I do not own FMA: B or Harry Potter

Aria was strong, much stronger than any normal soldier or even the Flame Alchemist, however, she was still a child. His child; unlike a certain Homunculus, he could admit it. Having her away from him for so long was starting to grate on his nerves. Especially because they were currently fighting a war against an immortal being who had centuries of experience that they lacked. At any time he could decide to step into the fray himself and lay waste to all their efforts. They were counting on the fact that he had to stay in the epicenter of the circle as a keystone to victory. In truth, he didn't care about this country.

After locking him up, he felt they deserved none of his loyalty. The only reason he wasn't on the Homunculi's side was simply that a little girl with blue eyes caught his attention. Issac would truly be amused to see the Crimson Lotus Alchemist following the whims of a child. There was so much hate in his heart for this country that had treated him like dirt after using him to fight their wars. He truly despised the military but not for their actions against him. They were cowards who didn't deserve to live due to their inability to fight their own battles despite feeling as if they were owed something from the world.

What they could not comprehend was that the world owed them nothing and they would get nothing from either the world or him. He was the Mad Bomber no one could control him. If he wanted he could tear this entire city apart with nothing but his Alchemy. The only reason he held back was the man walking beside him and the amusement he would feel when he was hailed as a hero for saving this country. Watching Mustang swallow his pride would be the greatest sight of his life. More than that however was the fact he would get to see what became of this battle he now had personal stakes in.

The thought of family had never mattered to him and lovers were nothing but a way to pass the time. Women were petty moving on the second their interest waned or he showed even a bit of his true self. Greed didn't give a damn. In truth, he was starting to think the homunculus liked the idea of being in bed with a psychopath. He wouldn't say that he loved the other man, that was far to foreign to him, but he did like the thought of owning the sin known for greed. It must mean he himself was a greedy man, however, he didn't mind the idea of being greedy if it meant holding onto what was his.

Aria was another piece of their little family that he understood almost nothing about his feelings for. She was Issac's student then she became his child. He felt a connection with her that was more potent than any he'd ever felt even for Issac. Just admitting that the girl was his daughter in all but blood was insanely strange, even if they did share an almost identical philosophy. She was young with all the time in the world to grow, however, she was also far more world-weary than most soldiers. He cared for her deeply much to his own shock. Even after knowing her for less than a year, he could tell she would be someone to change this corrupted world or burn it straight to hell. He wanted to be there when she made her choice. He wanted to see what she would become.

Ling was another of the pieces that fit together without his express permission. At first, the boy had been an interesting pastime. Now he was vaguely sure they were moving to Xing once this was all over; he wouldn't stay in this country even if they made him its leader. As a prince, Ling was the key to Greed gaining his own country, a kingdom, the homunculus had talked about it enough for Kimblee to understand his plan. The current plan was to have Ling rule but leave Greed with the ownership of the kid; it would satisfy both Ling and Greed while keeping their hands clean. With their possession of a Philsopher Stone, they could also ask anything of the Emperor and he would have to obey. Greed wanted Aria to marry the prince making him the de facto leader of Xing just as a backup plan. Just looking at the two it was obvious Ling was fond of the girl and Aria clearly felt something for him. That didn't mean they weren't going to make the boy grovel.

Bido and Envy were simply what amounted to family pets. Not that he was insane enough to tell that to a Homunculus. Self-preservation was a wonderful thing after all and the two had that in spades. At the moment Envy was off scouting through the tunnels around the third laboratory with a plan to meet up with Aria. From there they would take the underground route to Father's chamber while he helped Greed deal with Bradley. This wasn't personal for him the same way it was for Greed, yet that didn't make him any less willing to attack his former leader; he knew without a doubt that Bradley would kill them unless they killed him first. There was something to be said for plain old self-preservation tactics.

