This one is CONSIDERABLY shorter. Bear with me. I promise, it's for a reason. Next update coming ASAP, and not in a whole year! It's already half-written!


"Not that it matters," Lissa murmured, stepping around the corner and turning left immediately, "but I can still sense them down this way." It was true—they didn't need her senses to follow the continuous fire blasts and agonized screaming echoing down the hall.

Ed breathed out slowly. "But you can feel if Envy's still alive, right?"

"Yeah. I can feel them… But… Dammit." She hurried forward, trusting Ed and Scar to keep pace with her. "Their energy is getting weaker. Envy's dying, Ed. I can feel it."

Lissa felt a strike of agony, sharper than the rest, rake across her neck—she almost stumbled, grabbing Ed's arm to keep from tripping. Something had shifted… She'd never sensed a homunculus's energy this weak. So what the hell had happened to Envy? They weren't dead…but they were…diminished somehow.

"Just down here," she gasped, veering down another left. "Straight ahead."

They hurried on—and finally, up ahead, Lissa could see Mustang standing with a fierce, awful look on his face, contorted savagely, something pinned beneath his foot…and Riza, pointing her gun at his head. What was going on here?! Why was Riza threatening to shoot him? Both were so absorbed in their own standoff that neither even noticed Ed, Lissa, and Scar approaching. Lissa could see transmutation energy crackling around Mustang's fingers, the threat of oncoming flames, and yet…almost the same as the issues with control she'd been having, rage-based accidental alchemy. He was so, so close to breaking… She could feel it like acid in the air.

"That's enough, Colonel," Riza told him sharply. "I'll deal with them from here."

Mustang's face darkened. "They're as good as finished," he growled, low in his throat. "Lower your weapon."

But Riza didn't back down from him. "I can't obey that. Put your hand down."

"Dammit!" Energy flickered along his fingers. "I won't ask again!"

Ed brought his hands together and pressed the left to the ground, sending a transmutation streaking towards Mustang and Riza—a section of the stone floor lifted, stumbling Mustang and flinging the tiny, diminished form of Envy flying into Ed's outstretched right hand.

Immediately, Mustang turned that horrid, wrathful gaze on him. "Ah, Fullmetal…" He extended his hand. "I'll be taking that."

Lissa tensed beside Ed, unable to tear her eyes off Mustang. He looked…twisted, almost, his expression shifted beyond anything she'd seen before… So this was the depth of his rage, his anguish at losing Hughes and his need for revenge… But this…to go this far, to lose himself in killing Envy… They couldn't let him do it. She could see it, feel it hanging in the air, sulfuric and heavy on her shoulders, that he would lose himself if he did this.

"That is an order," Mustang told Ed in a low tone, strain creeping in, his anger rising. "Give it to me right now!" And the rage tumbled back in, his voice turning rough and demanding.

Ed set his jaw. "No, I won't."

As Mustang regarded him, almost hatefully, alchemic energy flickered at his fingertips, the threat of an attack. Lissa took a step forward and held out her left arm, in front of Ed, making her intentions clear. If Mustang dared attack him…she'd fight back.

"That thing," Mustang snarled, finally lowering his hand, "deserves the worst death possible!"

"No," Ed shot back, shaking his head.

Mustang's face contorted. "Give them to me!" he demanded, lifting his hand again, preparing to snap his fingers and go after Ed. "Or I'll burn up your hand along with them!"

"Try it then!" Ed snapped, pushing past Lissa's arm. "If it's a fight you want, fine! But first, maybe you should take a good look at your face! Is that the face you plan to wear when you're leading this country?!" He clenched his left hand tightly. "Well, is it?! Is that what you wanna be, Colonel?! Another monster?!"

Something shifted, just minutely, in Mustang's face—though the beginnings of a transmutation still curled around his fingers.

"Are you becoming a beast? Giving into its passion?" Scar demanded, folding his arms over his chest. "You can if you want to. I won't stop you from giving in to revenge."

Ed rounded on him. "Hey!"

But Scar didn't change his stance. "What right do I have to stop someone from taking vengeance?" he retorted. "But still… I shudder to think what kind of world a man held captive by his own hate would create, once he becomes its ruler!"

