Chapter 25: Fullmetal Alchemist X

Opening Theme: Koi Se Yo Onna no Ko (Best Student Council)

Mikoto struggled to get to her feet as she pushed bricks off her. She growled when she caught a whiff of something. She jumped back as five spikes shot out from the floor where she was. Five more shot in from the right side of her. Mikoto ran into the building to try and find where the person attacking her was.

"Run all you like little mouse," Lust mocked as she used her ultimate blade to pierce the ceilings again and again. "But by the time you find me you'll be dead."

Rein had accompanied Winry on a trip to the nearby cemetery with Gracia and Elicia Hughes. From what Winry told Rein Maes Hughes, Gracia's husband had died recently. The thought of a family member dying brought thoughts of her own father back to her.

What if her dad was dead, and that's why he never came back. He had died all those years ago and no one knew who he was so no one ever told her. She had been mad at him all these years for abandoning her when he had died. It made Rein sad to think that. If that was the case would it be better for her to just go home now? She wasn't much of a fighter like Hanabi and Mikoto. Even if Winry joined she'd be able to contribute something to the crew by taking care of the ship. What could Rein do?

The car suddenly stopped snapping Rein out of her thoughts. "We're here," Gracia told her.

Rein turned to Winry who had fallen asleep. Rein lightly shock Winry's shoulder causing her to open her eyes. "We made it to the cemetery," Rein told her.

The group walked across the field of tombstones to where the buried man they were looking for was. Rein glanced over different stones that they passed. Varying dates were on each one. Some dates added up to about fifty years, others closer to twenty. There was even one that was about eight years. Rein had never been to a cemetery before but already she didn't want to see another. It was very depressing here.

They stopped in front of a tombstone that read "Maes Hughes, 1885 – 1914." Rein wasn't good at math but she knew he couldn't have been too old. Gracia and Winry placed the bouche and the reef of flowers on the grave. The four then stood in silence for a time.

"You'll pay a visit every once in a while right?" Gracia asked getting their attention. "He'll get lonely otherwise. Of course you and your friends are welcome too," Gracia sadly smiled at Rein.

"Of course," Winry said.

"Yeah," Rein said looking back down at the marker.

She had thought that traveling with Hanabi and Mikoto would be all fun and laughs. She expected some fighting but nothing along the lines of seeing people dying or having to fight for your life. She hadn't prepared herself for this when she left the best student council.

Mikoto slid to a stop as spikes appeared in front of her. She had managed to go down two floors but still the attacks where coming from farther down. Mikoto leaned to the left as more spikes shot up and nicked her arm. She had been nicked a few times on her arms, legs and even had a slight scratch on her face. She couldn't get close enough to Lust to hit her. She didn't even know where she was.

Mikoto dodged around the spikes and continued to run forwards. She had to find the person who was attacking her and beat her without killing her. She had to help Hanabi with her fight as well.

Mikoto took a step forwards and suddenly felt a sharp pain in the leg that was connecting with the ground. Mikoto fell forward onto her hands and knees. She glanced behind her to see one of Lust's fingers had pierced through her leg. It retracted after a second causing Mikoto to cry out in pain.

Blood spilled out from the wound but Mikoto didn't have time to check it. She leaned back onto her knees and brought Miroku up to protect herself as ten spikes shot up from the ground around her. Most of them missed hitting her but she was hit by three of them. One pierced her left shoulder; another had hit her in the right side of her stomach. The third and final one had nicked her in the head causing blood to trickle down her face.

The spikes retracted and broke the floor apart from under her. Mikoto let out a cry of shock as she fell through the floor and fell all the way down to the first floor. She hit the ground and was buried in rubble. Lust chuckled to herself as she stood and watched. "Well that's one of them taken care of."

Rein and Winry walked back to their room in silence, both to their own thoughts. In truth they wanted to help their friends and make sure they were safe. Remembering Edward and Hanabi telling them that it would be safer if they stayed behind kept them from doing so however.

Rein felt useless. She wanted to be out there fighting with Hanabi and Mikoto. She however, knew that with her current skills she'd just get in the way. She needed to get stronger if she wanted to stay with the crew.

