Took me a few days more than I thought, oops. Anyway! I have a question for anyone who's willing to answer, and it'd help a LOT to know. So, chapter, eh, thirty right now is looking long. Really, really long. Like 13k words/20+ pages in MS Word long. And my question is...would you folks prefer just a really long chapter, uncut; or for me to cut the chapter in half and post it in two bits? I can do either one, tho right now I'm intending it in one big chunk. But I'd love to hear what you all think! So pretty please let me know, it'd mean a lot to hear! As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter - things are getting intense now, and it's been so fun to write. I love you all!


So the next day, they set out—dressed in their usual, rather obvious attire, with Lissa donning a brighter pink shirt just to draw attention to herself—and began. Between Ed and Lissa, racing around the city together fixing things, dropping the names Fullmetal and Starlight everywhere they went, they created one hell of a spectacle. They tacked on their real names, too, something they rarely did in conjunction with their titles, to make it even easier. Not to mention they were both lucky enough to have pretty remarkable alchemist titles. Ed's hand-clap transmutations and Lissa's shimmery-starlight transmutations drew plenty of notice, perhaps most especially because it was a couple of very young state alchemists parading their skills through the city—and it was no secret they were talented, of course. Lissa knew she and Ed had only been able to get their certifications because of having some kind of extraordinary ability. She kept that in mind as they flaunted their talents throughout Central.

By lunch, they were exhausted enough to drop into a nearby café and take a break, getting a couple glasses of juice and remaining in full view of everyone. Lissa sat opposite Ed, while Al took the spot in the middle, all three watching the street carefully as they sat there.

"This is great," Ed laughed, leaning back in his chair. He sneezed loudly and absently wiped his nose on his glove.

"Ew," Lissa muttered.

He sneered at her. "You're the one who carries a snotty handkerchief around," he shot back. "Anyway, seems like we've done a good job making a spectacle of ourselves. I'm pretty sure everyone in Central knows our names by now."

Al eyed the café's other patrons, all of whom seemed hyperaware of who exactly was there. "Well, you were a little over the top," he muttered.

Ed waved his hand. "Eh. Sometimes you gotta make a fuss."

A car pulled up just a few feet away, idling at the curb, and Lissa perked up. Was it someone begging a little help? Or something else?

The window rolled down, and she nearly spat out a mouthful of juice.

"Fullmetal, Starlight. When did you two become so theatrical, hm?" Colonel Mustang asked, giving them a sidelong look.

Ed shot out of his chair. "Colonel? Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?"

Mustang shrugged. "Probably."

Aiming for something subtle, Ed crossed to him and leaned against the open window of the car, muttering under his breath, "How's Lieutenant Havoc? I'm sure Dr. Marcoh-"

"Hold on," Mustang cut him off quickly. "People are watching us. Get in."

Lissa shared a look with Ed. "Whatever you say," she mumbled, rising from the table and obeying. Of course…with Riza driving, Ed and Lissa just barely fitting beside her, and Mustang completely crushed in the backseat by Alphonse…it wasn't really the best idea he'd ever had. Al did his best, but the armor was just too big for a regular-sized car.

"On second thought," Mustang wheezed, "let's get out."

"Much better," Lissa snickered, hopping out and pulling Ed with her.

They reconvened in a nearby alley, away from any prying eyes, for a little information-sharing session. Lissa felt awkward still, since she hadn't yet apologized, but Mustang had other things on his mind, it seemed.

"Lieutenant Breda followed your tip, Fullmetal, but…" He shook his head. "Dr. Marcoh wasn't there. His house was a wreck, too. He's missing."

Ed had suggested, via a subtly-passed-on note, that Havoc's spinal injury might be fixable with the help of Dr. Marcoh's incomplete Philosopher's Stone. It was a kind gesture, and a risk, but Lissa had been proud of him for offering it. However, this…was a bad sign with everything else that was going on. "You're kidding," she breathed.

"Shit. Dr. Marcoh's gone missing?" Ed passed a hand over his hair, shaking head in disbelief.

Mustang nodded. "Looks like it. They probably took him captive."

They being the homunculi… With their interest in the Philosopher's Stone, and efforts to keep Ed, Al, and Lissa from learning about it… No wonder. But he'd been hidden there, in his little town with his assumed name, so how the hell did the homunculi find him?

"There's something else we need to talk about," Mustang continued, a little sharper now. "I'm sure you've heard that Scar's back?"

Lissa bit the inside of her cheek. Looks like they'd drawn too much attention.

Mustang eyed her and Ed severely. "So what's with the showboating?" he demanded. "Do you want him to find you?"

"Actually, yeah," Lissa admitted, crossing her arms. "That's exactly what we want." I don't think I've ever seen him that kind of angry. Shit.

Ed nodded firmly. "We need to fight him. And you can't talk us out of it."

"Have you lost your minds?!" Mustang snapped, furious. "Did you forget the way he tore you apart in East City?! He nearly killed all three of you!"

But Ed just sneered at him, unbothered. "Ooh, sounds like the Colonel's scared of big, bad Scar!" he mocked derisively. "I'm not surprised, considering how useless you were against him!"

"That wasn't my fault, it was raining that day!" Mustang defended.

"Was it raining when you got beat up and sent to the hospital?"

Lissa groaned and tapped Al's side. "Well, they're never gonna stop now," she sighed, leaning into him. "They'll be at it for hours."

He nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so."

I sense…sand, gritty sand and burning sun and blood and…oh no…

Her heart sank.

Click.

Lissa flinched back as Riza lifted her gun, pointing it down the alley with a fierce look in her eyes. There, only twenty feet away at the most…was Scar.

It was one thing to talk about fighting him, using him as a lure for the homunculi… But it was another thing entirely to stand there facing him down, with no other options than to fight him, without real backup, until either a homunculus showed up or they got too damned exhausted to risk continuing. Lissa swallowed hard and twitched her fingers, trying to get a feel for the ambient particles here. Just staying alive was going to take every bit of strength they had.

"I guess he got your invite," Mustang muttered under his breath.

Ed smirked. "You okay? You'd think it was raining, the way your forehead's dripping," he shot back, unable to keep from making snide remarks for a single moment, apparently.

