Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Aliyah and Lyssa.

No One's POV

"What are we doing here Major?" Ed whines as he drags his feet.

"I don't know Edward Elric, my orders were to pick you up and rendezvous here."

"Major! It's good to see you again sir." Lieutenant Breda salutes then he notices Ed. "Hey, there big guy and Gal." He smirks.

"What the... Lieutenant Breda!?" Ed and Aliyah grumble in shock.

Next scene*

The outside of the military dorms was shown. "This is weird..." Al said before the ceiling fan of the room was shown. Al, Lyssa, and Winry were shown to be sitting in the room from a ceiling angle. "Brother should have arrived in Resembool by now, so why hasn't he called?"

"Not to mention that he's got me here to do his repairs." Winry added.

"That's was very suspicious as well." Lyssa said as she crossed her arms.

Al appeared on the screen. "And the stuff with Lieutenant Ross. I have no idea of what is going on."

"Good thing I can explain it all." Ling's voice said.

The bed Winry was sitting on was shown with Ling sitting next to her suddenly. There was a pause before Winry turned her head to look at him. After another pause, the outside of the military dorms was shown before Al, Lyssa, and Winry both screamed.

"Uh, when'd you get here?" Lyssa asked.

"And how did you even get in?" Al demanded.

Ling pointed to the open window behind him. "The window." Winry turned to look at it.

"I mean, it seemed appropriate for a criminal." Ling said, grinning.

'Illegal alien as well as lockup escapee' appeared on the screen.

Winry, Lyssa, and Al sweat-dropped while Ling went on smiling as if there was nothing wrong. "First, there's no need for you to worry about Ed's wellbeing." Winry looked at him.

"I'm sure he's just fine." Ling said.

A miserable Ed wearing a tan cloak appeared on the screen.

"...Hot..." Ed said as a gentle tune entered the scene as the desert was shown. Armstrong was shown to be riding a horse with Ed on another horse behind him with Aliyah behind him. "The Colonel never said we'd be crossing the border."

Tight-lipped bastard." Ed grumbled.

"Aren't you hot under that red coat?" The Lieutenant pants, Aliyah furrows her brows.

"No not really..." Aliyah trail off and wrap my arms tighter around Ed.

"Your skin feels nice..." Ed mutters, I tilt my head confused.

Breda was shown to be on a horse following another man. "Mr. Han, how much further do we have left?"

"We've almost made it." Han pointed at something ahead of them. "Look, you can see the ruins ahead."

"Finally..." Huffs Ed, As soon as we get to the ruins we get off the horses and Ed jumps into the fountain.

"grmg... My automail almost seared through my skin..." Ed bubbles from under the water.

"Who's idea was it to bring the kid and the girl." Fu mutter to the other.

"It was a direct order from the Colonel." The Lieutenant sighs.

"This place looks exactly how the fable describes it." Ed sighs as he rings out his shirt, I can't help but steal a stare of his muscles; I feel a blush dust my cheeks.

"Did you say a fable?" Fu asks interested.

"Hmm? yea, its about a drifter from the west..." Aliyah zone out sitting on the fountains edge, looking at the crumbled city.

"Yeah, the Eastern Sage. It's a story about the origin of alchemy in Amestris." A picture of a man wearing a white cloak with his hands spread out appeared behind Ed as mysterious music appeared in the scene. "It claims the entire kingdom of Xerxes was destroyed in a single night and that the only survivor wandered into Amestris shortly afterwards. He was the one who went on to spread the science of alchemy."

" Come on Aliyah." Ed calls to her, she get up and run towards them, as we walk deeper into the city there chatter continues as Fu talks about the similar tale from Xing. Wow look at all of this? It's so amazing, but it's so sad that they crumbled away.

The group was seen to be walking through a new area of the ruins with the sun shining down on them. "But if Xerxes was such a highly advanced society, how were they wiped out in a single night?" Breda mutter.

"It could very well just be a legend." Fu sighs, Aliyah hold back a scoff but Ed catches my scrunched face.

"Whats wrong...?" Ed says in a low tone, none of the others noticed.

"It's just this place..." Aliyah start Ed stops walking and looks at the half crumbled transmutation circle. "What happened here was awful and saddening, all the innocent people..." Aliyah trail off.