"Revenge is pointless," Lissa snapped, moving forward again, refusing to let Ed be in the path of any oncoming attack. "Isn't that what you told me?! Revenge for my parents, revenge on the people who treated me like shit for no damn reason… You told me it was pointless to seek vengeance because it only makes you what they think you are—a monster! It makes you no better than creatures like Envy!" She pointed at Mustang furiously, glaring across at him—though she was terrified of what he might do, she refused to back down, refused to falter. "That's what you said! So is that what you want to do?! To become like Envy?!"

"Get out of the way, Lissandra!" Mustang yelled, raising his hand towards her.

Lissa brought her own hands up, letting energy crackle around her fingers. Was he really going to fight her? Would he truly attack her? In that moment…she believed he would. "I won't let you do this to yourself!" she screamed across at him. "I won't! I don't care if it means fighting you, I'm not letting you do this!"

The gun in Riza's hand clicked, echoing through the stone halls, as she pulled the hammer back. "Colonel! I can't let you kill them," she told him fiercely. "That being said, I have no intention of letting them live. I'll dispose of them."

Mustang flinched, curling his hand into a fist. "But I did it! I finally ran them down!"

Riza's voice broke in distress. "I know that!" Her hand began to tremble, the gun wavering midair. "But still… But still, you're about to do something reckless. This will not help, not your country or your friends! This is pure hatred… And I will not let it take you." Her expression crumbled, and for a moment, it looked like she might truly cry. "You're better," Riza whispered. "I know you're better than that."

For a moment, Mustang's gaze didn't waver—but then all the rage, all the vengeful hatred melted out of his face, and he let out a shuddering breath. "If you're going to shoot me, shoot me," he breathed. "But then…after you've done that, Lieutenant… What will you do?"

Riza bowed her head. "I can tell you I have no intention of carrying on by myself. This fight will be my last. Once all of this is over, I'm going to end my life—and remove my secrets of flame alchemy from the world."

Lissa flinched back, stunned and horrified. She felt something press against her arms, still outstretched, and glanced down just for a moment to see Ed's left hand curled around her wrist, tugging her arms down and pulling her close. Staring across at Mustang, she let him, let him bring her into him as the truth of that statement settled on her mentor's face.

With an anguished cry, Mustang flung his arm out and snapped his fingers—sending fire roaring down the hallway to his right.

But he didn't attack… He didn't attack us…

"That can't happen… I can't… I can't afford to lose you," Mustang whispered in a broken, agonized voice.

Lissa grabbed Ed's hand and held on tight. She understood that sentiment…she knew very well the fear of losing someone you cared about that much…

"What kind of madness is this?" Mustang shook his head weakly. "Scolded by children… Lectured by a man who has been my enemy… And you…" He turned to look so very sadly at Riza. "I've done it again. I've hurt you. How foolish can one man be?" Slowly, but steadily, he approached Riza and placed his hand atop her gun, gently pulling it down. "Please, forgive me." All the strength went out of him, and he sank to the ground, hollowed-out, gazing at the floor—and only moments later Riza followed, dropping to her knees beside him.

Edward brushed his thumb across the back of Lissa's hand, a moment of silent comfort, and she leaned into his side wearily. So close… We came so, so close to losing him…

A tiny, shrill voice rang out into the silence. "Are you a moron?"

Lissa flinched. The hell was Envy doing?!

"Some nice, flowery words, and feigned empathy?" The little creature's eyes squinted in a sort of grimace. "You make me sick to my stomach! Are you humans always such pathetic worms?" They pointed an angry finger towards Mustang and Riza. "Why can't you just listen to your gut, do what you want to? Colonel Mustang…" Envy's eyes narrowed. "Have you forgotten? Your pal Scar here was going to kill you!" They turned to look up at Ed then, twisting in his grasp. "And what's more, wasn't he the one that killed the parents of the pipsqueak and the brat's little friend?"

They're…goading us, Lissa realized. It's all they can think to do…to try and make us fight…because that's what Envy's done all along, haven't they? Manipulate humans into fighting. It's their only defense.

"Oh yeah! And what about that little girl who became a chimera? Scar was the one responsible for her death, too!" Envy continued.

Lissa felt a sharp stab of pain, at Nina being brought into all this… Little Nina Tucker who'd never asked for any of it, who just wanted her family to be happy… Envy thought it would evoke anger, to drag her name into this, but it only made her ache with sorrow. What had happened with Nina was so, so much of why she and the boys were determined to do the right thing… To protect people… It was an insult to her memory to become angry at the sound of her name.

