Disclaimer: usual disclaimer yada yada bullshit

OKAY, So, yeah, huge, huge, huge huge huge apologies. First for the two month hiatus...which proved fruitless. God, I'm awful. I'm so sorry. Just...all the sorrys can't make up for the fact that the plan I thought up to have a stock of chapters to give you guys fell through. Just...hate me. Hate me and I won't blame you.

Second, my apologies-I did not proofread this chapter. It's late and I just didn't want you guys to wait anymore.

There's more stuff at the bottom, mostly in the omake.


Fifty-One

Pride pointed toward the southeast corner of Central on the map. "If they're really coming from the east like you say, then they should likely stop in the slums. We'll ambush them tonight, then."

Envy scowled at the map as she learned her head on her hand, her elbow on the table. Her cruel expression was almost permanently on her face. "The plan won't work."

"You just don't want to do it," Pride scoffed. "Even if it doesn't work, it'll shake them up. It's not going to be hard to get our sacrifices to walk right to Father."

Gluttony waddled over to look at the map. He drooled a bit onto the paper. "Will I get to eat people?"

"Fuck off, Gluttony," Envy hissed, and the fat homunculus scurried backward several steps.

"You should calm down," Pride cautioned in his haughty manner. He straightened the arm of his shirt. "Father won't be pleased if you become so distracted that you fail."

Envy shot to her feet. "I won't fail!"

Pride shrugged off the declaration. "Whatever you say. But we don't have time to waste. You heard what Father said happened to Wrath's train an hour ago—we have to make do without him until he gets back."

"Surviving the blast like a cockroach," Envy muttered; though they didn't have physical proof that Wrath was still alive, she didn't doubt that he would scuttle back to Central like the puppet he was. She despised him like she did all her brothers, but not as much as she loathed Pride. The arrogant prick.

Pride's eyes narrowed at her, like he'd heard her thoughts. "Let's leave."
()()()()()

The only active members of Team Mustang met in the warehouses near the southern edges of Central City.

Heymans Breda set his rifle on the table. "So, Riza, when does the Colonel get here?" he asked jovially.

Riza unfolded a map and placed it before them. Her eyes were hard and stoic. "He's not."

Breda blinked in confusion, and Kain Fuery adjusted his spectacles. "What do you mean, Lieutenant?" he asked.

Riza turned to take both of the men in her gaze. "I need all of us to prove our identities to each other. I'll begin."

The men looked at each other in alarm, but went through the process. When all three had confirmed their identities, Riza spoke:

"The Colonel has been missing for several months."

Breda took a step back while Fuery stood aghast. "But you told us you came up with this plan with him!" the older man said.

"I lied," Riza said bluntly. "A homunculus has been impersonating him. Envy, I believe. I haven't told you in case one of you slipped up and somehow got in contact with the enemy. It was best to keep you in the dark. I'm sorry." An apologetic smile crossed face for a moment. There was worry in her eyes, too.

"But do you know this for sure?" Breda asked skeptically, now more composed. "Not that I don't believe you, Riza, but the homunculi aren't exactly the types to make big slip-ups."

"I'm afraid I haven't seen the homunculus change into the Colonel or vice versa," Riza admitted. "But I know the Colonel, and that's definitely not him."

"Then where is he?" Fuery asked. Riza held back a smile at his confident, controlled manner, which had once been so timid.

The Lieutenant crossed her arms. "The homunculi need accomplished alchemists for human sacrifice, so I suspect they have him locked away somewhere underground, near where Havoc was...injured. Whatever happens tomorrow, I'll be splitting off from our group to join Edward's underneath Central."

"And what about us?" Breda demanded. "We can't let you go after him by yourself."

"He's our Colonel too!" Fuery added.

A small smile tugged at Riza's lips, but she stayed stern. "We're kidnapping the Fuhrer's wife tonight, boys. I think you need to stay with her."

