Everyone had finally calmed down and went to sit in a circle so that they could talk with Marcoh.
Manami went to sit next to Al, but Mei had jumped in and squeezed herself between them, nuzzling against Al happily. Manami gritted her teeth behind her pursed lips, and she walked over to sit in between Ed and Winry instead.
"It's good to see you again, Doctor Marcoh." Al said, not having noticed. "Thank you for your help."
"Did you discover it? The truth?" Marcoh asked.
"Yeah." Ed answered. "And from there, we learned a whole lot… like this country's origins… and it's alchemy. That's why we wanted to track her down." He gestured with his head toward Mei.
"We think that Alkahestry can be helpful to us."
"You're on the right path." Marcoh replied. "Well done. I'm glad I found you." Marcoh reached inside his breast pocket.
"We have notes on Alkahestry… but we need Scar to translate them for us."
"Scar?" Ed asked.
"Yes." Marcoh answered. "These notes are written in an ancient Ishvalan language that only Scar knows."
"So, when he translates these notes… we might find a way to get Ed and Al's bodies back?" Manami asked.
BOOM! There was an explosion in the distance, and everyone looked to the window.
"What was that..?" Winry asked as Ed and Marcoh got up and walked over to the window to look out.
"That's the building Scar was in… do you think it was the military?" Marcoh asked.
"Probably," Ed said. "We need to get over there." He said, and Al also stood up.
"You two go ahead." Manami said to him. "I have some questions for Doctor Marcoh still."
"Me?" Marcoh blinked. "I'm sorry, do I know—"
"My name is Manami." She approached him and offered a hand to shake. "I need to ask about someone that you knew in the past…"
Ed realized who she meant and he frowned.
"You catch up." He told her, then gestured for Al to follow him out.
Once the Elric brothers left, Marcoh and Manami sat across from each other, while Mei, Yoki, and Winry watched them.
"Mister Marcoh… I need you to tell me about Jared Keller." She said to him.
His eyes went wide once he heard that name.
"My God… how do you know of him?"
"I knew him as Tyberious, which was who he became after he had escaped from the military." Manami explained. "He took me in and taught me all I know about alchemy, but I'm just now finding out who he really was..."
Marcoh nodded. "Is he still alive?"
"... no." Manami shook her head. "He died three years ago."
"I see…" Marcoh sighed.
"I just wanted to know… what you knew about him." Manami folded her hands in her lap. "I found a lot of his notes… what he had done, while you both worked in Lab 5."
"Yes." Marcoh nodded again. "He worked with Philosopher Stones long before I came into the picture."
"When we went to Lab Five, we found your laboratory. But we found another, belonging to him." Manami said.
"That's correct." Marcoh nodded. "We were the heads of two branches of the same department— in fact, we were like two sides of the same coin… I was head of the branch that made physical stones, to provide for soldiers like Kimblee in the Civil War."
"And him?" Manami asked.
"He… worked on deconstructing the stones into a liquid. What they did with that liquid was confidential, so I'm afraid I don't know much, but…" Marcoh paused, his wrinkly face twitching with disgust.
"There were rumors. Whispers that they were injecting these liquified stones into peoples' bloodstreams."
Manami's eyes went wide. All she could think of was when that liquid Philosopher's Stone entered Ling's body through a small cut on his cheek… and he became Greed.
"The only time I really had a conversation with him… was the night he left. That was in 1905." Marcoh continued. "Looking back, I should have left with him…" Marcoh rubbed his forehead.
"I was the only other one who had stayed late that night. I found him in his lab, gathering his things as quickly as he could. He said he didn't have much time, but he told me he found out the truth about the military, perhaps this plan that they're carrying out now. He knew that he had to take as much as he could and run. He begged me to come along, and when I refused... he then begged me to not to tell anyone that I saw him. For that, I gave him my word."
"... I see." Manami looked down to her feet. It wasn't as much information as she hoped, but there was key fact that she didn't know of before: Tyberious had practiced injections of the Philosopher's Stone. He tried taking his notes when he fled so that no one could continue his research... but who was to say that they hadn't, anyway?
"I'm sorry I can't provide more information." Marcoh apologized. "I knew that he was a good man. Like myself, I'm sure he was just as haunted by the things he did."
"Maybe so… but he at least managed to die peacefully, before any of this started." Manami forced a small smile to him. "Thank you, Doctor."
With that, she turned to the doorway that Ed and Al had exited out of.
"I'm going with you." Winry approached Manami.
