This chapter is inspired by Natasha Bedingfield's song "Drop Me In The Middle." Ft. Estelle off of her first album. "Unwritten." (Side Note: There is an alternate version of this song featuring Bizzare from D12, but I prefer the one with Estelle. It sounds more catchy and upbeat than with the dude (#noshade). Also, the Estelle version was in the original North American version that came with the album when it was first released, but for some reason, the re-releasement of the standard album came with the version ft. Bizarre from D12.)

This chapter is also particularly inspired by two separate video games.

1st: The Last Of Us.

2nd: Outlast.

Domino Effect - A situation in which one event causes a series of related events, one following another.

Roxy, thank you for your ideas and point outs in the chapter!

Alchemist Chronicles

Chapter 44 - Drop Me In The Middle Of The Domino Effect

(As Roy and Ed are down in Milos meeting up and speaking with Medesto)

Janine runs through another tunnel, then sprints through a makeshift bridge. She jumps at the end of it, making it to the other side of the terrain. She then rushes over and hides behind a tree as the bridge starts to break and collapse. She runs as fast as she can using the loud echoes from the falling debris to cover the sounds of her footsteps.

As she makes it to the edge of a cliff as she slows down and stops to look at the scenery. Overlooking the Valley, she spots the bridge that crosses into Table City. (The same one that Ashleigh took when he walked back into Creta at the end of the 2nd Fma movie.)

Looking around as she's hiding behind a tree, she sees an opening and guns it, running for the bridge once the sun starts to go down. Crossing it and making it into Table City, collapsing once she makes to a building, panting and catching her breath on the side of it. She then stands up and heads towards to John's old home. Climbing in through a back window, straightening herself out once she settles and freshens up. Back in uniform, she then gathers up her weapons and just as she opens the bedroom door.

Boom!

(Back to present)

An explosion erupts in the distance. The noise scares the hell of AJ who runs over to the window and peaks out the side of it. Quickly hiding behind the wall once she hears a few soldiers running past the window. She then takes a deep breath and slowly climbs out of a different window, then runs as fast as she can to the smoke's direction.

Rushing and pushing through the crowds of people that running in the opposite direction, she makes to a corner of a store that is directly across the street from the Manor which it's left side is on fire. Noticing the flames, ashes, and debris scattered about of a destroyed building apart from the Manor itself. The regular officers controlling the crowds of people who chose to stay and not run away. Continuing on, she stops and looks to her right as she notices Ed, Stone, Niko, and a few other soldiers.

Ed notices her as well. She salutes Fullmetal. "Reporting back for duty, Major!" She shouts, smiling at him. "Fill me in about whatever later, Sargent! Let's take care of this now!" Ed replies. She nods her head and runs over to him.

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Jean - "What do you mean that you met her dad?" He asks Roy as the team is following him the same direction that the others went.

Roy (with his back still turned to them.) "As I just said it, Havoc. It is what it is." Riza rushes and stops in front of him and cuts him off causing him to stop and the others stop as well. "Sir, wait a minute-." Roy cuts her off, informing them. "Whatever happened during my trip will stay between me and her father. I will disclose nothing else about the matter. Let's move. We need to catch up to them." He then walks around her, nodding for his team to follow.

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After pulling to the side and explaining to her the strategy of the mission.

Ed - "So there's the plan, Janine. Got it?" She nods her head. "Good." He then walks over to Stone and Niko. "Alright. I've updated her on the plan. Now that that's settled, we need to move now and fast if-"

Kaden interrupts him. "Send her home, Fullmetal." Ed raises an eyebrow, asking. "And exactly which her?" Pointing to the few other military women there besides Janine.

Stone - "You know exactly who I'm talking about." "No, I don't." Ed sharply replies. "Say her name." Ed and Kaden stare fiercely at each other.

Janine - "You knew John... Didn't you?" She asks the Colonel. He doesn't answer, only staring at her. She stares back at him boldly. "Let's save that conversation for another day, you two." Niko intervenes.

AJ then rolls her eyes and turns back to Ed. Ed gives both Janine and Kain direct but specific orders for the mission with a protocol. He and his team follow suit, leaving Stone and his own team behind.

