Hello again! It's been a minute and I'm somehow managing to double-update, only because I had a great period for my *other* injury - I'm a mess, aren't I? - and I got really excited about writing. I missed Lissa, seriously! And I am thrilled to be back already, even if it seems like a while... Because, er. Well, to update on my health issues... I have...a medication to try? And a tentative diagnosis? But the fact that it's tentative and that I had to switch meds, probably have to add one...agh. My body doesn't want me to be functional, apparently. And my successful lumbar puncture was largely *inconclusive* for this issue, but I have a great doctor who listens to what I say my symptoms are, so... Fingers crossed! Once I get up the guts to try this stuff, anyway. In the interim, I projected the bravery I wish I had into this story and Lissa's journey, so it's been a bit therapeutic. **Also, I want to say the biggest thank you ever to the people who've still supported, who checked in on me... Said such lovely things about me taking care of my health... I want, so badly, to update regularly for you all, and I'm striving towards that as safely as I can. You all, and your comments, have been such a bright spark among all this. I don't want to get too intense because it's time for some seriously heavy material, but I wanted to thank you all for the support. It's tough to follow an author who isn't consistent, but I promise to do my best for you! Now, I'll shush and let the story continue.


Lissa stood with her palms pressed against the wall, eyes screwed shut, every ounce of her energy focused on the senses of the people above her—floors and floors above. She didn't think she'd ever pushed her alchemical senses and her feel for the Dragon's Pulse so hard. Winry and Scar were above them, each radiating their own unique sense that she could zero in on, but from this distance…it was difficult to keep her focus. Her arms were beginning to tremble from the sheer effort of it.

"Liss… You don't have to do this if it's too much," Ed told her softly, resting his hand on her back.

She gritted her teeth. "What, you trust Scar not to bring the damn building down accidentally? I need to make sure we're safe down here, we're directly beneath him. If he puts even a little too much energy into it, we could get crushed if I'm not paying attention."

He sighed roughly. "But you… Whatever Marcoh said to you earlier…"

"Ed. Please. Not right now."

Because if you make me think about that here, I might sob at Kimblee instead of yelling at him. And that'll ruin everything.

"All right," Ed agreed quietly. "I don't like it, but I'll take it. For now. I just-"

But she cut him off. "Wait! I think he's about to…" Lissa let the sentence fade as an explosion rang out above them—Scar destroying part of the building, feigning that he was attacking Ed, Al, and Lissa. He had to make the building structurally unsound, enough that Kimblee couldn't just send people racing after him immediately. With the storm rolling in as well, it would force their group to seek shelter instead of pursuing Scar, who would safely bring Winry down into the tunnels as well, to rejoin the others. Al was with Major Miles and his squad, waiting to exit out a slightly different door, like they'd been separated in the chaos.

At least…that was the plan.

Lissa hated it, no matter that she'd vouched for Winry. That was what friends did, after all, and there really hadn't been a better way to cover their asses to Kimblee, and keep the homunculi from exacting retribution against Alex. Not having a choice didn't make it any easier to stomach, though. It was still terrible.

"Me first, then you," Ed breathed, grabbing Lissa's arm as the explosion cascaded down towards them. "Right?"

"Right," she agreed quickly.

He yanked her into him, kissing her fiercely for just a moment, enough to steal all the breath from her lungs—then Ed turned and ran out through the front, coughing in the smoke. Lissa pressed her lips together, letting the strength he'd afforded her build up a moment. She counted off five seconds in her head, then pulled up the words Dr. Marcoh had put into her head. Human experimentation. My parents might have experimented on me. Their own child.

Rage and hurt burned in her chest, and Lissa sprinted out after Ed, twisting her hands midair to clear some of the dust as she rushed through.

"This is all your fault, Kimblee!" she heard Ed snarl as she ran up beside him. "You were supposed to be watching Winry!"

Lissa grabbed Ed's arm and pulled. "Ed, he's up there, I think he went to the roof!" she cried.

As she pointed up, sure enough, Scar stepped into view—carrying Winry limp under his right arm. Even though she knew it was fake, even though Lissa knew damn well her friend was fine…it still made anger sear in her heart to see Winry in Scar's grasp.

"Why was she even there?! How did she get inside?!" Lissa shrilled, bringing her hands up and clearing some of the dust from the air with a flick of her wrist just as Al, Miles, and the two Briggs soldiers rushed out to join them.

Ed growled low in his throat. "How could you?" he demanded of Kimblee. "We've finally got Scar cornered, and now he's taken her hostage! Because of you!"

"Tell me something, Kimblee," Scar intoned from above them—and that was real rage in his voice, a genuine sort of anger that Lissa hadn't expected. What was going on here?! "Do you remember when we first met? It seems we've changed places."

Kimblee glared up at him. "You shouldn't be so confident," he sneered.

Ed let out a yell of frustration and advanced on Kimblee, grabbing him by his lapels and shaking him hard, knocking his hat off in the process. "Kimblee! Damn you! Tell me why! Why is Winry here?! Why the hell did you let this happen to her?!"

But Kimblee just brushed him off. "Stand aside," he demanded, sliding his gloves off. He pulled free of Ed and stretched his arms out wide, preparing to bring his hands together.

"What are you doing?!" Ed yelled, true panic seeping in. He grabbed Kimblee's arms by the wrists, his muscles shaking as he desperately tried to hold him back—for if Kimblee got his hands together… "Stop! Stop this now, Crimson Alchemist! Can't you see Winry's up there with him?! I won't let you attack!"

Lissa lunged in and grabbed onto Kimblee's arm, yanking hard to the side, throwing her strength in with Ed's. "You can't!" she screamed. "Kimblee, stop it, you'll kill her too!" Dammit, we can't let him do this! He really would kill Winry!

Kimblee stared down at her harshly. "Why can't you two just stay out of the way?" he demanded icily.

With a yell, Scar brought his hand down atop the building, sending another explosion racing down—Lissa released Kimblee and grabbed Ed in the chaos, pulling him back as a chunk of debris nearly landed right atop him. It wasn't necessarily Scar's fault, he didn't have control over that, but she couldn't help but feel a little angry with him over it nonetheless.

They watched, staring up helplessly, as Scar turned and strode away, out of sight.

"Not so fast, Ishvalan," Kimblee hissed, moving to go after him.

But one of the nearby soldiers grabbed his shoulder and stopped him there. "No, wait! It's much too dangerous to get close to the building," he cautioned.

The snowstorm began truly showing itself then, whipping the air up around them and forcing Lissa to don her heavier gloves, against her better judgment. She still felt that sharp, stinging urge to go after Winry—to yank her out of Scar's clutches—but that was stupid. They'd done their part, and now the rest was up to the other team. All she and the boys needed to do was stay safe in this snowstorm, and make it back to Briggs in one piece without arousing Kimblee's suspicions any further.

From where she was standing, it seemed like the harder of the two jobs.

Lissa turned, squinting through the impending whiteout, to see Ed standing there in the snow glaring up at the building. "Ed, come on," she urged, taking his arm. "We need to find shelter. He won't stay out in this kind of weather, and we can't go looking for her if we die out here."

He nodded reluctantly. "Right. Let's go."

They headed off, rejoining Al and Miles, plus his two loyal Briggs soldiers, as their entire team—Kimblee's men included—went to seek shelter from the storm. Lissa kept her hand firmly around Ed's arm as they walked, unwilling to let him go just yet. She knew he was struggling with what they'd had to do, moreso than she was herself.

"That was a convincing performance," Miles told them lowly, as they walked.

Ed let out a harsh breath. "It wasn't a performance. I'm every bit as angry as I sounded back there. I feel so worthless, having to put on this stupid charade!"