"Wait. All the innocent people? What happened here Rose?" Ed snaps and looks at Aliyah dead on.

"What are you two gawking at! Come on!" Fu shouts, Ed gives a pained look but grabs her hand and drags her forward.

"Wow were going in pretty deep now.." Ed trails off.

"Edward!" A voice calls out, Ed and The Major look up and see the Lieutenant and both smile.

"Back east, where I was. It's a nice place." Mustang's voice said as Ed's expression morphed into a happy expression before Armstrong was shown. "None of the big city noise and lots of beautiful women." The silhouette was shown to be Maria Ross.

"Damn that Colonel." Ed says full of happiness, as Aliyah yet go of Ed's hand and run towards to Ross.

Armstrong shout in happiness and and hug her with Aliyah.

"There really wasn't any place to hide a dead girl Amestris, especially one that wasn't dead you know?" Lieutenant Breda smiles.

Breda smirked before the scene faded away to show a newspaper being tossed onto a desk. The scene started in faded colours before it turned to normal as Breda said, "This seems a little too showy, sir."

"Is that what you think?" Mustang asked.

"Yeah. They make a point of arresting in public and now they announce her guilt to the newspaper before she's even had a trial. Something's not right." Breda said.

Mustang frowned as his phone rang. He picked it up and put it to his ear. "I'm here."

"Warrant Officer Falman's calling on a public line for you." A female voice said. "I'll take it." Mustang said.

There was a click before Falman's voice said, "Colonel, we need to speak to you about General Hughes's murder."

"Hey! Falman, give me the phone for a second." Barry's voice said. Mustang opened his eyes. 'Barry?'

"Yo, Mustang! You've seen today's paper?" Barry asked. "Cause there's an interesting article–" Mustang suddenly sprung to his feet with a creepy look on his face.

"Hey bunny! You know better than to call me at work."

The Park was shown. "Let me call you right back! Just hang on, okay?" He hung up the phone.

It was evening now and Breda was shown standing outside of a phone booth as Mustang's voice said, "Really? You sure about this?" Mustang was shown inside of the phone booth, arm leaning on the phone box as Barry said, "Oh, yeah. The Lieutenant fired a bullet alright, but it was at me, not Hughes."

A bubble of Barry appeared on the screen, pointing at a hole in his hand. "I still got a hole in my right hand from where it passed right through."

"Well, that changes things." Mustang said.

Active, dramatic music suddenly began as Mustang turned to the side, smirking. "Barry, I've got a proposition you might like."

Barry was shown to be on the phone with Falman behind him. "Oooh." The murderer laughed.

"Gotcha. I promise not to kill anyone." He said as he turned to look at Falman. "How about the second street in the warehouse district?" Falman stared at him.

Mustang was shown to be scribbling something in a little book. When he was done, he ripped the page out and left the phone booth, going over to Breda.

"I need you to gather everything on this list, on the double, okay?" He handed the paper to Breda. "Sixty pounds of pork, carbon, some ammonia..." Breda looked up from the list.

"What is this?"

"The ingredients for a well-cooked corpse." Mustang replied.

Breda gulped. "Human Transmutation?"

"Of course not." Mustang replied before he started to walk away with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"I'm just going to whip up something that looks like a human corpse."

"But, wait, what about when they do the autopsy?" Breda asked as he followed his boss.

"Trust me, it will be too charred for them to ID it." Mustang replied.

"That won't stop them from checking the dental records." Breda pointed out.

"I've got it under control." Mustang replied.

"Think you can pull it off? Breda asked.

Mustang stopped. "I'm not claiming to be an expert on human anatomy," He paused for a moment before turning around, though he looked like a silhouette because of the sun.

"But I've got plenty of experience burning corpses." Breda stared at him, blinking. "Let's go."

Maria was shown running down the alley before stopping with Mustang in front of her. "You're Maria Ross, correct?" He asked. He opened a dumpster near them and pulled out a fake body. Mustang threw the body to the ground in front of her.

She blinked at it as Mustang said, "It's a dummy. From this point on, you're dead." The Colonel raised his hand and snapped his fingers. A burst of flames spread around the scene, blinding Ross and filling the sky. When the smoke cleared, Ross was on her knees, covering her face with a burnt corpse in front of her.

