Amestris 1917 : The Equivalent Bond

by Charlien

Al is missing and Thule attacks Amestris. To save Al, Edward and Alfons must help the military build a flying machine. How will the other world react on Alfons, and who can they really trust? Yaoi, action, EdxHei. Non-con later. Sequel to Munich 1923

32. Battle Interweave

Chapter 32: Battle Interweave

---

Nightfall had begun to evolve, bathing the sky in dark hues of purple and black. The mountain known as the headquarters of Thule Society was rising solidly beneath the black aircraft sailing high above. The port on top of the mountain had opened and soon they would land in the middle of enemy territory. The tension in the cockpit was high.

"I've informed Warrant Officer Falman of our situation," Colonel Mustang said. "But for now we're on our own."

"We'll have visitors the moment we land," Edward said. "And they might already know that the plane is hijacked. They haven't done anything to keep in touch with us over the radio."

"Kiehle is currently organizing the soldiers," Mustang said. "We still have the hostages, but if they decide to attack us, regardless, we'll have to fire all our arms at them."

Alfons was fiddling nervously with the sleeve of his shirt where he sat in the other front seat. Both he and Edward had found a couple of spare shirts in a closet in the cockpit, so at least they weren't torn or full of blood anymore. But his nerves were starting to get the best of him. "Isn't there any other way?" he asked, his voice small. "People will die."

"It's either them or us," Mustang said sharply.

"Just keep them busy somehow while I go find the Gate," Edward said. "Once it's gone, they won't have any reason to attack anymore since they'll be stuck here. If they give up before that, they can go back into the Gate before I destroy it for all I care."

"I disagree," Mustang said. "They don't deserve that kind of leniency from this world. I want to see them all convicted as warfare criminals."

"Unless you kill them off first," Edward muttered.

"If necessary, yes. If not I can assure you that we'll never walk out of here alive."

"I get the point." Edward steered downwards. "Here goes. Time to land this damned thing."

Even if the soldiers were readily on guard, and the two superior officers were, to an extent, working together to lead their side to victory over Thule Society, Alfons believed no one could really prepare themselves for what they were about to face. He knew Edward was thinking the same thing, and Edward was probably right in assuming that Thule knew they were here.

As the wheels hit the ground and drove fast towards the open hangar leading into the mountain, Alfons' stomach curled up in discomfort. The memories of the last time they were here, trapped inside of that place, were still fresh in his mind.

"Once you've stopped the flying machine, both of you join my side Fullmetal, Alfons," Roy Mustang ordered. Then he disappeared into the other room.

Edward slowed down the vessel's speed and reached the ramp leading back down into the depths of the mountain they had experienced as and compared to hell not long ago.

"Stay close to my side at all times," Edward said. "If something goes wrong, you get the hell out of here and run."

"Telling me something like that is pointless," Alfons stated. "No matter what, I'll stay close to you."

Edward grinned at him at that. "I almost assumed you would punch me again."

"Don't give me a reason to."

The aircraft stopped underneath the surface of the mountain and as soon as they were inside, the doors were closing above them, locking them in and hiding the sky. Darkness fell over the aircraft. It was so dark Alfons clutched after Edward's metal hand as they rose from their seats. It got better as their eyes adjusted, and the light was still on in the other room of the vessel.

"Come on," Edward said and headed towards the other room of the aircraft, squeezing Alfons' hand a little before releasing it.

Inside the other room the soldiers stood set into formation around the exit led by Hawkeye, Havoc holding the four hostages up front, and the two superior officers further behind together with Al. Edward joined Roy Mustang and his brother's sides along with Alfons.

"Hopefully they won't start an immediate attack and risk killing their own men," Mustang muttered. "But stay low."

Alfons kept close to Edward and so did Al, while everyone was quiet and concentrated with their eyes directed at the door. For now everything was silent, like the silence before an inevitable storm. He hated how clammy his hands had become, and didn't want to dry them off on his pants either, wishing to avoid any form of attention directed towards himself. The tension in the room was high and nerve-racking and almost unbearable, even with Edward's flickering determination right next to him.

Kiehle gave Mustang a signalling look and the Colonel nodded briskly.

"Now!" Kiehle commanded, and one of his soldiers pressed a button next to the door, making it open automatically.

The second after, the light suddenly went out inside aircraft, and all hell broke loose.

Alfons didn't even know where the explosion had come from. He was brutally thrown off his feet on the floor, hearing men shouting and screaming all around him, and then guns fired rapidly. A pair of hands, one of them metal, fumbled after him and then pulled. "Alfons, get up quick!"

Alfons forced his legs to listen to him and barely could make out Edward's face in the ominous darkness, his face occasionally lightened up by flashing gunshots from the Amestrian soldiers. Before he could speak, Edward was dragging him further back and away from the exit. It was blocked anyway, so they wouldn't be able to get out. Had that been Thule Society's plan? To capture them all inside the flying machine and then slaughter them? The bomb had emitted a ton of smoke, making his throat itch and hurt. Alfons coughed, and struggled to see anything while holding onto Edward.

Meanwhile Mustang groaned where he had landed with his back against the wall. The blow had arrived more suddenly than even he had expected, though he never underestimated an enemy.

