A/N: Hello there!

I am sorry I did not update last week, as I mentioned in other fanfic of mine, I had some preparations to do for a con in my country, so I did not make it in time :D

TooLazyToLogIn1, congrats, you thought right :D Ye, this is a world of walkers and that is precisely why I tagged this as a tragedy. This is a story with a lot of characters death, basically, no one is safe here.

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. Damn, wish I would tho ... it is an awesome story.

Italics are flashbacks.

ooOOoo

"Hold him down Fullmetal!" shouted Roy, kneeling down along with Al, both of their hands, placed down on the ground. Edward was trying to hold down the creature, while Al and Roy performed a transmutation, to actually imprison the biter. Riza was trying to cover them up as much as possible.

With all the shouting and noise happening there, it was practically impossible for them to avoid contact with those biters. Riza spent previous five minutes disposing of her targets.

Edward was holding one of them finally in place, after all that time passed. With his hands, he was able to hold down biter's feet, at this the place lit up with a light, coming from a transmutation, Roy and Al performed. After the few seconds, the biter was being held in place, by a transmuted strong piece of wood, circled all around its feet.

Before Edward could reposition himself to hold down biter's arms, he felt a sharp pain, coming from his left, automail leg. He could hear Al and Mustang call to him, Ed did not pay them any mind, as he turned around his head, just to see that thing, trying to bite through his leg. He smirked and turned around, getting his leg free, out of its teeth and holding down its arms, with his hands.

When Al and Roy saw, what had happened, they once again performed a transmutation, keeping that thing pinned to a ground. Both of them got up and walked towards Edward, still sitting just before his prey, that tried to eat him, moments ago.

"Brother! Are yo-" he was interrupted by a hush, coming from a Lieutenant. Al turned around, only to face a concentrated Lieutenant "Keep it down Alphonse, those things are attracted by a noise." Said Hawkeye and turned her head around, checking their surroundings from the doorway.

They were in an old, small house. It wasn't used in quite a long time, since you could see more than enough spider webs, hanging down from the wall and ceiling. Windows, were covered up by a black cloth and only entrance available, was the door, Riza was guarding now.

As Roy approached Ed, he double checked his automail leg. He could see his torn up trousers, that covered it, some bite marks on it, but that was all. Sighing to himself, he looked at the siblings before him and started, "okay, let's continue with our plan"

ooOOoo

Our party arrived at the HQ, after they returned from the hospital. "Lieutenant, get some black cloth and tape, also, ready your guns" Riza heard her superior say, she wondered for a moment, what were those things for, but after a few moments, she saluted, giving him an answer, that she understood. Immediately, without any further ado, she grabbed some bag and left the room.

Edward and Alphonse were trailing just behind Roy, following him to his desk. Before they were able to finish their way to his desk or ask any questions, Roy motioned for them to sit down on the couch, that surrounded one coffee table in the middle. Not looking at them, he continued his way.

Ed and Al just looked at each other, before obeying their superior officer and sitting down, waiting for him to finish his task. After the few moments passed, Roy joined them, few books held in his hands. He sat down, just to the opposite of those siblings, placing them on the table before him and looking straight at Ed and Al.

Edward looked down and read the headlines on the books, his brow rising in progress. 'Human body', 'Secrets of a Human brain', 'Zombies, could they become real? '. At the last one, Ed's head perked up, to look at Roy, surprise written all over his face. Well, Mustang was not normal in his eyes, but to read a fictional story about Zombies? That was too much even for a Colonel.

"I have some theory regarding those biters, we need to catch one of them and …." Roy gulped mid-sentence "…. Find out if it is true" he told them, looking directly at their faces. "You two are skilled alchemists when it comes to biological alchemy, that is why army needs your help."

"Heh, so Colonel" Al knew an insult was coming towards the Colonel, when Ed spoke up, he just sighed, closing his eyes, while his brother continued "even a great Flame alchemist can't learn a bit about a bio-alchemy? He has to ask for a help of two little boys on such a crucial task?" Mustang's brow twitched upwards and Edward smirked.

"Fullmet-" Roy was interrupted by a sound of slamming door as Riza entered the room. Bringing her right hand to her forehead, she said "Everything is prepared sir, I also grabbed few gun silencers on my way." Roy, turning his head to the Lieutenant nodded. "Good, Lieutenant, now come here" Roy stood up and went to his desk, grabbing a map, from one of his drawers. Grabbing few pens on his way, he placed the map on the coffee table, marking a place with a circle.

Looking around at the people, inside the room, he pointed at the circle "This is an old house, close to a HQ, we will lure one of those things here, there, we will try to check some things up. "Roy straightened up from the map. "We will talk about it on the way."

ooOOoo

"Lieutenant, how does it look outside?" Asked Roy, turning his attention to Riza, still guarding the doorway. As she was glancing outside, she nodded, side-looking at her superior, "It is quiet for now sir". Turning her head around she continued "but I would recommend you to make haste, sir, they are starting to gather up and sun is slowly setting."

"Got it Lieutenant" replied Roy as he turned his attention back to the creature, laying at his feet. Then he glanced at the Elric brothers, checking through the books, they brought from his library. After the few moments both brothers nodded at each other, deciding those things would work out. Both of them grabbed a piece of chalk and started drawing a transmutation circle, motioning Roy to move away from the creature.