Maria looked at it in surprise as Mustang approached her, "Snap out of it."

Mustang grabbed her arm and pulled it up to clip her prison bracelet off. When it was off, he pulled her over to the dumpster and threw her roughly into it.

Mustang slammed the dumpster shut. Ross was shown, grimacing as she laid in the dumpster.

"Shhh." Maria opened her eyes to see Havoc kneeling by a hole in the wall of the dumpster and a building. The prison bracelet was shown before fire spread along it, burning it. Mustang was shown by the corpse when Ed and Aliyah reached them.

Mustang looked over at the heavily breathing Edward. He stood up and turned to the boy. "Hey there, Fullmetal and Blue Flame."

Havoc was putting a board over the hole in the wall when he heard Ed yell, "What happened here, Colonel? Tell me!" Havoc looked up.

"What? Is that Chief Fullmetal and Blue Flame?" He stood up with Ross standing by him. "Oh man, we didn't plan on this one." He scratched his head.

"Edward and Aliyah's here?" Maria asked.

"Yeah," Havoc said as he walked down the hall of the building.

"But I'm sure the Colonel will come up with something." Maria followed him with her eyes before looking back at the wall with a distressed look.

"Come on." Havoc ordered. "Right." Maria said and the two ran down the hall.

The ruins of Xerxes appeared on the screen. The group was shown to be sitting in a circle in the shade of the ruins. "After Madam Ross was prematurely freed, the Young Lord made a deal with Barry the Chopper."

Aliyah's POV

The orders I've been given is to personally escort this woman to the east to take refuge." Fu explained.

"So, we all agreed to rendezvous here, in one big effort to aid the Lieutenant's escape." Breda said.

Armstrong crossed his arms. "I see." Ed gave Breda a blank look. "You've got to be joking. I can't believe the Colonel was able to pull one over on us like this."

"He knew it'd be easier to convince you if you actually saw Lieutenant Ross." Breda said.

Ed raised his hands, showing that only one had a glove on.

"Fine, I'll admit it, all right. He actually knew what he was doing this time." Ed said, smiling.

Breda leaned forward a bit. "He mentioned something else..." The Lieutenant smirked.

"He also said he didn't want to risk exposer by some hot tempered kids, so he sent you here." Laughed the Lieutenant.

"HOT TEMPERED KID!" Ed shouts angrily, I try to keep myself from bursting out laughing.

"Is there more to the plan than just liberating lieutenant Ross?" Armstrong questions, than Ed stops.

The one that's behind the conspiracy." Breda finished.

"No one calls me a..." Ed cut off his angry tirade to look at Breda in surprise as dramatic music began. "Wait, what'd you say?"

"You remember Barry from the Fifth Lab, right?" Breda asked, still smirking. "He went on one hell of a rampage. They'll bound to send someone to reclaim him."

The horribly disfigured body of Barry was shown to be standing on a bridge over the street. He growled. The military dorms appeared on the screen once more. "So, Lieutenant Ross is innocent." Lan Fan appeared on the screen, standing on a ledge.

No One's POV

"Why takes Ed and Ally?" Winry asked as she and Ling were seen through the bedroom window. "The Colonel was just trying to keep them out of his hair, wasn't he?"

Heh, you got it." Ling replied as he got a close up. Winry, Lyssa and Al fell into depressed states.

"Geez, I know Ed can be demanding sometimes..." Lyssa said and then chuckled.

"So, I struck up a deal with Barry to help him out with the jailbreak in exchange for the secret of his immortality." Ling said.

"But of course..." Ling trailed off and a picture of Barry appeared on the screen.

"The science guys that put me in this body are all dead and it's not like I know how they did it." Barry said.

"What? That's not fair." Ling's voice said. Barry raised a hand.

"You know what? You should ask that Alphonse kid. He's also just a soul glued to metal."

The four teenagers reappeared on the screen with Winry and Al staring at Ling. "So here I am. You're supposed to tell me your secret." Ling said.

"And I was promised you'd tell me." Ling said.

Winry looked away with a blank look.

Al looked away. "Yeah, but I don't exactly see how I have anything to do with it."