Lissa shifted on her feet, ready. She knew the plan. They had no choice but to do this now.

Riza lifted her gun and took aim, but Ed slid into her arm, knocking her out of her stance. "Hold it! Don't shoot, Lieutenant!" he told her firmly, standing in front of her.

"What?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't be serious!"

Ed just grinned tightly. "I'm trying out the Colonel's sport," he explained, through gritted teeth. "I think I might be able to catch a few fish."

As Scar approached, undaunted by their group—realistically they had him by sheer numbers and force, with three state alchemists, another highly talented alchemist, and Riza with her impeccable aim—but he was fast, streaking towards them with his right arm crackling with blue energy, already prepping for an attack. He dropped to the ground and pressed his hand against the cobblestones, sending a wave of destruction hurtling through the street and directly towards them.

"Go!" Ed shouted.

Lissa darted forward, skirting the destruction with alchemical energy sparkling in her wake. She kicked off the building to her left and shot herself upward, twisting midair and landing facing out on a windowsill one storey up, meeting the Ishvalan's gaze and smirking as she tugged on the chain of her pocket watch.

A distraction.

Scar pressed his hand into the building, but she leapt off and caught herself halfway down with a burst of cushioning air, her first task done. At the end of the alley, the boys had time to do their part—Ed racing forward, blocking the way, and Al raising a barrier to keep Riza and Mustang out of it.

Ed yelled as he launched an attack, dragging Scar's attention away from Lissa and to him instead. She positioned herself opposite Ed, and began her own attacks—everything from volleys of compressed air, her own style; to the more physical style of using the materials around her, sending projectiles at Scar and forcing him to stay in constant motion. Al joined them soon after, all three fighting with one singular goal—to stay alive until the homunculi showed. Ling and Lan Fan were perched on the rooftops above, feeling out homunculi and keeping an eye on this fight too, with express orders not to interfere unless it was absolutely necessary.

Lissa curled her fist midair, yanking ambient particles and forming a platform beneath Ed as he leapt up to launch his next attack—giving him one last boost out of the path of Scar's own counter. She caught his grin as he leapt down, clapping his hands and sending spikes shooting out of the ground and towards the Ishvalan.

A few MPs reached the scene, and Al detached from the fight long enough to try and stop them. His excuse was also true—if they shot, they really might hit Ed or Lissa.

She saw Scar getting too close to Ed, much too close, and parted the air around her as she raced in—just barely in time to push him aside and land a solid kick into the Ishvalan's abdomen, knocking him back and away. "Careful!" she snapped, ducking under the next attack.

Ed tapped her shoulder as he twisted away, just the slightest gesture of acknowledgement. He brought his hands together again, letting her remain up close for a moment, and slammed his palms against the street. There was a lot of trust in that move, she realized, as she felt the air shifting behind her from his attack. Lissa leapt up, the air crackling in her wake as she just narrowly evaded the pillars shooting up from within the stone street.

He's really trusting me to fight with him, she noted, as she caught the ledge of a window and used it as leverage to push herself off, retaking her position behind Scar. He's trusting me to handle myself. Finally!

Lissa landed and sank to one knee, pressing her palm against the ground—she'd drawn extra transmutation circles to be able to use the same attacks as the boys. Really, she needed to get those tattooed, there just hadn't been time.

She cursed under her breath as Scar canceled out the attack, and spun quick enough to ruin Ed's as well. Stones cascaded from the resultant explosion, and she winced as she saw one strike Ed on his temple—blood trickled down his face immediately. Angered, she leapt back to her feet and twisted her hands midair, drawing in the ambient particles from that explosion. Blue energy crackled as she rushed forward, borrowing from her own tactics in Greed's lair to bond those metals to her gloves—and then further, reinforcing her whole right forearm along the outer side.

Scar lunged, brought his right arm forward, towards Ed… But she was still too far away!

Ed clapped his hands and rammed his right hand into Scar's, meeting in the middle with a blinding burst of alchemical energy.

No!

Lissa rushed in, heedless of her own safety—she kicked off the wall just beside Scar and rammed into him with her forearm out, her bones jarring with the force of the impact. He rolled forward with the hit, away from Ed, and shoved back his feet looking…genuinely shocked. For Edward wasn't dead—the attack had shredded his coat and jacket, leaving his automail exposed, but he'd managed to counter Scar's alchemy at the last damned second!

"Lucky," Ed breathed, grinning up at her.

"I'm gonna kill you or kiss you for that," she hissed at him. "Idiot."

He pushed to his feet beside her and jerked his chin at Scar, whose arm was now just as visible as Ed's. "Those tattoos," he hissed. "Remember what those Ishvalans told us in Xerxes? About Winry's parents?"

Oh, no. So it really is true…

Ed glowered across at Scar. "Bastard!" he snarled. "You were the one!"

Cutting in front of him, Lissa rushed at Scar head-on, her right arm still ahead of her—and as she veered slightly to the right, causing him to angle to her left to line up his attack, Al leapt in and slammed into Scar with a wall of stone, knocking him clear into the next alley. Perfect.

As they continued, the fight moving, continually moving into new areas, Lissa felt herself flagging. It was just so exhausting, keeping up a battle for this long—without being able to finish it! If they'd actually been trying to capture or kill Scar here, they could've done it long ago, especially with Mustang and Hawkeye's help, but they were still waiting on Ling's damned signal that he'd caught a homunculus. Lissa felt the faintest brush of that horrible wriggling, skin-crawling sensation, so she knew the homunculi were around… But that was the extent of her knowledge.

The fight finally took them to a dead end, Ed at the lead, where he was forced to attempt to climb up and out—he reached the top of the building just as Al and Lissa caught up, only to have Scar shatter the pipe he'd climbed right underneath him. Al caught him at the last second, and Lissa cushioned Ed as he leapt off, coming to stand beside her with Al on the far side of Scar, surrounding him yet again.

Ed's breathing too hard, Lissa realized, meeting Al's gaze across the Ishvalan. He expended too much energy canceling out Scar's transmutation! Dammit! If Scar goes for him, if he sees that Ed's exhausted…

"Scar!" Al shouted, apparently realizing the same thing. "You say you believe that alchemists have defied God—but isn't that hypocritical? You use alchemy just like we do!"