"No, not this time, Winry…" Manami shook her head.
"You expect me to just sit here and wait?" Winry frowned.
"That is exactly what I expect you to do." Manami frowned back at her. "I know it's hard, but—"
"He killed my parents, Manami!" Winry shouted.
"And what do you plan to do if you see him?!" Manami shouted back. "Because last time, you had a gun pointed at him, but you couldn't shoot!"
Winry flinched at Manami's words.
"..." Manami sighed softly through her nose.
"Don't get the wrong idea... we're glad that you didn't." She said, turning away from her. "But, that doesn't change the fact that it was a miracle that he didn't kill one or both of you, right then and there. That was a one-time deal. He won't hesitate this time."
After Winry didn't respond, Manami turned to force a small smile at her. "Who knows, maybe we can get him to talk… but as long as Ed and Al are dealing with him, it's going to be a fight. A fight that you're absolutely not going to be a part of. Okay?"
"..." Winry glared to her feet, but she nodded.
"Thank you, Win." Manami said quietly, before going to run out the doorway and up to the roof.
She made it outside and jumped across rooftops towards the building that had smoke emitting from it. That had to be where Scar was…
Sure enough, once she landed on the roof of the building, she could hear a quarrel down below. Manami quickly made her way down to where all the ruckus was... and sure enough, she saw a blur of red and flashes of blue through a doorway. She stepped inside to see Scar charging at Ed, his arm raised, and she bolted to them.
Right before Scar made contact, Manami had whipped out a fan and summoned a gust of wind that blew Scar across the room, and he hit the wall harshly.
"Took you long enough!" Ed said to her, and she joined him and Al in a battle stance.
"A 'thank you' would have sufficed!" Manami retorted, but then she noticed two other bodies on the floor. Whatever they were… they weren't human.
"What the hell are those?!"
"Long story…" Ed and Al sighed.
"The Wind Alchemist is here too?" Scar grunted as he righted himself. He was realizing that he was outnumbered.
Still, he slammed his hand on the ground and there were bright flashes of blue. The floor collapsed under them, making them stumble backwards.
"?!"
Scar raised his arm to strike, but a voice yelled out and made everyone stop dead in their tracks.
"Don't hurt them!"
They all looked over to see Winry at the doorway, with a deep frown on her face.
"Winry?!" Ed gasped, looking over at her. Manami noticed that Scar looked over as well, and she took the opportunity to wave her fan and blow him back once again.
This time, he slammed into a hunk of concrete, and Al ran forward to transmute a restraint out of the concrete over Scar's forearm.
"You had her come with you?!" Ed yelled to Manami.
"Absolutely not!" Manami yelled back, then looked back to Winry.
"I told you to stay behind, Winry!"
"..." Winry took a step towards them, but someone appeared behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"That's close enough, Ms. Winry."
It was Major Miles.
"You brought her here, then?" Ed asked, with annoyance still in his tone.
Miles didn't respond. Briggs soldiers came in after them and looked at the chimeras unconscious on the ground.
"What are these creatures..?!"
"I assume the result of some ungodly experiment by our superiors." Miles approached the soldiers and looked at the chimeras as well.
"Tie them to that column over there."
"Yes, right away sir!"
"As for you, Scar…" Miles crossed the room, Manami stepping out of the way so he could cross in between her and Ed to approach Scar.
"I regret having to treat one of my people so harshly…" Miles suddenly raised a pistol to point at him, and everyone gasped. "But I can't just let you walk away. Not after what you've done."
"One of your people?" Scar asked, unphased by the gun pointing at him.
"Wait..!" Manami pleaded, but Miles ignored her. She then saw a blur of yellow pass her in her peripheral vision, not realizing who it was until Ed and Al stepped forward to stop her.
"Winry, stop!"
"Stay back!"
"Let me go." Winry said in a low, quiet voice. "It's alright."
"It couldn't be any less alright!" Manami approached her now, moving to stand in front of her while Ed and Al held each of her shoulders.
"You don't have to—"
"Please, Manami." Winry cut Manami off and looked up to meet her eyes. They were trembling, but they looked determined.
"I need to talk to him."
Manami's eyes widened. Something about those words resonated in her.
"... is that all you're going to do?" Manami asked quietly.
"Yes. I promise. Winry slowly nodded.
"Manami!" Ed and Al protested.
"... guys…" Manami looked up to them. "Believe in her."
Ed and Al's eyes widened at those words.