Aliyah's POV:

Ross appeared with wearing a disgruntled look. "I've got nothing to do with this. Zilch. And yet here I am, stuck in the middle of it. And framed by Homunculi." Her shoulders slumped as a drawn picture of Lust was shown.

Five pictures placed in a circle appeared on the screen. They were of the Philosopher's Stone transmutation circle, the Ouroboros tattoo, Envy, Lust, and Greed.

"We've collected a fair amount of intelligence." Breda said as he and Fu appeared on the screen. He was looking in a little black book.

"And once we properly piece it together, we'll have the General's killer."

"I promise you this, Lieutenant. We will absolve you of this crime." Armstrong said.

"Lieutenant Colonel...I mean, General Hughes, it's just hard to accept that he's dead." Ed sighs sadly.

"Yeah, he was a good friend to us." I said with a sad expression on my face.

"And what shall you do now, Edward Elric?" Armstrong asked.

Gracia flashed onto the saying, "You boys have to keep moving forward, any way you can."

"We committed a taboo. We still have people to help us." As Ed spoke, the rest of the group was shown to be watching him. "Some people get angry at us; others support us silently." "Each one of them has tried to help me keep my promise to my family." Ed, who was holding his wrist, . He gripped his automail wrist tightly. "So, I have no choice." His automail hand curled into a fist. "I can't turn back." He raised his arm a bit, staring at it. "Which means, all I can do is move forward, right? And I'll protect everyone I can along the way."

"I refuse to let another person become a victim, not while I'm alive." He released his automail hand to stare down at his strange hands. "I know that's a hard promise to keep. It's hard enough just trying to take care of myself." The we were looking at him. "But to think I'm even capable of it, maybe I'm just arrogant. But it's the only thing I can think of, so I have to do it. I have too."

Breda appeared on smirking. Fu was shown next, followed by Armstrong, and I smile at him then finally, Ross.

Armstrong looked at Ross. "And you, Lieutenant, where do you intend to seek an asylum?" Ross smiled. "Well, I think that I'm going to give Xing a shot." Ed blinked.

Ed's POV

Armstrong,Breda, Ally and I were shown to be standing in front of six horses with Ross, Fu, and a few others getting things sorted out. Ross was petting her horse as Armstrong asked, "Any parting wishes? Shall I tell your parents?" Ross stopped petting her horse and turned around. "No sir. As much as I want them to know that I'm okay, I'm scared it would be too much of a risk. I just don't want to put them in that danger."

"Very well." Armstrong said.

"Major Armstrong, Lieutenant Breda..." Ross said as the two perked up as a soft, innocent tune entered the scene.

"Please deliver a message to the Colonel. I need him to know how grateful I am for what he's done. If there's any way I can help him, tell him to send for me." She saluted the two.

"I owe him a great debt and I am willing to put my life on the line to repay it." She finished.

"Right." Armstrong said. I looked down for a moment before raising a hand to salute. Before I could though, Ross stood in front of me and held her hand out to me.

"Goodbye Edward, take care of yourself." She says sweetly and takes his hand and shakes it. " And you Aliyah. Take care of them both, I hope to see you again."

I looked surprised for a moment before smiling. "I still owe you, for slapping me that is."

Ross smiled. "You can get me next time." She said with a smile.

I grabbed her hand and shook it.

"Alright, next time then." Ed said to himself and Maria Ross gives Aliyah a small hug and walks toward the horses.

No One's POV

Central Headquarters was shown with Mustang's laughter ringing out.

Mustang's office was shown with soldiers sitting at their desks. "How about I swing by the shop sometime tomorrow?" The Colonel asked as he was shown to be sitting at his desk. "And if you ask me nicely, I'll bring a gift."

"Huh? I'm sorry, hold on, Roy. Hey Kate, we have a customer." Elizabeth said.

Mustang's eyes opened.

The scene changed to a dark room where a small figure was sitting with two red eyes shining behind him.

"Could you please let Jacqueline know?" Elizabeth's voice came out through the static on the radio.

"Jacqueline,"

A low male voice said as the scene changed to a figure in black clothes sitting in another room. "We have a customer."

"Copy that." Jacqueline said, though it could be told from his voice that it was Havoc. He pulled back his gun, getting it ready. Falman was shown to be drinking from a mug as dogs barking sounded.