The Ishvalan gave him a sharp glare. "I explained when we met in East City," he began lowly. "It's Balance. Where there are creators, there must also be a destroyer."

"That's a lie!" Al snapped angrily. "You're just using the name of your god to justify murder! Revenge is all you care about! When you killed Shou Tucker and Nina… I suppose you believe you were doing god's work then, too!"

Lissa flinched. Nina… That's right, this bastard killed Nina…

Yet Scar regarded them without remorse. "Interesting," he mused. "You three saw that abomination as well, did you?"

"Abomination?!" Lissa felt sick to her stomach. "She was just a little girl!"

His cold, red-eyed gaze fixated on her then. "Alchemy created that tragic creature," he intoned lowly. "And that's the science you would spend your lives following?"

It was like a knife in the abdomen.

He…he's right… Alchemy did create Nina, that never would've been possible without alchemy… But… It can't all be that way, it isn't all about that!

"Look at your brother!" Scar continued, this time fixating on Ed, his tone accusing and harsh. "He is the result of messing around with someone's life. That chimera was made because a man thought he could create, when creation is the province of god alone."

A shudder ran through Ed. "Maybe you're right," he snarled, "but why did you have to kill her?! You stole what little life she had left!"

Scar's eyes narrowed. "Foolish as you are, you must still have known that chimera could never have returned to her human state."

They had… Of course they'd known, but even so… She was still a little girl inside…

"It would have lived out its life as a laboratory specimen. Treated as a test subject, but never again as a human being."

All the air went out of her lungs at once. A laboratory… We knew, we had to know, where else, but… But we didn't do anything… We would've let her go, knowing what would happen… Nina… She would've been taken away, and we…never once tried… Never thought… Her vision blurred, tears stinging her eyes.

"It's true," Ed admitted slowly. "State alchemists have made some serious mistakes." He sucked in a shaky breath and fixed a glare on Scar, his voice trembling with a flood of barely-repressed emotions. "But despite what you think… That doesn't make what you're doing right. We can't let you continue!"

Lissa blinked hard, forced her tears away. Ed was right. Even if they'd made a mistake, as children, as little kids…their own mistakes didn't justify his actions.

"You're so self-righteous," Ed all but growled. "But do you remember two Amestrian doctors named Rockbell?"

She jolted, stunned he'd asked, and yet not surprised at all. He wanted answers.

That shocked Scar, to hear the name—he nearly flinched away, a visible reaction that told them all in a single moment he knew exactly who Ed was talking about.

"The order came down to end the uprising and exterminate Ishval. But that didn't stop them." Ed's voice was fierce, unwavering now. "They kept right on helping your people."

Al suddenly reached out and yelped, "Wait, brother!"

Lissa couldn't fathom why he wanted to stop—Ed was getting through to Scar, affecting this murderer… And buying them time to regain their strength, time for Ling and Lan Fan to handle the homunculi, for everything they needed. So why was he upset?

"Don't you remember them?!" Ed snarled, unrelenting. "Those doctors saved your life! And you killed them!"

"Brother!" Al yelled, pointing sharply down the alley to his right.

Lissa followed where he indicated, baffled, only to see…

Winry. Oh, no, oh no, what's she doing here?!

Winry stood only a few feet away from Scar, her eyes flooding with tears, shaking all over as she stared between them all. She'd heard. She'd heard all of it. "What are you talking about, Ed?" she asked in a small voice.

Ed looked horrified. "Winry, I…" But he trailed off. What was there to say?

"Y-you mean…he's the man…who killed them?" Winry breathed. Her voice trembled awfully. "My parents…he killed them? What's worse…" Her hands, pressed against her chest, began to shiver. "What's worse…they helped save you…and you killed them?"

Scar turned to her, his face impassible, as Winry crumpled to her knees before him, overcome. "Why did you… They were my mom and dad… What did they ever do to you?" Her voice broke. "They were doctors… They helped people… They didn't deserve to die!" Winry sobbed then, finally losing the battle, and clutched at her own head in desperation. "Give them back," she begged. "Give me back my mom and dad, you monster!"

Lissa wrapped her arms around her abdomen. That feeling of loss, the horrible aching hole left by losing your parents… There was nothing to fill the gap, nothing that could possibly mend it… And she barely even remembered her own parents, she could hardly imagine how awful it would be if she really did remember them, like Winry did…

"Winry! Hold on! You can't… Don't do this!" Ed suddenly yelled, pleading with her.

Al was staring at her in horror. "Winry!"

"Don't do it!"

It took a moment for Lissa to realize it—too long, much too long. Because suddenly Winry had a soldier's fallen pistol in her shaking hands, and was pointing it up at Scar with her finger resting on the trigger.

"Winry, don't," Lissa begged her. "You don't want to do this!" She can't, not Winry… We're supposed to protect her from all this, not drag her into it!

"This girl is the doctors' daughter?" Scar asked lowly. "You would have the right… Shooting me would be justified," he observed. His words hung horribly in the air, a sick, awful suggestion to make to a grieving girl. But then he continued, making it so, so much worse. "Go on, shoot."

"Don't do it, Winry!" Ed cried. "Put down the gun!"

"You know you don't want to do this!" Al implored her. "Winry!"

Yet Scar didn't let up. "Shoot, girl," he demanded. "But know, the moment you pull the trigger, there's no going back. You will be my enemy."

Al gasped. "Scar!"

"Like hell!" Lissa growled, suddenly furious. How dare he threaten her?! How dare he?! After what he'd done!

"If you think I'll let you hurt one hair on her head-" Edward snarled out, his voice pitched too high, desperate.

But Scar rounded on him. "Will you kill me?" he snapped. "That'd be fine with me. Until one of us dies, boy, this chain of hatred will continue." His gaze darkened. "But don't ever forget! Don't ever forget it was the Amestrians who first pulled the trigger during the civil war! It was your people!"

Ed glanced sideways at Winry, still kneeling there with the gun brandished. "Winry, don't shoot!" he begged.

"Just put that gun down and get out of here!" Al insisted, but to no avail.