Envy turned to Scar then, trying to get at everyone. "And as for you, have you completely forgotten your hatred for what they did to your Ishvalan countrymen?"

I doubt he'd ever forget that.

"And then this woman!" Now Envy was on to Riza, going through them all methodically, desperate to evoke a reaction. "She has the arrogance to claim the sight of a hawk! She shot your buddies left and right!" They rounded on Scar again, flailing their tiny arms. "You'll never get another chance! This is the perfect time! The ultimate opportunity! Hate and weep! Kill and be killed! Fight each other! Grovel in the dirt!" Envy's voice grew frantic, unhinged, breaking as they ranted uselessly. "How could you five hope to team up? You're way beyond the point of kissing and making up!"

Lissa cast a glance up at Ed, wondering, unsure how he felt—only to see he looked so very sad, pitying, staring down at Envy without anger or hatred… Just a sad, resigned sort of pity for this tiny creature.

"Right, pipsqueak?" Envy nearly wailed. "Right, Hawkeye? Starlight? Mustang? Scar?"

Yet none of them replied. All of Envy's reminders, all the attempts to force them to fight each other…it wouldn't work now. Every one of them knew that in-fighting was just what the homunculi wanted—and more than that, they were just…finished. There was no point in being at each other's throats, not now.

Envy stared between them all, stunned and beaten down. "There's no way!" they sobbed. "No… No, you can't! Never, never! It's impossible! How could you? How could you do it? HOW?!"

Ed stared down at the creature sadly. "Now I see," he murmured softly. "You're jealous… You're jealous of humans, aren't you?"

Lissa turned to gaze down at Envy's shrunken form, stunned. Envious…of us.

"We humans, according to you, are supposed to be nothing when compared to homunculi… And yet, when we're beaten down, when we stray and fall…we face the challenge, again and again." Ed's voice was soft, downcast as he realized the truth of this, of Envy's own existence. "Our loved ones are always there to pick us back up. And you're jealous. You envy us because of that."

The broken look on the homunculus's face told them everything—it was true. Envy…was jealous of humanity's capability to love, to form relationships, friendships… Jealous of the way humans could bond together against the impossible…

And, Lissa reflected, it was no wonder Envy had singled Ed out to hate the most… Because out of all of them, he was surrounded by support, constantly, not just her and Alphonse but everyone around them—everywhere they went, he left traces of himself, changes in others, inspired things in them they never would've done otherwise… For her, it had always simply been part of his heart, his soul, perhaps the very thing she'd sensed that first time in Resembool… But for a being like Envy, who had never experienced anything like that…it must have driven them mad, constantly.

Suddenly, Envy squirmed in Ed's grasp, pushing upward frantically with their tiny legs, trying to free themselves.

Ed scowled at them. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" he demanded angrily, holding tighter—but to no avail. "Hold on a second, idiot! Where are you going?" Frustrated, he reached up with his left hand to hold Envy in place.

Lissa cringed, reaching to stop him. "Ed, no-"

But it was too late. Envy bit down on his finger, hard, and Ed recoiled in pain, losing his grip on the tiny green creature. They hit the ground bonelessly, squishing against the stone, and began to crawl desperately away… Yet Lissa felt almost nothing from them, as she opened her senses. There was hardly anything left of Envy's Philosopher's Stone now.

As Riza lifted her gun, preparing to shoot them, Scar interjected, "Wait. They won't last long."

"How…humiliating," Envy rasped weakly, barely able to move now. "Ending up so pathetic like this… Trampled on by humans… Those loathsome beings… Weak, useless people…" They panted, tiny form shivering with effort. "What's worse…out of all the scum out there, you just had to be the one, didn't you, pipsqueak?"

Lissa drew closer to Ed almost reflexively, overwhelmed by pity… By the sad state of this creature… And to think, Envy had caused them so many problems, only to be reduced to this—crawling on the ground, dying slowly.

Envy began to sob, crying in earnest, tears pouring from their oversized eyes. "Dammit!" they wailed. "Dammit, dammit! I've been humiliated… Humiliated!" They rolled up from their side, weakly, still sobbing, and tried to move again. "Me, Envy, jealous of you… Of you humans?! I'm a homunculus! How can this pipsqueak kid see through me? It's the ultimate humiliation!" With tears dripping from their eyes, Envy sat up on their own tail and peered up at Ed—and began to laugh. "I guess we'll see how long this adorable little alliance of yours can hold up!"