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(By this time it's nightfall)

Once the fire dies out in the manor, Ed and the others enter, checking it from the inside first to see if any survivors in there. "HELLO!" Ed shouts to try to get anybody's attention. After a few minutes of silence, Ed declares. "I guess then no one is here. Alright then, let's-" AJ shushes him. "Wait, Ed!" She whispers.

She slowly walks over to a door that has streaks of burnt marks at the bottom of it. Opening the door slowly, she then starts to walk into the room but Ed stops her when he grabs her shoulder. "Wait, Janine. Let's not get careless." Ed tells her before they enter the room. "Just be prepared for anything. Remember what they taught us, Janine." She smiles, replying. "Of course." Ed smiles back and nods then decides to walk into the room first as the others follow him in.

Looking around, trying to find anyone. "Did you hear something?" Ed asks AJ. "I thought I did. But it was very faint." "Like an echo, maybe?" Kain asks her. "Probably." She then hears it again as well as Kain and Ed, all of them look to their left.

Kain looks at Ed. "You just heard that as well, Major." "Yeah. It sounded like a knock." Ed replies. Little by little they move towards the hallway that is connected to the room. Three different ways. Upstairs, Basement or on the same level.

They check the rooms that they could access on the same floor as the one they are on. Nothing. Then all three of them head upstairs. Again nothing.

Leaving only the basement left, the three then walk slowly down the spiral steps, leading into a corridor with broken statues and glass all along the ground.

AJ - "Looks like a tornado ravaged through here." "Yeah, I'll say." Ed agrees. Kain asks. "So what now?"

Ed sighs. "Let's move forward and see what made that knock and then we'll leave. How does that sound?" AJ suggests. Ed adds. "Yeah, I agree." Kain unsurely nods his head. One person in front of the other two, they follow the path a little more.

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Roy and the others finally make it to the scene and he instinctively heads over to Kaden once he sees him. "Where is Fullmetal and the 2nd Lieutenant, Colonel?" "They're in the building along with Rambo, who by the way just so happened to show up at the right time I might add."

Roy - "Only the three?" "Of course," Kaden replies. "I'm not gonna put my men at risk to help out a rookie." "So you stayed outside and let them enter the premises by themselves without any help?" Riza adds, asking.

Stone - "What other choice did I have then? Tell the kid to wait for backup? Cuz it's not he would of listen to me. (He continues.) You know, first, the kid shows up out of the blue. Better yet with a Rambo out of all the people in the world. Then you show up, Mustang. It's all very suspicious if you ask me."

Roy - "And yet no one did." Havoc chokes on a chuckle, coughing a little from Roy's unexpected remark. Stone stares flabbergasted at Roy.

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Kain, who has his hands together over to his chest, looking side to side very nervously, asks the both of them. "Can we leave now!" He pleads out of fear. Ed turns back and tells him. "If you would like to head back to get back up, that's-" "Well Alright! I'll see you guys later!" He enthusiastically raves as he takes off back the way they came. Ed and AJ sigh.

Moving on and making it to a set of double doors. Opening up one of the doors slowing, Ed looks around and sees that the coast is clear. Making it to another hallway, they walk up a flight of steps and turn into an anteroom that has a balcony at the end of it. Turning back, AJ follows Ed to a different direction after walking back down the steps. Back in the basement, they proceed into a doorless room with four exits. Walking into the room slowly, the both of them notice a puddle of liquid colored charcoal in the middle of the floor.

Walking near it and bending down, AJ feels the texture. "Ink. It smells like ink. Like pen ink." Looking up at the ceiling, Ed doesn't see any cracks or breaks in the cemented ceiling. "It's probably from underneath," Ed says. Ed then walks a little forward himself and the stone floor starts to crack from the pressure. Ed steps back and leans against the wall. Janine then heads back and the both them slowly move against the side of the wall, moving left.

Making it to the left exit, Ed peeks in, noticing both ways are blocked by knocked over shelves. Moving onwards and reaching the door across from the one they entered, they head through it.

Reaching another foyer, the two then reach an open small library. Ed grabs the only decent looking book off of a high shelf but it falls apart once he brings it down, revealing it only having blank pages. "Tease." Ed snorts, earning a chuckle out of Janine.