"It's still our best option, brother," Al counseled him gently. "It'll be okay."

Miles led them to a nearby abandoned building—one of Baschool's infinite number of abandoned buildings—where the bulk of their forces could wait out the storm. Kimblee and his men settled in one room, with Miles watching over them stoically, while Ed, Al, and Lissa all took up spots in the adjacent room, trying to avoid Kimblee as much as possible. They were still stuck with a random soldier joining them in the room, though. The boys staked out an oversized sort of crate to sit on, big enough for all three of them, but Lissa opted to sit on the floor with Ed's legs to either side of her, resting her forehead on the inside of his right knee and giving herself a little time to just…compose her thoughts.

Was it really possible that her parents had experimented on her? Dr. Marcoh could confirm, with absolute certainty, that her parents had been involved in the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. Lissa didn't have all the information, she knew that Marcoh had more he could've said, but there wasn't time. Still… She knew enough to put some of it together.

My parents were part of that whole…awful ordeal, before and during the Civil War. They might've been working with the homunculi the whole time. They definitely were part of sacrificing humans to create a Philosopher's Stone.

A shudder ran through her, and she felt Ed's fingers slip through her hair, trying to soothe her though he still didn't know what was wrong. There hadn't been space to tell him. And Lissa was not going to discuss it so close to Kimblee. She just tilted into his leg further, letting her eyes fall shut as he stroked her hair.

What if they hadn't died? What if I'd never met Ed and Al? Or worse…if they'd succeeded in doing something awful to me…Could I have been raised on the other side of this? The thought made her stomach churn with a sudden rush of nausea. If Lissa's parents had survived…would they have raised their child to be like Kimblee? They'd certainly trained her from a very young age, younger than most kids were ever exposed to alchemy. She'd worn her early start like a badge of honor, but what if she was just being groomed as a pawn in this whole game?

She couldn't be glad her parents were dead… That just wasn't in her… But Lissa wondered if it was horrible to be glad she'd been spared whatever awful plans they'd had in mind for her.

"Are you okay, Lissa?" Al asked her quietly, his armor creaking as he leaned over to see her.

Lissa looked up at him and managed a faint smile. "Yeah, I'm okay, little brother. It's just…a lot, y'know? All of this."

Al nodded solemnly. "It is. But we'll get through it."

She reached up and tapped his leg. "Together."

"Exactly," he agreed, reaching down to ruffle her hair. He was the only one who really got away with that kind of stuff.

The door swung open, and all three looked up in surprise as Major Miles stepped in. He eyed the soldier in the room for a split second, seemed to deem him trustworthy, and then approached the three alchemists with a dark look on his face. Lissa's skin crawled with trepidation. "I'm afraid we have a problem," he told them, rather gravely.

"What kind of problem?" Lissa asked, sitting further upright.

Miles grimaced. "Come with me." He led all four one room over, behind a curtain draped through the doorway, and sat down on the bench anchored near the center of the room. "I just received word from Briggs. It seems the fort is no longer safe."

"What do you mean, the fort is no longer safe?!" Ed demanded sharply, bending to be closer to the Major's height.

"I mean that General Armstrong's been summoned back to the Central Command Center," Miles told him bluntly. "Troops sent from Central have begun invading Briggs in force. There's no doubt they're acting on the Crimson Alchemist's orders. When we were back at the fort, I noticed him making rather frequent phone calls."

Lissa sucked in a sharp breath. "It's like at the other crests, the other sites of bloodshed… Central troops came in to screw everything up. That's what this is too, it has to be."

"This is bad," Ed murmured, frowning. "Without General Armstrong there…"

"A commander handpicked by Bradley will be posted in her place," Miles confirmed.

She felt Ed's hand clench down on her arm, almost painfully. "What do we do about Winry?!" he asked sharply.

"Oh, fuck, that's right," Lissa hissed, stricken. "Winry and Mei and the others are all heading back to Briggs right now!"

"Hiding Miss Rockbell and the others will be difficult." Miles stared across the room, tension radiating from his posture. "If they're not careful, they're bound to fall into the enemy's clutches." He rested his forearms on his knees, seeming…weary, for the first time. He was as anxious about this as they all were, and it was showing.

Ed let out a growl of frustration and stalked away, beginning to pace. "We have to find some way to warn them!"

Miles looked up at him, brow furrowed. "There's no way we can catch up to them in a storm this bad. We'd die trying."

"So we sit here and do nothing?!" Ed demanded, crossing to glare angrily out the window. He paused a moment, staring out into the whiteout blizzard raging outside, before he ground out, "I'll go tell them myself!"

Lissa crossed her arms at him. "I'd have a better shot, using my alchemy. I can handle the winds better than you."

The soldier in the room shook his head, though. "Don't you two kids go underestimating the storm out there," he cautioned. "You'll freeze to death before you come anywhere close to reaching your friends."

She met Ed's gaze, mirroring each other's frustrated helplessness.

"There is a way," Al breathed behind them. "Listen. Send someone who doesn't have a body." He pointed at himself firmly. "That storm won't freeze me to death."

Ed turned to look at him, fear creeping into his expression. "Alphonse… Wait a minute…"

"That's a good idea, actually," Miles interrupted, crossing his arms. "We can provide you with a map and compass, and I'll note landmarks for you to ensure you stay on the right path. You can intercept the others on the far side of the mountain."

"No—no, hang on-"

"All right." Al nodded firmly. "I'll need to sneak out the back before Kimblee spots me, but the storm should cover me out on the street at least."

Ed finally darted forward and stared up at Al, his expression crumbling. "Al, wait, this isn't—you don't have to do this," he insisted. "We'll find another way, but you can't just…go out there by yourself, not into that storm…"

Al huffed at him. "You offered. So did Lissa. Why is this any different, brother?"

"B-because…" Ed fisted his hands at his sides, staring down as the reality set in—he couldn't argue that point. "Dammit, Al… Just… Be careful, please?"

"I will. I promise." Al rested a hand on his shoulder, just for a moment. Then he took the map that Miles offered him, newly denoted with landmarks for him to look out for, and a small compass. Lissa felt her eyes brimming with sudden tears as Al said quick goodbyes, to her included, and slipped off down the back stairs.

Ed turned to her, breathing unsteadily. "I hate this," he muttered. "I really-"

Lissa pushed past him, startling him and nearly knocking him off his feet—but she just rushed down the stairs in a flurry of sparks. "Al! Al, wait!" she cried. She nearly rammed into him as he paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her in total confusion even as he steadied her.

"Lissa? What's going on?" he asked worriedly.

She grabbed onto him tightly, pressing her face into the cool metal of his chestplate as she tried not to sob. "I just… You have to make it back to us, okay?" she whispered. Lissa didn't know exactly why she was so affected by this, but she was, her entire soul felt like it was screaming in the face of Al going out by himself. "I can't…I can't look after Ed all on my own, little brother. It's got to be both of us. Please, Alphonse. I'm not…strong enough alone."

He leaned down and brought his arms around her, pulling her in tightly. "I swear I'll come back, Lissa," Al promised her softly. "I really will. I'll be okay. And I won't make you look after brother by yourself, I know he's a handful. But…" He released her and bent down so they were at eye level. "You'll take care of him until I get back, won't you?"

"Of course I will," she breathed, nodding. "Just like we promised."

Al squeezed her hands tightly. "Just like we promised," he agreed. "I gotta go. Take care of brother—and take care of yourself too, big sister."