Then Envy reached down inside their own mouth, digging for something.

"Oh, well, best of luck with that, pipsqueak." With a horrible, choking gasp, Envy pulled their own Philosopher's Stone out their mouth, still attached by tendrils of flesh, like nerves, holding it in trembling hands. Then, with a final effort and a pained shriek, Envy crushed the stone, shattering its form and turning it to liquid like blood.

With nothing left to keep them alive now, Envy's body began to disintegrate, turning to dust before their eyes. As they faded, in the last trace of energy within them, Envy whispered, "Goodbye…Edward…Elric…"

And Envy faded into nothing.

"They took the easy way out…and killed themselves," Mustang breathed. "Cowardly bastard."

It was cowardly… Yet…it suited Envy's type nonetheless. Still…Lissa couldn't help but feel horrified, watching them end their own life rather than face justice, face the retribution they deserved. These homunculi… She didn't think she'd understood the true depth of their enslavement to their sin until that moment.

Slowly, Lissa stepped away from Ed and crossed to Mustang, extending her hand to him. "Come on, Colonel," she murmured. "Let's get out of here."

He looked up at her, eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty—but then he nodded and grasped her hand. "Right. Let's go."

While Ed and Mustang bickered, Lissa took the lead, searching for the right path back. There were so many energies down here, and she found it hard to separate anything out among it—least of all the smaller, completely benign sense of Mei Chang. She was looking for Father's near-demonic energy too, but down here, it infected every corner, every hallway… And it was difficult not to be overwhelmed and misled by that, especially with the lightheadedness that was quickly becoming a constant companion. Not to mention it was grating on her damned nerves to hear Ed and Mustang arguing like little kids.

Finally, Lissa rounded on them, jabbing her finger in each of their faces in turn. "Will you two please shut up?!" she demanded fiercely. "I am trying to get us the hell out of here, in case you didn't notice! Either make yourselves useful or stop arguing so I can focus!"

Shooting one last scowl at Mustang, Ed jogged forward to join her, wrapping his arm around hers tightly. "Sorry, Liss," he murmured. "I—think it was this way."

She softened to him immediately, as always, not really able to stay angry. "Mmhmm. You're so sorry, aren't you?" she teased. "You definitely don't want to go back to yelling at him, not for a moment, huh?"

Ed smirked faintly. "Nope. Not at all."

"So," Mustang drawled. "How long has this been going on?"

Lissa turned to look at him over her shoulder. "How long has what been going on?" she asked, though she had the feeling she knew exactly what he was talking about. She was just…stalling, that's all.

"You and Fullmetal." He sounded amused. "That's pretty new, isn't it?"

She bristled despite herself. "Not that new. It's not our fault you've been out of the loop for a while."

"You know…technically I could say that's inappropriate, as your commanding officer… Considering you're officially partners," he observed wryly.

Ed ground his teeth irritably. "Yeah, just try it," he snapped. "See how far you get."

But Lissa smiled sweetly and put her free hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Ed. Don't worry about it. He's not gonna do anything… The Colonel's just sore because you got a girlfriend before he managed to, that's all."

Mustang just wilted.

"You should keep quiet, before the enemy hears us," Scar admonished sharply.

Lissa bit back a retort. He was right, and she wasn't going to get scolded specifically by the Ishvalan for luring something to them.

"I don't know if we're heading back towards Mei and the others," Lissa mused as they went, moving deeper through the labyrinthine corridors. "But…we're definitely getting closer to the center of all this. That much I know for sure." She could feel Father's presence growing, her dread increasing with every step.

"It makes sense there'd be more than one way in," Ed agreed lowly. "The homunculi have been able to move about the city freely, so they'd have plenty of secret exits and ways to escape."

Lissa tightened her arm around his, a thread of anxiety unraveling in her chest. "My worry right now is that we don't know where we'll come out… I only know the tunnel that led directly to Father's chamber, so who knows where this might take us?"

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Mustang muttered behind her. Even he sounded unsettled.

They followed what Lissa could sense further and further in, taking several twists and turns through the underground facility, until finally Lissa's own fear overwhelmed her and she paused, taking a moment to breathe. It felt…similar to the sense heading into the stairs Gluttony showed her and Al, but not quite as strong, now as oppressive. Still…she didn't like it.