Walking out the same way they came into the mini library, they head over to the doorway to the far right. Ed looks in, noticing a figure the distance. "Caution. There's someone in the distance, Janine." He whispers. She nods but checks in the other direction.

She starts to walk back to the library, Ed then grabs her shoulder. She turns to him with a finger to her lips, nodding her head for him to follow her. He does willing and she shows him an opening to a vent at the corner of the library, hiding behind a wooden board. Ed then helps her up and into the vent, climbing into it himself afterwards, just barely fitting. 'Jeez, I used to fit into these with ease.' He says to himself.

Following Janine through the picture frame vent, they make it to another room. Just as they are about to climb out of the other side of the vent, AJ stops and backs up slightly, leaving Ed a little confused until he hears voices moving towards them. A door in the next room opens up and Ed and AJ hold their tongues.

"I'll tell ya. With the way things are going, I don't think I can take this anymore. I mean what are we doing here?" A mercenary tells his two other accomplices. "Keep your voice down, Derek. That abomination is still around here. We've checked almost all of the rooms on the bottom as well as all of the rooms on this floor and still no sign of it unlike,-" "Yeah that fucker scared the shit out of us back in the forge below us."

Mercenary #2 - "Well whatever. Anyways, that fire up top is probably keeping that creature at bay from even attempting to escape." "Bet it's probably hungry, Marcus," Derek adds. "Let's get a move on. The quicker we leave this place, the better we have a chance of surviving." Marcus tells his comrades. Both, in turn, nod their heads and they follow him out the door.

Taking a sigh of relief a minute or so after the men leave. "So what should we do now, Major?" Janine whispers to Ed, unsure if to continue or retreat. Ed sighs and whispers to her. "Let's fall back and inform the Lt General and Colonel of what we've heard of so far." She nods her head and they start heading back, carefully the same way they came.

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As they make it back to the four doorless room, they peep in, looking around but Ed scoots AJ and himself back a little once he hears a voice coming from the left doorway of the room. "Hey Marcus, I think I found an exit!" Both of them then hear running footsteps on the other side of the wall.

Marcus, who is looking around, trying to figure out which way to take. "There." He points to the doorway that is just on the opposite side of Ed and AJ. Then they hear the mercenaries walking in the other direction. Clicks of three guns as the men reload and ready their weapons as they start to walk out of the room.

Bang! ... BANG! BOOM!

Parts of the walkway of the hallway start to break and collapse as the huge chimera claws and digs its way through the ground. Roaring loudly as it climbs through the caved-in hole it just created, staring with lucidity at the three men who start to open fire.

AJ trembles with her arms wrapped around Ed's waist uncontrollably as Ed holds her close, gently rubbing her back. "It's alright, it's alright." He whispers, trying to comfort her. 'I forgot. She's not used to these kinds of missions like I am.' Ed says to himself. He then sighs. She then looks up at him, concerned. Then leans her head against his chest again taking a sigh of relief to calm herself down.

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Ed is then on one side of the door and AJ is across from him on the other side of the door. He nods to her, as the men and chimera are fighting, now at the other end of the hallway, towards the same way both kids came in through.

Slowly looking around the doorway to see the firefight just across from them. Moving back as they behind the wall again, Ed tells her quietly. "On the count of three and as long as we deal well enough, that's when we will make our move and get the hell out of here." "Got it," AJ replies, whispering.

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Sounds of gunfire and structures breaking from within the Manor are heard through the open areas around the house from the outside. Roy and his team immediately head inside, with his own backup and eventually run into Kain, as he is hiding behind a wall several few feet away from the chimera.

Kain spots them as well, saluting immediately. "SIR!" "Where are the kids, 2nd Lt?" "They're further in, General. Ed requested for me to seek back up. But then I heard gunfire from below just as I made it back to this room.

Roy - "Let's get a move on then." Roy puts away his gloves and pulls out his gun, loading it and getting it ready. Walking down the spiral steps, they reach the hallway with broken glass and statues. Roy makes an uncomfortable, concerned expression at the scene before him.

Walking through it and making it to the double doors, Jean on one side, holding a shotgun, Roy on the other side holding a handgun. Riza and Valman as well. Kain is holding a rifle.