That was why they were waiting for Bradley at Central's main gate. There was no way the man would ever sneak into his own fortress; it would have been arrogant if not for the fact he could back it up. Being on the side of the almost literal god of war would have been preferable to fighting against him however that just wasn't how the roles were cast in this little play of theirs. Standing beside the large closed gate, he watched the Briggs soldiers rush around with cold eyes. None of them mattered to him and he was willing to bet that Greed felt the same; he would gladly kill them if they decided to do anything more than shoot wary looks in his direction. Greed was waiting for a chance to swoop in and shock Wrath enough to catch him off guard. Personally, he was willing to bet they wouldn't be able to sneak up on the Homunculus. Not with that All-Seeing Eye the bastard had.

(Aria)

She had no opinion on Scar or the tiny girl he'd dragged with him along with the four chimeras that trailed after him like well-fed guard dogs. All she cared about was getting to the central chamber and dealing with Father. It was why she couldn't stop fidgeting at the thought of delaying even another moment, so having Edward tell her that they were going to wait for Mustang was enough to make her buzz with annoyance. Worse was the fact that Ling agreed with having strength in numbers. Don't get her wrong she knew that having more people meant a greater chance of success however she was also afraid that waiting would end with them all dying.

The only interesting thing about the situation was watching the tiny girl from Xing and her pet panda try to intimidate Ling. His two bodyguards obviously thought the situation was amusing as well if their lack of tension was anything to go by. Lan Fan even seemed to be interested in the girl if her whispered conversation with Ling was anything to go by. None of the three did anything however seeing as all the girl did was study them from her spot beside Scar's leg. Pushing off the wall as his conversation with Lan Fan ended, Ling straightened and stalked to stand across from the girl.

"Hello Mei Chang, seventeenth daughter of the Emperor," he stated. His tone was cold enough that it caused Aria to shiver even as Scar tensed his eyes narrowing. The girl shifted with a glow of anger on her face, but she simply tilted her head back.

"Ling Yao, twelfth son of the Emperor," she greeted although her hand reached out to grip Scar's pants. Stopping just before she actually grabbed him she let her hand drop even as the panda growled at Ling.

"I've won the race for immortality," he said simply. Realizing what he meant she paled before masking her emotions.

"You have a Philosopher Stone?"

"Yes," he said, keeping the fact he didn't quite have one yet to himself. It wouldn't be long until he had a stone anyway so there was no point in not announcing his victory. It wouldn't be long until Greed gave him a stone. The sound of Aria moving was all he needed to hear to know she was listening. Keeping the amusement from his face he said, "as of now, I'm the closest to becoming the next Emperor."

The princess flinched for a moment but didn't move away from him. The lack of trust was something that all of them could see, but Mei didn't back away. She glared up at her half brother with enough anger to melt the arctic. He didn't even buckle under her glare, instead, his lips pulled into a smug expression of utter glee. The moment he reported his victory to his father, he would become the Emperor of Xing or he would dispose of the man and take his place. Those were the only two options left available to him now.

"Are you going to kill me now or later," she asked, causing the Ishvalan beside her to growl. The protective sound drew Ling's attention but he didn't look away from the smaller royal.

"Mei," the man said, causing her to glance up at him. Frowning slightly, he glared at the prince.

"Neither, as of this moment, your clan and every other clan are under my protection. As the next Emperor of Xing I will not harm my siblings or allow them to be harmed...Mei, you're not just some random clansmen, you're my sister. I know that we've been raised to view each other as nothing more than rivals or enemies but I wouldn't allow you to be hurt," he announced causing the Ishvalan to relax.

"Th-"

"You don't have to accept me or my decision. Hell, you don't even have to talk to me if you don't want to. As Emperor your mine; my sister and my subject. Protecting you my duty," he said. Blinking the girl, frowned.

"That's greedy, you'll never be able to protect everyone! What happens when one of our siblings decides to kill you and take the throne," she asked. Crossing her arms she didn't falter when her pet brushed against her face. Narrowing her eyes she tilted her head back daring him to either be made a hypocrite or a coward. Either way, he answered the question that would make him one or the other.