"If you can't shoot, then do as the boy told you," Scar told her harshly. "You're in my way!"

He lunged, the air displacing around him—and Lissa saw, in that singular moment, the decision on Ed's face. She knew that feeling, that emotion. The feeling that drove a person to leap in front of someone else.

Maybe what happened between us…was just…a moment of weakness, when he was vulnerable. Maybe it really is her. And that's all right.

Lissa shot forward, the air parting around her—Ed leapt up, over Scar's attack-

It's okay.

She flung her arms forward and a cascade of blue energy raced from her outstretched hands. The air twisted, deconstructed, reconstructed under her guidance, wrapping around Ed and forcing him up, up out of the path of Scar's destruction. Lissa skidded to her knees at the drain, the sheer effort required to do this, to let him go.

The air around Ed parted, let him slip through lighter than ever. He flipped upward, grabbed Scar's arm and used that leverage to twist over him-

And shoved Winry's arm down, putting himself between her and Scar's incoming attack, screaming, "Don't shoot!"

Lissa sent all that displaced air between Winry and Ed, and Scar, all the resistance she could muster concentrated in that empty space, the few inches between them. She was shaking, her outstretched arm wavering midair as she strained to keep him held back, but she refused to let go.

Scar froze there, staring down at Ed in a sort of stunned horror.

Al leapt into action, kicking out, knocking Scar away from them all. The Ishvalan came back to himself with a snarl and dodged the attack, but Al was ready for him, steadfast even in the face of all this. He clapped his hands and slammed his palms to the ground, sending sharp-edged projectiles shooting up under Scar's feet. Scar jumped, evaded the attack, and deconstructed the wall behind him to create an escape.

"Ed, you idiot, what are you doing?!" Al demanded harshly. "Both of you will get killed!"

Lissa staggered to her feet and forced herself to breathe, forced herself not to feel the acute pain driving a spike through her heart. Ed was still there, still pressing his back against Winry, breathing hard, his gaze unfathomable.

That's okay. It's better this way, isn't it?

"Get her somewhere safe, okay?" Lissa asked of Ed, watching his eyes flick up to her. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, some kind of panic drifting into his gaze, but she couldn't bring herself to give him the chance. Instead she turned and gave Al a firm nod. "C'mon, Al. Let's give him a state alchemist to go after." She took off running after Scar then, Al right behind her, every step tearing a ragged hole in her heart. But she had to. She had no choice. This was right. Ed would look after Winry, he'd take care of her. And Lissa would keep moving.

Their fight took them to the nearby railyard, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Lissa had so rarely seen Alphonse fighting like this—completely all out, throwing everything he had at Scar. He was angry, she realized, well and truly angry now. He almost never got angry.

Above her, Al and Scar landed on the platform below a water tower, and she shot herself up next to them with a burst of compressed air, landing next to Al in a fighting stance.

"There's nothing inside that armor." Scar narrowed his eyes at them. "You're hollow, aren't you?" He sighed roughly. "You poor boy… Alchemy trapped you in that metal prison and yet you still have faith in it?"

Al brought his hands together, and slammed his right palm on the water tower—he transmuted a hole in the side, a spout, sending water gushing towards Scar.

The Ishvalan leapt down, and Lissa followed, Al right behind her, both taking up positions on opposite sides of him. They couldn't leave him an escape, couldn't let off… Ling and Lan Fan still hadn't showed up, which meant they needed to keep stalling. Lissa wasn't sure if her position as potential sacrifice carried enough weight for a homunculus to show up or not, but she was going to try anyway. What else could she do?

"True," Al agreed sharply. "There are plenty of things about this body that are inconvenient… But it's nothing I can't live with. I don't need pity from anyone. Least of all from you."

Scar merely stared at him impassively.

Al stood up straight and faced him down. "My brother used alchemy to save my life. To regret the form I have now would mean not only rejecting alchemy, but also turning my back on him." He squared his shoulders, refusing to back down, to show anything but conviction. "I believe in my brother, and I believe in alchemy. I will not lose faith! I want to believe!"

"Oh, do you?" Scar asked, almost sneering. He raised his arm, and the jet of water Al had created earlier rushed over him—over that damned right arm.

Lissa cursed as he used the water to create steam, covering his movements.

Only…not to her.

She sensed him moving, shifting behind the cover. He'd just created more particles around to show her where he was—and he was coming right for them! "Al, move!" she screamed, leaping forward and in front of him. With a flick of her hands, she knocked Al away, back far enough that he'd be safe—just as Scar leapt out of the mist towards her, his hand outstretched. Lissa brought her arm up, still plated in metal from before, ready to meet his attack.

But it never landed.

The air shifted beside her, and with a cry, Ed leapt in and rammed his foot solidly against Scar's bent leg, kicking him away and landing in a crouch in front of Lissa.

She stared at him in shock. He…saved me. He put himself in front of me. But…why?

"Brother!" Al yelped, racing back to join them. "Where's Winry?"

"She's safe. No thanks to me, though… I made her cry again." He stood straight and wiped at the blood caked down the right side of his face, seeming weary. Lissa was lost for words, overwhelmed, without a single clue what to even say to him now.

Al sighed at him. "You really should be more careful, brother. She doesn't like to see you fight like that."

"Yeah," Ed muttered dejectedly. "But she's gone now… So let's end this." He moved to stand beside Lissa, placing her between him and Al, and reached out to touch her shoulder lightly. "Liss…you okay?" he asked her quietly.

She nodded once. No, but she wasn't going to tell him that now.

It was all she could do not to sob when he pressed his hand into the small of her back for a moment, that familiar, sweet gesture. What was going on? There was what happened with Winry…up against this, him running in to save her, touching her, familiar and gentle… She couldn't fathom it and there was no time to focus on it, either.

Lissa's skin crawled.

"Homunculus," she hissed, snapping her gaze to the fat, lumbering creature leaping down off a nearby train to land behind Scar.

"Ooh, I found you!" he squeaked. "Ishvalan!" His tongue lolled out, slobber flying, and there it was—an ouroboros tattoo, right there on his tongue. So this was the one who'd attacked Riza. Gluttony, Lissa assumed. It seemed to fit.