Falman looked over his shoulder at the window. Suddenly, Barry's body jumped onto the window seal. Falman flew up from his seat, shouting in shock. When Barry's body lunged at him, Falman had his gun out. When he started to fire, Barry slammed his hand on Falman's gun, pointing it to the ground. His meat cleaver covered his head while Barry's body's hand slammed onto the wall.

"Hold on!" Barry cried.

"Barry?!" Falman asked as dangerous active music played.

"Try and relax, Falman." Barry said, still blocking Barry's body's arm. "We want this one alive, so..." Barry ducked under his body's punch. "Don't kill him!" He finished as he swung his cleaver at his body, but his body just jumped back onto the sink. Barry charged at his body, wrapping his arms around him while Falman just stared. The door across the hall opened and Havoc, still wearing his mask came out. He pointed two guns into the room so Falman pointed his gun at him.

Havoc kicked Falman's gun out of his hands and pointed his own at Barry's body. The body saw the gun and threw Barry aside to jump away from him as Havoc started to fire his own gun. Barry rolled across the sink to avoid the bullets. Barry jumped off the counter as Havoc switched which gun, he was using. "Smells like an ashtray–Jean Havoc?" Falman asked.

Havoc stopped firing as Barry's body growled at him. He turned to Falman, angrily. "Falman! Don't you think I'm wearing this mask for a reason? Man, I can't stand working with amateurs."

Falman quickly saluted. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah, and I'm sorry that you got dragged into this." Havoc replied as Barry's growling body was shown, followed by Barry. "Just don't do anything that would give away your involvement. They could be watching us from anywhere."

Barry's body charged at Barry and slammed him into a wall.

"Hey!" Barry said as his body ripped his arm off.

Havoc fired at Barry's body, causing him to jump away from Barry.

Barry's body jumped around before jumping onto a wall to run away from the bullets. "Take it outside." Havoc ordered.

"Uh, yeah." Barry said.

Havoc ran outside the door with Falman and Barry following.

"But either there a good chance the enemy's waiting outside?" Falman asked.

"We'll be safer there." Havoc replied.

The rundown neighbourhood was shown before the two came out the door. Havoc and Falman pointed their guns around, checking the area.

From above them, Barry's body burst out of one of the windows. As he landed on the ground, Havoc started firing at him. Barry's body jumped onto one of the building walls. He jumped off, spinning in the air, as he came at Havoc. Suddenly, Havoc's gun stopped firing. "Ah, damn it!" He shouted when his gun was seen to have a jam.

Barry lunged at Havoc.

"Lieutenant!" Falman shouted.

A sniper was shown with a bullet being fired out of it. The bullet slammed into Barry's body's hand, causing the body to go flying back and slamming into a crate. As the body rolled around, moaning in pain and clutching his hand, Barry stared at it.

"Told you it was safer." Havoc told Falman. "We've got the Hawk's Eyes watching over us out here."

Falman looked towards the tower.

"I heard a loud noise." Mustang's voice said as the scene in the rundown road was seen through a scope. "What happened?"

"It was nothing." Elizabeth replied.

Riza was shown to be kneeling by a window, holding a sniper. "A customer was getting fresh with Jacqueline." She got her gun ready for the next round. "So, I slapped him around a little bit."

Mustang chuckled. "Oh, yeah." Fuery was shown to be sitting in a dark room with Black Hayate with a lot of communication equipment in front of him. "You don't mess around, Elizabeth."

Barry's body was crouching down, grabbing his hand as Havoc approached him. "Alright. Don't even think of moving. I've got a few questions for you–Wait a minute." Havoc lowered his guns. "I don't think he knows what I'm saying."

Barry appeared on the screen. "No way. I thought this guy looked familiar." Barry's body was shown before Barry took a step forward.

"That's my old human body!"

"What?" Havoc asked shocked. "Are you sure?"

"Those sick bastards must've dumped the soul of some feral lab animal into my body." Barry said.

"And it came to find me because it wants it's real soul back." Barry said before laughing and putting his cleaver on his shoulder.

"Talk about memories." Barry's body was shown up closer. "I haven't even seen this guy since the day my soul got yanked out of him."