"I-"

"Then I'll deal with them," Aria stated. Moving to stand beside him she offered him a way out. She had no problem killing anyone who moved against his claim to the throne and from the approving sound, his bodyguards felt the same. Tilting her head back, she glanced over at Edward when he let out a hissing sound. He was the one against casual murder, wasn't he?

"Aria," Ling soothed. Reaching out slowly, he laid a hand on her shoulder drawing her attention from the blonde. Tilting her head she considered him before laying her hand over his own.

"No one will make you kill your siblings. Not me or Greed, if you're Emperor, then they're your possessions. We'll deal with them if they attack not you," she said softly. The words hung in the air between them for a moment before he shook his head.

"While I don't doubt your ability to deal with any of my wayward siblings, they're my siblings. My responsibility I will deal with them if they choose to lash out," he said. His expression softened as she nodded. He knew what she was dong but taking an out would make him less of an Emperor. The fools were his siblings and he could handle anything they threw at him. Shifting their hands around, he took her own gently, saying, "Aria... thank you."

Mei tilted her head at the interaction. While she might not know much about her father she'd seen him once before when he came to visit her mother. The look on Ling's face was exactly the same as when her father visited. Her brother cared about the girl, which was foolish given that they could never actually have a relationship, unless… he claimed the girl was responsible for him having a Philosopher Stone. Glancing past the pair she found the eyes of the old bodyguard who gave a small nod. The confirmation was all she needed to know that this girl was the future Empress.

She was going to watch the girl closely and decide if this was best for her country. A foreign Empress was far too dangerous due to being able to influence Ling. She wanted to trust this girl before she married Ling. A loud groaning noise echoed as the huge door opened slowly to reveal Envy. Despite knowing the Homunculus being on their side she still tensed as he moved closer to them causing Scar to tense as well.

"Hello, kiddos," Envy stated. Meeting Aria's eyes they smirked.

"Envy," Edward hissed sounding just annoyed with their presence. Rolling their eyes at the blonde, they turned their attention to Aria who offered a small smile but didn't move away from Ling.

"At least someone is happy to see me," they said more to annoy the blonde than anything else.

Hearing footsteps Aria moved away from Ling as Mustang entered the room. Narrowing her gaze at the man and the woman beside him, she glanced at Envy who simply sneered. Understanding that the Homunculus wouldn't be the one to start a fight, she frowned as the man turned all his attention to Edward. She had nothing against the man, or at least she told herself that. The truth was she didn't like the man at all. He was strange reminding her of a barely contained flame.

"Fullmetal," he stated his eyes lingering on Aria and her group for a moment before he turned his attention back to the blonde who nodded at him. Deciding to hold off on questioning the blonde he said, "come on the sooner we stop this the sooner we can go back to hating each other."

Scoffing Scar stalked toward the large door leading underground. Making an amused sound, Mai followed after him with a skip to her step. She was quickly followed by Edward leaving Envy and Mustang watching one another. Shifting to stand in front of him Aria narrowed her gaze at the man who didn't even pay attention to her. Laying a hand on her shoulder, Ling tried to calm down the girl who seemed more likely to attack the black-haired Alchemist.

"You killed Hugues," Mustang stated with a burning fury in his voice.

Killing was fun and causing their enemies to suffer first was equally amusing. Being face to face with the man who murdered Lust was less fun especially since the man had just confronted them about the death of Maes Hugues. Standing completely still, Envy flickered his gaze to Aria for a brief moment. Seeing realization light up her face, they noticed her shifting to

stand closer to Ling. What made the situation worse was that Mustang hadn't asked, he'd just assumed that Envy was the killer, now he waited for confirmation. Honestly, Envy didn't know what to do. On one hand, he'd never been shy about admitting when he'd killed someone but on the other, he had to protect Aria.

"We can hate each other when this is over," they stated before turning away. The sound of Aria and Ling following behind them was slightly comforting. There was no doubt that once this was over there would be another battle.

