Finally finished collecting the rest of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga! Can't wait to start reading it! FA is, and forever will be, my all time favorite anime. I'm really freaking excited.

FireShifter: Sorry, no, just some sounds I put together to make a name.

Sereneserious: It's mostly a problem of finding time to watch it and finding somewhere with the English dub but without all the ads. As for the other question, you'll get to see them next chapter and learn more about them there. (But no, they're not.)

Sashaplaz444: Continue to read for your answer!

As always, thanks for all the love and happy reading!


Sting bolted up and turned towards the door, his entire body tense. "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Loke asked.

"I don't know, but I know Rogue is upset about something. I can always tell when he is. I think we should wake Natsu up now. My guess is Rogue's on his way back."

Loke didn't move right away, not until Sting turned his way and he saw the look in the hybrid's eyes. He sighed. "You better be right about this."

Once Natsu had been shaken awake, he bolted up. "What the hell happened?" He winced and rubbed his jaw. "Why does it feel like I got kicked by a baloth?"

"I wouldn't worry about it right now," Loke said. "Sting says that Rogue will be back soon, so we need to get ready to go."

As Natsu stood, there was a sudden flurry at the door and Rogue appeared in a blink. "We need to get out of here as soon as we can. We don't have time to take everything out. We need to get the girls and get out now."

"I can't do that," Loke said. "I have a job of my own-"

"Fine, but we," he gestured between himself, Sting and Natsu, "can't stay here. Once we've got whoever we're saving, Sting, Natsu and I need to leave."

"What's wrong, Rogue?" Sting moved forward to put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Zalanoon is here," he said. Both Sting and Natsu sucked in a breath at the same time and looked at each other, wide eyed.

"I forgot he was banished here," Natsu whispered.

"So did I." Sting rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm not so sure you owing us is worth the risk of us being here anymore."

"Woah, wait, back up. What are you guys freaking out so much about?" Loke asked.

"Zalanoon is one of the most powerful demons to ever live," Rogue said.

"Yeah," Natsu piped up. "He has some wicked persuasion magic. A couple decades ago, he roused nearly half the demon population to help him try and overthrow the demon kings."

"If it hadn't been for the dragons," Sting continued, "he would have succeeded. He's always fought with the kings about expanding our territory and allowing demons to roam freely in the other worlds. A lot of those in the lower levels sided with him, and his presence caused problems for centuries. Once he failed at his attempt to overthrow him, he was banished here, to the Dark.

"The kings even set up a special barrier on this world, so that no one who arrives here under someone else's magic can leave on their own, preventing him from using his magic to leave.

"If he's running this operation, then my guess is he's trying to find some way to get passed that barrier, or break it down completely. He's always thought the realms should mingle with each other, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's what he's trying for."

"And I think he believes Natsu's master is the way to do that."

Loke's eyes darted to Rogue. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," Rogue said, "he's got someone down there experimenting on her. Or I'm guessing it's her. She's a blonde female, correct? The woman that's down there looks like the one I saw pictures of in the apartment where you summoned us."

"Yeah, that's her," Natsu said.

"Well, there's someone down there experimenting on her blood. The way they were talking, they need a lot of it, and they're upset that Lucy can't regenerate it quickly enough."

Loke ignored the stare coming from Virgo as he began to pace. "Alright, new plan. Natsu," he pointed, "you and the other half demons get the girls. Virgo can get you an express route to wherever they are, and then she'll stick with you to help gather the girls. There are four of them, and there will be four of you, so it shouldn't take long."

He looked at the other angel. "Can you handle getting them back on your own power?"

"Of course," she said. "Even with that many, I can handle it."

"Good. Rogue, did you see where the other girls are?"

"I believe they're the ones roaming the fourth floor. There's some sort of smoke filling the hallways that's messing with their minds. I had to stop a couple times to cleanse myself because I was feeling fuzzy. I don't know what state they're in, as I avoided running into them as much as possible."

"Knock them out when you find them and wait to cleanse them until you return to Lucy's apartment. I need you all to move as quickly as possible, understand? I will return once I have finished speaking with Zalanoon."

"That's not a good idea, man," Sting said.

"Zalanoon's power is almost as strong as the kings of our realms," Natsu added. "I know you're strong, but I don't know if you can stand up to him here. He's always thrived in the dark- you'll be at a disadvantage here against him, not to mention there's no way of knowing how strong his team is. I have no doubt he's found followers by now. He wouldn't have had any trouble persuading the beings here to help him. I can't allow you to fight him alone."

"Natsu, Lucy is your master. Right now, your only priority should be to get her back to her world. Unless, of course, you've decided that you'd rather not complete your contract with her? In that case, you might as well severe your bond to her now and head home."

Natsu glared. "Of course I haven't changed my mind, I just-"

"Then that's settled." Loke moved towards the door and leaned against it to listen to the hallway. "I believe the corner where we started is an edge of this building, correct Virgo?"

"Yes…"

"Then you three go with Virgo there. She will get you to the fourth floor. Don't waste any time, take care of your task as quickly as possible, is that understood?" He opened the door and glanced both ways before gesturing that it was clear.

"Yes sir," Sting said as he Rogue quickly left.

Natsu began to follow but paused. "Loke-"

"Don't. Waste. Time," Loke said with a shove.

Virgo paused as well. "Leo, this is a bad idea. I've heard about Zalanoon. You shouldn't fight him. You've used up too much magic. You'll be at a disadvantage."

Loke chuckled. "You don't know the half of it." He gave her a smile and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm not planning to fight him. I just need to know what he's up to."

"Just be safe," Virgo said. "Did you leave a beacon at Lucy's place so that I can find it to teleport back to?"

"Better," Loke said. "I left a time stop."