"Colonel!" Havoc's voice shouted in his ear, pulling him back into reality. "It was a trap! Find another way out of this thing! We'll keep them busy!"

Slowly Roy stood up against the wall, sheltering his nose from the smoke and smell of the grenade with the crook of his elbow. It had been thrown in the same second they opened the door. Still slightly dazed, he lifted a hand to his ear. "I expect you to follow me as soon as you can, Lieutenant. That's an order!"

"Yes, sir! For now we're keeping them back."

In the faint light he could spot his men still formatted around the exit, firing out the door towards the enemy who were returning fire. A soldier got hit and was sent screaming to the floor, holding his wound, but another soldier immediately took over the man's place and continued to fire.

Looking down, Roy noticed a small form dressed in a red coat lying by his feet and he curved down to him, making sure he was breathing.

Al's eyes attempted to focus up at him and his hand shot up to his temple. "Mustang..."

"Are you alright?" Roy asked fast.

"I think so."

Roy stared in Havoc's direction again. His unit was buying him time, so he had no time to be wasting away. He gathered Al up in his arms, ignoring the boy's weak protests and leaped back towards the cockpit. On the way he could make out Edward and Alfons' shapes crouched down in the dark. They seemed to have recovered from the blow. Thank God...

He lit a small fire in his palm and held it up to them so they could see him clearly.

"Colonel," Edward acknowledged fast. "Al!"

Mustang crouched down to them and let Al down as well and Edward hurriedly checked up on his brother to make sure he was alright.

"What happened?" Alfons asked shakily.

"There was a small bomb, luckily not big enough to harm anyone, just created a lot of confusion," Roy said. "Now, we don't have much time. Where is the Gate?"

"Down a hall inside," Edward said, frowning. "We have to get past all of them to get there."

"Is it possible to take a different route?" Mustang asked.

"With alchemy... possibly," Edward mused.

Suddenly another person joined them. "If you're heading for the Gate, I'm going with you."

Mustang turned to the Brigadier General in subtle surprise, wondering if that was a good idea. He felt a bit sceptic that the man would actually agree with them in destroying it. He could possibly get in the way, and he knew Edward was thinking the same thing.

"What the hell! He's going to try and stop us!" Edward protested.

They had no time for this! The bullets were still raging about the ceiling, making Alfons want to slam his hands over his ears. He didn't want to be near the Brigadier General. How could he pretend to respect him at all?

"Are you finished coming up with accusations against me, Fullmetal?" Kiehle snarled.

"You're a fucking liar!" Edward yelled. "You'll try to kill us as soon as you get the chance!"

"Edward, be rational," Roy warned. Kiehle wouldn't do that, would he? He would never get away with it, and if he tried anything – Roy would stop him no matter what.

"No point talking me out of it, Mustang," Kiehle said smoothly. "You won't get past the enemy simply aided by kids."

"Fuck you," Edward replied.

Mustang stopped him. "Fine." They were wasting their time here. He could only take care of one thing at a time. They had to find a way out of the flying machine and reach the Gate, and at the same time the sound of gunfire was stressing out his logic and sensibility. Bringing Brigadier General Kiehle with them seemed only rational at that point, given that he was a skilled shooter and on their side of the battle. Mustang grit his teeth. Hawkeye, Havoc, Fuery and Breda... they'd better be okay when this was over! He trusted them to be. "Fullmetal, you lead the way."

Edward still gnarled loathingly in the Brigadier General's direction. "Just wait, you son of a bitch. If you do anything strange, I'll beat the living sh—"

"Fullmetal, not now," Mustang groaned.

Kiehle simply snorted.

"Fine, fine!" Surprisingly Edward changed the subject as quickly as he had started it. He was likely hassled by the sound of shotguns as well. "I suggest we go down." He clapped his hands together and touched the ground, creating a passage straight through the floor leading beneath the backside of the flying machine. The machine would shelter them from being seen by the enemies who were still busy firing at Havoc's team.

One after one they slipped down the transmuted passage and ended up outside the flying machine on the other side. Edward went first, and Mustang went last, following behind the Brigadier General. The sound of guns firing still pierced through the darkness.

"We can transmute a door over there," Edward said, nodding towards a wall further away as they were all gathered up again. "The Gate is located somewhere down a hall behind that wall."

"I'll go first," Mustang said. "Brigadier General, cover me."

Kiehle pulled out his gun and loaded it. Edward shot a short suspicious look at Kiehle. Mustang tried to ignore Edward's attitude. This game didn't play by the same rules as in Central.

Kiehle chuckled bitterly. "Mustang, if all this goes to hell I'll blame you and your annoying dog."

Mustang ignored him as well, addressing Edward. "Follow us when I've created a door."

After receiving a confirming nod from the younger alchemist, Mustang went into action and moved fast, albeit discreetly, towards their destined wall. Kiehle followed close behind him, holding his gun prepared and pointed downwards. The soldiers were guarding the real door further away, but the darkness sheltered them from their side glances. The room was large, but it was mainly lit by torches on the walls which came to their advantage.

