I have decided to end my fic on chapter 38. Why? Not because I'm out of idea's, no way. It's just because I want to split the romance and the action up. The fic that I'll write after this one will be a continuation of this exact story...except, no cult, no terrorists and nothing but drama and romance. Why drama? Because, in the real world, drama goes hand in hand with romance. Oh, and humor of course! Can't have a fic without smiles and jokes! XD

Don't worry, I'll stick with continuity. It's just I want to do a time jump, just a few months, but I don't think it would fit in well with this fic here. That and I want to give it a good name, one that will fit it properly.

So yes, this is the second last chapter. And don't worry, everything will wrap up nicely. I promise you. Have I ever let you down before? ...Don't answer

Chapter 37 - Death
Al sat on the floor of the abandoned hall, tired and out of breath. They had just spent the last half hour running about looking for the cult followers. Al thought back, he had one at gun point, ready to die, but his conscience overcame his judgment as a soldier, and he couldn't do it.
Ed sat next to him, cleaning off his blade.

He looked over to his older brother, though the size difference between the two of them was great, the sheer will and determination was even more of a gap. "Brother...?" Al grabbed his attention quietly.

"What?" He said in a somber tone.

Finding it difficult to ask such a harsh question, he hesitated. "...how could you do something like that?" Referring to the downed cult member.

Ed scowled at his younger sibling. "I'm not doing things like this because I want to!" He snapped at him. "It's my job. And even though I don't like doing it, it needs to be done. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If we don't get rid of people like this, there's no telling what they're capable of." He looked over to the man, laying still on the floor on the opposite the dark hall they were sitting in. With a heavy heart, Ed went over to the man and checked his robes. "Ha...good thing you didn't shoot him." Ed reached and pulled a small box from under his top burlap robe. "Gelignite."

"Plastic explosive? Where would they get that?" Al watched his brother carefully remove the detonation plugs.

"They probably transmuted it." Ed laid it on the floor and clapped his hands. "Alchemy was used to remove Envy from the floor where you held him. So there's no telling how advanced an alchemist they might have among them." He touched the explosive and broke it down into more basic elements. "Cotton, nitroglycerin, a little wood pulp and sodium nitrate." Making sure the nitro was in a solid form, he picked it up. It fit in the palm of his hand.

Al drew a circle on the floor with a piece of chalk, he always kept one handy, and Ed placed the block of nitro in the center of it. "Best to break it down before it does any damage." Al touched the circle and thus, dematerialized the explosive into it's most basic elements.

Ed was concerned. "They could just kill us and be done with it considering the amount of force behind these kinds of explosives. Maybe they're looking for the 'boy with the red eyes'...you think?"

Al thought for a moment. "If they're referring to Leo, then they're out of luck. He's still in Ishbal right?" He watched Ed nod. "And you already destroyed the book that had anything that they might need to know...uh...this leader of theirs." Al tugged his feet closer toward himself. "If he can see the future like was proclaimed...wouldn't he already know that we destroyed the book?"

Ed shrugged. "Not sure." He paused. "Maybe, they need skilled alchemists to help with Envy. Maybe that's why they took Aria. To lure us in. Maybe it's me they're after...my eyes aren't red though."

Al nodded. "You are quite popular, it's no wonder they would do this to get to you. You don't need a circle. That must hold some significance to them. I guess they don't really care about the details anymore."

Ed stood up. "Who knows. We're just waisting time sitting here thinking about it. Let's get moving." He helped Al to his feet. "You be careful. You're still not looking all that good."

Al rubbed his eyes. "I'm doing ok. It's just." He looked at the gun hanging off his waist. "I just don't know if I'll actually be able to kill someone."

Ed sighed. "Killing someone means robing them of their future. Killing isn't an easy thing to do...but it's either kill or be killed. A rough choice, but when faced with a life or death situation, it's just what you have to do. Remember, you're the one who wanted to come along. You can't back out now."

The younger of the two sighed. "I know...it's for Aria...I have to try...I just don't know if my mind can handle taking someones life."

Taking his brother's words to heart, he held out his hand as they walked side by side. "Give me that gun, I need to see something." Without hesitation, Al handed it to him. "It's a ten shot...I think." He popped out the clip.

"I'm not sure. I don't know guns." He could see Ed fiddling with something with the gun. "What are you doing?"

