Disclaimer: I don't own any of Fullmetal Alchemist's characters or the characters from the movie that has now hit Japan as of yesterday.
Note to readers: I enjoy all readers sending signed reviews, but I wish to point out an opinion I have about the reviews. If you are going to review this story then I suggest you read through ALL of the chapters that are up at the moment and THEN review, please don't review after reading the first two chapters. The reason is because one reviewer sent a review after chapter two and said that I need to proof read. To all Fullmetal Alchemist fan fiction readers of this fan fiction I'm sorry if my story needs to be proof red, but this is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fan fiction. So please, bear with me through this and I will do better on the next fan fictions. Thank you all that have red and have enjoyed this fan fiction so far and I hope all continue to read this to find out what happens to their favorite characters.
Everyone has placed their belongings in one big room and the decision to seek out Envy was the first priority on a long list of things to do in order to getting Fletcher back safe and sound, but the plan had its flaws. As the friends tried to decide on what to do, Lust soon figured out what was going on with Envy as she felt him changing into a new disguise.
"WILL ALL OF YOU MORONS SHUT UP?" Lust shouted over the sound of the friends fighting amongst themselves.
"What is it Lust?" Russell asked as he saw the glint of foreboding in her eyes as he had seen many times before something happened that involved Envy.
"I am still connected to Envy through the symbol upon my chest and I know every little move he makes and what he is disguised as and from what I have been feeling I can say this…he is planning something deadly to destroy the Military," Lust said as she looked towards the three male officers that had been involved in the Military during the Ishbal war.
"If what you say is true than I suggest we start looking for him before he decides to come looking for us," Al said as he moved toward the door, but what he heard next startled him as he heard the screams of the Ishbalans outside screaming about devastation that was happening to the market place.
"Did you guys hear that?" Rose asked as she turned her attention to Al as he turned towards Mustang and mouthed something Lust.
"It's Envy…he's on his rampage to get all the mice to come out and play his deadly game of cat and mouse," Lust said as she looked to the door as Al ran out of the room and towards the main square where they would find the answer to the question on everyone's minds.
Once the friends got outside, they soon came face to face with the face of an old friend that nearly sent Rose over the deep end as she noticed who the person was that was creating such destruction in the small marketplace. Rose's face was a picture of horror as she saw the face of Scar staring at her with an evil grin across his face as the villagers scattered to their homes as Scar prepared to destroy more, but when he saw Al and the others he stopped.
"What is he doing here?" Mustang asked as he stared at the face of their soon to be destroyer.
"That can't be Scar because as far as we know he's lying in a grave somewhere in Lior," Russell said as he pointed out that the Scar they were staring out had a difference about him.
"That is not SCAR!" Rose said as she tried to control her emotions as she fell to her knees.
"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite alchemists!" Scar said as he dropped the disguise to reveal the identity of Envy staring back at them.
It took all that Al had to not attack Envy in an act of hate against Envy for hurting Rose and by attacking Mustang because even after the attack against Mustang, Mustang was still suffering from the effects of the poison that had been stabbed into his arm, but even though Dr. Marcoh had managed to rid Mustang's system of the poison; now and again he was still suffering from the effects that the poison had left on his system.
"Why are you after us?" Al shouted to Scar as he stepped forward towards Envy.
"Why, because I find hunting you down and hurting those close to you the most fun I've had since our last little scuffle almost three to four months ago or even the scuffle your brother and I had in Laboratory 5 in Central!" Envy said as he stomped on the ground and caused an earthquake that shook the ground that the friends were standing on that caused the group to fall to the ground.
The friends picked themselves up off the ground and dusted themselves off, but Al never let his eyes wander from Envy as he helped Mustang off the ground and as the friends got up off the ground they noticed a slight change in Envy's mood as his eyes glowed with a fire of intention to do harm to the friends.
"Look at all the little mice as they swarm to the bait, but I hate to say that your time is up in this place!" Envy said as he transformed into a lion chimera.