Roy burned a necessary transmutation circle into the wall and touched it, creating a door out of the stone. He opened it carefully and peeked inside to look for enemies. On the other side of the wall was indeed a hall and for now it looked empty. At least they were on the right path. Mustang turned back to the other three who still stood hidden by the aircraft. He waved them towards him.

"Havoc, are you still with me?" he spoke into his small microphone.

"Yes, sir," Havoc responded. "A little hectic around here." His voice crackled a bit. "I have some bad news for you while we're at it. Corbin was shot down by his own," he reported. "Peterson and one of the pilots got away in the chaos."

"Shit," Mustang muttered. They had lost three of the hostages, and now they had to watch out for more enemies.

Al stepped out of hiding first, followed by his doppelganger and Edward last. Mustang made sure they were all safely inside the hall before he went in himself and closed the door, and then Edward undid the transmutation. Kiehle looked around, still holding his gun steady, in case any enemies showed up. Fortunately this hall as well was lit up by torches, and there were no enemy shadows to be seen.

"We're inside a hall," Mustang reported back to Havoc, "and we're on our way towards the Gate."

"Can't— he— u—" Havoc's voice crackled again, and then his voice was completely gone.

Mustang cursed and tugged out his earplug in light annoyance.

"Are you sure this is okay, Colonel?" Edward said, his hand still resting on the wall that had transformed back to normal again. "The others are still trapped in there."

"They'll make it," Mustang said. "All we can do is believe in them. We have a mission to carry out."

"Let's go and get it done," Kiehle grumbled. "It seems to be quiet here for now."

"This way," Edward said. Together, the five of them hurried down the corridor of stone. He was certain it was the same one he had been led through with Alfons while they were captured once before, at the time he had first discovered the Gate. He sent both Alfons and Al a look. He really wished they hadn't been with him right now, but at the same time he wanted them where he could see them and make sure they weren't hurt. After a lot of running, he slowed down and scowled. Something felt terribly wrong. Had the hall been this long the last time he had gone through it?

"Alfons," he said. "Do you recognize this hall?"

Alfons looked sceptical as well. "What troubles me, is that the sound of gunfire seems further away than it should be. The hall seems to be heading in a different direction than I remember. But there hasn't been any other ways to go since we started."

"Agreed," Edward said.

"I don't remember it being this long either," Al concurred. "It seems like it's been changed."

"Then, what does that mean?" Kiehle asked, annoyed.

Mustang frowned. "Thule Society used alchemy?"

"Yeah," Edward said, picking down a torch from the hall and went down on one knee to study the area where the ground and wall connected. The area was jagged and uneven, looking like traces of alchemy from a transmutation performed very recently. "Eckart. Actually, she seems to like using alchemy for architectural structures. She has developed these halls once before."

"And now she has changed them to confuse us?" Alfons mused. "In other words, this place could be like a labyrinth."

"I'll blast my way through here if I have to," Edward muttered, standing up again.

Kiehle stepped forward and observed the way ahead more closely. "No need for dim-witted acts likes that, there's a door up ahead," he said. "Perhaps that will lead somewhere."

Edward ignored his remark, discovering that he was right in his latter words. Ahead of them the hall had come to an end, and there was one door to continue through.

"It's worth a try," Mustang said. "But stay on alert." As they came close enough, he laid his hand on the knob while instructing the others into a formation around him, at a small distance from immediate sight of the doorway. Then he pushed the door up with his fingers ready to snap. The room was dark, but seemed to be as empty as the hall. Not even a sound to be heard.

"Light, Fullmetal," Mustang mumbled.

Edward stepped forward, still holding the torch and moseyed into the new room. "It just looks like a simple room."

"Maybe we should create our own passage after all," Al suggested.

It didn't seem like a bad idea. Mustang took one step inside the room and peered around through the light of the torch. Like Edward had said, it was just an empty room. He turned back to the hall. "Which direction do you think the Gate is located?"

Edward thoughtfully rubbed his cheek. "I'd say we should head northeast from here. I feel like we've been..." He interrupted himself. "Oh no."

"What?" Mustang said. Then he suddenly got the same feeling as before. His head started to become dizzy. He stared with one wide eye as Edward stumbled forward into the nearest wall, dropped the torch and struggled to keep himself upright.

"We've been fooled," Edward got out. "Run..."

"Edward!" Alfons rushed to his side to support him. At the same time his own vision started to swim. Sleeping gas? It probably came from the room. It was a trap. Beside him Al dropped to his knees, his eyes drooping shut.

Mustang struggled to keep himself up as well. His eye focused on Kiehle. "The door," he breathed out.

Kiehle understood and managed to kick the door shut to block away more of the gas. But that didn't change the fact that all of them were already affected. "Damn them..." Kiehle muttered as he blacked out next to Al.

Alfons fell over on the merciless hard floor, still clutching onto Edward. Edward didn't move, and his eyes were closed, his face lit by the torch lying on the ground. Alfons' own eyes drooped as well, even if he fought to remain in control of his body, of his own awareness. Yet he couldn't.