Lissa forced back a sob as he released her, taking a moment to open her senses to him, the familiar ink and parchment rasp of old, well-loved books, and the warmth of a crackling fireplace… "I love you, little brother," she told him softly, making Al look up at her in surprise. "I really do. You come home safe, okay?"

He nodded, pausing just at the door. "I will. I love you too, big sister. Look after yourself."

She leaned there against the wall, one hand pressed over her heart, as Al waved and strode out so, so bravely into the snowstorm. The door slammed shut behind him, but Lissa remained there, stretching out with her senses until he moved beyond her range.

Please, Al… Please come back to us…

Lissa returned upstairs to find Ed had filled Miles and his two loyal soldiers in on everything—including Kimblee carrying a Philosopher's Stone, which made him infinitely more dangerous. With nothing else to do but wait for the storm to die down, Miles suggested Ed and Lissa find a spot to get a little rest, since they'd be moving out the first chance they got. He was right, though she doubted they'd get much rest, especially since there didn't seem to be any beds in the place. Still, Ed found a secluded corner among some crates they could manage to eke out a little privacy in, at least.

Ed scrunched back between a couple crates, sort of wriggling into the gap out of sight but for his feet, and then patted his legs while smiling up at her. "C'mon, Liss," he encouraged. "Otherwise we gotta worry about Kimblee or one of those creeps staring at us."

She scrunched her nose at him. "I'll crush you."

"You will not." He opened his arms and gave her a hopeful look. "Just… I don't want you far from me right now, okay? That's all."

Lissa sighed, knowing she was a complete pushover when it came to that puppy-dog pout of his, and consented to slip into the space. She settled down on his lap, stretching her legs out atop Ed's, and leaned back into his chest with her head nestled just above his heart—she could hear his heartbeat even through his coat when she focused.

Despite herself, she smiled when he brought his arms around her, pulling her in tight against him. "I'm sorry about earlier," Ed murmured. "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."

"Are you talking about…after I tried to make a deal with Kimblee?" she asked, turning and peering up at him in surprise. "You weren't too harsh, Ed. You were…right." Lissa shut her eyes, ashamed even after everything else that had happened since then. "I went behind your back because I knew what you'd say."

"Yeah, but…" Ed sighed, a bit wearily. "I get it. I mean…I'd probably do the same thing, if I thought I could protect you." He rested his chin atop her head and laughed softly. "Man. What a fucking pair we are, huh?"

She didn't bother to suppress her grin. "Isn't that what I said in Resembool?"

He kissed the top of her head and nodded. "I think so, yeah. You also pointed out that you can't stop putting yourself in danger for me. You did it again with Kimblee… And you did it with Scar earlier, too. I mean, I have to give you credit for force of will, at least."

"You're worth it," Lissa told him softly. It was the truth. "You and Al both. I won't ever be sorry for trying to protect you, Ed."

"It's something I love about you, honestly," he admitted quietly, his arms tightening around her just a bit. "How…intense you are about protecting the people you care about. I don't love that it puts you at risk, but…it's just how you are. I can't get angry about something like that, not when I admire it so much."

Lissa swallowed hard at the word admire. She didn't see anything admirable in herself.

"You, and me, and Al… We're always kinda flinging ourselves into the path of danger for each other, and the people around us," Ed continued. His fingers traced patterns along her arm as he spoke, just a subconscious gesture. "It's a stupid thing to do, I guess, but… I dunno. I don't regret it either, you know? Whenever I've stepped in…" He buried his face into her hair, so his next words came out muffled and soft. "I can't get mad at you over something I'd do myself, Liss. That's not fair. I wanna treat you better than that."

"Ed, you already treat me well, what are you talking about?" she asked, stunned by the insinuation. "Just because you got angry doesn't mean that isn't true… Look, we're both learning together, right? Neither of us has done anything like this before." Lissa twisted in his arms until she could wrap an arm around him—then she pulled him in and kissed him, not just on his lips but his nose, forehead, cheeks, feathering kisses all across his face until he broke into a reluctant grin and batted her away. "Trust me, Edward Elric. I'm so, so fucking happy with you. Having one argument isn't going to change that," she told him, watching his face light up as she spoke.

Ed leaned down and rested his forehead against hers, eyes glimmering gold and amber in the shadows they'd tucked away into. "Well, that's kinda perfect, then. Since I feel the exact same way."

Lissa curled into his chest and fisted a hand into his cloak, letting some of the tension melt out of her body as he wrapped his arms around her again. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised him quietly. "I know things are…rough right now, but you don't need to worry about me. I know you, Ed. I know your heart and your soul… That's why I'm here. That's why I know I'll stay, no matter what."

"I'm not leaving either," he told her, pressing his lips into her hair for a moment. "I promise you, Lissa. I'm right where I want to be."

She wanted to tell him—to say those words, to actually say I love you, but she didn't dare. Not here, not until their world had stopped spinning so fast. So Lissa just lay there, enjoying the moment of privacy even in such a difficult situation, the moment of peace. They were both worried sick for poor Alphonse, out in the blizzard by himself, so it was a careful balancing act of distraction and ease, while never quite drifting too far from the knowledge that Al—their little brother, as they called him—was out braving something so awful, all alone.

By morning, the blizzard seemed to be abating, so both Ed and Lissa returned to where Miles had stayed. Lissa could see Edward was exhausted, the beginnings of bruises creeping underneath his eyes, but they were both wide-awake from the cold and tension of their upcoming day. They'd have to pretend Al was still with them, which would be difficult with Kimblee's wary nature—even with some kind of transmuted Al-dummy it would be rough.

Lissa wasn't looking forward to facing the world at all.

Still, she put on a brave face as they rejoined Miles and his soldiers. "Are we good to go?" she asked him softly.

Miles nodded. "The storm has finally passed," he confirmed, checking out the window. "Start preparing."

His soldiers crossed to join them, sounding off acknowledgements, and Lissa and Ed followed a bit more warily, hovering just behind Miles. "We can't take any risks with Kimblee and his men," Miles told them firmly, "so first chance you get…take out all three of them."

Lissa exchanged a sharp look with Ed. He wants to kill them… Just like that?

"You're the only ones to know of this mission. Don't mention it outside the room." Yet Miles was already moving on, leaving no real room to argue his orders. He'd already made up his mind on what they had to do.

"Hey, hold on a minute!" Ed interrupted, frowning deeply. "You're not planning on just killing them, are you, Major?"

Miles met his gaze evenly. "Of course we are."

Ed gritted his teeth. "No. I'm not gonna have any part in that."

"What if his two guards are like the other chimeras?" Lissa asked quickly. "Like Zampano and Jerso. Isn't it possible they're being forced to work for him too?" Though the chimeras hadn't said as much, all four had shown up at the same time and seemed to be a single unit—it wouldn't surprise her if the other two were in the same situation.

Beside her, Ed grabbed her hand and squeezed down. "Exactly. I say we should take Kimblee prisoner and try to get some answers," he suggested, his tone low and firm.

But Miles just scoffed. "Do you really think he'll tell us anything? He's too dangerous to live."

"But Liss is right, we don't know about his men. For all we know, he could be manipulating them somehow. Forcing them to obey. They might have families and loved ones out there to go back to."

"You could be right," Miles conceded, inclining his head. "But we can't take such a risk on possibility."

Ed glared at him, breathing a bit harder now—he really, truly hated the idea of killing anybody. "And yet you're still willing to kill them for one," he shot back, angry. "This isn't like it was with General Raven, there might be another way!"

"We can't just kill them outright, not until we find out if they're actually on his side or not! What if they're just like the other two?" Lissa was just as angry, though. Surely they could afford two damn seconds to make sure!