"To hell with that," Breda snapped. "You might need—"

"Maybe I will," Riza agreed with a certain harshness. "But I'll have Ed's team with me. We're all going into danger here. But I'm going to have to order you to stay above ground with Mrs. Bradley to keep her safe at all costs. I'm also going to have to order you to do something else."

"And what's that?" Fuery asked.

"Don't die."

Breda snorted. "You sound like you've been taking lessons from the Colonel." Fuery laughed at his tone, then looked startled at his own outburst.

Riza genuinely smiled. "Haven't we all?"

()()()()()
The meeting in Kanama was subdued, aside from Ed's aggression toward Hohenheim. But even that emotion was watered-down, like Ed had to struggle to keep up with the present. At any rate, Hohenheim told the brothers, Heinkel, Darius, and Greed about his immortality. Al didn't pay that much attention, as he'd already heard the story. He thought more about the next dawn, the beginning of the Promised Day.

Ed managed to pass along Trisha's final words before he became completely unstable about spending any more time with his father; at that point, Ed stood and left. Greed and the chimeras quickly followed, but Alphonse hesitated.

Hohenheim was crying.

"…Dad?" he said, the word barely coming out.

Hohenheim glanced at his son, then looked away and took off his glasses to wipe at his eyes. "Go on, Alphonse. I'll be fine."

Alphonse stood rooted to the spot. No, you won't, he thought, but didn't know how to broach the topic with his father.

"Al?" Ed called; Alphonse turned to see that his brother was waiting for him at the edge of the main hub of the slum.

"I'll be there in a minute," Al said. Ed hesitated, but nodded and went off after Greed and the chimeras.

Alphonse, after a moment, turned and walked over to his father. The Xerxian man glanced up from his preoccupation with the fire as Alphonse knelt down.

"Dad." The boy looked his father in the eye. "Can I ask you something?"

Hohenheim nodded; his glasses and wet face shined in the firelight. "Of course."

Alphonse thought carefully about his words. "I...didn't think it was possible to miss someone so much. Even Mom..." He glanced away. "Does it ever get easier?"

Hohenheim paused. "Do you want the truth?"

Alphonse almost nodded, but then stopped. "…No," he caved.

A sigh fell out of Hohenheim's mouth. "For people like you and me? Of course it does." He smiled at his son. "Of course."

Al stood abruptly; Hohenheim wasn't even startled. He only watched sadly as his son faltered and took a step back.

Alphonse managed to turn away from his father and to hurriedly walk away. His soul churned with sadness and regret for asking the question. He should have said something different—he should have done something different, then maybe somehow he could have ended up comforting his father and his father the same to him, instead of this awful failure.

Tomorrow, Alphonse promised himself. Tomorrow I'll be able to stop the homunculi, and get answers, and then I can…

Return home? Move on? The idea felt impossible and absurd.

In the past several months, Alphonse had become adept at pushing away his emotions until a later time. When he caught up with his brother and the others on their way to get some rest, he had managed to return to a semblance of normalcy.

"Hey, Al," Ed said. He didn't ask about what Alphonse and their father had talked about. Instead, he gestured to his outfit. "Notice something new?"

Alphonse managed a chuckle. "More like something old." Ed had managed to find red cloth somewhere and had replaced his black "fugitive's" jacket as he liked to call it with a replica of his red coat, complete with the flamel insignia on the back.

"It's felt like years," Ed joked.

"You know that's ugly as hell, right?" Greed asked with distaste.

Ed bristled. "You just don't have any style, bastard!"

Greed laughed as if Ed had said the most bizarre thing possible. "Yeah, sure."

"Jackass," Ed muttered, and the chimeras and Alphonse chuckled. "You should—"

Alphonse stopped short. Ed did the same, silencing himself, and swung around to look at his brother.

Greed lifted an eyebrow, noticing that the chimeras had stopped just a moment before the brothers. "What's up?" he asked warily.

"Shh!" Darius hissed immediately, and at once the cry came again, from the forest:

"Hel—!"