"We're getting close," Scar murmured, stopping beside her and Ed.

Ed's mouth was a grim line. "So you can feel it too, huh?" he asked, taking a deep, steadying breath.

Lissa turned to look at them both. "It's that bad?" she wondered. "You're both sensing it too?"

Riza even looked surprised. "You mean you're both sensing his presence or something? I didn't think either of you could do that."

"Let's just say I've got a bad feeling." Ed pulled Lissa into him tighter, a sort of protective reflex. "The best way I can explain it is that my old wounds are starting to ache."

Ahead, a single doorway yawned open into darkness, where the lights lining the walls didn't reach—and though every fibre of Lissa's being warned her away, she lifted her free hand and pointed towards it. "There. It's got to be through there." Suddenly, she regretted not replacing the reinforcement on her gloves earlier…she really ought to get into the habit of keeping that there, when they were expecting a fight.

There wasn't time left to spare, so the five moved on ahead, striding forward into the darkness and emerging into a dimly-lit room. The ceiling was a network of pipes, the vein-like ones stringing all throughout the place, all stretching upward into a dark hole at the center. And at the middle of the room…a lone man crouched before a chalk-drawn transmutation circle.

As they stopped just inside the doorway, the man rose to his feet and stuck his hands in the pockets of his white lab coat. "Well, now," he drawled, "I wasn't exactly expecting to have an audience. You're gonna give me performance anxiety!" He laughed, grinning with all his teeth, and Lissa saw a flash of a gold tooth glinting in the faint light.

Sensing the threat, Ed clapped his hands and transmuted his automail to his usual blade, taking a fighting stance alongside the others. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"How should I answer that?" the man mused, stroking his chin in thought. It felt like he was taunting them somehow. "Hm. You might know me as the man who created King Bradley. That is my most proud accomplishment."

Mustang's eyes narrowed. "You created the Führer?" he growled. "So it's safe to say… You're obviously working with them!"

The gold-toothed man leaned in, peering through his glasses at Mustang. "I didn't realize that was you… And here I thought you were at the radio station, when in fact you've come here to meet me in person. To think, I assumed I'd only have the young lady to choose from! Well, you've certainly made things interesting, Colonel Mustang!" He raised his hand, a sort of beckoning motion above him—and seconds later, a group of men armed with swords dropped from the ceiling, dressed identically and glaring furiously as they rushed into an attack.

Lissa cursed and rolled aside, leaping to her feet in a burst of alchemical energy to dodge a sword aimed straight for her ribs.

"Why don't you boys keep them out of my hair for just a few minutes?" the gold-toothed man asked, sounding amused as their group scattered, suddenly thrust into a fight for their lives.

Ducking to the side again, Lissa moved to cover Ed's back, staying apprised of his movements with her alchemical senses as she yanked iron from the floor again, fashioning the same blade as before to give her something to defend herself with. These guys were fast, fearsome, and yet she hardly sensed anything at all from them—like their souls had been sucked dry.

"Who are these guys?!" Ed snarled, fighting one off with his automail blade.

Mustang stood back to back with Riza, watching the swordsmen racing around, looking for an opening. "More dummy soldiers?"

"No!" Scar shouted back. He was trying desperately to get a hand on one, but struggling to land a hit. "They move too deliberately! It's not just on instinct!"

Lissa had to agree with that—they felt nothing like the mannequins from before. Even hollowed out, they seemed…human somehow, conscious, but with very singular sorts of energy. Like the homunculi, given only one purpose and nothing else to strive for. But then what did that make them? If not homunculi…what?

The gold-toothed doctor—for he seemed like a doctor—had an answer, though. "These men were at one time the other candidates to become King Bradley," he explained, as he returned to his transmutation circle.

The other what?!

"The men who were gathered at birth," Mustang breathed, stunned. "Raised by the state… Specifically educated and trained in combat for the sole purpose of becoming the Führer! It took eleven unsuccessful attempts before the creation of King Bradley." He let out a harsh breath. "So that means…these men…"

"You could call them the leftovers, I guess," the gold-toothed doctor agreed. "But one thing's certain… After years of training, they're skilled warriors in their own right."