"Have you forgotten the first law of Briggs?" the Major demanded harshly. "The careless are the first to die. You show mercy in this place, and I guarantee that it's going to get you or your friends killed."

Lissa felt Ed jolt beside her, the words hitting home. That old, familiar burst of soul-sick self-hatred brushed against her senses.

"We aren't going to be careless," Miles told them, turning and leading his soldiers out the door. "We're killing Kimblee. And the two men with him."

When he was gone, Lissa turned and pulled Ed into her arms, feeling him lean into her and rest his head on her shoulder. "Dammit," he breathed, a rush of air through his teeth. "This isn't right, to just—just kill those guys without trying to find out why they're here first. Not now that we know the other two didn't want to be here. For fuck's sake, they didn't even know about the transmutation circle!"

Lissa stepped back and rested her hands on his shoulders. "What are you thinking?" she asked softly. "I know that look in your eye, Ed. You've got an idea."

He nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. But I don't like it. You won't either."

"Tell me anyway."

Ed twisted his mouth up, glancing out the window. "We…have to keep Kimblee and his men from being alone with the Briggs soldiers. It's the only thing I can think of."

She let out a slow breath, considering it. "You're right, I don't like it. But…if we can keep innocent people alive…we have to do it, don't we?" Part of Lissa—the military-trained part, the part that had been willing to carve the crest of blood alone just to spare Ed the trauma—was willing to allow Kimblee to die. But his men, most likely chimeras and very possibly just as trapped as Zampano and Jerso had been… They needed to be sure first. No matter what Major Miles said.

"It's still a huge risk," Ed sighed, turning and passing his hands over his face wearily. "Not to mention Miles will be pissed at us for interfering."

"But…Ed…" She twisted her hands together anxiously. "Okay, just…hear me out a second. What if we let them handle Kimblee?"

"Lissa-"

She shook her head, cutting him off. "I'm serious. Look, Kimblee is a huge problem—and he'll be Miles' soldiers' first target. And we won't be able to stop them from setting up a sniper team, which I bet you is their plan." When he gave her a sharp look, Lissa pointed at herself and rolled her eyes. "I was raised military, Ed. I know how they think. Anyway. We can use the distraction to trap the chimeras ourselves and find out what their stories are."

Ed grimaced, his face screwing up unhappily. "But… Liss… That still means we're letting Kimblee die. Without interrogating him, asking questions…"

"Kimblee isn't innocent. But those chimeras might be." Lissa folded her arms over her chest. "We have to pick our battles. You and I can't do all of it ourselves. Let Kimblee handle himself—and we'll focus on what we can actually do."

He crossed to the window, looking down at the soldiers slowly amassing down on the street. "Okay," Ed relented softly. "You're right. We'll just worry about those chimeras."

"I'll try to feel out if they're actually chimeras, too," Lissa offered, as she took his arm and pulled him towards the back stairs. "That'll give us a better idea of what's going on here." She leaned up far enough to kiss his cheek. "Now, we need to go cover for Al being gone, right?"

Ed nodded, wrinkling his nose. "Right."

They headed outside, and Lissa fetched one of the Briggs loyalist soldiers to join them while Ed transmuted a version of Al's armor from the ambient iron in the soil. Lissa added the final touch, the winged Flamel for his left shoulder, and they helped the soldier inside. The armor was incredibly heavy, though Ed had done his best to keep it as light as possible, but the soldier managed to walk over and join the others, sitting down on a crate to rest.

"This is gonna be difficult," Lissa muttered to Ed, watching Kimblee and his soldiers, still oblivious to the fact that Al was gone. "He's pretty sharp."

"We'll be fine." Ed shot a glance sideways. "As long as Al keeps up the charade."

Miles turned to them then, cutting off any further discussion. "Let's get going," he called over. So it was time.

The soldier in the Al-double—Mick, if Lissa remembered right—stood up awkwardly. "Yes, sir!"

Are you kidding me?

"Don't get carried away, Alphonse," Ed muttered, exasperated. "There's no reason to call the Major sir."

Mick grunted as he struggled to lift the armor. "It's hard to move around in here," he complained, as they started walking off, struggling to keep his steps even. "Couldn't you have made this thing lighter?"

"You're strong, you can handle it," Ed told him flippantly.

Lissa grimaced. "I'll try and keep a little air flow, to make it easier. But I have to be careful, Kimblee might notice if I do it too much. Just…tell me if you get too exhausted."

Ed took her arm and pulled her forward. "C'mon, we gotta go. Kimblee's watching."

"Hold on, brother!" Mick chirped, adopting a high, ridiculous voice that sounded nothing like Al at all.

"Don't," Lissa groaned under her breath. "Seriously, don't do that."

With Kimblee and his men leading the way, Lissa relied on Ed's arm wrapped around hers to keep her grounded—and opened out her senses, reaching forward, trying to feel out what was going on with his two soldiers. She was assaulted immediately by the thick, cloying sense of sulfur, death and suffering… Kimblee carried it on him like a damned angel of death. But as she pushed harder, past that, she finally tapped into the other lingering sense.

"Rotten fruit," she whispered, shutting off her senses and leaning in towards Ed. "It's just like we thought. They're chimeras too."

"Shit." Ed gritted his teeth. "While you were…doing that, I heard Miles talking—Kimblee and his men are going down into the tunnels through that big tower at the center of town. He's setting up snipers above them."

Lissa considered that. "Right. So we need to get there. Maybe you can buy time for the snipers to focus on Kimblee, and I'll focus on the chimeras. I'm quicker if I use alchemy."

"You know…" Ed glanced sideways at her anxiously. "If we go against Kimblee…it might put Major Armstrong at risk."

"I thought about that." Lissa swallowed hard—it was something she'd considered overnight, during the storm, and had to work out in her mind. "They've lost Winry, which means they only have one hostage left against us—so they won't risk killing him without trying to get us back under their thumb, so to speak. He's all they'd have left against us. So…" She set her jaw. "It's a risk we'll have to take."

"All right. I'll trust you on that." He jerked his chin towards Mick and spoke loud enough for the soldier to hear him. "When Kimblee splits off, you go with Miles. Liss and I will cover if anything happens."

"Sure thing," Mick agreed, oblivious to their plans. "I can get out of this suit of armor."

Once Mick peeled off, Ed and Lissa crept on through town, trailing first behind Miles and his group—but then cutting off through an alley and following Lissa's senses to keep track of Kimblee and the chimeras. They'd only have one chance here, and it would require them both being exactly on the same page to avoid either getting severely injured themselves, or letting the chimeras die before they could find out the truth.

The mining tower loomed over them, finally within range, and Ed turned to Lissa with a sort of…fierceness in in gaze. "Be careful, Liss," he warned softly, as he pulled her in close.

She felt warmth roll through her as his arms wrapped around her, so tightly. "You too, Ed… I'll be close by, okay?" Lissa slid her arms around his waist and drew him into her, pressing her lips to his in a soft, sweet kiss.

Then they parted, both going to their appointed tasks—Ed striding confidently towards Kimblee, while Lissa remained in the shadows, taking up a spot between two buildings where she could watch the chimera soldiers and Kimblee, ready to intervene if she had to. It was too cold out for her to remove her gloves, really, but she'd do it if the situation got too bad.

"Hey, Kimblee," Ed called, pausing a few feet away from the Crimson Alchemist and jamming his hands into his pockets. "You should probably let the Briggs soldiers check the tunnels instead. You could get lost in there pretty easily."

Kimblee just smirked. "The mere fact that you're stopping me is proof that we're in the right place." He turned away from Ed, pleased. "Now I know that they're down there."

Dammit. He's too fucking sharp.