"If all she wants to do is talk…" Manami's eyes fell back on Winry, and she forced a small smile. "I don't think it's right of us to deny her that."
She glanced behind her at Scar before looking back at Winry.
"Just... please… be careful."
"I will."
There was a long pause.
"... keep your distance." Ed strained himself to let go of her shoulder, Al following suit. Winry took a few steps forward, staying a few feet from Scar as she glared down at him.
"..." Manami's hands gripped tightly around her fans. She was ready to act if Scar tried anything funny...
After a long pause, Winry finally said one word.
"... why?" She asked him. "Why did you kill my mother and father?"
There was another pause before Scar answered.
"There's nothing I can say… that wouldn't sound like an excuse. Nothing can change the fact that I am responsible for their deaths."
Winry stared at him for a while, until Scar could no longer bear it and he glared down to his lap.
"I killed them. You have every right to judge me."
Winry stared for another few moments, but she suddenly turned to cross the room and grab a ripped piece of cloth in a nearby crate. Everyone blinked in confusion until she returned to Scar, and kneeled in front of him.
'Your arm…" She gestured with the cloth to the giant gash on his bicep. "You'll bleed out if you don't bandage it."
"Winry..!" Ed gasped as she began wrapping the cloth around Scar's arm.
"Be quiet, Ed." Winry said quietly. "I think… this is what my parents would have wanted. They did save his life, after all… there has to be a reason for that."
"..." Manami sighed softly and crossed her arms.
"Does that mean… you have forgive me?" Scar dared to ask.
"Don't get the wrong idea!" Winry gritted her teeth and her blue eyes met his red ones. "I don't forgive your murder!"
It was in that moment that Manami realized it. This was Winry's closure. It didn't result in death, but healing. Just like her parents had done.
Winry yanked the knot of the bandage tightly and went to stand, taking some steps back to the distance away from him she was at before.
"Winry… are you okay..?" Manami asked quietly.
"... yeah." Winry slowly nodded. "I won't cry…"
The blonde turned to force a smile at Ed. "Didn't we promise the next time I'd cry… they would be tears of joy?"
"..." Ed felt those words stab right through his chest. His frown deepened, and he stepped towards her so that he could wrap his arm around her and place his hand on the top of her head.
"..." Winry smiled genuinely, now.
Manami turned to face Scar, glaring down at him. "You're lucky she's as good of a person as she is, Scar…" She said, her voice low. "Because I'd personally would've dragged you by the hair to the Rockbells' grave and make you apologize."
"After we beat you to a bloody pulp ourselves." Ed added, glaring at him as well.
Scar closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to look at any of them.
"Should we contact Headquarters, sir?" A soldier asked Major Miles.
"Yes." Miles answered.
"Major Miles, isn't it?" Scar suddenly asked. "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Earlier… you said I was one of your people." Scar said, and Miles approached him, his gun still pointed at him.
"That's correct. My grandfather was Ishvalan." He said, then reached up to remove his glasses from his face and reveal the same crimson eyes Scar had.
"I wish we didn't have to meet like this… red-eyed brother of mine."
"How can you bring yourself to be a part of the Amestrian military?" Scar asked, rather calmly.
"My objective is to make change, from the inside." Miles answered. "I wish to change the people of this country view the people Ishval."
Scar's eyes widened. "That task… will be difficult to accomplish."
"You're correct." Miles nodded. "Who knows how long it will take. But…" His eyes narrowed. "But, my mixed blood is proof that it can be done. Let's say that I am one small stone of Ishval, that's been cast into the ocean of the Amestrian military. The ripples that I create will one day grow into a big waves."
Miles went to put his glasses back on. "The most ironic thing of all… it was an Amestrian who set me on this path in the first place."
There was a long pause before Scar replied.
"... look at me." He whispered. "I'm a festered wound of hatred… born of the Rebellion."
He then looked back up to Miles. "I'm thankful… that there are people like you."
"Major…" A soldier approached Miles with a phone, and he took it.
"Copy, Major Miles here. We've detained Scar, in Building D5. Inform Kimblee immediately." He put the phone on the receiver and looked back to Scar.
"Whatever the circumstances may be between us, I can't let you go." He said. "You must accept judgement."
"Hold on!" A different voice filled the room.
"Who's there?!" Miles demanded, turning towards the source of the voice.
The trio gasped at the sight of Doctor Marcoh, with Mei behind him.
"Please don't take Scar prisoner! We need him!" Marcoh pleaded.