Halfmetal Alchemist: Chapter 15

The Bomb

"A bomb? Where?" Roy howled into the phone. "Uh, um, it's in Lior, Fuhrer! We've just gotten the report!" Havoc cried. "A bomb?" Al whispered to Alley. Alley squeaked in fright and held on to Al. "What if it's right underneath us? We have no idea where it is!" Leroy crossed his arms and looked out of the window thoughtfully. "If I had to take a guess, it'd be that it's at the outskirts of the town."

"What are you talking about? They'd put it in town, dummy!" Ed said. Leroy took out a map and showed it to him. He put his finger on this outskirts of the town. "See this? It's a military building they set up here and opened a few days ago. These cultists down here won't take very kindly to the invasion of the military when they still believe in Letoism. They'll blow this up, and with it goes any chance that the military will put a base in its town. Quite simple, if you think about it!"

Roy finished his conversation with Havoc and put down the phone. "C'mon kids, we have to defuse that bomb." Alley squeaked again, hiding behind Al. "Are you crazy? We'll be blown to bits!" Roy sighed. "I know you don't even like explosions Alley, but I wouldn't take you near it if I knew I couldn't guarantee your safety. If however, you still don't want to go... Take this to the postoffice." he tossed a package to her. "Send it to your mom in East HQ, I suspect she must be missing me terribly..." Alley nodded, relieved, then jerked her head to Al. "Al! You're not going too, are you?"

Al's face darkened. "Sorry Sis, but if anybody's going to interfere I have to keep them back. Right?" Roy nodded. "I promise nothing will happen to them, Alley. Now go on..." Alley nodded and ran off, thinking that her job was a bit insignificant compared to the others. Roy sighed. She didn't realize how important that package was, and maybe it was better off that way."Boys... let's go."

Ed spat sand out of his mouth and blanched in the face of extreme heat and grainy sand. "Ugh, this is certainly the best place to put a bomb, isn't it?" Al nodded. "And they certainly didn't bother to hide it, Brother. Look up ahead!" Leroy groaned. "Oh no... a wire bomb... and a big one at that..." Roy turned around quickly, ordering the boys to do the same. "We've got company..."

"Aaagh, cultists... great." Ed moaned. "You four, the three big ones and the short one!"

A vein in Ed's temple throbbed and the other three sweat dropped. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BEAN SPROUT MIDGET?"

Roy groaned. "There's no time for this! Leroy, get to that bomb and I'll give you directions on how to cut it! Edward, Alphonse, stand your ground and keep them back!"

"Right!" "Ready!"

Roy snapped his fingers and destroyed the ground in front of the cultists, to keep them at bay. With time so short... I don't have time to use the gauntlets!

Ed scratched transmutation circles on the ground and activated them, thrusting blunt blocks of stone out of the ground to push them backwards from afar while Al swung his sword at anyone who got too close. Al was caught from behind by one of the cultists, a knife to his neck. "Die!"

There were three loud cracks and the man slid of Al limply. Al jumped back, breathing hard and staring at the prostrate man on the ground. Alley stood across from him, arms aloft, a smoking gun in her hands. "Are you okay, Al?" Al nodded and pointed behind her. "Look out!" she whirled around and let loose two more shots, rendering the men behind her senseless.

"I've got it open, what do I do now, Father?" The timer was counting down from a minute as Leroy yelled, wiping grains from his eyes. "Father!" Roy rolled and sweeped his leg forward, tripping the man, turned quickly, and kicked him away. "Take out the black wire!" Leroy searched, eyes squinted and snapped the black wire. "What next?" Al whacked one man over the head with the broad end of his blade and thrust the hilt into another man's gut. "Hurry! I can't hold them much longer!" He and Alley were back to back, shooting and slashing in a frenzy.

Roy snapped his fingers, blowing back another regiment and saw the military camped out not far from where they were. He motioned them to stay back and continued snapping. "White wire! Snap it!" Leroy did as he was bidden and found it with ease, snapping it. "What next?" "Connect the two ends of the black and white wires!"

"Wires are connected!"

"Red! Take out the red!" Roy yelled, finally overwhelmed. He snapped and they flew off of him in a shower of sparks. Ed gasped and formed a rock shield around his siblings and himself, unable to fight any longer due to sheer weight of numbers. Leroy searched frantically, his hand next to the red wire. "I... I can't see it! Where... is it?" Five seconds...

He parted the wires and searched. "Where?" Three seconds...

"Leroy! The red wire! Cut it now!" Two seconds...

"I-I can't!" One second...

"I CAN'T!" Roy's yelled wildly, incomprehensibly,and Alley and her brothers screamed. Zero.

The bomb exploded.

I have... absolutely no smart comments for this chapter... read and review people, read and review... tell me what you think. -T A