Lissa ducked beneath a sword swipe, just barely avoiding a sword in her damn face—so were they still trying to keep her alive? Or was it… Oh, damn! The realization nearly made her stumble, but she recovered in time, catching an incoming attack against her own blade and shoving the leftover soldier back with a blast of air. He said Mustang being here made it interesting! And he said he thought since Mustang was at the radio station, that he'd only have me—so Mustang is another potential sacrifice! Fuck! So do they only need to keep one of us alive?! How many sacrifices are there?!

But she knew that answer too, her mind racing through information even as she fought, keeping her back to Ed's, covering each other from any surprise attacks. Five. Like the points of the transmutation circle beneath the Fifth Laboratory, or the one in Xerxes! If they're willing to kill one of us, that means they have four already—and just need to fill in the fifth.

"Down!" Lissa shouted, as the leftover soldier she'd been fighting lunged forward, his blade cutting through the air far enough to hit Ed too. He dropped behind her, into a crouch, thankfully listening on instinct. They both shot to their feet simultaneously and leapt back into battle, catching each other's gaze for just a moment.

"They may not be as powerful as Bradley himself," the doctor told them, with a sick sort of delight, "but they are strong!"

Lissa gritted her teeth and thrust her left arm forward, which she was using almost exclusively for transmutations at the moment, compressing the air and forcing it backwards to knock a couple soldiers away from Scar, of all people. She didn't bother to keep looking, to see if he'd noticed her help—she just turned and followed Ed, letting him pick the path, allowing his fights to dictate where they went. She could keep track of him, but he had to physically see her to do the same. It just made sense this way.

Unexpectedly, Lissa heard Izumi's voice in her head—her comment after their sparring match in Dublith, about how Lissa needed to work on recognizing different fighting styles and her ability to defend against them. These men had mixed training, similar to her own… And she couldn't help but think if Izumi hadn't given her that honest, blunt advice, she might not be faring so well.

Even if I get the shit kicked out of me, I'm hugging her after this. She saved my ass with just a few comments.

Focusing on that reminder, on the advice she'd been given, Lissa began to analyze the leftover soldiers' fighting styles more closely, trying to fall back on her old combat basics. Izumi had also brought up how reliant she was on her alchemical abilities in hand-to-hand, which was also true—less so now, so long after Dublith, but nonetheless…

Lissa readied herself as one soldier came rushing in, light on his feet. She brought her arm up, in preparation to transmute the air between them—but then ducked down into a crouch instead and rammed her right arm upward, knocking the soldier's blade from his hand without ever performing a transmutation. Not resting on her laurels—though she felt so satisfied by her little victory—Lissa shoved to her feet and kicked the soldier in the chest, sending him flying back across the room with a follow-up burst of alchemy.

It's not like I can't use it at all… I just can't be predictable.

Locked in his own fight, Ed snarled in exasperation, "I get it, these guys are all superhuman, but… Come on! This is just ridiculous!" He grabbed one soldier by the arm and flung him across the room, only to have the soldier twist midair and land neatly, unaffected.

Lissa moved to intercept them, buying Ed time to recover, transmuting the air around the soldiers and adding to its resistance, turning their movements sluggish and weak until Ed moved up beside her, a signal she could let up. The moment she did the soldiers leapt forward again, splitting between their group. They didn't even hesitate!

"That should do fine," the gold-toothed doctor murmured.

She wanted to turn and see what he was doing, but one soldier leapt in and pinned Lissa with a sword pressed into her blade, forcing her to plant her feet and push back against him.

Behind her, out of her field of vision, the doctor continued, "I suppose it's about time we got started." Started?! Not with the damned nationwide transmutation circle! Or…is he going to try and turn me or Mustang into a sacrifice?!

Riza turned and fired on the doctor—but one soldier leapt in front of him, taking the bullets himself.

"Now, number sixteen, number seventeen, number twenty-one, number twenty-three, and number twenty-six. Come join me." The doctor summoned five soldiers as numbers, scarcely individuals. Lissa craned her neck to see Ed pinned in the same way, feeling him struggling, disturbing the air. What the hell was going on here?

Immediately, the five soldiers went to the gold-toothed doctor and stood around him, like five points of a star… Or five points on a fucking transmutation circle!

Ed wrenched free of his attacker and ground out, "What's he doing?!"

