Chapter 6: The Ultimate Homunculus

Alphonse Elric stared at the one at the other side of the room as if he was looking himself at a mirror. Anyone that wasn't aware of the situation wouldn't have known who the real Alphonse was: the height, the form of the face, the spiky blond hair. Almost all the details were the same in both of them. But the difference resided in the eyes. When in one they was kindness, maturity, the proof to have passed through uncountable hardships; the other were immature, quite arrogant, and in some way malicious. And instead of a round pupil, a serpent like one looked at the newcomer.

But compared to his brother, Alphonse didn't look too surprised, it almost seemed like he had expected something like that. What he was feeling has something completely different.

He didn't know why, but he could feel the pressure of the power that Kaos had. It was overwhelming, it went against the normal laws of the alchemy; and overall, it was dangerous.

They couldn't fight him there; they didn't know how many other homunculus could spawn in any moment. And the reach of his power was unknown to him. Although Hohenheim wouldn't want them to be harmed as they were "precious human sacrifices", Kaos didn't seem the type of those who follow orders.

"Stupid Ed! Why did you come here at the fist time?!" Al thought to his inners. But there would be time to bull him when they got out of there.

- I am sorry not to stay more time to talk – Al said – but we have other business to attend, so…

Al clapped his hands and then put them on the ground incredibly fast and suddenly, a huge and thick wall appeared between them and the Homunculus.

- We must get out of here Ed!!!

- But…

But before he could say anything else, the wall was destroyed from the other side with powerful slashes, and when the boulders finished falling, they could see the hand of Kaos deformed in what seemed incredibly large nails, returned to its normal form.

- Ultimate Lance! – Al exclaimed completely surprised at last. He clapped his hands again and something that seemed a sphere of energy started forming between them. In a matter of milliseconds the sphere changed form red to yellow, and then he launched it against Kaos.

But Kaos put his other hand against it. When the sphere and his hand collided, the room started shaking, and seemed like it was at point to collapse, but it resisted. When the fumes dissipated, they could see the hand covered with a dark substance.

- Did you really think that I was going to fall with such a simple attack? – Kaos asked quite amused – that really sickens me.

- And now, Ultimate Shield – Al, said in a hopeless tone.

- He also has the Ultimate eye – Ed added.

And then Kaos spit and the place where his saliva fell started to melt as if acid had fallen there.

- I also can shape shift and control the shadows if you want to know – Kaos added with a malicious grind on his face. He then went out of the wall debris and walked towards the brothers

- It was a nice play, but I can't enjoy it enough because there is something that is really bothering me. Explain me why you look like me, the great Kaos, The Ultimate Homunculus!,- The homunculus asked.

- Ultimate Homunculus? – Ed said – That's incredibly egocentric, you know.

- Don't make fun of me!! – Kaos shouted – as the ultimate lance went towards Ed, who was barely able to dodge the attack.

Suddenly, Al had an idea. He noted that Kaos was very emotional and it was easy for him to change to complete happiness to complete anger. It was dangerous, but it gave him a chance to escape.

- Well, if you don't know why you look as if you were my twin, then your father hasn't told you the entire story. What did he tell you about us?

- He told me about the Elric brothers and that they will try to enter the sacred place one day or another and that I must stop them to go any further.

- Yes… but he didn't tell you about your origins, did he?

Kaos opened his eyes widely.

- Before you there was another homunculus that was named Pride, and he looked like my brother; exactly as you and I, do you know why?

- ???

- Because he was created using a part of my brother's essence; a part of his soul, weakened because of his sacrifice to maintain myself alive and extracted by your Father. I also lost a shard of my soul in a battle against that Homunculus…

- Then that means…

- Yes, you were created using that soul shard. You are just a copy; his intention to imitate myself and use my abilities to his purposes.

- No, that's a lie…

- It's not a lie. It's a true, you're just a copy of the original one

- Shut up…

- You're just a copy of the original one.

- Shut up…!

- You're just a copy of the original one!

- SHUT UP!!!!

With his shout, a shockwave started to expand around him, tearing apart the room. Ed got closer to his brother and both of them clapped his hands at the same time, making a barrier of dense air and managing to reduce the destructive effect of the shockwave around them

- Why did you make him angry! – Ed yelled to his brother – He's dangerous enough with a calm mind!

- He won't be able to fight well now. It will give us a chance to escape.

But from beyond the dust, Kaos appeared with his hands crossed, his fingers started to enlarge. When each one was like 1 foot large, all his body started to cover in a dark substance, to the point that he transformed himself in a black monster with blond hair and with impossible knives instead of fingers. In a matter of a few seconds, both the Ultimate lance and the Ultimate Shield were deployed, with the intention to kill.

- I'm going to tear you apart, limb by limb. Your blood will appease my thirst, and your flesh will appease my hunger!!! – And then he charged against him.