Mustang bared his teeth as he was the only one left conscious. He lay on his stomach, the only part of himself he managed to move was his eyelid. His ears caught the sound of steps further down the hall. Was it the enemy or their own? Everything went black before he managed to find out.

---

He didn't have any trace of how long he had been out, but as Edward's awareness came back to him he noticed two things. One, he was in a completely different place than he had been when he lost his conscious and two, he was the first one to wake up among his group. Everything was quiet so he figured the others hadn't recovered completely from the drug yet. He cursed under his breath. They had been totally screwed over by Thule this time.

Straightening his back more properly, he realized he was already standing on his feet and his stomach twisted in discomfort. Both of his wrists were stretched back behind him, and along with his feet they were tied up to a huge, thick pillar of stone, in the middle of a room he had never seen before. He twisted his head to the side, recognizing Carl R. Kiehle and Roy Mustang being tied up the same way; their wrists bound together at each side of the thick stone pillar. Neither of them were moving and their heads were tilting down towards their chests, indicating that they were still unconscious.

Edward's heart started beating faster as he came to realize that he couldn't see either his brother or Alfons and for a second he was struck with panic. He tugged at his bonds, tryingly, hearing a light groan behind him right afterwards. He twisted his head around and spotted part of a red coat on the other side of the pillar behind him. At least Al was with him, he thought in silent relief. He attempted to speak. "Al?" It sounded hoarse. "Alphonse!" He tugged at his arms again, realizing he was tugging at Al's arms as he did so. Their wrists were stretched around the thick cylinder and tied together the same way as Kiehle and Mustang.

"Nii-san?" Al spoke. He twisted his head around towards his brother by the sound of his voice, and then his eyes trailed hazily around the badly lit room. His head hurt and he still felt a little lightheaded. "Where are we?"

"I'd like to know that too," Edward muttered. And more importantly, where was Alfons? He was absent from the room, and Edward couldn't remember the last time he felt a similar knot of worry of that size in his stomach. His concern was eating at him, clouding over his mind and made simple things like rational thought seem completely alien. He knew exactly what kind of danger Alfons could be in, and he cursed – out loud this time. He had to get free and find him before Thule used him as a sacrifice for the Gate. Peterson had said they needed someone of the other world as a sacrifice as a part of some plan.

"Shit." He twisted at his wrists in the grasp of the binds, knowing that they were probably rasping against Al's skin as well, but he couldn't help it.

"Fullmetal…"

Roy's voice. Edward turned his head towards him, seeing that he was starting to come to.

"Finally you're awake, bastard. They have Alfons somewhere, I have to find him." Before it's too late…

Kiehle was waking from the drug as well. "Damn them…" he groaned. "This is an insult! I'll make sure they regret sparing me."

"I suspect that Alfons might have been their target all along," Mustang said darkly. He had assumed they would try to snatch Alfons away again, similar to when Peterson attempted to take him away from HQ the other day. They deliberately seemed to be after him, so Mustang had kept him close, both to himself and Edward. Unfortunately, keeping him at safe distance from the enemy had failed miserably at this point.

"Damn it…" Edward gritted his teeth. "I swore to protect him… Instead I've led him straight into their hands."

"It's not too late yet," Al said, trying to cheer his big brother up. It couldn't be too late... He didn't know how Edward would react if he lost Alfons, and Al didn't want to find out. Before anything happened to him, Al would get rid of the Gate no matter what. All of this was partly his fault, after all. He was supposed to fix this, which was why he was here! Besides, he cared about Alfons too. He didn't deserve to be pushed away from this world. He had already been pushed away from his own... Al knew about the deadly illness Alfons had suffered from.

Suddenly a door creaked open and a stream of light painted Edward's face. He squinted at the dark contours of three people entering the room. They stopped in front of him and Kiehle, who were directed in front of the door, while Mustang and Al twisted their heads back in order to make out what was happening.

Edward stared coldly up at the blond-haired woman in front of him, the leader of Thule Society and one of his greatest enemies of all time. Since he had lived in Munich she had interfered with his life and ruined everything for him. He despised her for all she had done, for making Alfons work for her, for holding his little brother captive, for killing off thousands of innocent people. He immediately recognised the two men standing behind her. Ackman and Peterson. So they had really managed to escape during all the chaos at the vessel... Edward wondered if Hawkeye and the others were okay.

"How nice of you all to stop by," Dietlinde Eckart greeted them cheerfully, like she was welcoming dinner guests on a relaxing Friday evening.

Mustang got a halfway view of the tall, blond woman. The leader of Thule Society. This was the second time he saw her, and still she was nothing he had imagined her to be. She didn't look capable of killing thousands of innocent people, even if she didn't seem directly insubstantial either. She oozed of confidence, fearlessness and beauty, every vibe of her presence signalling that she was in total control.

"Oh, what a frightening look," Dietlinde addressed the glowering Edward, sending him a wry smile. "I almost thought I'd never see you again. But I suppose you always have the most remarkable ways of escaping my grasp."

"Trying to make my own people execute me obviously didn't work," Edward retorted venomously.

"No, what a pity," Eckart twittered. She advanced gracefully and cupped his cheek with cold, snaky fingers. "But that means I can enjoy torturing you some more before I finally kill you, right?"