Still, Ed didn't let it show on his face. "And how is that? Look, I wanna catch Scar just as-"

"You're trying to buy some time for your snipers to get into position, aren't you?" Kimblee cut in smoothly.

Ed sucked in a sharp breath. "You knew about that?"

"I can practically smell the murderous intent in the air around here," he explained, still smirking. It made Lissa feel sick. So he knew, but he was still standing there… Why? "It's like a sixth sense I picked up while in Ishval." Slowly, he turned to face Ed, his lips still curled—then he raised his arms, hands ungloved, and displayed his tattoos.

Like a damn bird of prey before an attack!

Kimblee rammed his palms into the snow before Lissa could so much as move—and immediately, red energy crackled up from the ground as the explosion burst forth. The air was filled in seconds with smoke, debris clogging between the oxygen and obscuring the entire street from view. With no other options, Lissa opened out her senses and ducked into the fog.

"Kimblee!" she heard Ed shout, angry. So the alchemist was escaping!

Rotten fruit! Shit, the chimeras are here—and I think they're active!

Lissa followed her senses, boots crunching in the snow, focusing on Ed and the chimeras. Their energies were close, too close, and as she drew nearer, she realized they were fighting, the chimeras circling around, looking for an opening. Ed would be blinded by the fog—but nobody was betting on Lissa's hidden abilities. Even her alchemical senses gave her an edge, but with the Dragon's Pulse… That dust might as well not even be there.

Tracking the chimera moving closest to Ed, Lissa rushed forward in time to hear the chimera growl, "There's no point in trying to run, Fullmetal Alchemist!" She stepped closer, close enough to see him—a lion-based chimera, holding Ed aloft by his throat. "You can't hide from us here. We may not see you, but we can smell you!"

"Good thing I don't need to see you to find you, chimera!" Lissa snarled, ducking in under his guard and ramming her elbow into his solar plexus. Above her, she heard Ed transmute his automail, stabbing the chimera through the arm and freeing himself. He landed just behind her, crouching in the snow, and she immediately twisted around him, sensing the other chimera incoming. Lissa brought her right arm up and blocked the double-fisted attack, her forearms smarting with the impact—then she thrust her left arm forward and knocked the chimera back with a blast of alchemy. This one was gorilla-based, she thought, from the quick glimpse she'd gotten.

A lion and a gorilla. Against two rather small alchemists. One of whom couldn't see them coming. Just wonderful.

"Fullmetal! Starlight!" Miles called, from outside the fog. He sounded genuinely worried. "What's going on in there?!"

Lissa grabbed Ed's arm and hauled him upright. "We can't let them follow us," she hissed.

"Lissa! Edward! Answer me!" the Major demanded.

The gorilla chimera came back for another attack, and Lissa shoved Ed aside, just narrowly dodging the swipe of his claws.

"Major Miles!" Ed yelled out, stepping back to keep out of her way for a moment. "These guys are chimeras! And they know how to fight in low visibility!" Lissa heard him grunt as he moved back in, close enough to see and deflect one of the chimera's attacks with his automail. "Just stay outta here! Trust me!"

Lissa felt the rush of air behind her, realizing that in the fight she hadn't kept track of where the hell they'd gone—she spun, reaching out for Ed as he took another step backwards, but too late. He cried out as his foot slipped on the open edge of the mine shaft, and tumbled right down in.

"Edward!" Lissa screamed, rushing to the edge. She saw him crash through a wooden roof down below, and just flung herself down after him, catching herself with bursts of alchemy as she descended. She slipped through the hole he'd created and landed next to him, where he'd fallen in a heap on the floor, amid broken wood and debris from the roof. "Are you okay?" Lissa gasped, taking him by the shoulders and pulling him upright.

Ed groaned and rubbed at the side of his head, grimacing in pain. "Yeah, I'm fine… Ugh, falling like that's gonna stunt my growth even more…"

She ran her hands over his arms and legs, quick as she could, checking for broken bones or flaws in the automail, but didn't find anything. "Those chimeras will be on us any second," Lissa told him lowly, stripping off her outer gloves and shoving them into her pockets. She needed more control than she had, she'd been too reliant upon hand-to-hand up there.

"Check that out," Ed murmured, pointing at one of the crates stacked nearby. "Dynamite. There's one perk to fighting in a mine."

Lissa wrinkled her nose. "Wouldn't it be soaked from the snow?"

But Ed just grinned at her in return. "I don't wanna light it."

"Smartass," Lissa told him, smirking. "I'll watch your back." She rose to her feet and stretched her shoulders, while Ed got to work popping a crate and taking out a few sticks of dynamite behind her. The chimeras were above them, stalking around—but soon enough she felt their distinctive senses of rotten fruit moving closer. And fast. "Incoming," she muttered to Ed.

The lion and gorilla chimeras landed just outside the shed, still fully transformed and staring them down fiercely.

"Woah, you might wanna keep your distance, guys!" Ed laughed, leaping to his feet and brandishing a handful of dynamite, the sticks caught between his fingers. "These aren't exactly cigars I'm holding."

"You idiot," the lion chimera scoffed.

The gorilla one even rolled his eyes. "That stuff isn't gonna do you any good, it's too damp."

Ed just smirked at them. "You sure about that? Pop quiz. Do you happen to know what dynamite's made of?"

Lissa felt him press something into her hand as the chimeras looked at each other, confused, probably trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about. She glanced down at her palm and saw two rolled-up bits of fabric—to plug her nose, of course. Perfect.

"Uh…" The lion frowned as he tried to remember. "It's nitroglycerin, isn't it?"

"And nitroglycol," the gorilla added. "And…there's sawdust." He glanced back at his lion compatriot thoughtfully. "Isn't there ammonium nitrate in it too?"

Ed, who had knelt down the moment they got distracted, nodded an affirmative. "Yeeees, there is," he confirmed, drawing out the vowel. "And what's ammonium nitrate made out of?"

Lissa took one of the little fabric scraps in her right hand, and clenched her forefingers and thumbs around them. She'd have to time this just right or get her own senses flooded too—and while it wouldn't be debilitating, it wouldn't be pleasant either.

The lion seized that immediately. "That's easy! Nitric acid and ammonia."

Both chimeras looked up in horror as Lissa smirked at them. "Congratulations, you win," she teased. Behind her, Ed spun round and grinned rather evilly, his nose plugged—and as he brought his hands together, Lissa stuffed the fabric up her nose only seconds before Ed transmuted the ammonia in the dynamite, flooding the air with it.

The scent overwhelmed the chimeras' heightened senses immediately, and while they were reeling, Ed leapt up and knocked them both flat on their backs, sitting on one sort of triumphantly. Lissa followed, resting her hand on his shoulder as Kimblee strode into view. Now they just had to deal with him.

"What's that disgusting smell?!" Kimblee complained, grimacing.

"That's ammonia," Ed told him, as he got to his feet. "There are downsides to having a sharp nose." He gestured at the fallen chimeras with his transmuted automail, the blade glinting in the light. "I doubt that they'll be much use to you now."

Yet Kimblee wasn't stumbled by the situation at all. "Your attitudes changed rather quickly, now that I've lost my hostage."

Lissa followed Ed as he walked closer, keeping her gaze fixed on Kimblee—she didn't need to feel the Dragon's Pulse here, so she smothered that, just focusing on her alchemical senses in case he tried to attack. And he would… It was just a matter of when. "Yeah, we don't know anything about that," she denied lowly.

Ed scoffed at him. "What'd you expect to happen, anyway?" He moved to block Kimblee's way, Lissa keeping pace, and stared down the Crimson Alchemist resolutely. "Let's make this easy. All we want here is for you to tell us everything you know."