Al didn't expect that, the space was too small for a proper battle and Kaos was incredibly dangerous and virtually impossible to harm. It would have been an instant death if something unexpected hadn't happened then. From the entrance of the room, a line of rock pillars went against the charging homunculus, making him to lose his equilibrium and to fall to the floor, yet unharmed.

- Beware you devious creature, as you'll be punished by the hand of Justice that Alex Louis Armstrong represent!! Do not fear Elric brothers, as I am here to help you with the scum of this underworld. Now you'll face a technique that has passed through generation through generation of the Armstrong Family. The Eternal Punishment!!!

Continuous waves of rock pillars started to go against the Homunculus, who wasn't harmed by the attack, but he wasn't able to stay on his feet. Strangely he wasn't able to dodge them as easy as he dodged other things.

After like a dozen of attacks, Armstrong resumed it, exhausted.

- Are you ok Elric Brothers?

- Yes, yes we are fine – Ed Answered – But don't let your guard down, I'm sure he wasn't defeated with those attacks.

From the debris of Armstrong attack, Kaos, now in his regular form, faced the intruders. His clothes were dirty, but he hadn't even a scratch. His anger was on crazy levels.

- But what does this means? – Armstrong said while staring at the Homunculus

- I…………will………KILL YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

He then put his arms on air as if he was to put his hands together in a strong clap; but from the deeps of the underground maze a strong voice resounded all over the room.

- Kaos…

Kaos kept frozen, as the voice sounded again

- Kaos…come to me.

Kaos stood back. He was calm now, but still angry.

- My father has called me, I have to go. Your luck has saved you, but the next time it won't be the same. Remember, you are my prey.

Saying this he disappeared into the shadows. But the moment of relief lasted only seconds; as the room filled with chimeras in a matter of seconds.

- We must get out of here!! –Ed shouted, as the three of them hasted towards the exit.

- They hadn't returned yet- Ling said a bit worried, his fine clothes were filled with chimera's blood as well as his sword – We should go to see if we can help them.

- Don't worry about them – Mustang responded, sweating but clean overall. I've already sent someone to help them. We should wait a bit more; they'll come out from that place in any moment

And suddenly, from the passage that connected with the underground maze, several number of step sounds came to the Führer's ears. The Elric brothers and the Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong hurried to the office, and they seemed to be escaping from someone or something.

- Führer, please incinerate the passage!

- But…

- Just do it!!

After a snap, from his fingers a large fire ball came out and went towards the passage, killing all the pursuing chimeras.

- It's time to seal this once and for all – Al said, facing the entrance of the passage, while putting his hands together and putting them then at it. Thousands of small fibers came out from the surrounding walls, the ceiling, and the floor and even from the air; and started to entwine together at the entrance. When they formed a new wall, a strong light covered it, erasing all the union marks of the new wall and leaving it totally smooth.

- The chimeras won't be able to destroy this wall. I'm sure we won't have an incursion like that anymore.

- Well, it's over at last. We should better discuss now the reason why I came here – Ling said

- We will, LC Armstrong, you can leave us.

- Yes sir – and he left the room.

- First of all I want to know an explanation of your reckless act of going down there if you could seal the entrance that easily from the beginning.

- Well, I thought I could cut the problem from the roots, but it seemed to be too much for myself to handle – Ed excused himself.

"Heh, you don't know what waits for you at the flat" – Al said in his inners, with an evil green.

- Please, skip the inner problems now; I must transmit valuable information to you now.

- Oh yes, sorry emperor. You were about to show us a picture of the mysterious Homunculus that Attacked the capital of your country.

- Ah yes, I have it here. It was made by one of the few survivors; the only one of my brothers who survived, to be more exact.

And Ling took out the picture of the Homunculus. The Elric brothers drowned an exclamation of surprise when they saw the picture, as it was of someone that made them fear death a few moments earlier.

- You know why I was so worried about Ed. I had to pressure a lot to come here personally instead of anyone as I will be the only one capable to understand the true.

- So it is him, capable to tore apart a complete army… we barely escape alive Al.

- …

- So you already know him – Ling said

- Yes – Al responded – We saw him now that we came down there. He is Kaos, the Ultimate Homunculus; made from a shard of my soul and the remains of the Philosopher Stone from the fallen Homunculus.

A/N: - it took a lot more than I thought, I forgot I would have to read it again to not contradict the details, sorry

- I have been reading the previous chapters and they are filled with a lot of orthographic and grammatic errors, I will correct them someday (hopefully)

- The next chapter will take some time, but don't worry, I have decided to finish this, so it will be at least before the end of this month (sorry, my own brand novel needs some work too, otherwise I will never finish it).

Next Chapter: The Era of Shadows 1: The Lost Kingdom.

or maybe a Subchapter, who knows...