Al and the others were frozen in place as they saw his transformation, but as Envy made his move to attack the companions they each decided to run in different directions to confuse Envy, but no matter where they ran each knew Envy would find them one way or another. Al ran toward an alleyway to the West with Armstrong following alongside Al as they ran for cover from Envy, to the North Russell, Rose and Lust ran towards a café to hide from Envy, but Envy soon set his eyes on Hawkeye as she start to run East. Mustang looked back as he was heading south to find Envy chasing after Hawkeye as the lion chimera which made his point of focus turn towards Envy as he chased after Envy after he realized the chimera wasn't real.
"Hawkeye, run back toward the inn!" Mustang shouted as he tried to draw Envy away from Hawkeye as he ran toward an alleyway.
"Let the game begin," Envy said to himself as he changed to Ed to begin the chase down the alleyway toward a house of haunted memories to Mustang.
Mustang ran through one alleyway and down another and each alleyway brought back dark memories of his time in Ishbal during the Eastern Rebellion as he started to realize the path he was running down and he soon found himself crashing through the door of an abandoned home. The home brought back memories of a crime he had committed in the home and as he searched the home he started to remember the moments before he committed the act against humanity.
"Hello Colonel Matchstick," Envy said sarcastically as Ed as he stood in the doorway of the abandoned house.
"Ed, what and how did you get back?" Mustang asked as he started to walk toward Ed, but he soon realized the truth as he noticed the hand blade as Envy started walking toward Mustang as he circled the room as he tried to corner Mustang against a wall.
"Some things are better left unknown like how you and Major Armstrong killed innocent lives including my best friends' parents!" Envy said as he charged at Mustang with his hand blade.
Mustang managed to dodge the attack, but where he moved to in the room he was surrounded by the memories of what had happened in the home; he had been ordered by Brigadier General Basque Gran to dispose of two rebel doctors that had been helping out the Ishbalan rebels during the war. He had shot the two doctors at point blank range and after the deed had been done he wanted to end it all and even now as he circled the room.
Al and Armstrong soon realized that they had returned to back to the Main Square as Hawkeye and Rose along with Dr. Marcoh and Shesca, but one question came into the equation as the friends noticed Rose, Russell and Lust come out of hiding as they started to question where Mustang was, but their question would soon be answered as they saw Mustang come crashing out of a nearby home with Envy soon in tow as the two continued to fight.
"THAT'S NOT MY BROTHER!" Al shouted as he caught a glimpse of Envy as Ed fighting Mustang.
Envy heard the scream of Al as he took his attention from Mustang and revealed his true self as he looked back towards Marcoh as he changed once more into the one thing that Marcoh feared the most in his time of begin involved in the war and the Military.
"Welcome back to an old nightmare Crystal Alchemist," Brigadier General Basque Gran said as he charged towards Dr. Marcoh.
Marcoh started to run for all his life depended on it, but as he started to run towards the inn, he soon felt the ground change under him as he felt himself begin dragged back towards the face of a man he hated and feared more than anyone other person in his life. Envy grabbed Marcoh by the scruff of his shirt and as he pulled him close Envy ran a dagger through the heart of the Alchemist doctor and as Marcoh's life started to slip away from him; Envy pulled the doctor close to whisper something in his ear that only Marcoh could hear as his very life was ending.
"See you in the next life Crystal Alchemist," Envy said as dropped his disguise and as he dropped Marcoh onto the dusty street of Ishbal and turned towards the friends as they stood stunned at the sudden death of their friend.
Al and the others stood in stunned silence at what they had just witnessed, but as the friends stood in silence it was soon broken by Shesca's screams as she reached behind Hawkeye's back and pulled out one of her handguns.
"You ruined my friend's life, now it's your turn to feel the pain!" Shesca shouted through her tears as she started to shoot aimlessly at Envy, but he dodged each fatal shot.
As she shot aimlessly through her tears of pain over the loss of Marcoh, she was unaware of the transformation that Envy had undergone as he silently slipped behind her as he transformed into Hughes.
"Sorry Shesca, but you're fired," Envy said as he stabbed Shesca in the back.
Mustang and Armstrong started firing at Envy, but he dodged each attack as he ran towards the middle of the square, but what no one knew was that Russell, Rose and Lust had run back towards the inn in fear of becoming targets for Envy. Mustang and Armstrong tried to attack once more, but Hawkeye soon involved herself in the fight as Envy turned as he heard the shots begin fired from Hawkeye's gun.