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AJ puts away her handgun and asks Ed for his rifle. He tosses it to her quickly. Checking it and reloading it quickly. "I've always been better with this gun than the others. It was the first one I learned to shoot with."

Ed - "Hawkeye taught you to use that one first?"

AJ chuckles. "It wasn't Hawkeye, Major. It was-" A bullet flies in between them, startling them. Aiming his gun, Ed sees one of the men walking towards them, hearing. "I just heard voices from that direction, Tommy."

Tommy - "Go Check It Out, Derek! We Got The Beast Pinned A The Momen-" The chimera roars loudly again, breaking Tommy out of his sentence. Tommy and Marcus start firing their guns at the chimera as it rushes them again.

Derek slowly advances to the room where Ed and Janine are at. Ed nods his head to her and she nods back, holding the rifle against her chest.

BAM!

Ed wacks the guy on the back of his head with the barrel of his gun, knocking him out the moment he steps foot in the room. Janine picks up the guy's dropped gun as Ed grabs the guy, dragging him to the corner near the vent.

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On the count of three, they kick open the door, aiming and firing straight at the chimera, who has it's back turned to them. Tommy notices them and starts firing at Roy and the team. "Amestrian Troops!, Shit!" He yells as he continues firing. Roy and the gang fire back, hiding behind walls and shelves.

Kain - "I think they must have passed these guys somehow."

Jean smirks, saying. "Yeah, or we would of heard Ed yelling by now." A few others in the chuckle and smile.

Roy - "Then let's not waste any more time here. They're counting on us to catch up to them." His team nod their heads.

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Ed slaps the guy across his face, waking him up. Derek tries to scream but Ed has his hand over his mouth. Moving his hand away from the guy, Ed asks him. "So why are you and your goons here?" "Fuck you!" Derek replies, yelling. Ed slaps him again, hard, startling AJ with the tone of his voice as he tells the man. "Wrong answer, asswipe! Don't make me ask you again!"

AJ then hears something and points her gun at the doorless exit. Ed catches her move, grabs the guy, roughly pushing him against the wall. "Tell me now! Why are y-" "The girl!" Ed raises an eyebrow at the guy, then looks at AJ, who is looking back at him, confused as well.

Derek - "Not her." Ed and AJ look back at Derek. "In the basement of this building. She's chained against a wall behind a sealed door and a locked gate. I think- I think it's-"

A bang goes off in the other room, distracting Ed and AJ, who turned their heads to the direction. Derek uses this opportunity to push Ed away from him, grabbing him by the shirt and holds a knife to Ed's throat. AJ aims the rifle at Derek.

Derek - "Put down the gun or I'll cut him thick, little girl." AJ unsurely looks at Ed. "Do- Do what he says, Janine," Ed tells her, nervously. She lowers her gun. "Drop it and kick it towards me." Derek orders. Ed gently nods his head to her.

Just as she slowly places the rifle on the floor, the chimera slams through the doorway, scaring all of them. Janine pulls out her pistol and Derek grabs Ed's handgun and pushes Ed against the wall. Turning so his back is facing the beast, aiming Ed's gun at Edward himself.

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Both Marcus and Tommy are trapped behind shelves on the other side of Roy and the gang with the chimera eyeing them down.

Marcus - "Got any more ammo, Tommy?" Tommy nods his head no across from him. "I'm down to my last bullet, Marcus." The chimera, who is regenerating and recovering its wounds, slowing moves towards them. "Damn it."

Marcus says as he peeps around the side of the shelf, watching the beast. He then remembers about his grenade. Ripping the piston off and tossing it at the beast as the smoke covers the entire hallway.

The chimera shakes its head and tail, trying to clear the smoke and runs into the doorless room, jumping over the middle and breaking the wall to the room AJ, Ed, and Derek are in.

Coughing and trying to breathe, Roy and the others slowly recollect themselves.

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Walking down the hall and not seeing either men. 'Damn. Those assholes must of escaped by now.' Sighing defeatedly, he turns to his team. "Alright, let's move!" Riza nods her head and follows him into the four doorless room.

Looking around, just as Roy makes it almost to the ink pond in the middle of the floor, the chimera walks out of the room across from them. Blood dripping from it's mouth.

Roy and Riza stare at the chimera in horror.

End of Chapter 44... To be continued

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