Swinging her leg out, Lissa let herself fall backwards as she knocked her own attacker's legs out from underneath him and caught herself on her left arm, rolling backwards and jumping to her feet. She moved to Ed's side as he stared at the transmutation circle—and sucked in a sharp, panicked breath when something clicked in his head. "What?" she asked him urgently, sudden fear clawing into her stomach. "What is it?!"

But there wasn't time for him to reply. The gold-toothed doctor raised his hand and dropped down to the transmutation circle beneath him. "It's a shame your parents aren't here to see this, Starlight. They'd be so proud." My parents?! "Now then, here goes!" he yelled, as he slammed his palm flat on the center of the circle.

Blue transmutation energy roiled outward, marking each leftover soldier he'd chosen as another point on the circle. The energy then strung between the soldiers, creating the outer part of the circle, the final piece in the puzzle. From there, the transmutation raced through the air, alchemical energy streaming past them, the light near-blinding.

"What have you done?!" Ed demanded, furious.

"This?" The doctor didn't let up on his transmutation. "This right here is just the beginning!"

If not the nationwide array…then what?! What the fuck is this?!

"You seem like a smart boy," he nearly taunted. "Do you know how many military-operated alchemy laboratories there are here in Central?"

Ed narrowed his eyes. "The last I heard, they've only got four labs left in the city." But then he reeled, his body jerking with the sudden realization. Lissa pressed a hand to her mouth in shock as she caught on, horror flooding her. "No… The Fifth Laboratory," Ed breathed. "They've got five! It's a transmutation circle! The entire city!"

Riza dared look at him for a moment, stricken. "You mean…it's connecting all the laboratories into a circle?!"

Lissa could feel it now—the energy streaking outward, racing underground, stringing between every single damned laboratory. How had they not seen it?! If the whole fucking country was a transmutation circle, why wouldn't the city be as well?!

But why?! Why turn the whole city into a circle? What does it do, what's the purpose of all this?

A wave of blue-tinted energy rushed outward—and suddenly the transmutation sparks stopped, the blue light giving way to an eerie, sick red-purple glow. At the center, the transmutation circle burned white, blinding, the doctor still kneeling there with his hand pressed to the ground. Lissa felt a horrible, soul-sick wrench of something awful…just as black arms, made of pure shadow, pure darkness, writhed up from nothingness around the borders of the circle. Tiny hands stretched up to the five leftover soldiers, grabbing them…and wherever they touched, the soldiers began to unravel, piecing apart like an alchemical reaction gone wrong, their very bodies shredding away to nothing.

Lissa heard Ed cry out beside her, and whipped around, panic seizing her when she saw pure terror in his face, for a moment too stunned he was so afraid to realize what was happening. Then she saw it.

An enormous eye had cracked open beneath him. And from its depths…shadowy arms were emerging.

"NO!"

Ed stumbled forward a step, eyes wild with horror, and latched his fingers around hers—Lissa clutched down hard, trying to fight her way to him against the sudden rush of wind flying outward from the eye, a wall of pressure pushing her away… But she couldn't let go, she couldn't fucking let him go! She didn't know what was happening but it didn't matter, she wasn't going to let this doctor hurt him!

"Let him go!" she screamed. "Let him go, right now!"

The first arm writhed forward and touched Edward's leg—and he cried out as his body began to unravel, shredding to nothing right before her eyes. More and more arms latched on, surging upward from the eye's surface, tearing apart his entire body, unmaking him.

Lissa felt her hand close down on nothing as Ed's hand was deconstructed within hers. She felt her throat ache as she screamed, and flung herself forward, grabbing for anything, something—but arms latched around her middle and yanked her back hard. "No, no, let me go, let me fucking go!" she shrieked, thrashing against whoever had her. "I have to get him out!"

"No! Dammit, Lissa, you could get sucked in too!" Mustang told her fiercely.

She threw her elbow back, and Mustang recoiled, releasing her. Lissa rushed forward and made one last grab, one last attempt—but Mustang's hand closed around her wrist and held her back.

Ed vanished, his body deconstructed. And the eye snapped shut.

"EDWARD!"


(Oh, god. This has been planned...since the beginning. I have had this moment of Lissa being left behind in my head since her conception as a character, just an idea in my head. I knew she'd be left right here, watching Ed vanish into that portal. I am so sorry. It hurt me to write it too. So now...what will she do, now that he's gone again?)