"You again!" Scar almost gasped, jolting to face him.

"You said he's a homunculus, Lissa?" Al breathed. "Then—he's the one who attacked the Colonel's team!"

Ed gritted his teeth. "He's got to be. Where the hell are Ling and Lan Fan?!"

As the homunculus leapt, Scar dodged, slamming the enormous creature into the dirt and pressing his right hand to its back. His destructive energy flared, and blood bubbled out the homunculus's mouth—but it didn't fucking die.

"So even he can't kill them in one hit!" Lissa clenched her fists, trying to feel for the Xingese. But all she could sense was that damned homunculus, worse than any of the others, her whole body crawling with that wretched sensation. This one was overwhelming, far more than any other had been, not even Greed—and she'd been around him for a pretty extended period of time. What the hell was this one?!

Scar went at it again, and again, but the creepy thing just kept grinning at him, refusing to die. Gluttony—for Lissa assumed that was him—launched up and managed to fling Scar into the side of a train, pinning him there with his own physical mass.

When Gluttony reared back, Lissa shot forward, cutting a channel through the air, and rammed the flat of her arm into his side. The force of it sent the homunculus reeling, and the boys were on him right after, kicking him even further away. They couldn't just let him kill Scar yet. If Ling and Lan Fan weren't coming, they needed to focus on somehow pinning this homunculus first!

Wait… That feeling… I know that sense!

Lissa skidded to a halt, snagging the back of Ed's jacket in time to yank him out of the way as the manhole cover beside them exploded—and Ling shot out, somersaulting midair with his blade clenched in his teeth. She'd never seen him like this. He seemed unhinged, like something in him had snapped.

Oh no. Where's Lan Fan?

Ling landed atop Gluttony's shoulders with a bomb primed, which he stuffed down the creature's throat in a single motion. "Go! Move it!" he ordered, leaping back off Gluttony.

Lissa and Ed staggered away, and she smothered a yelp when he grabbed her and pushed her to the ground, covering her with his own body as the bomb exploded. They both sat up, just in time to see the lower half of Gluttony's body crash to the ground—and his severed tongue, oozing blood into the dirt, landed with a wet slap right before them.

Then, right before Lissa's eyes, it disintegrated into nothing.

All around them, the severed pieces of Gluttony dissipated in the same way, even the arm sitting grotesquely in front of Al. So…severed parts of the homunculi just faded? That was important to know.

Just a few feet away, Gluttony's half-destroyed body began to rebuild, red energy crackling as it started putting itself back together. It was gruesome to see, the innards reforming, flesh crawling upwards from his torso. His bones began to regrow, seemingly from nothing, arms dropping down with a sickening crack. Lissa cringed and felt Ed's hand clench into her jacket, his face screwed up in disgust that mirrored her own.

Ling landed right beside them and snapped, "Get me some strong cable!"

Immediately, Ed leapt up. "Right! On it!" He raced to the train tracks just behind him, clapping his hands together on the way, and pressed his palms into the metal lining the edge of the tracks.

Shit. There was still more to be done. Lissa shoved to her feet, pushing off everything else, and sprinted to the far side of the homunculus, transmuting the air on the way. Ed returned moments later with his newly-transmuted cable in hand. He passed one end to Ling, then tossed the other end over to Lissa, the cable uncoiling midair.

"Ling, go!" she shouted, snatching the cable up and following the Xingese prince in. He leapt up and began winding the cable around the homunculus's still-forming body, twisting it around him as tightly as he could.

"Your own regenerative ability is working against you!" he hissed as he worked. "Your flesh won't stop expanding! It'll keep you tied up nice and tight!" Lissa followed his movements, tracing the faintest disturbances in the air to keep herself behind Ling at all times as she fed the cable up to him. She finally threw the end up to him and stepped back as he tied it securely.

"You're mine now, homunculus!" Ling snarled, triumphant.

Lissa sank back in relief. They'd…actually done it! They'd captured a homunculus!

Tyres squealed nearby, and gunshots rang out—Scar, who had been standing there forgotten until now, grunted in sudden pain as one of those bullets slammed into the side of his leg and sank to his knees. A car drifted in sideways, driven by a familiar blonde woman with glasses framing her face.

Lissa could only stare at her in shock. Riza!

"Put him in," Riza demanded sharply. "We're getting out of here."

With a gargantuan effort, born only from adrenaline and rage, Ling hefted Gluttony's entire form and dumped him into the car, climbing in after and crouching there, holding onto the seat.

Ed looked between Scar and Riza, seeming totally overwhelmed. "Hold on a sec, Lieu-"

Lissa shot her arm out and caught him in the stomach, cutting him off and earning a baffled look in return. But Riza brought a finger to her lips, and Ed finally caught on—she was in disguise, of course he shouldn't go around calling her Lieutenant Hawkeye!

"Wait!" Al yelped, not quite there yet. "What's going on-"

Ed shook his head firmly. "Al, stop!" he interrupted. "The MPs are watching. Just pretend we don't know her," he murmured, tapping the side of his brother's armor.

Lissa swallowed hard as soldiers flooded the area, making their confusion known. Ed was right to say so—but she couldn't help but worry about Riza, about Ling… And about Lan Fan, who had never shown back up. Where was the Xingese girl? Why had Ling been so battered when he arrived? And where the hell was his coat?

"The Colonel may be a creep and a jerk," Ed muttered under his breath, "but at least we can trust him. Besides, we have something to do."

"Ed, wait-" Lissa tried, uselessly, as he took off running towards Scar. Ed rammed his automail fist into Scar's face, launching an attack with a definite advantage this time—after all, Scar was injured now, and he'd been beaten down by that homunculus too.

But even with all that, Scar was still a formidable enemy. Ed retreated quickly back to the edge of the tracks as Scar sent transmutation energy ripping through the ground, clearly not finished yet.

"Al, Lissa! We have to get him!" Ed called.

Lissa nodded sharply. "Right!"

To either side of her, the boys brought their hands together, preparing.

"You killed the Rockbells and Nina, among many others," Ed snarled.

"You're going to answer for your crimes!" Al told the Ishvalan fiercely.