"I heard the Elric brothers are causing a commotion," a random person the two passed by said.

They stopped briefly to get more information.

"They are at it again?" a female asked.

"I heard that the MPs are in a frenzy all over the place," a man said.

"Sounds like they are causing all sorts of trouble," Rein said with a weak smile.

"Yeah," Winry agreed as the two began to walk forwards.

"Sounds like the plan is going well then," Rein said.

"What's the plan exactly?" Winry asked since she was asked to leave during most of it.

"Well Ed said that he, Hanabi and Al would lure out those homunculus guys and Mikoto, Ling and Lan Fan would trap it once they do," Rein told her while trying to remember.

"Did they say how they were going to do it?" Winry asked.

"Um I think Ed said he'd tell them when it came around to it," Rein said in thought.

"That's just like Ed," Winry huffed crossing her arms.

"I heard that they are fighting that guy who's been killing state alchemists," a man said as the two passed by causing them to falter in their walk.

"Killing state alchemists?" Rein asked. "Like Ed?"

"Yeah," Winry said as flashes of her parents came into her head.

Flashback 6 Years Ago

A young girl with short blonde hair wearing a pink dress over a white blouse stood outside her house.

- Rockbell Winry, 10 Years Old -

She was pat on the head as tears flowed down from her eyes. She looked up at a man wearing a trench coat over a white suit with a fedora. Next to him was a woman with long blonde hair tied back in a braid. She wore a black coat with a white scarf.

- Mr. & Mrs. Rockbell, Winry's Parents -

"We won't be gone long Winry," her father told her. "Make sure to help your grandma around the house while we're gone okay?"

Winry wasn't able to respond as she watched him with tears in her eyes. An older woman just about a head taller than Winry put a hand on her shoulder. She had grey hair tied up in a pointed bun. She wore glasses and had on a dark green mechanic jumper with an apron.

- Pinako Rockbell, Winry's Grandmother -

Don't you two fret over us," Pinako told her son. "We'll be fine you two just go out there and help all those poor people in that darned war."

"Of course," Winry's father said.

"Stay safe Winry," her mother said as she and her husband began to walk away from Winry and her grandmother with two soldiers.

A Few Months Later

Winry awoke and tiredly rubbed her eyes. She looked around as she sat up. She heard a knock on the door and her eyes instantly widened. Was this the day her parents returned from the war. She jumped out of bed and ran out of her room.

She stopped when she saw her grandmother walking away from the door with a letter in hand. When she noticed Winry Pinako closed the letter and sighed deeply. "Come here Winry," she said sadly. "I have something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" Winry asked confused walking over to her. "Are mom and dad going to be gone longer?"

"That's what I want to talk to you about," Pinako said putting a hand on Winry's shoulder. She led Winry to the bench that was by the front door. "We just got a letter from the military," Pinako told Winry who listened intently. "The letter is about you parents."

"What does it say?" Winry asked.

"It say that… they aren't come back," Pinako struggled to tell her.

"What do you mean?" Winry asked sadly.

"They were killed while out there saving people," Pinako gently told her.

Winry stared at her with a stunned expression. She replayed the word she just heard over and over in her head. He parents were dead? That didn't seem right. It couldn't be true. They helped people and were doctors. Good doctors. Why did they die?

Tears began to well up in her eyes. Her parents were gone. They were dead and they weren't coming back. Pinako embraced Winry in a hug as Winry began to cry out in grief.

End Flashback

Rein and Winry glanced at each other before they began to run down the street. They had no idea what they could do but they had to help in some way.

"Well, well," a familiar voice called out from a nearby alley way. They stopped and turned to see Envy in his normal form. "I can't let you two get in the way so I'm going to have to kill you now."

"Winry get out of here!" Rein said reaching into her pocket.

"But Rein-," Winry began.

"Now!" Rein said. "I don't know how long I can hold him back but I will wait until you go and get Hanabi. Tell her to come here if she can. Now go!"

Winry hesitated for a minute before she ran off down the street. Envy watched her run with a smirk. "So she doesn't want to play now huh? Oh well I can hunt her down later. Let's take care of you first."