Aliyah's POV

Ed started walking through the ruins of Xerxes.

"We'll meet you back at the wagon in 15, if that's ok." Ed regards towards Armstrong. "Theres something I have to check out." He sighs and pulls me along back to the crumbled circle.

"Just what I thought, It's the same transmutation circle from the fifth lab... damn it why does the top have to be missing..!" Ed grumble than I see someone jump at him, but he moves instantly forcing him to the ground.

"I don't have any money so..." Ed stops and sees the mans bright red eyes. " Your an Ishvallen." he gasp, More appear and begin to sneer at Ed.

It was the death of single child that triggered the entire Ishvalan civil war." The man said. "So, you really shouldn't doubt your significance in the eyes of history."

Ed stared at him with narrowed eyes that glared.

"That's enough of your shameful behaviour." An old sounding female's voice said.

Ed looked forward once more to see an old lady with an eye patch on one eye being helped by a young teenager.

"Please sir, let him go. I promise he wont hurt you anymore." Ed looks down and let's go.

" You stood up for me, I always heard you all hated Amestriens.." Ed trails off confused, I take his hand in mine and he looks at men stares and pulls me close.

"Despite the atrocities your country has committed, I've learned not all Amestriens are bad." Ed's eyes widen.

"We were both hurt during the war, but we were saved by two Amestriens doctors. To be honest I do hate you, but the of them saved me and you deserve the same treatment" The boy says gravely.

"Wait a minute, your not talking about the Rockbells are you?" Ed asks wide eyed.

"They were aunt and uncle to us." I said while wondering what happened to them.

They both gasp in surprise. I hear the gratitude in there voice, than the sadness as they told them how they died.

""How did...How did they die?" Ed asked despair, I feel Ed's hand ball into fits on my back.

The teenager looked at him in horror.

Shan sighed sadly. "They were killed. They were both murdered in cold blood, and it was by the hand of an Ishvalan they'd saved."

Ed's eyes widened in horror. "But that's so..." He started.

"There was nothing we could do to stop him." Shan said. "Tell me who did it!" Ed demanded.

Shan appeared on the screen. "His face was wrapped in bandages. But he was an Ishvalan monk and his right arm was tattooed." Ed's hand clenched tightly.

"If you should have the chance, can you deliver a message to the resting place of the Rockbells for us. Give them our thanks and our apologies." Ed gave them a nod and led me down the stairs, I could see the sadness buried into his golden eyes and take his gloved hand.

No One's POV

The scene faded to white for a second before Ed was shown to be standing on a high level of the ruins, looking at the desert. The tower Hawkeye was in was shown from the outside as Barry laughed. "Hahaha." Barry was seen to be staring at his body with Falman and Havoc standing behind him, pointing their guns at Barry's body.

"You know how amazing this is? I mean, how often does a guy get the chance to chop up his own body into tiny little pieces?"

"I'm pretty sure that would kill him and you told me not to do that." Falman said. Barry looked at him. He pointed his cleaver at him. "Well, this changes things, damn it."

Barry's body was shown as Barry continued. "I'm getting chills up and down my soul. I've got to get my knives into it."

"Back off, Barry." Havoc ordered. "I thought you were supposed to have the urge to return to your body, not chop it up into pieces."

"Tch." Barry said as a fly was shown to be flying around a rotten part of the body. "That body's way passed its expiration date."

Falman was shown to be covering his nose. "Oh, man, that's what stinks?"

Barry appeared on screen. "This is just cruel! I have to do it!" He raised his cleaver. "It's my body so it's up to me and I'm putting it on the chopping block."

Havoc looked at him angrily. "Damn it! I said no!"

Riza was shown to be in her tower with her gun ready. "What's wrong?" Mustang asked.

"Just a squabble. One of the customers is mouthing off." Riza said. She blinked and looked over her shoulder.

"Oh no. I'm gonna have to call you right back." As active, dangerous music entered the scene, a figure walked out of the dark shadows behind her.

"I've got a customer of my own to deal with."

Riza turned around and shot Gluttony in the shoulder. As Gluttony slammed into the ground, Riza prepared her gun for the next shot. To her surprise, the gunshot wound in Gluttony healed. She stared in horror as Gluttony rose to his feet and grinned evilly at her.