"Leave him alone," Mustang gnarled. He was already losing his patience with this woman. These people had even taken away his gloves while he had been unconscious, otherwise he would've snapped already at this point, both figuratively and literally.

She directed her thin green eyes at him, still grasping her nails into Edward's cheeks. "Hello again, Mr. Colonel. I believe we've barely met once before."

"Yes, we have," Mustang said, steering his emotions to seem more polite and undaunted by the situation they were in. "I'm afraid I never got the privilege to talk to you at that time, since both of our parties were busy, but I'm delighted to finally have a word with you."

Eckart looked at him with interest, and it pleased him. "How kind of you, Colonel. Feel free to talk about whatever you wish. I have all the time in the world."

"This is ridiculous," Kiehle shot in, his eyes directed towards Eckart's right hand man and his former Sergeant. "Thanks to you I've been made a fool in front of the Amestris State Military, and I will have you pay the price!"

Thomas Peterson smirked at him. "How interesting. Although, if you hadn't been a fool, you might have seen through my cover sooner."

"Oh, so this is your former commanding officer," Eckart said, turning to look from Peterson to Kiehle and smirked sweetly at him. "It must have hurt being betrayed by someone of your unit, but you're a big man. I'm sure you'll get over it."

Mustang could picture Kiehle's anger even if he couldn't see his face, besides feeling the way the man pulled at the restraints. He wished he could stop doing that since he was pulling at Roy's arms at the same time.

Edward was about to lose his temper as well as he twisted his head away from Eckart's palm. "Where is Alfons?" he bashed out at her. "If you have so much as touched him, I swear I'll k—"

"Oh, you shouldn't be worrying about him," Dietlinde Eckart interrupted him, crossing her arms and leaning most of her weight on one leg. "Alfons will soon fulfil his duty for his own country as a rightful German – by participating in a very special ritual. I'm very happy that you brought him with you. Besides, I'm relieved he will no longer be influenced by you or any other negative sources of this world ever again."

"Bitch!" Edward yelled. "You're going to kill him! Leave him the hell alone—!"

In a second Ackman was there, pressing a hand against Edward's throat so hard that Edward thought his neck was about to crack. He gagged for air and tugged at his legs in an attempt to get them free and kick the man away, but both of his feet were securely tied to the pillar behind him.

"If you insult our leader, I will hurt you," Ackman said in a low voice. "I know about all your weaknesses, remember?"

Edward gnashed his teeth in anger, but he couldn't do anything but arch back and tilt his head up to ease some of the pressure. Memories of his automail being tinkered with flashed across his eyes, but the aspect of fear didn't belong in his mind. "Fuck you."

"Stop it!" Al shot desperately in. "Let go of my brother."

Mustang felt frustrated as well of the fact that he couldn't do much. He needed Edward to pull himself together and act more contained, but telling him that directly now wouldn't have any effect. Instead he addressed Dietlinde Eckart, hoping he could get both her and her man's attention away from Edward and at the same time make Edward calm down.

"Tell me, ma'am," he started calmly. "What kind of ritual are you referring to?"

Eckart turned to him again, smiling circumspectly. "A very special alchemic ritual for the sake of justice for both of our worlds. Alfons should feel very honoured to have been chosen for this important mission."

It didn't make him much wiser, but he was glad Ackman decided to let go of Edward. He figured, if he could keep Dietlinde Eckart talking, it might buy them some necessary time. Hawkeye and Havoc would be looking for them once they were finished getting rid of the enemy soldiers, and as long as Eckart was here Alfons would probably be partially safe as well.

"I assume that you are referring to the Gate," he fished.

"The Gate is everything," Dietlinde Eckart said. "Even you, Colonel, can't imagine the power this Gate contains by the use of the right sacrifice. It brings true justice to the world."

The right sacrifice?

"There's no justice in anything you're talking about," Edward stated.

Al had been relatively quiet most of the time, feeling completely at a loss and useless in this situation. Shifting in the position didn't make it more comfortable either. The ropes were tight; his fingers had turned numb and lax from lack of blood circulation and he felt Edward's fists clenching and trembling in their restraints. Twisting his head to the side, he noticed that Ackman had moved closer to him after he had let go of his brother, and was now staring at him with an almost predatory look. Al swallowed in discomfort, not liking it at all. But no one else seemed to notice it.

Eckart had turned to Edward again, her smile never faltering. "Germany deserves this justice, this power."

"What the hell does that have to do with Alfons?" Edward fumed.

Eckart's eyes shone of excitement. "By using a human sacrifice of our own world, we will be able to bring the great power back to Germany, and become the most powerful nation in the worlds."

Mustang frowned. He still didn't get it. He wanted to understand what she wanted, but unsurprisingly Edward had already beaten him to it.

"You're joking," Edward said, looking disturbed. "You're trying to transfer alchemic capability to the other world... That's impossible."

Dietlinde Eckart quirked an eyebrow at him and tilted her head slightly to the side. "You say impossible, yet you caught on to what I was saying perfectly."

"You can't transfer alchemy between the worlds," Edward said. "It doesn't work that way."