Edward slammed his hands on the ground creating a wall of concrete which Scar quickly broke down. Scar ran through the hole he made as Edward clapped his hands together and slammed them on the ground creating spikes to attack Scar or at least slow him down. He then turned and ran.

He was shocked when he discovered a wall blocking his path. "Great a dead end," he moaned. He noticed a metal pipe and jumped onto it and began to climb up. "I need to get out of his reach!"

He almost reached the top when the pipe began to fall. He looked down to see that Scar had destroyed the base of the pipe. Scar positioned himself to be able to kill Edward as he fell.

"Oh no you don't!" Hanabi shouted. "Rubber!" Hanabi stretched her arms up and over Scar. She grabbed Edward by his cloak and kept him in the air. "Life Line!"

"Thanks for the save Hanabi!" Edward called with tears of gratitude in his eyes as she brought him down next to her as she retracted her arms.

Scar sprinted towards them again. They got ready to defend themselves when a stone wall appeared between them and Scar. They looked behind them to see it had been Alphonse. "We need to get out of here!" Alphonse called.

Edward and Hanabi jumped away from the wall as it was destroyed by Scar. Now the three of them stood on either side of scar surrounding him. Hanabi and Edward were gasping for breath worn out from the running around and dodging trying to stay alive.

'Brother and Hanabi can't keep this up much longer,' Alphonse thought. 'Ling and the others haven't fired the signal yet. I need to buy time.'

"Scar!" Alphonse called to the Ishvalan. "You said alchemists have turned their backs on God and need to be punished but isn't that hypocritical? You use alchemy just the same as we do."

"I explained it to you in East City," Scar said turning towards Alphonse. "Where there are creatures there are destroyers. That is what balance is correct?

"You're wrong!" Alphonse declared. "You are using the name of your God to justify murder! All you care about is revenge! If that wasn't the case you wouldn't have killed Shou Tucker and Nina!"

"So you have also witnessed that abomination," Scar said looking the two brothers over. "Your alchemy created that tragic creature. Is that the science you have dedicated your lives to following?"

Edward and Alphonse took a step back with wide eyes like they had been hit by some unseen force.

"That was the product of a man who thought he could create, when creation is meant to be the work of God alone," Scar told them.

"That may be the case," Edward spoke up. "But why did you have to kill her? You stole what little life she had left!"

"You can't be foolish enough to believe that that chimera could ever return to any sort of humane life," Scar said shocking the three. "It would have been used as a laboratory experiment. It would never again been seen as a living person."

Hanabi watched as Edward and Alphonse seemed to be having an internal struggle. She looked over at Scar who had his eyes on her. She took this as her chance to say something. "So you say that God is the ultimate and only creator right?" she asked.

"That's right," Scar told her. "Creation is the domain of God alone."

"So then every living thing is the work of God as well?" Hanabi asked.

"That is correct," Scar agreed. "We are all the creation and children of God. It is my purpose to punish those who have turned their backs on God."

"Who told you that that was your purpose?" Hanabi asked causing the three to look at her confused. "If God created everything then doesn't that mean he wants his creations to live? Why do you go around killing and destroying things that you say your father, your God has created? How can you say you are doing God's work when all you are doing is destroying the things God has spent his whole life creating!?"

"You do bring up a point girl," Scar said acknowledging her words. "Then let me ask you something. Do you think that people who kill for the sake of others are right? What about people who start fights and conflicts because they are unhappy with their situation? If someone had wronged you by killing your family would you smile and just walk away?

Hanabi flinched and took a step back. He had a point. She couldn't just turn and walk away if someone killed the people she cared about. She wouldn't kill them though. At least she believed that deep down. Thinking about it rationally though she honestly didn't know how she would react.

"You are right Scar," Edward said. "State alchemists have done some messed up and unforgivable things in their lives. That however doesn't make what you are doing right. You are always sounding so self-righteous but let me ask you, do you remember two Amestrian doctors called Rockbell?"

Scar turned to look at Edward fully while Hanabi glanced up at Edward in confusion.

"The order came to end the uprising and exterminate Ishbal," Edward continued. "But that never stopped them they kept on helping your people!"