Something rammed into Al, knocking him down flat. Lissa caught a glimpse of pink, felt that same pestering familiar feeling she got from all the Xingese—but she didn't even have time to fully register it before she felt something knock into her as well, sending her crashing into the ground. Beside her, Ed suffered the same fate in the form of feet landing directly on his face.

A tiny girl leapt over them and landed beside Scar, taking up a fighting stance, and beside her was…

Was that a tiny panda?!

"Are these three giving you trouble, servant?" the girl asked imperiously. She pointed an accusatory finger at the three alchemists. "This is the servant of the man who saved my life! You better leave him alone, puny little boy!"

Ed shoved to his feet and raged at her, "Wait a sec! Who are you calling puny?!"

He…did have a point, though. Lissa thought this weird little girl wouldn't even come up to her chest. She was tiny, and young, and…probably confused, if she was working with Scar. She was almost feeling sorry for the little thing when this tiny girl yanked out two handfuls of kunai and brandished them, and all that pity evaporated in an instant.

Lissa jolted as the girl threw her kunai, not at any of them but at two separate train cars, where they stuck firmly in place. Then the girl deftly traced a circle in the dirt with the toe of her shoe, dropped five more kunai to the points of a star she drew in the middle of the circle—and pressed her hand to it.

Blue transmutation energy crackled up from her circle, and twin explosions sounded behind them. Suddenly the area was engulfed in thick, black smog, choking everyone's lungs and efficiently covering their escape, too.

Growling low in her throat, Lissa twisted her hands midair and summoned those foreign coal particles, separating the elements and dragging them together, the black cloud sparkling blue as she worked her abilities, struggling with the sheer size of the area. She was used to doing this in smaller, compact areas, rather than out in the open.

"What kind of alchemy was that?" Ed coughed, tucking his face into the crook of his elbow.

"She did it from that far away?" Al wondered. He alone was unaffected by inhaling the foreign particles, a small blessing, though his vision would be obscured too.

Ed let out a yell of frustration. "Shit, I can't see! Scar!"

Lissa yanked harder at her energy, scarcely able to breathe at all with everything she was dragging towards herself—but finally she was able to bring all the smoke together, coalescing it into a single, hard lump that she let fall from her hand. As soon as it fell, her knees wavered, and she realized she might have overdone it just a bit.

But then Edward was there, ducking under her arm to drape it over his shoulders and sliding his own arm around her waist, holding her tight to him. "I've got you, Liss," he told her softly. "Just hold onto me, okay?"

Why? Why are you acting like this? It seemed like… That you…

Dimly, Lissa heard Ed reassuring Al that she'd be all right, felt him guiding her away… She was too overwhelmed to do anything but follow, trusting him to look after her. Once her breathing stabilized, she looked up to realize they were mostly alone, around the side of a train car, in their own little bubble for a moment. Keeping what had happened earlier in mind, she went to pull away, to create space, distance, trying to be respectful…

But Ed just pulled her into him and kissed her so sweetly, right there where anybody could see them, catch them, but…but he didn't seem to care. He stroked his gloved thumb down her cheek gently as he pulled back, his gaze soft and steady. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Lissa bowed her head. "I'm confused, Ed," she admitted.

His eyebrows furrowed. "About what?"

"About…us, this, whatever's going on here. Earlier I thought… With Winry…" She looked away from him, feeling horribly uncomfortable. "Some part of me just wondered…after what happened-"

"Ed, Lissa…they brought a car for us," Al told them, rounding the end of the train car and stopping in his tracks when he saw them. "Er… Is everything okay?" he asked worriedly. It wasn't a compromising position, at least, but it wasn't exactly innocent either.

Lissa expected Ed to yank away, but instead he nodded and pulled her into his side even tighter. "Yeah. Everything's fine, Al. Let's go."

He led her away, trailing a couple steps behind his brother, and Lissa didn't think she'd ever been more confused. What was this? Why wasn't he upset about her questions, her worries? Whichever way it fell, whether she was reading too much into it or not, Ed had every right to be put off by what she'd asked. Or, rather, nearly asked. But instead he was just…holding onto her like nothing had ever happened. Had he misunderstood?

"I know you're feeling uncertain," he told her softly, so quietly she could barely make out his words. "And I understand why. But I promise you, Liss… It isn't like that." Ed tightened his arm around her waist. "We can talk later, okay? I just…don't want to be at odds."

"Okay," she agreed softly. Lissa was still confused…but he was here, with her, and she was going to appreciate that for as long as she could.

"We're keeping her."

"Like hell we are!"

"But she's cute."

"It is not cute! It's a tiny demon spawn with razor sharp teeth!"

Lissa crossed her arms and scowled at Ed. "You're just jealous because she's cuter than you."

"I am not!" he hissed back. "And it's definitely not cuter than me!"

She smirked. "Jealous."

"No!"

Lissa beamed up at Al, who was still holding the tiny creature aloft—the tiniest panda bear Lissa had ever seen in her life. The little thing was angry, it seemed, but she had accepted Al and stopped trying to bite Lissa's fingers off every time she petted the little panda, which clearly meant they were winning her over. Alphonse had picked the panda up back at the railyard and kept her stuffed in his armor all through picking Winry up, only now bringing the panda back out once they'd reached the hotel lobby. Across the lobby, Winry was on the phone with Mr. Garfiel, still a bit unsteady but doing better.

In fact, Lissa was rather hoping the sight of Al's enormous armored self holding an itty-bitty panda would help cheer her friend up. They'd finally told her everything, she and Ed had, about Winry's parents and what they'd learned in Xerxes about the events surrounding their deaths. It was hard, heart-wrenchingly difficult to explain it all, but Winry deserved the truth.

"It's okay, Al," she reassured the younger boy kindly. "We'll keep her. Don't listen to Ed."

Ed crossed his arms irritably. "No, we are not keeping it! Where the hell are we gonna put a pet anyway, huh?"

Al giggled and rubbed a finger on the panda's head. "In my armor?"

"And when we're fighting?"

"Um…" Al shifted on his feet. "In the hotel?"

"What if it pees on everything? Specifically my clothes!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Winry asked, crossing to them with a baffled look on her face. "I'm so lost."

