. Enjoy!

Chapter 24-

The group reached the hill that blocked them from the Gate's view. Since they had already been quite a distance away from the war, they managed to escape safely, with no-one any more injured then they already were from the tunnels. Falman had a bit of trouble running with his injured leg, but he still made it. However, once they arrived, they noticed two of them where missing.

"Where's Havoc and Winry?" Hawkeye asked hoarsely. Her throat was killing her from the earlier car 'crash'.

"Brother's gone too," Al pointed out worriedly. Well, the person calling himself Edward was missing. Al still wasn't sure whether an Edward without a soul could still be the older brother he knew and loved.

"There they are," Fuery pointed to them. Havoc had had to stop and put Winry down, as he'd been carrying her for the past couple of hours straight. Edward took the blank-eyed girl from Havoc so the officer could walk on his own, but Ed's eyes widened slightly as he touched her. Edward said something to Havoc, but the officers couldn't hear them from so far away. Havoc began to run towards the group much faster than before, no longer bearing the weight of another person. Ed simply vanished from sight and reappeared behind the hill using his unnatural speed.

"Hughes, have you seen the condition of this girl?" Edward asked him seriously. Hughes grinned mischievously.

"Aw, look at that. Edo's worried about his girlfriend! LET ME TAKE A PICTURE!" Hughes gushed. Edward scowled and began to speak, but Mustang cut him off.

"Enough!" he ordered seriously. "We need to brainstorm a way to get rid of that Gate!"

"Yeah, cause we're toast if we don't," Havoc said breathlessly. He collapsed on the ground, already exhausted from the day.

"Well, what do we already know about it?" Falman began, re-tying the makeshift bandage around his leg.

"It controls the use of alchemy, for one thing. The Gate can also store knowledge and it's controlled by the Truth," Al explained. A faint earthquake shook the ground they sat on as the Gate attacked the fleeing vampires and hunters.

"Hold on, didn't King Bradley-" Hawkeye began.

"Pride," Ed interrupted, putting Winry down. "He's one of the oldest homunculi." The officers were silent for a moment. They all knew something was wrong with the current Fuhrer when he appeared at the Homunculi's hideout that time Al had been kidnapped, but hearing that he was a powerful homunculus was still quite a blow.

"Didn't… Pride say that they were the masters of the Gate? If this 'Truth' thing controls the Gate, wouldn't it be the master of the Gate rather than the Homunculi?" Hawkeye finished.

"I was wondering about that…" Mustang muttered.

"Then how did the Homunculi gain control of the Gate?" Havoc's brows furrowed in concentration.

"Who cares?" Ed rolled his eyes, surprising the rest with his question. "That's all you need to know. Take out the correct Homunculi and you take out the Gate, easy as that." He stood and stretched.

"What do you mean?" asked Havoc.

"Think about it," Edward replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "If the Homunculi are the 'masters' of the Gate, then it has to be connected with one or more of them in order to manifest itself here. If the Homunculi that the Gate is connected to die, then it no longer has a foothold here in Amestris. It will disappear back to… wherever the hell it came from."

"I'd suggest you start with Pride," Hughes recommended. "The Gate has to be connected to at least one of the Homunculi that was there, right? Pride, being the sin that he is, would want that glory all to himself. He would refuse to share it with Sloth or Envy."

"Makes sense," Mustang nodded. "What about the other four Homunculi?"

"Greed, Gluttony, Lust and Wrath," Edward turned his back to the humans and Hughes. "I know them the most… along with Al, I guess. And Greed would definitely want to be connected to the Gate as well."

"How the heck are we going to find them?" Fuery groaned.

"Well, I already know where they are," Ed spoke. He remembered very clearly- after all, that's where his soul had been placed. Edward's eyes darkened as he recalled the choice he'd have to make- human or vampire. He still hadn't decided. Al opened his mouth to ask 'How?' but Hawkeye stopped him, noticing the older Elric's expression.

"Alright, then," Mustang stood and turned to his subordinates, along with Al and Hughes. "This is what we're going to do…"

"Sir, this is insane…" Falman murmured to the colonel half an hour later.

"Exactly. That's why this plan is going to work," Mustang answered.

"Um, Colonel Mustang? Everyone is already so injured from the vampire tunnels. How can we win against the Homunculi?" Al asked softly. He looked troubled.

Mustang simply assumed Al was nervous about the upcoming fights. After all, he was no longer an invincible suit of armour. "Trust me, Alphonse. Everyone in this team is both incredibly strong and brave. We will do this- for the sake of everyone in Amestris."

The three reached the Gate, standing right in front of it. Crowds of hundreds of vampires and hunters were fleeing from the site, meaning that Mustang, Al and Falman were alone with Pride, Envy and Sloth.

"Pride!" Mustang called out boldly, striding forward.

"Colonel Mustang. Or, should I say, insignificant human," Pride smiled triumphantly.

Mustang glared up at him. "I've never seen such a coward like you in Amestris before." The colonel then smirked.