There was no mistake.

Al spun and rushed into the woods, and Edward ran just behind him. Greed called out as the chimeras followed, but the scream from further in the forest rang out again, and Alphonse increased his speed, nearly crashing into trees and bushes, all the while calling out:

"Delilah? Delilah!?"

"Alphonse!"

"Del!" Ed and Al scrambled to readjust their course to the left. After a minute, they broke out into a small clearing a skid to a halt.

Delilah sat against a tree, resting her body. Bruises discolored her skin: yellow backgrounds with blotches of purple and red, laid out all over her arms, legs, and face. One of her eyes was swollen, but not all the way shut; it looked like chunks of her hair were missing.

All at once Alphonse felt relief, rage, confusion, and concern war inside his soul. He staggered forward, reaching out. "D-Delilah…?"

"Del!" Ed rushed forward, but stopped short.

Shadows were wrapping around Delilah's wrists and mouth.

Selim Bradley stepped into view. He smirked at the brothers. "Well," he said, his voice cunning and low, much unlike a child's. "I've been waiting for you."

Alphonse stood rooted to the spot. His mind was blank of all but emotion, a confusing vortex of urges. He wanted to scream. He wanted to grab Selim—homunculus or not, child or not—and beat him into pulp. He wanted to hold Delilah and never let her go. He wanted to feel that she was real and alive—

"I thought you were dead," he choked out, looking at Delilah.

"Let go of her!" Ed suddenly screamed, transmuting his arm into a weapon. He leapt at Selim, but a shadow flew out and easily knocked him to the ground.

Alphonse snapped.

He screeched something wordless and launched himself at Selim. The boy only looked annoyed as he swept Al aside, albeit with a bit more difficultly than with Edward. Alphonse tumbled and nearly lost his head, but scrambled up again and went back, his fist raised.

"Al!" Ling called—for it was definitely Ling and not Greed—but Alphonse didn't hear him.

Selim huffed, and this time his shadows struck into Al's arms and held him. The young-looking homunculus glanced to Edward, struggling against dark constraints and swearing profusely at Selim.

"Let go of her!" Alphonse demanded, pleaded. He struggled to be free, straining to reach Delilah even though she sat far out of his reach. "Let her go or I'll—!"

"You can have her," Selim interrupted. He smirked at the sudden silence that met his words. "All I ask is for you two to come to Father without hesitation or resistance."

His black eyes gleamed in the semidarkness and he gave them a haughty grin. "None of us will ever lay a finger on her again."

Alphonse didn't even need to think about it. "O—"

"Al!"

Ling staggered forward, somehow weak; the chimeras reached out in case he fell. He was sweating and trembling as he fought to keep control of his body. "All of them—they're homunculi!"

Ed's eyes widened. "'All'?"

Ling nodded. "Gluttony is nearby. That's Pride." He pointed a shaky finger at Delilah. "And I'll be damned if that's not Envy in disguise."

Delilah's eyes narrowed, just for a second. Alphonse saw and froze.

Pride scowled. "And what proof do you have? I can't believe you're letting the host take over, Greed. How pathetic."

"Del!" Ed started to struggle again. "Back in Baschool! What did you almost do to me?!"

Delilah shifted, looking pained, and the shadows around her mouth thickened.

"She can't exactly answer you," Pride reminded him. "Now, are you going to take the deal or not?"

"Ed, her chi is a homunculus's!" Ling shouted.

Tears appeared in Ed's eyes. He looked to Pride. "What did you do to her?!"

"I told you!" Pride snapped, balling his fists. "This is her!"

"Delilah," Al said, almost quiet.

She looked to him, and when their eyes met, she flinched suddenly, her eyes narrowing in pain.

"Hey!" Pride shook her. "What are you doing?"

Delilah suddenly glared at him. Her eyes were purple.

"Envy," Alphonse whispered.

"ENVY!" Edward roared.

A sudden, blinding flash lit the air. Edward and the others yelled out in pain at the light, but Alphonse couldn't feel it.