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that all you want from me?" He sighed at them. "I just got out of the hospital, and I don't feel like getting banged up fighting a couple of youngsters like you… Not to mention that I don't really have the time, either." He shuffled in his right pocket for a moment—then withdrew his hand, clutching the Philosopher's Stone they'd seen back at Briggs between his thumb and forefinger. "I guess I'll have to speed things up with this."

Lissa tapped Ed's back, a gesture hidden from Kimblee, to remind him she was there. The only way to handle this was to get Kimblee between them, to force him to fight both sides—and get that damned Philosopher's Stone away from him in the process. It was just like fighting Scar in Central.

Ed darted forward, wicked fast just because of his lighter automail, and Lissa followed with a burst of alchemy to split the air ahead of her. Kimblee dodged sideways, evading Ed with a look of actual surprise on his face, and Lissa used the moment to race past him, twisting round at the far side of the room and turning with her hands already up. A rush of blue sparks stretched out to Ed, giving him a resistance-free corridor to move through, and he ducked around Kimblee with ease—he brought his leg up before Kimblee could so much as attack, and rammed his foot directly into the Crimson Alchemist's hand.

The Philosopher's Stone went flying, tumbling down into the mineshaft.

Lissa lunged forward, parting the air around her, and slammed a kick dead-center on Kimblee's back. He stumbled with the hit, too focused on Ed to expect it—and Ed used the moment to swing his automail up and slice clean through one of Kimblee's devastating tattoos.

Yes! We got him!

She cut through the air to join Ed as he landed, panting hard, still keeping her hands up just in case. But victory felt sweet, to have gotten the best of the damned Crimson Alchemist that way.

Ed raised his automail threateningly. "And now I've-"

"Now you've what?" Kimblee cut across him. "You think you've won?" He smirked. "So you're determined not to kill. How admirable of you. You've even brought your little girlfriend over to your side, with your conviction. You do realize the advantage that it gives your opponent, though, now don't you?"

The hell is he talking about?!

"Instead of finishing me off, you've given me a second chance to kill you." Kimblee's throat bobbed—and he opened his mouth to reveal a perfectly spherical Philosopher's Stone, clenched between his teeth.

Lissa's whole body froze up. No… He has another one?! Fuck! I should've sensed it, why wasn't I paying attention?!

Kimblee spat the Philosopher's Stone towards his uninjured hand and grinned savagely. "That sense of mercy is about to get you in a lot of trouble," he told them darkly. The stone landed in his palm—and the air seared bright red.

"ED, MOVE!" she screamed, turning with her hands wreathed in blue, ready to knock them out of the way. She didn't care if she survived the explosion, but she'd promised, dammit, she'd promised Alphonse that she'd look after Ed!

But something struck Lissa from the side, crackling blue against the red of the stone. Her head slammed into the wall, and her vision went black.

Where…the hell am I?

Lissa groaned and sat up, her head throbbing behind her eyes, an ache spreading from the left side of her temple. She touched the spot, and winced as her fingers came away sticky with blood. "I…hit the fucking wall, but…" She blinked hard, her vision still blurred at the edges. "Where… What…"

Kimblee.

Everything rushed back into her head at once—getting the best of Kimblee, just for a moment, her and Ed united in their battle… Until Kimblee revealed his second Philosopher's Stone and…destroyed the entire mineshaft. Lissa felt sick with guilt at the thought. She'd missed it, the fucking second stone, if she'd just been paying attention…if she'd used the Dragon's Pulse…

But she hadn't.

"Ed," Lissa gasped, lifting her head too fast. Her vision spun and she wavered where she knelt, tipping forward and just barely catching herself on her hands. Dammit, where was he? Why was she trapped like this?

Breathing hard, Lissa sat back on her heels and pressed her hands to the angled surface pinning her into the wall. She was trapped in securely, only a little light filtering in from a crumbled gap on her left, near the bottom of this…this flat wall. How the hell had she been trapped like this? She remembered something knocking into her, just vaguely, her memories jumbled from hitting her head, but she'd assumed it was debris, not this…distinctly flat piece of stone, held against the wall behind her at an angle.

Wait a minute… Lissa reached out, squinting in the dim light, and flattened her palm against the angled surface. "These are…transmutation marks," she realized.

No.

No!

"Edward." Lissa's throat constricted with a sob. The blue alchemical reaction she'd seen when Kimblee attacked, the smaller transmutation among the red of the Philosopher's Stone…

Ed had saved her. He'd transmuted this wall, protected her from the blast…and left himself open in the process!

Shit!

Lissa snarled low in her throat and shoved her hands against the wall, reaching down into the molecules and forcing them apart. The wall crumbled underneath her touch in a burst of blue static and Lissa surged out, immediately blinded by sunlight streaming in and reflecting off the unyielding whiteness of the snow—but she didn't care. Even as her eyes ached, she took in her surroundings, trying to make sense of it.

So the entire shaft had collapsed… The tower above them had gone crashing through the floor, the dust still settling. She hadn't been out long, then. But the whole room looked entirely different around her—instead of a small, fenced-off gap nearby, she found herself standing at the edge of an enormous hole in the floor, leading down into the mines.

And at the bottom…

"Oh, no, no no no…" Lissa leapt forward, jumping into the hole, her body streaming starlight behind her as she controlled her fall. But her vision flickered black at the energy drain, and Lissa lost control partway down. She hit the ground hard, her whole body aching as she smashed into the concrete below.

But there wasn't time to worry about herself.

Lissa shoved upright, her head spinning…and the world slammed to a halt.

Ed lay before her, unmoving, his bangs soaking into blood pooled beneath his cheek. His body rested at a strange angle, suspended by the thick metal support beam impaled straight through his left side.

"Please…please, wake up, Ed," Lissa sobbed, crawling forward to him. He couldn't be…he couldn't… She stretched out a trembling hand and pushed his braid off his neck, pressing her fingers under his jaw to find his pulse.

She let out a faint, rasping sob when she felt it—weak, but there, fluttering beneath the pads of her fingers.

Lissa drew closer to him, on her knees, and smoothed her hand over the back of his head as she forced herself to stare at his wound. The girder had gone clean through him, stretching at least a couple feet up behind him, crumpled beneath his abdomen where it had struck the floor. She tried to recall her old anatomy lessons, from her days at the institution…but her mind was horrifically blank as she just stared down at the blood soaking into his cloak, pooling beneath him… How… How could he ever heal from this? Even if it had missed everything vital, the trauma of the injury, the blood loss…

"Ed, you h-have to wake up," Lissa begged him, her voice wrecked and desperate. "Please, come back to me… I can't…" She broke off as her throat clenched, a wave of tears rolling down her face. "I c-can't do th-this alone… I need you…"

"I'm not…going anywhere, Liss…"

She sucked in a sharp breath, choking his name as Ed shoved up on his left arm, knuckles ramming into the concrete as he shakily lifted himself up.

"Ed, stop, y-you—don't move, just wait," she begged him. Lissa swallowed back a sob, her throat stinging in protest, as she reached out to catch his shoulders. "Please, just…just stay down, sweetheart, I have to get you out of this…"

He shook his head fiercely. Blood dripped from his mouth at the movement. "No. I have to…we have to go after Kimblee…"

"Kimblee?!" Lissa wiped frantically at her tears, brushing blood across her cheeks. "Like hell, Ed, what are you—dammit, you're too hurt for that! You need a hospital, we've got to get out of here, who the fuck cares about Kimblee?!"