Mustang was slightly flabbergasted by the idea. A world never before exposed to the art or the knowledge of alchemy, suddenly given possession of its power? That was an immediate ticket to chaos.

"The Gate can make it possible," Eckart countered confidently. "It has already been proven once. By performing a powerful transmutation through using the power of the Gate, alchemy will transport, as if being led through a major floodgate, into our own world and make a handful of people capable of using it occasionally, including myself."

Edward's eyes narrowed. So that was the reason why he could do alchemy in the other world in the first place... It was because he had preformed a human transmutation on himself, which could be considered a very powerful transmutation. And now Eckart was going to try out the other method, using Alfons' life...

"You're wrong in some points," Edward said. "Even if it actually worked, the people of the other world wouldn't be suited in possessing that kind of power or in using it like we do here. There would be rejections, they would be unable to control their power and the power would eat at their soul, making them unstable, even shortening the lifespan of the user. The person would be more like a ticking bomb than an alchemist."

Dietlinde Eckart snorted a smile. "Oh, you do keep reminding me so much of your father, Edward Elric." Edward scowled at her as she delicately brushed a couple of untamed blond locks away from his eyes.

Mustang felt disturbed by her touching Edward in that sensual way. And how did Edward know about all this? Had it been anything like this written in code in his father's book? "I have a question," he said, and he had more than one too, but he figured he'd take one question and one answer at a time.

"Yes?" Eckart said.

"How come someone like you knows how to use alchemy if it hasn't been a knowledgeable art in the other world?" As far as he had understood, only Edward and his father, Van Hohenheim, had done alchemy in the other world before, and then there was this woman. "You've preformed some impressive work on this mountain's architectural structure, for example," he added for charm's sake.

She smiled, unable to hide that she was flattered. "An interesting question, Colonel. But as I said, the theory has already been proven."

Edward looked sceptical. "You mean, someone gave you the power from this side by using the Gate?"

"Yes," Dietlinde Eckart leered. "Of course, the power that reached me wasn't from a strong source, so I wasn't able to perform alchemy freely. There are some very strong limits for the use of the art in the other world still. But that's what I want to change."

"What kind of limits?" Roy asked.

"It only worked on a full moon if the date was a prime number," Edward said. "In other words, once a month if you were lucky."

"How the hell did you figure that out?" Roy wanted to scratch his head, but he couldn't.

Edward just shrugged. He directed his eyes at Eckart again. "Was the one who gave you that power... my father?"

"Once he entered our world in London over two years ago, yes," Eckart confirmed. "Incidentally I was struck by the source. At first, everyone thought it had been lightening, but we came to realize what it was. We fell in love. He taught me how to use the art."

Edward looked utterly disgusted. "That bastard..."

Things started to make sense. Mustang figured it all had happened fortuitously on Hohenheim's part. If he had been suddenly stuck in another world without alchemy, he would've tried to make a new life as well. And if someone could use alchemy, he would've taught them everything he knew if there was a chance to come back.

"Of course, my dear Hohenheim just abandoned me and my beliefs, all of our research, everything," Eckart continued, her smile finally wavering. "He said we couldn't go through the Gate, and neither would he use the power of alchemy for the sake of Germany, my beloved country. He hurt me so much, he broke my heart. I could never forgive him."

"Yeah, I wonder why he didn't want you to come here and bomb us for the sake of your armoured mutiny against your own country," Edward said dryly.

Eckart narrowed her eyes. "I feel like we've discussed this enough now. When I've finished the ritual I'll be back and make sure to punish you." Her eyes went to Al who was twisting his head behind the stone pillar. "Your little brother has already gotten a small taste of what punishment means. We will continue this later."

Al's eyes widened a little and Edward tugged angrily at their bonds. "You're going to pay for what you did to my brother!"

"I can't wait to see you both writhe in agony under the hands of my men," Eckart said coldly, a sly smile forming in the corner of her lip. "Until then, be good and stay here while I change the world. Tomorrow we'll be ready to head back to Germany, and by then you'll all be dead."

"Fucking bitch!" Edward roared. The second after he received a hard blow right in his gut by Peterson, and his body curved forward in anguished pain.

"Nii-san!" Al gasped. His big brother was weighting down on his arms and he did his best to keep him standing upright by squeezing around his hands. A clammy hand was suddenly stroking over his throat, and Al hiccupped in surprise. Ackman was standing very close to him, curving down to be on eyelevel with him.

"I'm glad you decided to come back, boy," Ackman murmured, licking his lips. "I will certainly play with you later."

Al pressed back against the pillar, horrified, but he couldn't get further away from him anyway. He remembered what Manfred Corbin had mentioned to him, about Ackman being jealous of Schiller because he had had the job of guarding him. Al wasn't sure he'd have had the mental captivity to survive if it had been Ackman watching over him and not Schiller. If Schiller had still been here he would have probably switched sides already, and helped them escape and save Alfons. But Schiller wasn't here. He would never be. Al shut his eyes tightly and spat Ackman directly in the face. It wasn't something he would usually do towards people, but his disgust and fright had reached a whole new level concerning this man.

Ackman stiffened a little at first, but then his face split into a devious grin. "You want to play already?"