"So you want to play Lieutenant?" Envy said as he changed into Lt. Ross.
"You have too many people in your time and now it's time for you to pay," Hawkeye said, but she was too slow as Envy attacked by throwing a dagger into her left shoulder and as Hawkeye tried to shoot back at Envy, but as Envy started to run back toward the Ishbalan church where he had been hiding he looked back and shot Hawkeye in the right leg.
"Bye, bye, Flame Alchemist!" Envy shouted as he ran back towards the direction of the church with Al and Armstrong following closely behind him as they chased through the many alleyways of the desert town.
"RIZA!" Mustang shouted as he ran toward Lt. Hawkeye as he helped her up and he raced her back towards the inn.
Rose, Russell and Lust sat in the room at the end and as they looked to the door they realized that Al, Major Armstrong, Mustang and Hawkeye were still out in the main square and hadn't returned back to the inn yet, but he they soon heard the frantic knock of Mustang as he banged on the bedroom door.
"Who's there and what do you want?" Russell asked as he waited for an answer from the person from behind the door.
"It's me Russell you stupid boy…let me in now! Lt. Hawkeye is hurt and I need to get her inside now!" Mustang shouted as Russell opened the door to reveal Lt. Hawkeye limping with a dagger sticking out of her left shoulder as she tried to breath from the loss of blood from the gunshot and the dagger.
"What happened to her Mustang?" Rose asked as she looked at the state of Hawkeye as Mustang and Lust laid her down on a nearby bed.
"Russell, go find a doctor for Hawkeye!" Lust said, but as Russell prepared to open the door he was met by a doctor.
"Who sent you here?" Russell asked shocked at the mere sight of the doctor.
"The innkeeper saw someone bringing someone into this room with a limp and a dagger in her shoulder?" the doctor asked as he moved into the room.
"I'm here sir," Hawkeye answered as she tried to stand, but soon as she got up the loss of blood made her dizzy as Mustang caught her as he and Russell helped back to a bed.
The doctor attended to Hawkeye with what medical supplies had with him and what tools he had to work with to help Hawkeye in the situation she was facing with a bullet in her leg and a dagger wound to her shoulder.
"You were lucky miss, that dagger nearly pierced your heart…almost a couple of inches lower and you would've been dead by now," the doctor said as he continued to attend to Hawkeye.
Each thing the doctor did to help Hawkeye was painful for Mustang to watch and he couldn't stand begin in the room as he left to walk outside as the doctor finished up with his examination of Hawkeye. Lust watched as Mustang left the room with tears in his eyes as he hid his face by his dress uniform cap, but she knew that Hawkeye would be in good hands with the doctor as Rose and Russell watched over Hawkeye.
"Mustang, what happened out there to Lt. Hawkeye today?" Lust asked as she grabbed Mustang by his shoulders and spun him around as she noticed the tears in his eyes.
"I let my memories of the damn rebellion and all the damn mistakes of the past hit me like a wall of flames. Now Hawkeye is suffering for my stupid mistakes and for not noticing Envy's change as he charged at Hawkeye," Mustang said, but he soon got over his moment of sadness as Lust slapped him.
"You need to come grips with reality and stop beating yourself up over some stupid thing that happened years ago."
"I can never let go and how would you be able to understand the pain I've had to live with everyday of my life since it happened!"
Lust took Mustang by the scruff of his shirt as she lifted him off the ground and stared into his eyes as she tried to make him understand that his past was not what got Hawkeye injured, it was merely an accident that no one could have do anything to prevent, but she could see in his eyes that he had been tortured by memories of the past ever since stepping foot onto the desert streets of Ishbal.
"You listen to me Mustang! You may have lost your youth in this place, but if you let things of your past distract you from keeping everyone under your command safe…then maybe you're not cut out to be in the Military," Lust said as she placed Mustang back on the ground.
Mustang realized the truth behind Lust's words as he gathered himself, but as he looked into Lust's face he broke down once more over the emotions he was facing from the situation at hand.
"Oh God, What the hell have I been doing?" Mustang said as he slid to the ground as he cried over Hawkeye, but it soon short lived as the doctor came out to find Mustang.