Alphonse turned to the right and gasped. "Wait brother!" he called. Edward didn't hear him but Hanabi did. She looked over toward Alphonse and caught a glimpse down one of the destroyed streets. Winry stood there watching and listening to the conversation with shock on her face.

"You remember don't you?" Edward asked. "They saved your life and you killed them!"

Hanabi quickly looked at Edward in shock. She then slowly looked towards Scar. This man killed Winry's parents? Not only that they saved him first. How could he have done something like that?

"Brother!" Alphonse called again pointing down the street towards Winry. Edward getting the hint slowly turned to see Winry.

"What are you talking about Ed?" Winry asked slowly. "Are you saying that this man… he's the one who killed my mom and dad?" She looked at Scar as the man turned to face her. "They even helped save you. Why?" Winry fell to her knees never taking her eyes off of Scar as tears formed in them.

"Why'd you kill them?" she continued. "What did they ever do to you? They were doctors, they helped people. They didn't deserve to die." She clutched her head she the shock and grief became too much for her. "They were my mom and dad and you killed them! Give them back! Give me back my mom and dad you monster!"

Winry slowly reached over to her right. Towards a discarded pistol. "Winry what are you doing?" Edward asked in fear.

"Hold on Winry don't!" Hanabi called towards her.

Winry grabbed the gun and slowly lifted it towards Scar.

"Winry stop!" Alphonse called out.

"You don't want to do this!" Edward added.

"You'll regret it if you kill him, don't!" Hanabi finished.

"Well I better go and make sure that the Elric brothers are still alive," Lust said as she turned to leave. She paused when she heard movement behind her. She turned and saw the pile of debris move. "Impossible, she couldn't have survived that."

Mikoto pushed a beam of wood off of her as she stood up panting. She growled when she saw Lust. "I found you," Mikoto said.

"Well it seems you are more resilient than I thought," Lust said folding her arms under her chest. "However I don't think you can last much longer in your condition. Give up and let me kill you so I can be on my way."

"No way!" Mikoto declared as she jumped out of the rubble and ran towards Lust.

"You humans are all the same," Lust sighed as she swung her arm down and extended her blades to cut Mikoto. Mikoto let out a roar as she swung Miroku up and sliced through Lust's attack. Lust let out a cry of pain as she retracted her blades and grabbed her injured hand.

"I won't lose to you," Mikoto told her. "I made a promise to Mai to go back when I find my past. I won't let you beat me."

"So more than resilience you have resolve," Lust said as her fingers finished healing. "But resolve only takes you so far. I noticed that you can't heal like we can and you get injured just as easily as humans. So either you are a human with some sort of unique skill, or you are something that is like a human. Am I right?

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," Mikoto said. "But I am a HiME."

"A Hime huh" Lust repeated. "Well it doesn't really matter since I'm going to kill you."

"We'll see," Mikoto said as the two swung at each other.

Rein jumped to the side as Envy, in the same dog form jumped at her. Rein landed and skid back a bit before she crossed her arms. "Take this Deck Cutter!" Rein shouted uncrossing her arms and sending cards flying towards Envy. Envy turned just in time to get hit by a barrage of cards that stabbed into his skin causing him to fall over in pain.

"Damn human!" Envy shouted changing back into his normal form. "I'm going to destroy you!"

Rein drew a few more cards and got ready for his next attack. "Let's see if you can," she said trying to get him into attacking in a straight line again. 'I'm going to try that new skill I figured out this morning. Hopefully it still works.'

"So you decided to act tough this time around huh?" Envy asked as he sprinted towards Rein. "Let's just see how tough you are when I get a hold of you!"

"Deck Cutter!" Rein send sending her cards flying.

"I won't fall for that again!" Envy said dodging the cards.

Rein pulled out a sheet of paper with a transmutation circle on it and put in on the ground and placed her hands on it. An alchemic reaction appeared on the cards she had thrown. They deformed and reformed aiming themselves at Envy before they shot out towards the unsuspecting homunculus.

The cards hit Envy from all sides causing him to let out a cry out pain and shock. Envy fell down as his body began to repair itself.