(Kimblee)

Watching Wrath walk into sight as he'd just taken a stroll and not destroyed a tank made him feel a little overwhelmed but he pushed it down. After all, he was a psychopath, he was just insane enough to ignore the instinctive urge to run the other way. Hence why he was casually walking forward. He was the bait, all he had to do was get Wrath's attention until the man ceased focusing on anything else.

"We never thought you would side with these fools," the Homunculus admitted.

Chuckling Kimblee crossed his arms with amusement almost leaking from his skin. The madness rose in his blood as he realized this could be his final battle, he could die here. He didn't fear death, it was an exciting thought that caused his heart to race. Watching his former leader with cold blue eyes, he considered what he should say before deciding to be honest. If Wrath was the final person in this world that he fought then it would be a shame to lie to the Homunculus. Besides he'd never been very fond of lying.

"Maybe I simply wanted to side with the underdog," he said. Seeing the anger flash through the man's gaze he knew he had his attention.

"Did you stray from your convictions Kimblee? Was it a lack of praise or perhaps you simply realized that you're more human than you believed," Wrath questioned. Moving closer to the human he tightened his grip on his sword.

"I've never denied I'm human and your deal was a good one, I have to admit that if you'd released me last year or even the one before that I would have been on your side," he admitted. Without meeting Aria he would have become another one of Wrath's pawns.

"Then what possibly drove you to abandon your loyalty to us," Wrath questioned his eyes narrowing in anger and confusion. Kimblee had joined the military right before the Ishvalan war, he'd thrived on the pain he caused; there was nothing for the man but the military. He should've been loyal for life.

"I never held loyalty to you in the first place. You mean nothing to me nor do your plans. I would have worked for you simply to see what would happen, however, you miscalculated something about humanity," Kimblee said. Seeing the minute widening of the Homunculus's eyes, he chuckled. The only people in this world to hold his loyalty were those he chose and sadly Wrath was not one of those people. Tilting his head when Wrath gave him a confused expression he explained, "attachment. Even the worst type of psychopath has something they're attached to."

"The girl, she was yours," Wrath guessed causing Kimblee to laugh. Glancing up at the sky, he shrugged before allowing his hands to drop. Holding them ready he grinned at the other man with enough insanity to make even Wrath tense.

"I think we're both running out of time," he stated. His voice was cold as he asked, "shall we get started?"

Slamming his palms together in a clap that echoed around them, he stood completely still as Wrath rushed toward him. Fear rushed through him as the Homunculus closed the gap so quickly his eyes almost couldn't follow the movement, however, he fought down the desire to lash out. Instead, he smirked as Greed kicked off the wall above them. Falling at a speed that put him more than even with his youngest brother, the man lashed out his claws aimed directly for Wrath's neck. He wanted to end this quickly before it could become a repeat of Dublith.

Before his claws could tear through his brother's throat, Wrath jumped back avoiding the attack. Crashing onto the floor Greed rolled into a kneeling position as Kimblee reacted sending an explosion at the man. The dust cloud that resulted did more harm than good giving Wrath all the cover he needed to attack Kimblee. Leaping to his feet as his fellow Homunculus darted from the cloud, Greed grabbed the blade. Cold steel rested just millimeters from Kimblee's throat as Wrath tried to shove the blade forward.

The fact Wrath had just destroyed their defenses in less than an instant, was terrifying, however, he found the fact he was now holding Wrath's sword in one hand exhilarating. Anger glimmered in his youngest brother's eyes but he didn't care. The soldiers around him were shuffling around trying to get away from the combat while also avoiding his brother's attention. It was smart. Too bad for them that he couldn't take off Wrath's head with his first strike.

Red lightning drew Wrath's gaze away from Greed as Kimblee held out his hands with a bright red stone held between his teeth. Paling he pulled back his arm trying to tear his sword from Greed's hand only for the other man to cackle. Flickering his gaze between the two men he scowled before releasing his sword. Leaping away as the floor where he'd been standing exploded. Going on the defensive as Greed tossed away his sword and attacked with his claws, Wrath knew he was at a disadvantage.