Pride's shadows dissipated in the flash. Immediately, Alphonse hurtled across the clearing and pinned Envy to the tree. The homunculus shrieked in pain and confusion. His body was still Delilah's.

"What did you do to her?" Alphonse demanded, digging his fingers into Envy's wrists. He leered at the homunculus. "Tell me!"

"I—!"

Envy spasmed once before suddenly shifting shape—still retaining Delilah's basic feminine form, but more muscular, without the faked injuries, and his clothes changed. He blinked his violet eyes and glared at Alphonse.

"I killed her."

Shock and revulsion struck Al; sounds of an intense battle were breaking out all around them, but he was only aware of the monster in front of him.

"She showed you mercy," Alphonse whispered, looking with desperation at the homunculus, as if somehow this imitation of Delilah would somehow become the real girl. "She was going to kill you, but I helped her show you mercy."

Envy frowned. Then understanding lit his gaze. "Oh, I see. Is that how the old me was captured?" he asked slyly. "That idiotic boy that used to be me?"

"The what?" Al asked. "What do you mean? What did you do to her?"

"Killed her, I told you." He licked his lips. "She screamed, begged not to be killed. I had fun killing her."

Al was so horrified that his hands trembled as he held the homunculus. His voice somehow came out strong, but low. "If you think looking like her is going to stop me from killing you, you're wrong."

Envy was unruffled. "I'm afraid I don't quite remember what I used to look like; I've always been this way."

Alphonse hesitated in confusion, and Envy took the opening to deftly lift and plant his feet against Al's chest. Al lurched backward from the force, but didn't let go of Envy's wrists; the homunculus was jerked forward and hit his head against Alphonse's armor. The boy recovered, but before he could pin Envy down again, shadows shot out from the darkness and wrapped around Al's forearms.

"Get up, witch!" Pride called out. "We need to help Gluttony!"

Alphonse was frustrated and confused—the odd-sounding name from Pride to Envy wasn't helping—and could do nothing to stop Envy from morphing just enough to escape from his grasp. Then, to his astonishment, Pride lifted him from the ground and flung him aside.

"Al—?!"

Ed just managed to duck out of the way, but Alphonse rammed into Heinkel. The lion chimera howled in pain; Al scrambled off of him and, in the dim light, saw that he was clutching his arm. Blood oozed from Heinkel's arm, underneath his paws.

"M-Mr. Heinkel!"

Heinkel let out something akin to a snarl. "Forget about me—go get those sons of bitches!"

Al hesitated, but Ed scurried up beside him. "Is that really Envy?" he asked, rushed; his gold eyes were desperate.

Alphonse's rage and confusion rekindled. "Yes."

Edward's brow furrowed and he grit his teeth.

Alphonse instructed Heinkel to stay out of harm's way, then whirled around, listening to the sounds of fighting around them. "What's going on?"

Ed motioned to Al and led him forward. "Fu and Lan Fan showed up. Ling's fighting with them. They can fight in the dark, and Fu has flash—" A bright light appeared through the trees; Ed squinted and faltered slightly in his step. "—bombs."

Al nodded. "Be careful. Envy looks like—her."

Ed cried out in surprise and anger, but they had already broken out into a nearby, larger clearing, where the battle had moved. Gluttony, despite his fat, clumsy body, was easily holding up against Darius; Pride had recovered from the slash bomb and was brushing aside Lan Fan and Fu; and Envy was facing off against Ling. Edward and Alphonse immediately rushed toward the prince.

"Why do you look like her when she's dead?" Ling was demanding and she darted in to deliver a punch.

Envy deflected the attack with a flick of the wrist. Then, with unnatural dexterity, he wrapped his arm around Ling's and vaulted the prince in an arc overhead, only to send Ling sprawling into the dirt.

"Why not?" was all Envy said. He noticed the brothers approaching and retreated a few steps.