"She's going to be fine for now, but I suggest that you don't pull any more stupid stunts through the rest of your stay. Good night to you Colonel and I suggest you stay near the inn for tonight and as for your friends that are missing…I suggest you let your friends return to the inn on their own….I don't want to have to return for to take care of others of your company,' the doctor said as he left Mustang as Mustang and Lust walked back into the room to check in on Hawkeye.
Hawkeye lay on her bed unconscious from the loss of blood she had suffered from the fight as she did she lay bandaged up around her left shoulder with her arm in a sling to keep the blood flowing through her system. Her right leg was bandaged as well as it lay elevated by a number of pillows and by her bedside where a set of crutches to help her get around. Rose watched over Hawkeye as Mustang kept his distance from Lt. Hawkeye, but now and again he would move toward Hawkeye's bedside. Russell and Lust kept watch for Al and Major Armstrong outside because they hadn't return yet. As Russell and Lust kept a watchful eye for Al and Armstrong, they decided to gather the bodies of Marcoh and Shesca from the square where they had left the two dead companions and as they got closer they found that some of the villagers had covered Marcoh and Shesca with a sheet.
"Do you know where we can bury them?" Lust asked a passing woman.
"These two tried to stop that monster and I'm sure that our god, Ishbala wouldn't turn away your friends," answered the woman.
"Thank you miss," Russell said as Lust and Russell picked up Shesca and two other men took Marcoh.
The villagers with Russell and Lust took the dead to the cemetery where some of the villagers had created makeshift graves and tombstones for the brave companions that had been killed earlier in the day.
"Once everyone is together we will return and pay our respects properly," Lust said as she looked at the tombstone and the two companions walked back to the inn to keep an eye out for their friends.
After everyone had scattered back to the inn after Marcoh and Shesca lay dead on the ground; Al took the moment to chase down Envy as he ran from the square as Ed with Armstrong following Al, but no matter where Al ran Armstrong couldn't find him as a dust storm kicked up as Al ran down an alleyway after Envy.
"Alphonse, where are you?" Armstrong called out as the dust settled, but he couldn't find Al as the dust finally settled back down as he became able to see through the dust.
Armstrong ran towards the nearest alleyway in hopes of catching up with Al, but Ishbal's alleys were like a labyrinth an it was easy to get lost in the desert city and Armstrong found out first hand as he made his way further into the alleyways.
Armstrong wandered through the many alleyways while all the while keeping an eye out for Al and especially for Envy, but every moment felt like forever as he walked the streets as he heard the sounds of someone getting closer and closer as he started to walk faster as he could hear the sound of scuffling feet getting closer and closer to him. His mind was racing as he started to run through the alleys and started to trip over trash cans and small items in the alley's he ran through until he tripped over a trash can and heard the scuffling feet coming from the left side of him. He pulled out a gun and pointed it toward the wall as he heard the sounds of two people talking as they started to walk towards Armstrong as he started to pick up himself up off the floor.
"Rick, where are you going?" Leo called out as Rick ran around the corner and slid into the trash spilled from the trash cans Armstrong had fallen over.
"Whose there?" Armstrong asked as he pointed the gun at Rick.
"RICK!" Leo called out as he stepped in front of Armstrong.
Armstrong held his gun towards Rick as Leo stood guarding his brother, but when he saw the anger in Leo's eyes; he lowered his gun and fell to his knees as he collapsed to the floor in a heap as the heat of the day had come over him as fell in a heavy sweat.
"We better get him somewhere cool and out of this heat," Leo said as they attempted to drag Armstrong to their teacher's home.
Al had been chasing Envy through the alleys as Envy seemed to taunt him as he continuously changed from one form to the next as he tried to play with Al's emotions in an effort to lose Al through the winding labyrinth of alleyways. Each change was making Al's head was starting to spin as he started to become dizzy from the heat, the running and the constant changes from Envy.
"I have to rest," Al said out of breath as he leaned against a nearby wall, but the moment he touched the wall he could see the church in plain sight.
The church was a block from where he now stood near the wall and once Al gained his balance and his breath back, he started for the church to chase down Envy and stop this game of cat and mouse forever.