Mustang noticed the man's eyes and his heart burned in rage. "Stay away from him," he said in a dangerous voice. If given enough time he could possibly twist out of these bonds if he really had to.

Ackman rose back to his feet, piercing Mustang with his steely eyes. "We'll see about that later, soldier," he said.

Edward was about to recover from the blow, his breathing coming out a little ragged, but his eyes still solid and unwavering. He gazed up at Dietlinde Eckart as she turned and left for the door, followed by her two henchmen. Damn it, at this rate, Alfons will die... They had to act fast!

The door slammed shut loudly after them, leaving them in almost total darkness again.

"I can't believe you, Fullmetal," Mustang groaned. "Do you always have to provoke them into beating the crap out of you?"

"Are you okay, Nii-san?" Al asked.

"I'm fine," Edward said. "We need to find Alfons quick."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Kiehle asked dryly. "Needless to say, we're still stuck here."

"I have an idea," Edward replied and gently squeezed his brother's hands on each side of the stone pillar. Al immediately caught on what he was thinking.

"What material you do prefer?" Edward asked.

"Chalk," Al replied. The only attribute it needed to be was easily breakable.

"Alright, ready?"

Mustang and Kiehle looked slightly clueless of what the brothers were thinking, but the Colonel didn't doubt that Edward would always contain the most prudent of ways of getting out of a sticky situation.

Edward and Alphonse clapped their palms lightly together on each side of the large pillar, making a circle with both of their arms and bodies. Al closed his eyes as the blue light of sparkling energy glowered around them both in a shared transmutation. It was the first time he had preformed alchemy together with someone. The energy rushing through his body was blending in with Edward's, feeling warm and inviting. It gave him new strength. They touched the ropes, making them change form immediately and turn into white chalk. The second after Edward twisted free from the crumbling material.

"Well done," Mustang sighed, but got immediately worried again by the look Edward had in his eyes.

"You untie them, Al, I have to go find Alfons." Then he already ran for the door, transmuted it open, knocked out a guard and was gone.

"Nii-san!" Al called after him and was about to run after him, but stopped. He figured it would be safer to free the two superior officers from their binds first. He turned to them and quickly untied the knots around their wrists.

"Thanks. Al, I need you to do me a small favour," Roy said as he was free. He held out the backside of his right hand.

Al stared at him for a second, and then he nodded.

In the meantime Edward was running down another hall, and this time he was certain he was on the right path. He would make it, he just had to.

Alfons, hold on for a little bit longer...

---

He awoke slowly, already knowing that he wouldn't feel high-spirited about the circumstances he was waking up in. As Alfons lifted his head, he inhaled a fresh load of deep breaths into his lungs.

He was standing, supported by a hard coldness against his back. That was odd. Had he been unconscious while standing? Then he noticed that he couldn't move his arms, and a sharp pain trickled in his shoulders by the positions his arms were in. He suddenly realized to his horror that he was tied up to a large sharp edged stone. The stone was shaped like a symbol, which he shortly after recognized from his own country. Every member of the National socialist party, also known as the Nazis, carried it with pride. The Swastika.

Alfons twisted his head to the side and tugged at his left arm in a fierce attempt to come loose. Both of his arms were tied in two places, around the elbows and his wrists. They were bent by the elbows, forcing his body take the same shape as two of the symbol's arms, his right arm curving upwards and his left pointing downwards like an ancient Egyptian portrait painting. He struggled and jerked at his arms, but whatever he did was futile. He couldn't move.

Another thing that was troubling him badly, as he realized exactly where he was, was the closeness of the Gate. The Swastika was facing directly towards it in the middle of a gigantic transmutation circle. Alfons could practically stare straight down into the depths of the powerful alchemic structure, the yellow and white colours circling around down there. Its presence made the mark on his foot throb. With a scowl he studied the transmutation circle under his feet with the Gate and the Swastika in the centre, figuring he would be pretty much gone as soon as it activated.

He wondered where Edward and Alphonse and the others were. Were they okay? He really hoped so. They were probably still together, and they would make it out of here unhurt. Alfons would probably not be that lucky. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, unwillingly facing the fact that it had to come to this sooner or later, and he had known it. He was a sacrifice.

Edward...He wished he could see him again, just one more time.

When all of this was over, where would he end up? If Thule Society used him to accomplish their goals, he would probably end up in hell for sure. If such thing as hell existed. Maybe the Gate was the only thing existing, and that the Gate was hell itself.

"Ah, I see you've come to, Mr. Heiderich."

Alfons twisted his head towards the voice, seeing the German woman responsible for everything standing to his right. "Eckart..." he said coldly. "Where are Edward and the others?"

Dietlinde Eckart smirked at him and stepped closer, so close that he could smell her perfume. "I paid them a small visit only a few moments ago. They're all being taken very good care of."

Alfons started pulling at his binds again, feeling anxious. They were all being held captive... His worst fears had been confirmed. "Please, don't hurt them," he pleaded. "You only need me, so let the others go."

