Chapter Eight

Ed sat back and waited for the troops to gather their squads in a search for Scar and Winry. Kimblee was speaking with soldiers up ahead as was Miles, gathering everyone together. Meanwhile Ed couldn't help but think the Alphonse decoy was a bad idea. He had made armor and the soldier named Mick had taken residence inside of it.

"Let's get going," Miles called to Ed and Mick.

"Yes sir," Mick called out.

"Don't get carried away, Alphonse," Ed groaned out. "There's no reason to call the major 'sir'."

"It's hard to move around in here," Mick complained. "Couldn't you have made this thing lighter?"

"You're strong, you can handle it," Ed responded, walking ahead.

"Hold on, brother!" Mick called out in a high-pitched voice. Ed caught the glance Kimblee sent to them.

"Hurry up, come on," Ed groaned out once more.


Edward knew the snipers were getting into position to take Kimblee out. She knew it, but she couldn't let them shoot the man. Despite everything he had done, Kimblee was still a human being and didn't deserve to die.

"Hey, Kimblee, you should probably let the Briggs soldiers check the tunnel instead," Ed said. "You could get lost in there pretty easily."

"The mere fact that you're stopping me is proof that we're in the right place," Kimblee said. "Now I know that they're down there."

"And how is that?" Ed asked. "Look, I want to catch scar-"

"You're trying to buy some time for your snipers to get into position, aren't you?" Kimblee asked in interruption. Ed paused and gulped.

"You knew about that?"

"I could practically smell the murderous intent in the air around here," Kimblee said. "It's like a sixth sense I've picked up in Ishval." Once again with the comments about him being in Ishval.

Jeez, dude, we know you killed a lot of people, shut up, Ed thought to herself.

Before Ed knew it, Kimblee was transmuting the very ground they were standing on, making a cloud of snow that couldn't be seen through. The pressure was so intense from the cloud being created through explosion that Ed was pushed back by it.

"Dammit!" Ed growled, trying to see through the snow. She caught a glimpse of Kimblee walking away into the mine shaft. "Kimblee!" The man had the nerve to smirk at her as he walked away. "Son of a...!" Ed was just about to run after him before she was swiped at by a claw.

"I should've guessed you guys were chimeras," Ed commented as she caught sight of Darius and Heinkel. She tried to watch through the snow as they encircled her, though she could only catch glimpses of their shadows. "Damn you, Kimblee. I can't see anything." She continued to watch. "On the bright side, they can't see me either." Suddenly a claw reached out and gripped Ed by the neck into a choke hold.

"There's no point in trying to run, Fullmetal Alchemist," Heinkel said. "You can't hide from us here. We may not see you, but we can smell you."

"Sh-Shut up," Ed spoke with her weakening voice from the choke hold. She transmuted her automail into a blade and sliced into the chimera's arm and kicking him away, forcing him to drop her from his hold.

"Fullmetal!" Ed heard the other soldiers call.

"What's going on in there?" Miles shouted. "Edward! Answer me!"

"Major Miles!" Ed exclaimed. "These guys are chimeras and they know how to fight in low visibility. Stay out of here, trust me!" Ed continued to fight until she lost her footing on a patch of snow hanging off a ledge. She couldn't help but scream as she plummeted down the ledge.

"Ow!" Ed groaned as she picked herself up off the ground. "Falling like that's gonna stunt my growth even more." Looking around to capture her surroundings, Ed quickly noticed boxes of dynamite. "Dynamite, huh? There's one perk to fighting in a mine."

She quickly got to work on her plan of attack and knew when the chimera had both found their way down to her. She turned, holding the dynamite in her hands.

"Whoa, you might wanna keep your distance, guys; these aren't exactly cigars I'm holding."

"You idiot, that stuff isn't gonna do you any good; it's too damp," Darius said.

"You sure about that?" Ed asked. "You happen to know what dynamite's made of?"

"It's nitroglycerin, isn't it?" Heinkel asked.

"And nitroglycol," Darius added. "And there's sawdust. Isn't there ammonium nitrate in it too?"

"Yes there is!" Ed said cheerily. "And what's ammonium nitrate made out of?"

"That's easy, nitric acid and ammonia," Heinkel answered. The chimera took a moment before they realized.

"AMMONIA!"

The explosion opened up the mine in the area that Kimblee happened to be in. Ed sat down on the two chimeras in triumph.

"What's that disgusting smell?" Kimblee asked.

"That's ammonia," Ed answered. "It's the downside of having a sharp nose. I doubt they'll be of much use to ya now."

"Your attitude changed rather quickly now that I've lost my hostage," Kimblee said.

"What did you expect to happen?" Ed asked as she stood and began to walk toward Kimblee. "Let's make this easy. All I want here is for you to tell me everything you know."

"Oh, is that all you want from me?" Kimble asked. "I just got out of the hospital and I don't feel like getting banged up fighting a youngster like you. Not to mention that I don't really have the time, either. I guess I'll have to speed things up with this." Kimblee held up a Philosophers stone in his hand.

Ed frowned. But at least she wouldn't have to go to any further lengths to find it. Thinking quickly, she lunged toward the alchemist in an attempt to get the stone away from the older alchemist.

"Too slow!" Ed exclaimed as she took her automail blade and slashed through Kimblee's hand. No transmutation circle meant no transmutations. It wasn't like he would take the time to draw one out, not that he had any materials. The Philosophers stone toppled safely down the mine shaft, meaning he couldn't transmute at all.

"And now I've-!"

"And now what?" Kimblee interrupted. "You think you've won? So you're determined not to kill. How admirable of you. You do realize the advantage it gives to your opponent now, don't you? Instead of finishing me off," Kimblee paused, allowing a second Philosophers stone to roll out of his mouth and onto his hand. "you've given me a second chance to kill you. That sense of mercy is about to get you in a lot of trouble."

Ed barely had time to think before the mine exploded and she blacked out.


So I literally posted this just so I could address an anonymous review of mine. I was going to post this tomorrow, but you can thank this anon for it getting posted today.

They said, ":I like this a lot but please dont end it like last time". Well, little buddy, I won't end it like last time. I said this was going to stray away from the original and I'm delivering. Chapter fifteen is where it leaves the manga, but there are bits (like in chapter twelve) that are important for the future.

I'm not gonna pull a fourteen-year old me stunt and do what I did last time. Now you've got nineteen-year old me. Buckle up, kiddies, this is gonna be a rough ride.