Ed breathed out shakily and tried to sit up further. "We can't let him get away, Liss…"

"Stop it," she told him sharply. "Just—stop it, Ed. Lie back down, I need to take care of this…thing." Lissa reached for the beam, but her hands were trembling too hard for her to dare touch it, even for a moment.

He twisted his head to look at her, breathing hard, his golden eyes unfocused… Then he brought his palms together, shoving his right arm underneath him to do it—and pressed his left hand against the girder. Lissa cursed under her breath as he transmuted it apart, shortening the metal down to a few inches behind his back. She caught him under his chest as he sagged, just barely keeping him from slamming the other end further into himself.

"Dammit, let me help," she begged him. "You can't do this on your own."

Ed sighed and leaned into her, his face pressed into her arm. "You…can't get me out of here, Liss. There's no way. Not even with your alchemy."

She let out a weak sob. He was right… Lissa wasn't strong enough to boost them both out of the shaft, not from that far down… And she wasn't capable of carrying him the whole way either. She didn't even know if she could get herself out, not injured as she was.

"You…" Ed lifted a trembling hand to touch her jawline, his gaze tense. "You're hurt…"

Lissa brushed him off. "It's nothing, Ed. I'm fine." She sat back on her heels for a moment, letting him relax against her, focusing on the soft rushing of his breathing, the thrum of his heartbeat… He was alive. And now Lissa had to make sure he stayed that way. "We need…help," she realized with a start, the truth of it a spike through her chest. But from where?

"Liss… Can you…feel if those chimeras are alive?" Ed rasped. He tipped his head forward, gesturing to a section of debris—underneath which she could see the two chimeras, Kimblee's men.

But…he'd just brought the whole fucking mineshaft down on their heads. If they were being forced, like Zampano and Jerso, then this was the best chance they had of winning the chimeras over. If they were alive. Lissa reached out, brushing against the Dragon's Pulse just enough to feel a tinge of rotten fruit from their direction.

"They're alive," she confirmed softly.

"Good." Ed brought his hands together a second time, and pressed one against the ground. "Make sure nothing falls," he asked of her, as his transmutation streaked over to the chimeras.

Lissa reached out with her free hand and took hold of the air, helping to support Ed's own work—a series of hands, shooting up from the concrete to push the debris away from the chimeras. The air shimmered blue around them as they rolled upright, staring across at the two alchemists in surprise.

"Damn," the lion muttered, pushing to his knees and grimacing. "Kimblee's gonna pay."

The gorilla pressed a hand into his own shoulder in clear pain. "How the hell are you kids still alive?" he asked.

Lissa tensed as Ed's breath caught, weaker now, just on the edge of falling unconscious. No, no, no… Stay with me, Ed…

"Why'd you decide to rescue us, anyway?" he continued, now limping towards them.

"You're more injured than we are," the lion observed, as he followed his compatriot over, looking genuinely baffled.

Ed glared up at them, panting hard. "Don't…get the wrong idea," he ground out.

"It's not altruism," Lissa told them lowly. "You tried to kill us. But…" She stroked her hand over Ed's hair, feeling a trickle of blood roll down her cheek. A head wound could be bad… She wasn't in great shape either.

"I can't pull this thing out of my stomach on my own," Ed explained weakly. "And Lissa's hurt too, we…" He coughed, a harsh, wet sound. "We could use…a little bit of…help."

The two chimeras exchanged a look, before kneeling down beside them a bit hesitantly. "We were enemies just five minutes ago, and now you're asking us to save your life," the gorilla pointed out, confused.

"Yeah…basically," Ed murmured.

Lissa's breath hitched in a barely-suppressed sob. "Your friends… Zampano and Jerso… They weren't like Kimblee. They…they weren't evil. We're hoping you aren't either."

"Well…" The gorilla shrugged faintly. "It's not like we were given orders to kill you." He glanced sideways at the lion and nodded. "All right. We'll help you out, kid. But you gotta let me take him, Starlight."

She flinched and pulled Ed into her tighter, a memory flicking through her head—Scar looming over them, ready to kill them both, ready to kill Ed if she so much as loosened her grip…

"We're not evil, kid," the lion chimera told her quietly.

Lissa forced back a sob. There was no other option. She…couldn't do this on her own, and if they didn't do something, then Ed would…

"Okay," She whispered, sitting back. "But I swear to you… I'll kill you both if you hurt him. I'll take the air right from your lungs and let you suffocate if you fucking hurt him."

The gorilla paused in taking Ed from her, his eyes flashing with a little true fear.

"Liss, don't," Ed told her, shaking his head. "Don't do that."

She gritted her teeth, but didn't threaten them again—she just let the gorilla chimera take Ed out of her arms, holding him against his chest with Ed's abdomen facing out. From there, the wound looked even worse… Blood soaked all over, the ragged end of the girder sticking out…

The lion reached for the beam—then paused, looking between Ed and Lissa with his brow furrowed. "Are you sure you want me to do this?" he asked. "You're gonna bleed to death pretty quickly once I pull this out."

Lissa had thought they'd just bind his wound somehow… But the chimera was right, she knew that now. It was so obvious. So…what the hell was Ed thinking?

Ed's face was screwed up in pain, but he didn't seem surprised. "Not if I heal it," he rasped. "As soon as it's out of me, I'll close up the wound…with alchemy."

She jerked her head up to meet his gaze. "Ed—no-"

Even the lion seemed uncertain. "What? Have you ever performed any kind of medical alchemy before?"

"Sort of… I did some research on it…when I tried human transmutation," Ed told them, looking away from Lissa.

She could barely breathe. He can't be thinking… Dammit, if that's what he's going to do then why isn't he asking me to help?! The Xingese ancestry in me has got to count for something! I healed myself underneath Central, when our alchemy was screwed up—he fucking knows I have some kind of healing abilities! What the hell is he thinking?!

"Just some research?" the gorilla wondered. "But your guts've gotta be all messed up. You're gonna need a Philosopher's Stone to make this work."

"I…" Ed's gaze darted to Lissa, just for a moment, and her heart sank. "I'm gonna have to use my own life force, the same way I would a stone."

That was why he hadn't asked her. Because he would never, never ask that of her.

"Ed, you can't," Lissa breathed, suddenly almost hyperventilating.

"It'll probably take a few years off my lifespan, though," Ed continued, talking right over her without giving her a chance to protest any further.

The lion gave him a worried look. "You're positive?" He turned to Lissa, his teeth bared slightly. "Can he do that? Is that—actually possible? I don't wanna just kill the kid if I do this."

"He—could, but-"

"There isn't time to think about it, Liss," Ed cut in harshly. He coughed again, spitting blood onto the floor beside him. "If this is really what showing mercy is gonna cost me, then I'm gonna have to learn to pay the price, right?"

The price…of showing mercy.

But hadn't they both shown mercy? Lissa had taken Ed's stance on it, trusted his judgment, shown Kimblee the same mercy he had. She could've killed the Crimson Alchemist just as easily as Ed, could've stolen the breath from his lungs, suffocated him just like she threatened to do to the chimeras. Lissa spoke so much about growing up prepared to kill, but when it had come down to it, she'd followed along and shown mercy to a man who didn't know the meaning of the word.

And she'd only been spared a similar fate to Ed…because he'd decided to save her. Because he'd put her life above his and taken the brunt of the explosion when he could've used that same moment to protect himself.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," the lion chimera was saying, grabbing ahold of the beam piercing Ed's abdomen, "but it sounds like you're sure." He squared his shoulders. "Ready?"

Lissa saw Ed nod—and the pieces tumbled into place.

If he has a price to pay…then so do I.

"Yeah," Ed told him softly, poising his hands above the girder. "I'm ready."

