"So Mustang and Hawkeye are an item now? Well its about time" grunted Ed, trying his best to position himself on the bed.
"Now Ed, I want you to rest while you recover from the procedure." Said Winry, fluffing one of the pillows that supported Ed's leg. In order to regain his ability to walk, Ed underwent another operation to get auto-mail fixed onto his limbs. Like always, the procedure was very painful and Ed was recuperating in the recovery room with Winry.
"Alright Winry, its not like I'm gonna…Winry?" Ed stopped; he noticed tears welling up in her eyes. "Winry…is something wrong?" Ed was caught off guard when Winry leaned forward and hugged him. "Winry, what are you-"
"I really missed you Ed," said Winry, "I thought I would never see you again, but you're here." Ed was reluctant to respond to this, he has felt just as deeply about Winry as she did for him, bud he didn't want to get her involved in this situation.
"I know Winry, I missed you too." Whispered Ed, wrapping his arms around her and petting the back of her head softly with his left hand.
At that moment the doorknob clicked and the two immediately let go of each other as if they were electrified. In walked Al, carrying a tray of food for Ed and Winry.
"Hey brother I got you and Winry a…hey what's up with you two?" Asked Al, looking at the embarrassed faces of his friends.
"Yeah Al, don't worry about it." Smiled Ed, trying his best to hide his embarrassment. Al shrugged of the thought and gave his brother and Winry the meals they ordered, enjoying the first moment they had together in four years.
"Sir, we have just received word that the creature that refers himself to be 'Arcane' has been sighted in Oroson." Stated Falman, reading from the latest report. "He attacked an auto-mail mechanic, his daughter and his assistant in order to get the mechanic to make a new right arm for him." Mustang was sitting at his desk, contemplating this new piece of information. The only thing that has ever come close to this was his encounter with the Furor.
"I want the perimeter secure so we can figure out a strategy to-"
"Sir!" Fuery burst into the door; sweat dripping down his face as if he had ran a marathon.
"What is it Fuery, we're working on a plan to-"
"There's no time sir, Arcane has been sighted inside the city by a civilian a few minutes ago."
"What?" shouted Mustang, standing up and slamming his hands on the desk. "How is that possible? He was sighted in Oroson ten minutes ago."
"I don't know how he did it either sir, but according to the civilians accounts, he was seen fleeing into one of the warehouses." Said Fuery, flipping through a large number of reports.
"I want a squad ready to intercept and destroy him! Now!"
Ed, Al and Winry were eating what remained of their meal when they heard a pair of footsteps heading towards Ed's room. The door opened and there stood Havoc, an unlit cigarette in his mouth like always.
"Hey kid, how ya feeling?"
"As fine as I'll ever be, why?"
"The general has cornered that freak from that gate thing in a military warehouse, figured you might want to have some revenge for what that thing did to your leg." A grin began to spread across Ed's face.
"Sure, I would like to return the favor anyway. You coming Al?" Al nodded and helped Ed out of bed and into his robes. As the brothers were about to exit, Winry grabbed both of their arms. Ed and Al looked back to see tears welling in their friends eyes.
"Don't do anything stupid, okay you two." The brothers nodded simultaneously.
"Don't worry Winry, we'll beat this fossil and everything will go back to normal. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"
Soldiers burst through the door of the warehouse, each one with a rifle and ready to shoot at the enemy.
"Be on guard men, we don't know what he is capable of." Shouted Hawkeye, gun in hand and ready like Armstrong and Mustang. Ed and Al split up to look for Arcane in the many corridors that were formed by the crates of military supplies and weapons. Suddenly a scream from one of the soldiers echoed through the warehouse followed by the crackle of alchemic energy. Soon the entire complex was full of the cries and shrieks of soldiers, followed by an eerie silence. Ed started to look around, alert for any sign of movement, or life for that matter.
"Al…" whispered Ed, taking a few steps back. "Al where are you?" Ed ran into someone. He quickly turned around to find Arcane standing behind him, a dark smile on his face.
"Hello Fullmetal." Arcane lifted his right arm and swung it down where Ed was. Ed jumped out of the way just in time as the fist rammed into the ground. Ed looked at his opponent, Arcane was no longer in rags but in finely made black robes with a leather gauntlet on his left, and his right was transmuted into a stone mace with metal spikes protruding from the sphere.