Al held up the panda helpfully. "Brother doesn't want us to keep her."

Winry's eyes lit up as she saw the tiny creature. "Aw, Ed, really? That's so heartless, you can't just toss the poor little cat out on the street!"

Ed wrinkled his nose in distaste, muttering, "It bites, Winry."

"And I'm sure that's because you were being mean to her," Winry cooed, reaching out and petting the panda's head. Lissa was pleased to see the panda didn't bite her, either. "See? She's harmless."

Lissa patted Ed's shoulder comfortingly. "It'll be easier if you just give in," she counseled him.

Winry sighed and pulled her arm back, crossing it over her abdomen instead. "Um… So…" She averted her gaze. "I'm going back to Rush Valley tonight."

"So soon?" Ed asked, sounding worried.

But she just nodded firmly. "Yes. They need me there… And it's not going to do me any good to sit around doing nothing." Winry grimaced a bit. "I shouldn't have unpacked earlier… Now I have to pack all over again."

"I'll help, if you'd like," Lissa offered with a smile. "I just need to look after this dummy first." She poked Ed's arm, making him swat at her—but it got a little giggle out of Winry.

"Sure, Lissa. That sounds great. I'll just be in my room, okay?" Winry headed upstairs then, with another little head pat for the panda.

Ed gave her a dry look. "What do you mean, look after me?"

She pointed at his head helpfully. "You're injured. That one little bandage isn't enough, I know you reopened your old cut from Laboratory Five." Even though he sighed about it, Lissa managed to take him by the hand and lead him upstairs, to their hotel room, with Al trailing behind totally absorbed in his new pet. She knew, realistically, they couldn't keep the little thing…but it was nice to pretend for a bit. Besides, she enjoyed poking fun at Ed too much to stop.

With Al across the room, entertained by the panda chewing on his fingers and various bits of his armor, Lissa settled Ed on the sofa and pulled out her first aid supplies, arranging them on the table and kneeling in front of him. "Here, take your hair down, okay? It'll be more comfortable if it's not braided for a bit."

He did so immediately, not questioning her, setting his hair tie on the table among all her supplies and tugging his fingers through his own hair. Lissa snagged the hair tie and stuck it on her own wrist so it wouldn't get lost, a sort of reflexive gesture as she picked up a cotton ball and doused it in antiseptic. He wouldn't do this on his own, she knew. Ed would've just left the half-assed bandage some MP gave him before they left the railyard.

Staying as focused as she could on her task, Lissa rose up on her knees and gently peeled the old bandage off, watching him shift a bit in discomfort. Then she dabbed the cotton ball on his wound, making him hiss and wince at the sting—but he didn't jerk away from her. That was important, somehow.

"I want to ask you not to doubt me," Ed murmured, his golden eyes fixed on her face, "but…I understand. I'd have to be an idiot not to get why you wondered about that today."

She shook her head faintly. "I trust you. If you say it's not like that, then I believe you."

"Yeah, but Liss… That doesn't make it go away," he pointed out softly. "I won't just pretend it didn't happen. You're afraid I have feelings for Winry. And I know you just said you believe me, but you still look hurt… I can't just act like I don't see that."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's not my place to get involved in that."

"Lissa." Ed touched her cheek gently, and she paused with the cotton ball halfway to his face, caught by his eyes staring right into her soul. "Winry's my oldest friend. We grew up together. And yeah, I care about her, a lot, but… It's different. It always has been." The pad of his thumb was rough, she noticed, calloused from years of training and fighting… Yet his touch was so very gentle… "This doesn't change anything, okay? Not a damn thing."

She bowed her head for a moment, trying so desperately to believe it without feeling like she was…coming between something. "Okay," Lissa acknowledged softly, after a moment. "I—I'm sorry I got like this, it's so…selfish and-"

Ed smiled and caught her free hand in his. "Nah. I get it. I'd be the same way."

Lissa felt her cheeks warming. He was just so—so—so much sometimes. How could he possibly be this sweet and understanding, not angry with her over her stupid reactions…

Though…

She finished cleaning his forehead and picked up her roll of gauze, forced to stand to be at the right position to wind it around his head. Today had been…so trying, and maybe… Maybe he just wanted things to be all right, somehow, in one tiny part of their lives. They wanted so badly for this thing between them to be easy, and maybe this was his way of ensuring that. Because at the end of all the hell they'd gone through, the close calls and stress and just insanity they'd endured that day…it meant so much to be able to go back to this, to the understanding they had between them.

Easy. All right, Edward Elric. It really will be easy, then.

Lissa tied off the bandages and finished with a kiss atop his head. "There. You're all set. Now I'm gonna go help Winry, okay? You two try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone, please."

Al bobbed his head. "We won't!"

Yet at the same time, Ed smirked and told her, "No promises."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sounds about right." Sighing, Lissa cleared away her first aid supplies and left the boys there, hoping they really wouldn't cause any chaos in her absence—unlikely, but a girl could dream—and went next door to knock on Winry's door instead.

"Come in!"

Lissa stepped inside and shut the door behind her, finding a flurry of chaotic packing, half clothes and half tools, with little sign of organization. "Er…looks like a tornado went through here," she teased lightly.

Winry grinned up at her sheepishly from the center of the mess. "Sorry. I know it's kind of crazy."

"Nah, Ed's much worse when he tries to pack," Lissa reassured her, smirking. "I've just kind of given up on him, even if he has hours and hours to handle it he'll make a total mess of it. This isn't bad at all." She dove in immediately, sitting down beside Winry and beginning to fold the bundle of shirts she discovered nearby. "So…how are you holding up?"

The blonde shrugged faintly. "As well as I can be, I guess. I don't think it completely feels real yet, but…" She rested her hands on her knees for a moment. "I don't want to just sit here and be useless. You and Ed and Al… You're out risking your lives like that every day. I've got to do something."

Lissa set the shirt she'd folded into Winry's open suitcase and frowned at her slightly. "You've done plenty, Win. You made Ed's arm and leg. That's huge."