With a snap of the clip being put back in the gun, and a click of the safety being put on, he handed the gun back to Al. "I wanted to know how many bullets were in there. Al..." He turned to him, hand on the gun. "You have to promise me that you'll be accurate with this gun. If you need to use it, make sure you're one hundred percent sure you'll hit your mark. Don't go firing at random, if you hit a terrorist in the wrong spot, you, and whoever is in close range, might die. Got that?"

Al nodded. "I know...I'll be sure..." He replace the gun in the holster. "Head shot only."

"Good. Let's keep going." They walked back to a corridor with a few soldiers standing guard. "There's one more down the hall, report it to Mustang and move the body."

The soldiers saluted him. "Yes sir!" They moved out.

Al was impressed that despite his brother's age, he still knew who was the authority figures were. Himself being one of them. He did hold the rank of Major, so it was just as well. "Hmm...I wonder how many more are left." Ed recalled haring shots go off earlier, so someone must have picked off another one. Or had been picked off themselves. Ed discarded the thought of losing someone right then.

"I thought you said you were trying to quit?" Breda said as he flopped down two more terrorists.

Havoc was looking all over his jacket for a lighter. "I know." He said in a defeated tone. "I'm too shaky though." He had missed his first target by a foot, a small screw up like that could have costed a lot more than just his life, the life of a friend as well. The withdrawals were getting worse. "I'll do my best to quit when we get back...dammit." He was unsuccessful in finding a lighter or even a match.

"Here." Breda held out a lighter and flicked it so a small orange glowing flame arose from the top of it.

"Thanks." Lighting his cigarette, he inhaled deeply and blew the acrid smelling and tasting remnants into the air. He paused for a moment. "Wait...what if they're using gas explosives?"

Breda thought about it. "Well, then we would have exploded when you lit that thing up." Referring to the cigarette in between his fingers.

Havoc looked at the cigarette and then back to his friend. "I should put it out then?"

Breda nodded. "You wanted to quit for Cathrine's sake anyway."

Havoc realized that if he gave in like this, he would end up starting again. "You're right." With that, he butted the cigarette on the heel of his boot and continued to search the old building.

"Die in a hole!" Aria kicked her heel as hard as she could into Felix's lower gut. He flew backwards and hit the door. "Scum! Keep your hands off me!" Aria had managed to remove the blindfold in all the commotion. She had been brought into a room that seemed to be a bedroom. Surprisingly well kept at that. Evidently, she had no idea where she was. Felix had tried pinning her down to the bed, but with no success. She may have been cuffed, but with her ability to kick, he could barely get close enough.

"Little bitch! I knew you were breaking our contract." He remembered seeing her ride away in that car with a boy that looked to be her age. "I own you! You're mine. And sure enough, my leader has brought us back together!" He quickly approached her and grabbed a hold of her hair. "You will submit to me!"

"Hold on to that dream!" She said sarcastically. She once more kicked him, this time, in the thigh. For a girl of her size, she sure packed one hell of a mean kick. "All that lifting heavy garden supplies really paid off. You come near me again and I promise you, I won't miss." She had been aiming for the vital area, but all the fuss was throwing off her accuracy.

Felix regained his balance. "Like hell you will." With that, he grabbed her ankles and pulled her down off the bed and onto the floor.

"NO! Stop it!" She tied frantically to hold her knees together.

"You're mi—" But before he could finish his thought, there was a loud explosion heard from what sounded like the opposite side of the building. "Someone detonated? We're being attacked." He let go of Aria's ankles and picked her up to her feet. Grabbing a hold of the handcuffs that held her hands fast, he pulled her out of the room.

"What in the world are you doing?" Aria refused to move her feet. "Where are you taking me?"

Felix reached to his waist side and pulled out a gun, and promptly aimed it at her head. Aria's movements went completely still. "We're heading back down to the main corridor to see if Master is ok. Besides, with you out in the open, the boy with the red eyes is sure to come out. Now come on."

Aria allowed herself to be pulled along in fear of being shot. "Boy with the red eyes? You mean Leo? He's in Ishbal, you can't get to him. Besides, Edward destroyed the book he had. So this is all pointless!" She said, running along behind him.

"Shut up!" He said with a snarl. "We'll just see what happens. Besides, it's too late to turn back now." Finally, they reached the main hall.

To Felix's dismay, he saw a series of four corpses laying on the floor. Raul was cuffed and being hauled off and his Master, the one who brought Aria and him back together, was cuffed, kneeling down, being read his last rights. He was in front of a firing squad consisting of six men armed with rifles. "Dammit!" He cussed under his breath.