Envy had made it back to the church before Al and had started to prepare a trap for Al once he came across the church and for once he walked inside the church was a walking bobby trap that was waiting for Al.
"The prey is coming to the spider," Envy said as he moved through the shadows as he made his final preparations.
He started to tie something to a nearby wall and then he moved toward some broken wood that was lying on the floor and he started to size up the length and thickness along with the weight as he started to swing at the air with each piece he touched until he found the right one.
"There's going to be a pest problem tonight and I'm going to stomp it out," Envy said as he swung at the air once more as he stopped just above Fletcher's head.
"Leave Al alone," Fletcher mumbled through the gag around his mouth.
"Believe me my young friend…you wont' have to worry about him for much longer once I'm finished with him."
Envy moved into position as he got ready for Al's visit as he moved near the shadows along the walls because in his mind he was going to get rid of Al forever and he also believed that this was going to be Al's last night on Earth the moment he got him into his web.
Al ran the rest of the way to church and soon found himself looking up at two huge doors. Al saw that upon the two huge wooden doors there was something inscribed in the doors among a carving of a cross that seemed to stand out from the door the words seemed ancient as Al's eyes study them and red the words and as he did they seemed to bring a sense of calm to him as he prepared to walk into the church.
The Lord is my Shepherd
He watches over me
Like a Shepherd watches over his flock
"Ye do I walk through the valley of shadow and death, I shall fear no evil, for the lord watches over me and delivers me from evil," Al said as he finished reading the ancient words.
He had heard these same words repeated at his mother's funeral and had never truly understood their meaning at the time of his mother's death, but now as he prepared to face "evil" he now understood what they meant now that he was older and wiser.
"How true those words ring now as I prepare to walk into the lion's den."
Al pushed open the wooden doors and as he did they seemed to creak from years of never begin opened since the church had been built as the door creaked open on their ancient hinges and the floor was covered in dust and debris from the war. It seemed to stand as a lasting memory that this ancient building had withstood the pressure and destruction of war and as he walked through the ancient building his mind started to replay his first visit to a church. His first time had been Lior when he and his brother were looking for clues on the Philosopher's Stone and had first met Rose as she was placing her items out for the offering to the church. The church's stained glass windows had been shattered from the blasts that had happened during the war and the wooden pews seemed to be sturdy and Al kept his eyes trained on the pulpit at the front of the church as he moved in as his footsteps echoed through the church.
"Envy, I know you're in here! Show yourself you coward!" Al shouted as he walked down the aisle of the church and glanced down the pews as he moved further into the church.
Envy watched Al making his way toward the ancient pulpit and with every step, Envy started to sing a song silently to him as he moved closer and closer towards where Al was walking through.
I sense there's something in the wind
That feels like tragedy's at hand….
Al could hear a female voice singing a sad song from the shadows as he walked faster and weaved through the pews as he made his way to the pulpit as he heard a deep voice coming from the shadows as the song started to get louder.
When Mr. Oogie Boogie says
There's trouble close at hand
You'd better pay attention now
'Cause I'm the Boogie Man
Envy was getting closer with each step:
And if you aren't shakin'
Cause this may be the last time now
That you hear the boogie song!
He got closer and closer to Al as he prepared to sneak up behind Al and hit him in the head as he changed into Brigadier General Basque Gran as he snuck up behind unaware Al. Al didn't know where the singing was coming from as he could hear it getting closer, but he never saw what looked like the Brigadier General coming up on him as he fell to the floor in a heap.
"You have meddled in my affairs for the last time Elric brother…the only thing that I can do is to get rid of you!" Envy said as dragged Al to the wall and tied Al's hands to the wall.
Envy was proud with his work and he merely laughed and poked fun at his hostage as he admired Al hanging from the wall, unconscious with a lump starting to form on his head as Al's head was spinning from the pain that was throbbing in his head and he was unable to say anything as he hung pinned to the wall of the old church.
Interesting? No…okay this a little to readers, the song's that are used in this chapter are Sally's Song and Oogie Boogie's song from Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack, still more to come on whether Al will be rescued and what will happen to Armstrong and whether Hawkeye will pull through her pain after he fight with the enemy. Bye for now!