Tilting his head to dodge Greed's nails, he grabbed the other man's arm before flipping him over his shoulder. Without watching to see where he landed he rushed for Kimblee who thrust out his hands. Ignoring the explosions around him, Wrath kept moving his hand reaching out for Kimblee's neck. Instead of dodging, the Alchemist clapped his hands before copying the Homunculus. Leaning to the side the human's fingers barely grazed Wrath's arm before a knee was burying itself in his stomach. Crying out the man flew back his eyes widening before an arm was wrapped around his waist.

Holding his Alchemist tightly Greed snarled at his brother with as much anger as he could muster. Releasing Kimblee, he rushed toward Wrath before the other man could reach his sword. Despite not having his sword, Wrath was still a pain. The man really was a god of war; however, Greed was still going to win. He had no choice but to win; for those that had been taken from him and those he didn't want to lose. Returning every strike with his own, Greed noticed the smile blooming on his brother's face.

The content expression didn't change even as thin cuts began to form on the other man's body from Greed's claws. Giving up on holding back, Greed matched the man's smile with one of his own as they tore apart the area around them. Watching their battle, it was easy for Kimblee to see that despite his age Wrath was keeping up with Greed. His Homunculus was actually enjoying the battle as well. Pressing a hand against his stomach Kimblee, stood slowly as Greed finally got a decisive strike on his brother. Blood splattered onto the floor as Greed's claws cut through Wrath's chest causing him to stumble back. Clapping his hands together Kimblee thrust them forward causing the blood to glow briefly before exploding.

Kicking off the ground as Wrath cried out in pain, Greed felt more than saw his nails cut through the man's chest before hitting open air. Falling to his knees as his brother collapsed, Greed pulled his hand from his brother's chest before lowering him to the ground gently. A smile never fading the man stared up at the sky with hollow eyes as his killer closed his eyes for a long moment. The victory felt bitter. Allowing his ultimate shield to fade, Greed stood turning his back on his brother even as the blood dripped down his claws.

"Let's go," he stated meeting Kimblee's eyes. Instead of nodding, the man moved forward his lips pressing gently against Greed's own as he tried to drive away the negative emotions tormenting the Homunculus.

(Aria)

Holding up her hands she stayed absolutely still as the man behind her held a blade to her neck. She knew without a doubt that he would kill her on the orders of the gold-toothed scientist; who was really creepy now that she took a moment to think about it. Watching him try to convince Mustang to perform Human Transmutation was like watching someone try to pull water from a stone. It didn't help that Edward had vanished only moments before the battle started. Worse she had no idea if they would get out of this alive or at least she didn't know about Hawkeye.

The woman was bleeding out on the floor at the scientist's feet as Mustang watched helplessly. She didn't know either of them but she did pity them. Glancing up to where Envy stood unable to do anything due to the blade at both her and Ling's neck, she considered her options. At the moment, Mustang was willing to sacrifice his Lieutenant, a woman he cared for to keep from doing Human Transmutation. He had more strength of will than she'd given him credit for. It also seemed that without a fifth sacrifice Father could do nothing.

Maybe the correct course of action was to do nothing and allow Hawkeye to die and Mustang to lose someone he loved. If doing so would stop Father then it might be worth it, yet even now Ling was struggling to help them. The sound of his curses and cries reaching her ears and making her heart ache in response. He cared about these people even if they weren't his; he was a much better person than she was. She hated hearing him like this, more than that she hated the idea that he was hurting because they were hurting. Breathing in deeply, she ignored the sword against her throat; she would rather perform Human Transmutation herself than listen to him cry out like this. Wait a minute could she do that? Her two Philosopher Stones could pay the toll and if not then perhaps she could convince the doctor to allow her to use his.

"May I interject," she asked, gaining his and everyone else's attention.