"Judging by your speed, you must have replaced your leg with auto-mail." Said Arcane, lifting his hand from the ground.
"Yeah, and I looks like you got a new arm, bet you already broken it in." Said Ed, transmuting his arm into a sword. Arcane did the same and transmuted his arm into an ax.
"Well now I'll have a chance to!" Arcane and Ed charged each other, their blades clashing together, alchemic energy surging through the mechanical limbs of the dueling alchemists. After a few minutes of intense battle, Arcane grabbed a piece of wood from the remains of a destroyed crate. He transmuted the wood into a sharp blade and stabbed Ed in his thigh. Unable to support the weight, Ed's leg gave out and he fell to the ground. He pulled out the steak and saw Arcane transmuted a scythe from the ground. Ed raised his hands to transmute a spear, but Arcane swung the scythe and severed Ed's right hand.
"Nice try kid, but I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you."
"So what are you gonna do to me, cut me up into tiny pieces?" Smirked Ed.
"Oh no Elric, I'm going to finish what I started and take the rest of your life." Arcane reached his right hand for Ed's neck, but stopped a few inches away. He stuck his nose into the air and began to sniff feverously. Arcane crouched down on all fours and began to act more like an animal than a…well whatever he was.
"You're lucky Elric, I've just found myself a double bounty!" The creature turned around and jumped over one of the crate walls and left Ed all by himself.
"Brother! Are you all right?" shouted Al, rushing to Ed. Ed struggled to get up, but managed to sit up straight with the help of his brother.
"Yeah Al, don't worry about me." 'But I hope that the "double bounty" isn't what I think it is.
Hawkeye was alone, searching one of the many corridors that were formed by the military crates. She heard footsteps coming towards her, and by the sound of the quick rhythm, they were coming fast. She spun around to see Arcane charging her with a mad look in his eyes and a hungry grin on his face. She immediately fired at him, but he dodged every bullet with great speed and agility. He rammed himself into her, knocking her against one of the crates causing a sick cracking sound emanating from her left shoulder. As Hawkeye looked up, she saw the monstrous figure approaching her, saliva dripping from his mouth as if he was about to feast.
"Now is the time for my double bounty." He reached over to her with his right hand, about to grab her neck when a booming voice came from beside them.
"Ms. Riza!" Arcane looked to the side to see Armstrong's fist making full contact with his jaw, sending him crashing into a large pile of crates. Riza quickly turned her attention to Armstrong, who was holding his right hand.
"Are you alright?"
"Just a few broken fingers, nothing too serious." Said Armstrong, trying his best to hold a straight face despite the pain.
"Oh that's what you think." Suddenly Arcane wrapped his arms around Armstrong's chest from behind, squeezing as if he was trying to pop the alchemist. "I never did thank you for destroying my arm did I? Well here is my gratitude!" Armstrong's body was suddenly bathed in a brilliant crimson light, blinding Riza from the actions that were taking place. As the light dimmed, Riza looked down at a smoldering pile of human remains that were once Armstrong. She looked up and saw Arcane, his right arm extending towards her. "Now then, give me your life…and your child's."
"RIZA!" Mustang snapped his fingers, and in an instant Arcane was engulfed in flames. Hawkeye shielded her eyes and face as a burst of heat rushed over to her. She opened her eyes slowly as she saw the demonic alchemist howling in pain as the skin and flesh burned away at his bones. The general snapped his fingers once again and Arcane's body was once again swallowed up by the blazing heat. After two minutes of fire and flames, Arcane finally collapsed and was no more.
"Riza, are you alright?" Asked Mustang, rushing to her side.
"I'm fine Sir, but I my shoulder…" said Hawkeye, clutching her limp shoulder. Havoc walked over to the pile of remains that were once Armstrong and then turned his attention to the charred body of the monster.
"Man, how could this have happened?"
"What do you mean?" asked Breda, "we got the guy didn't we?"
"Wait!" Everyone looked back to see Hohenheim running towards him, his eyes full of anger and rage. When he got there, he tried to catch his breath, but still managed to utter a few words.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?"