Ed and Al stopped next to Ling. The prince spat onto the dirt and rose.

Edward balled his hands into fists. "What did you do to Del, Envy? Tell me!"

Envy suddenly scowled; his emotion on Delilah's face appeared twisted, wrong.

Al took a step forward. "What. Happened." He raised his hands, placing his palms close together, but not touching.

Envy blinked, and the homunculus's eyes appeared blue. But the next moment, the trick of the light passed, and he took a staggered step backward.

"What did you do to her?!" Alphonse snapped, and Envy suddenly dashed away.

Ed clapped his hands and slapped them to the ground, erecting a wall to black the homunculus's path. Envy swerved, interrupting the brawl between Gluttony and Darius. Envy fell against Gluttony, and Darius jumped away, wary of the sudden appearance.

Alphonse saw his chance.

He clapped his hands together, remembering the circle drawn in the snow, and rushed toward the two homunculi.

Envy had managed to stand. He caught sight of Alphonse and froze, petrified.

Alphonse dug his feet into the dirt and extended his arms, opened up his palms. And Envy darted aside. Al's hands pushed against Gluttony.

Red light erupted from underneath Al's fingers. He jumped back, his eyes wide.

Gluttony screamed, calling out Lust's name. He skin continuously shed and regenerated. He convulsed on the ground. Ribs protruded from his stomach, and an eye appeared in their midst. The black, dissipating shreds of Gluttony's flesh, instead of dissolving into the air, began to be drawn into his stomach. Then, Gluttony's whole arm was torn off to be pulled into the false Portal—then his other—and suddenly all of the homunculus's enormity gravitated into his stomach.

There was a final flash of red, and then only moonlight.

Omake

Lustling took center stage. He coughed, bowed the audience, and then unfolded a piece of paper in his hands. He read aloud:

"'To whom it may concern—'" He paused. "Fancy writing."

He coughed again and continued: "'Rose regrets to inform the readers that her plan to write continuously during her hiatus in order to stock up chapters has failed quite epically. She can attribute this to two reasons: senior year is a bitch, and she is lazy as hell. Plus, Bravely Default is a pretty fun game, go play it sometime and fall helplessly in love with Alternis Dim.

"'Thus, Rose has no chapters stocked up. She'll just continue writing as she once did, and upload whenever a chapter is finished. She's pretty sure she has everything planned out, so that's good. Feel free to bully her (just a little!) about what a bad job she did in her hiatus plan.

"'Second on the agenda is that nothing is going to happen that is going to be a good thing to poke fun at. At least, none that she can think of right now. You never know with her sense of humor.'"

Lustling paused. "She has a sense of humor…?"

Someone from the audience threw a tomato at Lustling; the thing wasn't even close to hitting him, but it's the thought the counts. Lustling glared at the audience member—it was Renny and the author just felt the need for a shout out—then stood up straighter and continued on:

"'Thus, Lustling will be taking prompts for the omake. Love, the Beloved and Lazy Author.'"

Lustling smiled, but then frowned. "P…prompts?"

"DO TRICKS!" someone called.

"BECOME LUST AGAIN!" someone else called.

"NO! BECOME LING!"

"NO, HE SHOULD GET OFF THE STAGE!"

"BUT WE LOVE HIM!"

"MARRY ME, LUSTLING!"

Lustling backed up and dry-swallowed as he looked nervously at the audience. (Particularly, the marriage proposal had scared him shitless.) He glanced backstage. "What am I supposed to do?!"

"Entertain the masses!" a stagehand called. "God knows they'll need some humor to survive what's to come."

"But—but…" Lustling looked back at the audience, then took a deep breath. "I guess… I'll have to use my sex appeal."


SERIOUSLY I DON'T EVEN DESERVE ANYTHING JUST

BE MAD AT ME FOR TAKING SO LONG

YEAH

sigh

I love you guys and thank you all for the reviews you keep giving me, and the favorites, and the follows - you're all just so, so great, and I'll do better. ugu