"Hey!" A soldier noticed him.

Quickly he tugged Aria close to his chest and held the gun back up to her head. "Don't more or she dies!" He announced in a loud, bold voice. The entire room turned their attention to Felix, now holding the hostage Aria.

"Aria!" Al yelled.

Ed gritted his teeth. "Dammit!"

"Let Master go!" He said to the firing squad. Reluctantly, they lowered their weapons while another soldier went up and undid his handcuffs. "Now!" He said as he made his way to the center of the grand hall. "Bring us the one with the red eyes." The older cloaked man stood beside him.

"You will be rewarded for this." He smiled.

Felix smirked in return. "Well?! Where is he?!" He said, looking around the room. No one stepped forward. "Fine!" He allowed Aria to fall to the floor. "Then so be it!" He cocked his gun and fired at Aria. She lifelessly fell to the floor.

The older man panicked. "What are you doing?! We needed her! Foolish--!"

Felix pointed the gun at his own master's head. "It's too late!" He fired once again, taking the life of the old man.

Al's breathing hastened and he began to walk forward. "...no...no she...no!" Tears began welling up in his eyes and pour down his cheeks. After all they had gone through, it all ended like this. "You...I can't believe...no!" He said, rapidly approaching Felix and Aria's now lifeless body.

"If I can't have her, neither can you." Felix smirked.

"Back up Al! We can't shoot him with you so close!" Roy yelled at the young boy. It was obvious that he was quite distraught with loss that he was confused. "Alphonse!"

Ed bit back his own grief when he too began to approach his brother. "Al! Get back here."

Felix raised the gun up again and pointed it directly at Alphonse's head. "If you hadn't have taken her away from me, she wouldn't be dead right now. This is all your fault!" He began to squeeze the trigger.

Al, who still continued to walk right into the gun, spoke quietly. "It's not my fault...you bastard!" His voice grew loud with the last two words. Al shut his eyes and reopened them, only to have them glow a bright red color.

"It's you!" Felix took a step back. "What have I done?!"

Al held a hand out, fingers outstretched. "Die." The floor moved around him and surrounded him. As if on cue, explosions were heard all over the building.

"What the hell is happening?!" Roy said, running over to Edward.

Ed shook his head. "It's the philosopher's stone! He's still got some left inside of him! Al what are you doing?!" Ed balanced carefully, the floor was shaking the entire ground. He looked up to his younger brother. "Alphonse! The building is going to fall apart! Stop it!" Ed looked up to see a pillar falling right above him. But before he had time to react, the pillar stopped falling and repaired itself to it's original position. "What the?"

"I'm controlling it all. This building. I've transferred a good portion of my soul along with the philosopher's stone, into it and am controlling it all. I'm getting rid of all the cult members...and don't worry, it won't fall." He was right, parts of the ceiling that seemed like they would fall repaired themselves, just like the pillar did.

"This is crazy." Roy looked around. "Can't you find Envy?"

"NO!" Felix screamed while still being held to the floor. It came up and held his arms down like handcuffs, his feet as well. "You can't kill him! I need him to carry our my plans!"

"That's all of them...there's Envy." With that, Al looked up, a crimson glow emitting from his eyes. An alchemized wave in the floor carried Envy back to the main hall. "All the cult members are dead...Envy's useless...it's over." He spoke without feeling.

"Al...I--" Ed approached his brother again, this time, only to see him remove his gun from the waist belt that Riza had given him. "Al? What are you doing?"

"Stop that." Felix watched Al's motions closely.

Al raised the gun up, and aimed it right between Felix's eyes. "And you..." Without even the slightest hesitation, he pulled the trigger. Shooting him right in the head at nearly a point blank range.

"..." Ed stood there, his mouth wide open. "He...pulled the trigger." Felix's body fell to the floor, limp, and very much dead.

"Now..." Al closed his eyes and opened them again. As quickly as it happened, the red glow disappeared.

"Are you ok Al?" Ed knew what had been lost to them both, he held back tears for the loss of Aria.

"No...I'm not." With that he elevated the gun to his own head. "I will be though."

Ed stood there, shocked.

"..." With that, he pulled the trigger. Aria's eyes slowly opened to see what was unfolding before her.

Now, normally I try and comfort you at this point, but this time, no. Leave a review. Please. o.o