"I know, but…" Her hands clenched into fists atop her legs. "I can't do what you all do. I'm not a fighter, I'm just a liability out there, and I know that… So all I can do is fight through this so I can help the next time you guys need me. That's what my parents did. They fought however they could, even if it wasn't by picking up a weapon. I want to be like them."

"From what I've heard…you already are a lot like them," Lissa told her quietly.

That made Winry smile. "I really hope so." She returned to packing for a moment—before something occurred to her and she paused again, looking at Lissa curiously. "Hey, Lissa… What keeps you going? If that's okay to ask, I mean. I just wonder…what drives you to keep fighting like that? I hadn't seen you fight until today… And it's like the boys, you have this…inner drive when you're out there. I wondered what's pushing you on."

She blinked, surprised at the question. "Well… I guess a lot of it is because I want to help Ed and Al get their bodies back," Lissa began slowly. "And the rest… Honestly, sometimes I don't know. I've been so…angry most of my life… My parents were…well…" She looked up at Winry, stunned to realize she'd never actually told this story. "That's weird…"

"Huh? What's weird?" Winry raised an eyebrow, confused.

"I never told you…" Lissa leaned back on her hands and cast her gaze to the ceiling. "My parents were killed during the Ishvalan Civil War too. The difference is, something happened to me at the same time and I lost most of my memories from when I was a kid… I remember some of it, just little bits here and there, but the doctors at Central figured I suffered some kind of shock and it caused me to smother whatever happened. So most times I just…have this sense of…of loss, you know? And it made me so…angry. I wasn't given much of a choice in becoming a state alchemist, because when the military found me in my hometown I used alchemy against them, and they decided I was too dangerous to just…go to a normal home."

Winry frowned, leaning forward towards her. "That hardly seems fair," she complained. "Forcing a little kid who just lost her parents to go into some military institution…" She looked so very troubled. "I had no idea you'd lost your parents too. I mean… I knew they weren't around, but…"

"It's different for me," she hurried to say, feeling a bit uncomfortable getting Winry of all people to pity her. "I don't have a lot of memories of them so it's more just—the absence that bugs me than anything else. Anyway, the thing is… It used to make me so angry, all the time. I only wanted to take my state alchemy exams just to get out of the institution, and that was it. I didn't have anything else I wanted. But then…"

A faint smile came over the blonde's lips. "You met the boys, in Resembool. Right?"

"Right," Lissa agreed softly. "And since then…that's been my drive. I want to see them whole again. So I guess…I don't really know what else is pushing me, right now. All I want is to look after Ed and Al. They're my family now." She stared down at her lap, anxious and embarrassed. "You are too."

"Aw, Lissa…" Winry beamed and threw her arms around her, hugging Lissa so tightly. "I feel like that too, you know? Really, I'm so glad I met you. It's nice to have somebody around who—gets it, who knows how all of this feels."

In better spirits, they finished up packing Winry's things, condensing everything into a single suitcase—which Lissa thought was impressive, really—and she was just about to suggest they head to the station when Winry sort of…gave her this look, and Lissa froze, baffled. "You…look sort of like you're going to interrogate me," she edged. "Is something wrong?"

Winry folded her arms over her chest. "What's going on between you and Ed? And don't try to head me off this time, Lissa. I've seen the way he looks at you."

Oh, shit.

"I…honestly…" Lissa spun away, her cheeks burning. "I don't know?"

"Oh, come on."

"I mean it," she mumbled. "It's just…sort of…whatever it is right now. We didn't exactly quantify it." Lissa groaned and rubbed her hands over her face. "And now I feel like everyone knows except poor Al, we were gonna talk to him first… Shit…"

Winry laughed and tapped her shoulder, getting her to turn around. "Knowing Al, he probably picked up on it before you two did. But…" She frowned a bit. "Are you…happy? Is Ed happy?"

Was he? Lissa thought about that seriously, recalling his sweet smile as she left the hotel room, the way he constantly wanted to be holding her hand, wrapping his arms around her, keeping her close… The lightness in his tone when they'd declared it was going to be easy… "I think so," she whispered, after a moment. "I hope he is. And me… I just wanna look after him."

"So is it just sort of…" Winry waved her hand flippantly. "Up in the air or… Did he…"

Lissa wrinkled her nose. "I feel bad talking about this tonight."

"Please. I never get any good gossip down in Rush Valley." She grinned. "You're…blushing, Lissa. Did he—oh my gosh. Please tell me Edward grew a spine and did something about this."

She swallowed hard, feeling her cheeks absolutely simmering with heat—but…well, if Winry already knew, and she was brightening just talking about it… Lissa hadn't gotten to tell anyone or show anyone, and it was burning right at the edge of her lips… "He…well…may have, um… Kissed me. A few times."

Winry giggled and clapped her hands together excitedly. "I knew it! I knew it weeks ago! Hah! Who knew little Ed Elric was brave enough, huh?"

Lissa covered her face, absolutely mortified by it. "Winry, stop…"

"Nuh-uh. C'mon, I'm happy for you. If I was gonna have anybody get near those boys, I'm glad it's you, Lissa. At least I know you care about them and you're looking after them." Winry folded her arms imperiously. "It's not like I didn't see this coming, you know."

"I know, I know, but…" Lissa peeked between her fingers, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. "I wondered…if maybe you and…and Ed…"

Winry wrinkled her nose. "Tch. Ed's like my annoying little brother. Don't get me wrong, I love him and Al, they're my oldest friends, but—it's nothing like that, I promise. It might feel kinda weird, being romantic with them at this point." She smiled then, sweetly, and reached out to squeeze Lissa's shoulder. "I am glad you were honest with me, though. Thank you."

It really wasn't fair, how kind Winry was.

"It's the least I can do," Lissa mumbled, shrugging.

Winry picked up her suitcase and hitched her repair case up on her shoulder, summoning up a brave sort of smile. "Well, I should probably head out. But you'll call, won't you? And keep me updated on everything?"

Lissa inclined her head. "Whenever I can."

"Good." Winry stuck out her arm, a sort of invitation, and Lissa took her up on it immediately. "Shall we?"

"Yeah. Let's go round up the boys."


(Drama queen Lissa, hah! Also, there's enough drama here without a love triangle. So none of that.)