'Good my attack worked,' Rein thought to herself.

Flashback

Rein closed the book she had been reading. She couldn't grasp the concept of alchemy very easily. She looked at the books that were brought up from the library in central command. She noticed one that looked foreign. She picked it up and read the cover. "Alchemistory? What's that?"

End Flashback

'I'm not sure why but I understood that alchehistory stuff a whole lot easier that I did alchemy,' Rein thought to herself.

"I've had it!" Envy shouted as he stood up alchemic reactions still occurring around his body. "I will not be beaten by some human! I'll show you something people don't get to see! After all I'm going to kill you right now!"

Rein raised her eyebrow in confusion. She began to look up in fright as she was encompassed by a shadow.

"She's the Rockbell's daughter?" Scar asked as he stared at Winry. "Go ahead. You have the right to shot me. It would be completely justified."

"Don't put thoughts like that into her head!" Hanabi shouted at him.

"She's right Winry," Edward said trying to talk her down. "You don't have to do this."

"Just drop the gun Winry," Alphonse told her.

"Do it, shoot girl!" Scar said. "But just know that once you do you will be my enemy."

"What'd you say!?" Hanabi asked.

"If you think I'll let you hurt a hair on her head!" Edward declared.

"What will you kill me?" Scar asked turning to Edward. "Go ahead. This chain of hate won't be severed until one of us is dead. However don't you ever forget that it was the Amestrians, your people who pulled the trigger first in the civil war!"

"Winry just drop the gun," Alphonse told her.

"You don't want to shoot this guy," Hanabi said.

"If you aren't going to shoot then leave!" Scar told her turning towards Edward. "You'll only be in my way!"

Scar slammed his hand into the ground causing it to break apart as an alchemic reaction headed towards Edward. While Scar's back was turned Hanabi stretched her arm towards Winry aiming to knock the gun out of her hand. Edward jumped to dodge the alchemic attack to which Scar tried to grab Edward with his tattooed arm. Edward flipped over the arm as Hanabi grabbed Winry's wrist.

"Don't shoot!" Edward shouted as he landed in front of Winry in an attempt to protect her as Hanabi brought Winry's arms down so the gun was pointed at the floor. Scar went to attack Edward but stopped. The two stood staring at each other.

With a yell Alphonse threw a kick at Scar who jumped out of the way. Alphonse clapped his hands and transmuted the ground into cubic blocks that forced Scar away from the group. Scar landing next to a wall used his right arm to destroy it with alchemy.

"What are you doing brother!?" Alphonse asked. "You all almost got killed! Get Winry out of here now!" Alphonse then took off after Scar.

Hanabi slowly retracted her arm as she walked over towards Edward and Winry. "Is she okay?" Hanabi asked.

Edward looked back at Hanabi wanting to say something but couldn't find any to say. He turned back to Winry and grabbed her hands. "Winry let go of the gun," he told her.

"I couldn't do it," Winry sobbed. "I couldn't pull the trigger."

"I know you couldn't," Edward said. "That's okay."

"But that man," Winry continued to sob. "He's the one who killed my mom and dad. He tried to kill you, Al and Hanabi too. But I still couldn't do it. Why Ed?"

"You remember in Rush Valley," Edward began as he slowly began to open Winry's hand. "You delivered that baby. You saved two lives. Not only that but you gave me an arm and a leg to replace the ones I lost. Then you also saved Hanabi, a complete stranger when she was shot by a cannon. Your hands weren't meant to kill. They're meant to give life."

After a moment Winry fell forwards into Edward and began to cry. "Hanabi," Edward said not turning to face her. "You should go find Rein."

"What why?" Hanabi asked not wanting to leave when Winry was like this.

"If Winry is here that means Rein must be in some kind of danger," Edward said making Hanabi's eyes widen in shock. "You should go and make sure she is okay."

"Right!" Hanabi said running off. "You make sure Winry is taken care of!"

"I will," Edward said putting his full attention back to Winry who sat there crying.

Ending Theme: Uso (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

A/N:

Theburper: Thanks for the idea I'm currently seeing what the character is like but I have taken him into consideration