"Relax old man, we got him." Smiled Ed, pointing to the remains of Arcane. "There is no way he survived Mustang's attack."
"Oh I beg to differ Fullmetal…" Ed felt a chill crawl down his spine. He turned around and saw Arcane's body, completely engulfed in a crimson light. The body rose and to every ones horror, flesh and skin began to re-grow and cover the demon's body. As soon as it began, it was over. Arcane stood there, fully healed and the glow dissipating from his body except for his right arm.
"Now where was I when I was so rudely interrupted? Oh yes, now I remember." He took a step forward, but immediately jumped on top of a pile of crates when Hohenheim transmuted an explosion under Arcane's feet.
"You think you can delay the inevitable Hohenheim?" shouted Arcane, eyes filled with savage rage.
"Hold on! How were you able to recover from the general's attack." Asked Al, both amazed and horrified at the sight he witnessed only a few moments ago.
"Simple my dear boy, with this." Arcane lifted his right hand high in the air, revealing the crimson glow that was covering his body a few moments ago. "In here is an invention of mine that I call the 'Alchemic Ourobo', after the famous Ouroboros. It is a constant alchemic reaction that allows me to take a human and break it down, but I can select what parts of the body I wish to use, thus allowing me to create a purer Philosopher's stone without the diluents." Ed felt great rage build up inside of him; it was as Arcane didn't care who was hurt or what happened to the people.
"How could you say that? Don't you care about human lives?" Arcane smiled at Ed, as if he was a joke.
"And this coming from someone who sacrificed ten thousand people to create a Philosopher's stone?" Ed was silent, he couldn't respond to this statement. "As I thought. I'll see you later kid." He snapped his fingers and the entire room went up in smoke. Ed was blinded by the smoke, unable to see where his assailant was. All he could do was stare blindly into the darkness as the laugh of his rival faded into nothingness.
An hour after the tragic event, the military team were waiting outside a hospital room, hoping that their only survivor in the horrific failure. Out of the thirty men that have entered the warehouse, only eight exited the building with their lives. Everyone was sitting down outside the door, worried about Hawkeye, hoping that she did not suffer the same fate as Armstrong and the others. The doctor came through the door and was immediately confronted by Mustang.
"How is she doc, will she be alright."
"Its nothing too serious General, she did break her collar bone but she will make a full recovery." Mustang gave a sigh of relief and thanked the doctor. He entered the room to see Riza, sitting in a bed, her hair let down and her left arm in a sling.
"I'm sorry Sir, he overpowered me and-" but Mustang shushed her, it didn't matter what it was as long as she was okay.
"Riza, as long as you are okay, I will be fine."
"Roy..." said Riza quietly, getting ready to make a big confession. "I have to tell you-"
"You don't have to explain anything. As long as there is life in my body, I will love you and-"
"Roy, I'm pregnant." Mustang's face went completely blank. Hawkeye looked at him with a look of concern, hoping that he wasn't too angry about the sudden surprise. Suddenly his eyes bulged out of his skull and he fell hard on floor. The door swung open and in the doorway stood the team, looking at the passed out general and then to Hawkeye.
"I'll get the doc." Said Havoc, making his way down the hall to the doctor's quarters.
The Lost City
Meanwhile, deep below Central in the lost city, Arcane was pacing back and forth, his face contorted in concentration.
"I am in quite a predicament, aren't I Envy?" Arcane turned his attention to Envy who was speared against the wall. Most of the homunculus was completely eaten away; only part of his left side, his head and left arm remained untouched. Envy made a sickly gurgling noise in response to Arcane's question.
"Yes indeed, I can't defeat Hohenheim and his sons at the same time. And I doubt that I will be able to separate them after that little stunt I pulled." Then it hit him. A way that Arcane can defeat the Elrics and manipulate those soldiers of the military.
"I think I will listen to that runt and show respect for life, but in my own, twisted way…"
AN: Wow that was a lot. This is the DX version of Chapter 5 that shows the infamous "Achemic Ourobo," and what has happened to Envy. Hope you have enjoy this chapter.
Next Chapter: Death and Rebirth