He's always doing things himself… Blaming himself, taking it all onto his shoulders… He isn't blaming me for showing mercy because he insisted on it, but I had every opportunity to convince him otherwise… I was maybe the only one who could've ever convinced him Kimblee needed to die. We agreed to let the Briggs snipers have him. Ed wouldn't have stopped me if I went for the kill instead of waiting, instead of trying to interrogate Kimblee ourselves.

It's my fault… Mine, for not sensing the Philosopher's Stone. Mine for not doing what needed to be done. Mine for not learning more about my abilities when I had the chance.

The lion chimera pulled back, and the girder began to slide free of Ed's abdomen, making horrible, sick sounds the whole way. Ed screamed in pain, every muscle in his body fighting as he tried desperately to stay still, not to thrash and kick in agony.

I could've stopped it.

Lissa slid forward, her knees raking against the concrete even through her trousers.

If I'd been smarter…quicker… I could've stopped all of this.

She brought her palms together, mirroring Ed's pose, centering herself.

Maybe it's not entirely on me… We both made our choices… But if that's the case…then it's not his burden to bear alone.

As the beam pulled free, Lissa lunged, past the chimera—and pressed her hands to Ed's abdomen at the same time he did. Blue energy roiled outward, a massive transmutation. Her vision flashed black—then red, for a moment a brilliant red lit up behind her eyes as the energy ripped free of her body.

You did it before! You healed yourself, you can heal Ed too!

Lissa focused inward, tearing her hold on the Dragon's Pulse free as she descended into that feeling, the sensation of knitting bone together, mending torn flesh, making something whole again… Living tissue brought together…

The transmutation faded and Lissa sank back, panting, the world spinning before her eyes.

Voices blurred together—the chimeras wondering what happened, if Ed had made it, if they were both all right—but only one mattered.

"Lissa! What the hell did you do?!"

She looked up and met Ed's fierce gaze, aware she had tears streaming down her cheeks but too exhausted to care. "Dummy," she whispered. "It's our burden. Not yours. You can't take it all on yourself, Ed, I told you that… I showed the same mercy you did. So I shared it with you."

"You mean it worked?" the gorilla asked, stunned.

"Not perfectly," Lissa told him. She'd sensed that much. "Neither of us has enough healing ability to fix the whole thing."

Ed nodded slowly, one hand still resting on his stomach, too weak to fight her anymore. "We rejoined the undamaged organs… And managed to stop the bleeding. But…" He winced as a deeper breath agitated the wound. "It won't last for long."

"Oh, then you need a real doctor," the lion chimera realized.

But Ed sat forward out of the gorilla chimera's arms and tucked his automail across his abdomen. "No… I don't have time…for that." He shoved to his feet, wavering and unsteady, and Lissa shot up into his path with a rush of starlight around her. The chimeras leapt up too, trying to stop him, but she was fast enough to manage. She physically blocked his way, grabbed his shoulders, and held him in place though he weakly struggled to get free.

Ed glared up at her, through dazed, bleary eyes. "Liss… Let me go… We've gotta stop Kimblee…before he gets…to…the others…"

But he trembled there, in her arms—his eyelids fluttered shut, and Lissa heard her own voice break as she breathed his name. She caught him under his arms and pulled him into her, but she was too weak to hold him and sank to her knees, Ed's unconscious body resting heavily against her chest.

"Oh, man," the gorilla chimera muttered behind her.

The lion sighed an exasperated agreement. "Idiot. There's no way he could fight Kimblee in his condition. Neither one of you."

Lissa choked back a sob as she held Ed tighter against her.

The chimeras approached—but on their way, the lion paused, and moved to the side to grab something out of the debris. Lissa nearly retched when she saw what he held up. A Philosopher's Stone. The one she and Ed had forced Kimblee to drop down the mineshaft earlier.

"What is it?" the gorilla asked, watching him curiously.

The lion turned and showed the stone to him, held rather gingerly between two enormous clawed digits.

The gorilla's eyes widened. "The stone, huh? I guess Mr. Kimblee must've lost it."

Baring his teeth, the lion told him harshly, "Quit callin' that freak Mister. He's not our boss, not since he almost killed us." He turned to Lissa curiously. "You want the stone, kid? You're the only one who can use it right now."

Lissa recoiled in shock. A Philosopher's Stone…just being offered to her…

"No," she told him softly. "I won't touch it. But…you should hold onto it for now. It's better not to lose track of it."

"Why don't you want it?" the gorilla asked her, truly baffled. "Couldn't you heal your little boyfriend's wounds if you used that thing?"

"I won't do that to him," Lissa snarled, her fingernails digging into Ed's cloak. "Don't you know what those things are made from? Did Kimblee not say?" When the chimeras shook their heads, she gritted her teeth and spat, "Human souls. Complete Philosopher's Stones are made with human souls. Something that awful… I won't use it unless there's no other choice."

The lion reeled back, looking at the stone with disgust now. "You're telling me this thing's made with human lives? Damn. Kimblee never said a word." He grunted and stuck it into his pocket, like he didn't want to look at it any longer.

"Hey… Kid," the gorilla called, getting her attention.

She wrinkled her nose. "It's Lissa. Lissa Caito."

"All right, Lissa, then. Earlier you said something about Zampano and Jerso… You know what happened to 'em?" he asked.

She nodded slowly, wondering if it was safe to tell. But lying there, with Ed unconscious in her arms…she really was at the chimeras' mercy. "Yeah, they…they got out with our friends. We told them the truth about what Kimblee and the homunculi are doing. How everyone in Amestris is in danger."

That made the gorilla suck in a sharp breath. "What? Everyone in the country?"

"He really didn't tell you guys anything, did he?" Lissa mused, frowning up at them.

The two chimeras exchanged pointed looks—then the gorilla gave a decisive nod towards the lion. "Hey, how about we make our resignation official?" he suggested.

The lion sort of grinned. "Sounds good. Let's just hold onto our freedom and let that bastard think we died in the rubble." He turned and looked down at Lissa, nothing harsh in his gaze, thankfully. "Tell you what—Lissa, was it? We'll get you and the kid out of here, if you help us avoid the soldiers. He needs a doctor, and we know where to find one. But it's useless if we get caught. You could sense us out in the fog earlier, couldn't you? So you can make sure we get out safe."

She blinked slowly, not realizing that had made such an impression on him. "I…yeah. I have an extra sort of sense that'll let me do that. If you promise we'll go straight to a doctor."

"Sure thing," the lion agreed. "We've got a deal."

Slowly, she allowed the lion to take Ed from her, hoisting him up onto his back like he weighed nothing. Lissa accepted the gorilla's help getting to her feet as well, though she was surprised he even offered. "So…what are your names?" she asked curiously.

"I'm Darius, and this is Heinkel," the gorilla chimera told her, inclining his head towards the lion.

"Well, Darius, Heinkel…" Lissa folded her arms across her chest and regarded them. "If you get us out of here, and find Ed a doctor… I'll tell you everything we know. Everything. About Kimblee's plans, the homunculi, what's going to happen to the people of Amestris… And the possibility of getting your bodies back, too. Your real ones."

Heinkel grinned at her fiercely. "I'd like to hear about that." He jerked his head towards the nearest door. "C'mon, then. You lead the way, and we'll make sure nothing happens to your boyfriend here."

Lissa nodded, accepting that. She'd have to trust them for now… For Ed's sake. And now she knew…there was no limit on what she'd do for him. None at all.

Just hold on, Ed. We'll get you out of this. I swear we will.


(True story. In MS Word, this chapter is 11,999 words. So close to perfection!)