SIN

Chapter II

"Twoooo can be as bad as-"

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"Ohhh EDDDD!" I sang in my usual sing-song voice, nearly skipping into the bathroom where I heard Ed useing his alchemy. I winced when I saw him beaten and bloody agenst the wall with a dazed and confused look in his eyes.

Oh, me? I'm Hughes. Meas Hughes. Friend of the Fullmetal Alchemist and...

THE FATHER OF A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER NAMED ALECIA!

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I looked down from the ceiling at the sound of his voice. I stood, useing the wall for support. "Luitenet?" I said, blinking my amber eyes once. What was HE doing here? I thought everyone had went home exept for Mustang, after all, it was past midnight.

Then I noticed the photos he held in his hand. Oh boy.

Alecia was born on my birthday, she was how I first found out about my... 'special powers.' I do not need the special symbols known as 'transmutation circles' to perform my alchemy. And it isn't known to be a characteristic of any other alchemist. Some were clever enough to put circles on their gloves or other hand orniments, but not me. Nonono. I had no need for such petty tricks, for I was the Fullmetal Alchemist, the most wanted teenager. But not neccasarily in a good way...

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What had gotten Ed in such bad shape? Then I remembered the 'Easy Mission' he had gotten directly from the Fugher, Officer King Bradly. To me it was a suicide mission, heading directly into prime hommuculous territory, The Fifth Labratory, or, Lab Five. Ed protested with his usual 'I've been there before! What could possaibley go wrong?' I had my doubts, and now I knew that it was this 'Easy Mission' that nearly killed Ed...

Or worse...

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That mission wasn't as easy as I first anticipated, I'll say that much.

After avoiding the many booby-traps... again... I made it to the room in which I fought with Number 66 and his brother, bodyless armor, just like Al.

However my luck wasn't that good. I met up with Envy for the third time in under a month. However once again his intentions were not to kill, they were much, much worse.

But hey, I don't like him. I blast him to Pluto...

Once again, my luck wasn't that good. However I was lucky that Al managed to break through the wall and stop him before he got my boxers off.

Then I met up with some old... 'friends' of mine. Lust, Gluttony, and Envy all banded together. They nearly destroyed Al, but once again...

my luck wasn't that good.

They killed me, however when they did they were aiming for my Taisa, Roy Mustang. I lept infront of him, took his blow, and paid for it with my life.

But things are pretty easy when it was your father who gave hommuculous life.

Right on cue, he appeared. Hohenhiem, the Light Alchemist.

He destroyed Envy, took his stone, and with it renewed my life.

Good thing I hadn't lost all my body heat.

But he didn't heal my injurys, and he left before I woke up.

My luck is not that good.

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I hurried over to my friend. "Ed! What happened to you?"

When he didn't reply I frowned. "It was your mission, wasn't it?" I said in a more serious tone.

Seeing Eds nod, I sighed. "You're probably too tierd, I'll pull some strings with Riza and get her to cut you the report, okay?"

When Ed nodded again, I smiled and patted him on his automail shoulder and turned to leave, only to be stopped by a voice.

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"Hughes?" I called.

When he turned around I sighed and reached into my pocket, pulling out a small booklet and handing it to him, along with my watch. "Give these to Roy."

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I was dumbfounded. I opened his watch, to see something chissled into the top.

'Don't Forget

11. Oct. 10.'

I looked at Ed. That was when he burnt his house and left, Whinry Rockbell told me so. I blinked. "You're turning in your watch?"

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I nodded. "I have to. The only reason I chained myself to the military was to get the stone for Al, I realise now that with the military holding me back, that's impossaible." I said confidently, shoveing my hands into my pockets, then yelping when Hughes went to open the book.

"Don't open that! Only the Taisa can open that!"

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I looked at Ed, a puzzled look on my face. I shrugged and stuffed the objects into my pocket. "You're quitting, after three years, you're quitting. Just like that."

When Ed nodded I sighed. "Well, it isn't my place to stop you but-"

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I couldn't take it. I mean, the chibi kissed me for Gods sake! I walked back into HQ just as I heard the words 'you're quitting.' I blinked. Brushing some ebony hair from my obsidian eyes I walked briskly torewards the sorce of the voice, shoes hitting off the tile and echoing throughout the hall.

'Well, it isn't my place to stop you but-'

"You're not quitting!" I shouted when I realized what was going on. I appeared a distance behind Hughes, holding my arm out to snap at the blonde chibi if he argued.

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I blinked, stareing at him, then at his gloved hand. I gulped, knowing that if he snapped I was doomed. But I couldn't keep going like this. "Er, Hughes... I'm sure Alecia wouldn't be happy if she woke up and her dad wasn't there."

I saw him open his mouth to protest, but in the end he turned and left, leaveing only the Taisa and I.

I clapped my hands together and held them like that. Now we were both in poisition to attack eachother if needed.

"Roy, I'm quitting, whether you like it or not."

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That was all it took. I snapped.

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I slammed my hands onto the floor.

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