Roy waited for a bit, then asking "What are you trying to do?" he directed his gaze to older brother. Edward without even looking up, started his explanation.

"Well, as you told us, the only thing to stop them is to destroy their brain, which means, something in there is still working. We want to check the functionality of all the organs, without dissection of the body." Ed stood up from his and Al's handiwork, checking every part of the circle for any mistakes. "Lastly we want to check the brain for any remaining functionality, to find out what is actually happening and if it is … reversible."

Roy narrowed his eyes at Ed and frowned in process, regarding his last statement and sighed after the few moments. "I know what you think Fullmetal, but you cannot save everyone …." He looked up, hardening his gaze, Riza turned around, knowing what is coming, " … you cannot save everyone" he repeated, taking a deep breath, continued "not even Major Armstrong."

Edward turned around sharply, pain written all over his face. "Colonel!" that was Riza's way of breaking the silence. Roy knew he crossed the border with that statement, but Edward needs to face the reality right now, he cannot afford to lose more of his men.

"Brother …" Edward turned around at the voice of Al and sighed. "Let's continue Al."

"Mhm" replied Al as he stood up, and walking towards his older brother. Roy, closing his eyes, he made his way towards the corner of the room, not wanting to disrupt their work.

"Remember to check the musculature of the inner organs for any reaction Al" told Ed, checking few pages of the book, laying in his hands. "Also, moving up to the heart, try to change the amount of red blood cells in the blood, if it will react. Lastly, in the brain, try to change the flow of the information, separately, in all the parts of it." He finished, closing the book and looking at the creature, still fighting the restraints.

"Okay" replied Al, placing his hands down on the ground and wakening up the transmutation circle. Blue lightning lit up the whole room, indicating the transmutation was in process. Biter just screeched and did not even stop moving, or show any indication of pain. After the few moments, the lightning disappeared and Al sighed.

"What did you find out, Al?" asked Ed, looking at his younger brother now. Al turned around, to look at his brother, then after few seconds, glanced back on the creature.

"I was able to check the organs, they were unresponsive to any changes occurring in the body, also the heart."

"And the brain?" Roy asked, still covered in the darkness in the corner of the room. Al just shook his head in response. "Every part of the brain is unresponsive. It is like you would check the organs of the dead body. But ... " Al took a deep breath.

"But?" Asked Ed and Roy in unison. Riza was quietly listening to the younger brother, keeping an eye out on some unwelcome visitor.

"The brain stem responded to changes." Replied Al. Ed, looking down, placed his hand to his mouth, visibly thinking a lot. "The brain stem … which means it is only a brain that controls all the limps and the movement of the body. Problem is how, since not even its heart works." Ed looked up at Al.

"All the organs not working, killing them only by destroying their brain …. This is biologically just impossible, no matter how you look at it." Edward's thoughts were interrupted by a silenced gunshot, coming from Lieutenant.

"Sir, we have to go, they got attracted by the loud noises." Told Riza hastily. Roy nodded his head and turned to brothers. "Fullmetal, Alphonse, get your things, we are getting out of here."

"Wha-? No!" Ed's sharp response surprised Roy. "We can continue and find out more abo-"

"Fullmetal! You will get another opportunity, now get moving" Roy told him, before he could get more ideas how to get himself killed.

Alphonse was first to move from his place, as he made his way towards Ed, he spoke up, trying to get him to move away from there. He understood that this was not a safe place to stay, Sure, windows were covered up, there was also only one entrance to the building, guarded by Lieutenant, but they could not take any more chances than this.

Edward unwillingly moved from his place, glancing back on the creature, still struggling in its place. Seeing this, Roy sighed once again and put his hand into the pocket, getting hold of the ignition cloth gloves. He turned his head to the Lieutenant "Get them outside Lieutenant, I will follow you."

Riza nodded her head, understanding, what he is about to do and ushered brothers out of the house, not turning around.

As they left, Roy put out the gloves from their original place and slowly put them on, while looking on his prey before him. The biter was trying to get out, opening and closing his mouth, making also those weird sounds. His hands and fingers were moving in a way, as if trying to tear something apart. As Roy looked at its legs, he could already see a seeping blood from below the wooden restraints.

"Heh, wanted to tear your own limbs to get to your food, didn't you?" Asked Roy, not that he waited any response from it. After the few moments of watching him, he snapped his fingers, creating a smaller explosion.

The decaying flesh burned easily without any liquid in it. It started to fall off, from the main body as fire progressed further, leaving only bones to show. Biter was still moving around as he burned. Roy could already remember the Ishval with this sight and also the smell of this burning meat.

After the few moments he decided to get out. They were waiting for him and also, biter was being held down by wooden restraints, they would start to burn too, sooner or later. Turning around, he made his way outside, meeting up with Elrics and Riza just outside.

ooOOoo

A/N Uff, I personally start to like this story, I must say it is interesting to write about those things. Also, about the thing with that transmutation. It was quite a big transmutation circle, also complicated one, that is why they had to draw it on the ground. About this check up on biter, I came up with this when I went to sleep yesterday, I thought it might fit the story just good. Anyway, I am no biologist, I just thought by changing something in some parts of the body, you would get response from a living body. Well, anyway, if you have any questions or something, feel free to ask them in reviews or in PM.

Hope you liked this one! 😊 See ya next time!