Envy burst out laughing. "Ooh, Pride! Insulted by a human! You gonna take that?" He sounded pleased.

"Silence!" roared Pride, furious. "I am no coward. I am Pride! And I have never lost a single fight!"

Mustang narrowed his eyes, pulling his transmutation gloves on. "Then you won't run from this challenge, will you?" Behind him, Falman sighed. His superior had just challenged the Fuhrer to a duel.

Pride laughed mockingly. "Why would I fight an insect like you when I could just vaporise you all without moving a finger?" He gestured to the Gate.

"Because," Mustang replied haughtily. "Do you really think your reputation would survive when everyone knows you ran scared from a fight with a human?"

Envy whistled at the insult, and Pride scowled. He jumped down from his platform on the Gate, landing perfectly on his feet. He drew his sword in a blur, his All-Seeing Eye uncovered and focused on the raven-haired officer in front of him.

"This 'fight' will take mere minutes." Pride declared arrogantly. Mustang braced himself as Pride prepared to attack.

"At last, some entertainment!" Envy hooted, leaning back lazily.

Al frowned. He didn't want Envy to intervene with Mustang's fight. Knowing Envy, he'd probably try to cheat in some way.

"Envy!" Alphonse called, distracting the sin. "We have some unfinished business!"

Envy grinned. "Hey, if it ain't little Al!"

"You caused everyone trouble," Alphonse shouted to be heard.

"Me?" Envy's grin turned into an expression far more sinister. "Why Al, you were the one who caused the trouble! After all, it wasn't me the pipsqueak and his friends were worried about."

Al stopped, stunned. He'd never thought about it in that way. Then… all of the panic about him being kidnapped… the whole rescue mission… the terror from discovering the Homunculi's army… was his fault. Al gulped, too shocked to respond.

"But you're right about one thing. We do have unfinished business." Envy's mocking smile turned deadly. "I forgot to kill you last time!" He lunged forward madly, aiming for Al's throat. The troubled teenager dodged the attack by sheer reflexes.

Falman pulled out his gun, watching the two fights happening and ready to back his team members if necessary. He also kept an eye on the beautiful woman Homunculi called Sloth, but she simply lazed around on the floating white platform. Falman narrowed his eyes- the 'too lazy to attack' routine was pretty common with Sloth, according to Ed and Al. He kept alert- after all, Mustang or Alphonse might need his help. The fights for the freedom of Amestris had begun.

Meanwhile, Edward, Hawkeye, Hughes and Havoc were standing in the shade in front of an 'abandoned' warehouse in Southern Central- a building far too familiar for Ed's liking. He thought he'd have more time to make his decision. He couldn't believe he felt so torn- his head told him to destroy that damn soul and become a full-blooded vampire. But his heart, against all logic and reason, wanted to take back the troublesome thing and be human again. Edward hadn't been so confused in all his life- or what he remembered of it, anyway. He was completely stuck.

"So, this is where the Homunculi moved to after we found their last hideout." Hawkeye commented, eyeing the building and the surrounding industrial area. There was nothing even remotely suspicious about the warehouse.

"We should probably get going on the plan," said Havoc, lighting a smoke. The plan… which was entirely crazy and only a group of idiots would ever attempt it. Hopefully, that meant it would work.

Earlier…

"This is what we're going to do," Mustang gazed at his subordinates and friends.

"We'll split up into two teams. I'll head team 1. Lieutenant, you'll lead team 2. The first team will consist of Falman, Alphonse and myself." Mustang glanced at them before continuing. "The second team will have the Lieutenant, Havoc, Hughes and Edward."

"What about me, sir?" Fuery spoke up.

Mustang turned to him. "You will have a very important job, Fuery. The Homunculi are lying, deceitful cheaters. They will try and exploit our every weakness- including our only unconscious team member." Mustang frowned slightly in thought. "I'm sure they'll try and use Winry against us. Your job is to ensure her safety. They'll probably send multitudes of soldiers after her. Can you protect her?"

Everyone turned to Fuery, who looked uncertain. "O-of course! I can protect her from the soldiers!"

Mustang nodded. "Good."

Alphonse shifted, concerned. "But what will we do, Colonel? In our teams?"

Mustang gave him a serious look. "We're going to take down the Homunculi- for the sake of everyone in Amestris."

Hawkeye exhaled slowly, thinking. "Team 1 will attack the three Homunculi at the Gate and eliminate them…"

"That's right," Mustang nodded. "I will personally fight Pride, as he seems the most likely to be one of the Homunculi connected to the Gate. Fullmetal, you'll take team 2 to the Homunculi's new hideout. Then, team 2 will eliminate Greed, Lust, Gluttony and Wrath one by one until every Homunculi connected to the Gate has been… accounted for. The Gate will then vanish and the Homunculi will be defeated."

"That plan's insane. Just waltz in to the territory of seven powerful Homunculi and kill them, despite injuries and all odds." Edward scoffed, and then slowly smirked. "I like it. What are we waiting for?"