Keeping her tone polite she ignored the knowing glint in Envy's eyes and the sound of anger that Ling released. He could also tell that she was planning something although he was powerless to stop her. The man behind her tensed pushing his sword closer to her neck as the scientist looked her over. Resisting the urge to shiver, she noticed his eyes linger on her gloves before a wide grin stretched across his face as he motioned for her to speak. Now that she actually thought about it her idea was probably a horrible one.

"I would be willing to perform the Human Transmutation with two conditions," she said causing Mustang to stare at her in confusion and hope. Keeping her eye on the man who motioned for her to continue she ordered, "First heal Hawkeye."

The words caused the scientist to still as he glanced down at the woman as if only just remembering she existed. With a curious stare, he turned his attention back to the girl offering to become a sacrifice. It was true that with her cooperation she was a much better subject than Mustang. He simply had no idea why the girl would care about the blonde woman. In the end, however, her reasons did not matter. She was an Alchemist and willing to become a sacrifice.

"And the second," he asked.

"I want to use what's left of your stone after you heal her to pay the toll," she stated without an ounce of hesitation. The intake of breath from Envy told her that the Homunculus had already figured out what she was planning but they still pretended to feel only worried. Three stones should be more than enough for the toll and in exchange, she would gain power.

Unaware of her thoughts or the other two stones, the man began laughing most likely believing that she simply desired to escape having something taken from her. The heat of Ling's gaze burned into her skin as his mind worked to understand what she was thinking. It was likely that he'd already realized she had a plan, however, he had no idea what she was scheming. Watching the scientist cackling come to an end, she felt the sword move away from her neck before she was being pushed forward roughly. Stumbling she threw an annoyed glance over her shoulder at the blank-faced male.

"See Mustang this is what loyalty to your country looks like! Fine girl, I'll agree to your conditions," the scientist said. The taunt aimed at Mustang caused her hand to twitch but she didn't bother correcting him. Motioning to Hawkeye she relaxed as he began healing the woman. Stalking toward the circle as if she was the one in control; she was after all.

"Aria!"

Ling's shout caught her attention right before she could step into the circle. Stilling, she turned her eyes meeting his, allowing her to see the concern and fear in his gaze. For just a moment she allowed the mask on her face to fade begging him to trust her. Ignoring the shuffling sound of Hawkeye being pulled from the circle, she moved to kneel in front of the prince despite the sound of annoyance from the scientist. He had been forced to his knees with a blade pressed to his neck.

Sending a cold look to the man, puppet, holding the weapon she saw him look over her shoulder before removing the blade. Leaning forward the second she was sure that she wouldn't get attacked, she drew the prince into a hug that he gladly returned. Locking her hands together behind his back she used the opportunity to unclip the Water Alchemy bracelet from her wrist. Holding it in one hand she took a moment to enjoy the warmth of his hands and the way he breathed in her scent. He was holding her tightly and was reluctant to let her go when she pulled away. Taking his hand, she slid the bracelet over to him before meeting his eyes.

His touch was warm as he raised a hand to touch her face. Unlike usual his dark eyes were filled with anger but she knew it wasn't directed at her. He was enraged at the scientist who gave her this opportunity in the first place. Laying her hand over his own she offered a small smile before leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. Despite the situation, she felt his skin heat up at her action.

"Trust me," she whispered just loud enough that he could hear her. Pulling away from him, she stood in a single graceful motion. Turning away from him before she could hesitate, she stalked back to the circle. Finding Envy's eyes as she moved she forced her face to remain blank as he nodded. It was a subtle movement but it was all she needed to know he would be ready.

Stepping into the circle, she took the liquid stone from the doctor, who simply grinned at her. Gripping the jar tightly, she waited for him to leave the circle before kneeling. She wasn't afraid; everything was going according to plan. Clapping her hands together, she let her eyes flicker upward meeting Envy's eyes seconds before she pressed her hands to the circle almost gently. Screaming echoed as the Homunculus lunged forward shifting into the form of a large snake before his jaws closed around the scientists. Ignoring the sounds of battle around her, Aria closed her eyes as red lightning erupted from under her feet.

Hi guys, it's finally time for another chapter. What do you guys think?