Virgo, the most stoic angel to ever live, stepped back with the most shocked look Loke had ever seen on her before. "Leo… going up against Zalanoon while you are expending that level of magic is suicide."

"Like I said, not planning on fighting." He gave her a small push. "Go on. Get them to the fourth floor before they're discovered. I'll be back at Lucy's as soon as I can. Don't let them lollygag."

"Leo-"

"I'll keep the portal open as long as I can, just don't take longer than necessary to get them back, got it? Now go." With another shove, they were both out the door and he was walking away.

Virgo stared after him for a while before she finally moved.

"Let's get this show on the road," Sting said when she finally joined them.

The angel sighed and raised her hands to put them against the wall. "Take a deep breath," she said as a glowing ring appeared and then sucked them in.


Something is wrong.

"What's with the face?"

"Her numbers are getting weird again. I'm not sure what's going on."

"Is it the injections?"

Wrong. Wrong. It feels wrong.

"I don't think so. I'm making sure the percentage of blood stays above ninety percent, so that should be fine." The voice sighed. "Humans are so complicated. I wish I knew why Zalanoon wanted to use one for this, and why he needed this one specifically."

The lower voice moved across the room. "I'm betting it has something to do with the prophecy."

"What do you mean? I haven't heard anything about- keep your hands to yourself- about a prophecy, not that they're real anyway. Where did you hear that from?"

"The guards. A couple of them heard him talking to one of his men about it when they were covering upstairs. Something about the family line being connected to the king of the angels."

Angels don't exist.

Something is wrong.

Fix it. Fix it.

Escape.

"That sounds like nonsense." There was a slap. "Hands!"

"Oh come on, Mao. It's not the first time we would have done things in your lab."

"I know that, but we have a guest in here."

"She's unconscious, just pretend she isn't here."

"She's not, look at the monitor. That number is too high for her to be unconscious."

They know…?

"I thought you knocked her out for the experiments?"

"I tried, but what I have doesn't actually knock her out. She seems to dip into sleep occasionally, but at best she's only unconscious for about half the time. And for whatever reason, it makes her body spasm and flop around. That's why she's in the sixes instead of the twos. The ones might even be enough to restrain her, but I can't test that anymore."

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

Run.

Lucy screamed as she ran. When did she get here?

Behind her a large creature with purple skin ran, slowly catching up to her. It's large wings were folded against its body, and its beak continued to open and shut as it called after her. As she rounded a corner, she found a large black blob that covered the street from one side to the other.

This isn't real. I'm not here.

I need to get back.

They were talking about me.

Wrong. Something's wrong.

Need to get back.

Where is he?


Sting began to glow brightly, hoping to deter the woman headed their way, but she didn't even pause as she ran at him and tried to claw him.

"Sting, they're still human you idiot. Your light won't scare them." Rogue dipped into his shadow once more and then reappeared behind the small woman who was attacking him.

"I don't know how we're supposed to knock them out without killing them. How much force is required for that?" Sting continued to block the swings aimed at his face, completely missing the foot that connected with his shin, which made him hiss.

As Sting finally got his arms around the brunette, Virgo rose up from the ground and hit the woman at the base of her skull, causing her to slump in the hybrid's arms.

"That much," the angel said. "Rogue, catch yours now."

"I'm trying," he said, "but she's awfully quick." As he continued to try and catch her without hurting her, Virgo's hands suddenly rose out of the ground and caught the woman by her ankles. She hissed and then leaned forward to swipe at the hands holding her down. Rogue's cloak slipped in between the two and then wrapped around her, allowing Virgo to let her go and knock her out as well.

Virgo sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder why the two of you came along for this."

"Hey, it's not our fault we're not doing what we were told we'd be doing! I was supposed to scare shit off with my light, but we're not running around where that would be useful."

"I've done what I was supposed to do," Rogue said.

Sting glared at him. "Oh shut up. Now can we get out of this hall yet? Where's the other one?"

"Natsu has her in a sealed room. Follow me." Virgo quickly led them down a couple halls and into a dark room.

"About time," Natsu said. "I lit some candles that I found. Watch your feet, the floor is covered in glass and broken shit. Don't want you tripping and hurting the girls."

"Now that we've collected these three, I think it's time to send you three back with them," Virgo said.

"I don't think so," Natsu said. "I still have to get Lucy. Take them back if you want, but I'm staying here until I get Lucy back."

"I'd feel better if we didn't leave until we were sure you were safe," Sting said. "I can't collect if you die."

"I'm not going to die," Natsu scoffed then turned to Virgo. "Now either take them back and come back to go with me and save Lucy, or we're all going. You decide."

Virgo let out a noisy breath through her nose. "I'll return them first. Wait here for me."

"Wait, wait, wait," Sting said, but Virgo had already pulled the last woman her way and grabbed the two hybrids. A moment later, they were gone.

Natsu, against orders, jumped to his feet and hustled out of the room. Even through the smoke, perhaps because of it, he could smell Lucy. Whatever had been done to the upper floors had either not been done here, or the smoke negated the effects, because down here, he could finally smell the other beings around him again.

The only reason he hadn't gone after Lucy earlier was because Virgo had left Juvia with him. He wouldn't have been able to look Lucy in the eye if something happened to her friend because of him, so he'd waited for the others. Nothing was holding him back now, so he transformed, making sure to keep his wings close. In his current form, the smoke was more tolerable, so he forgoed cleansing himself and just ran through the halls towards his destination.

He found it at the end of a long hallway. It was a large metal door with rust forming around some of the edge. He took a couple deep breaths, smelling the inside of the room the best he could. There were two others with Lucy. They weren't of a race he was familiar with, but they smelled slimey, like a bog.

With a deep breath, he bared his fangs and then entered the room.