"We'll see about that," Eckart said, her hand closing around the handle of a knife from her belt and pulled it out. She regarded the sharp blade for a moment, before her lip perked into a small smirk and she gazed at him again. "I can't promise you anything, besides it will not matter to you considering what awaits you."

Alfons shuddered against the cold stone pressed at his back. "What exactly are you going to do with all this?" he asked nervously, directing his eyes toward the Gate.

"Oh, I guess Peterson never revealed any details to you," Eckart said. "Let's just say, by sacrificing a human body and soul from our world, we'll be able to take control of this Gate's alchemy source and bring it to the other world."

Bring alchemy to the other world? How could that be possible? Alfons was afraid of what that would mean. "So, you will use alchemic power for Germany's benefit in warfare..."

"Of course," Eckart simpered. "This world doesn't concern us except for its power. Our true goal will always be to make Germany bigger, more powerful, and conquer the United States and the rest of the world."

Alfons mind pictured a whole new war; similar to the Ishbal war he had seen visions of before, taking place in all over Europe, the US, Asia, and the entire world. Millions of people would die.

And everything reflected back towards himself. Because of him, the power of alchemy would be used by his own people. Because of him, Germany would start a new Great War and win.

He shook his head, blue eyes wide. "No... You can't do this. War isn't the answer to anything, and neither is alchemy."

"What you're saying is purely naïve, boy. War is necessary to win. To benefit. And alchemy is the answer to success." Eckart just smiled as she watched his struggle continue on, like she was enjoying it.

The ropes were cutting into his wrists and he had cold sweat running down his forehead, and was trembling altogether. Alfons pushed himself up on his toes in attempt to wriggle his left arm out of the small nooses. They didn't even loosen at all through his attempts, and after a minute he gave up and went lax in the bindings.

"As you can see, it's futile. This is your fate," Eckart said.

Alfons scowled at her. "Can I ask... why the hook cross?"

Dietlinde Eckart looked pleased that he was asking. "This symbol, the swastika, is a good luck charm. It's our proud emblem of our party and leader, Adolf Hitler. He will become the Fuhrer of Germany soon. You should be honoured of having been chosen, boy. It is your destiny to help us rebuild the power of our own country that we so tragically and undeservingly lost five years ago. At that time Germany was humiliated and suffered more than any other country, but soon, we will show them that nothing is over yet."

"This is not what the people of Germany would want," Alfons said in a low voice. "No one wants to go through another war."

"Shh," she silenced him, placing a finger over his lips. "You've been with those monsters in human form from this world so long already that it's a disgrace. Are you forgetting that you are of the true Aryan race? This should be a blessing to you."

Alfons twisted his head away, snarling and twisting his arms in their bindings again with a new-found energy which he didn't realize he possessed at this point.

"You don't have to say another word," the blond woman smirked. "I promise it will be over soon." She lifted the knife in her hand and Alfons flinched. "First, I'll need something from you." The blade sliced easily through the fabric of his shirt, right below his elbow, and continued cutting through white skin.

Alfons forced his eyes shut and refused to let out the whimpered sound of pain pressing up from his throat. The sharp steel blade cut a generous line down toward his elbow, letting a blossom of blood spread on his shirt and trail freely down his arm like someone had turned on a water tap. A small beaker was held under his wound, catching the red liquid as it dripped towards the ground.

"Why are you doing this?" Alfons groused.

"For Germany." Dietlinde Eckart gathered a fair amount of blood into the cup until she decided it was enough. Though, neither of them did anything to patch up the wound. Alfons figured it wouldn't matter much anyway.

She then turned away from him and stepped to the side, looking down into the far depths of the Gate, but still addressing Alfons. "I'm sorry that your soul has been tainted by this world, but fortunately that won't have a negative effect on my transmutation." She lifted the cup over the hole, like she was providing a toast. "Your blood will connect your soul to the Gate, though your body will be sacrificed for eternity. You will be bonded to the swastika symbol from this moment on and in your afterlife. It will protect your soul from being further influenced by the wrong kinds of beliefs. May you find peace there, wherever this Gate will take you." She turned the beaker and let the blood fall into the far depths of swirling nothingness.

"You're sick!" Alfons shouted. "It won't work like this! The Gate doesn't obey to you or to anyone else! Whatever you're trying to make it do, it will backfire and put everyone in danger." His eyes searched for contact with hers in desperation. If he couldn't stop her now, it would be too late. "Please, don't do this!"

"Let's begin," Eckart said, ignoring him completely.

Ackman was suddenly standing beside him, quickly sending a paralyzing fist right into Alfons' gut. "You shouldn't insult our dear leader, boy. Goodnight."

Alfons' eyes magnified as the wind was knocked mercilessly out of him and the air refused to return to his lungs. All he managed to do was coil and release a pitiful wheeze. As darkness coated over his vision he wondered if he would ever wake up again.

---

The boy had gone out cold, which was probably for the best. Then he wouldn't be able to disturb her while performing her great alchemic power. She was so close now she could almost feel the finality of victory within her grasp. The Gate was quiet, waiting. It was waiting for her and only her, to bring her home to the only powerful world. Her world would have everything and she would be its Queen.

Dietlinde Eckart turned away from the Gate and stepped out of the transmutation circle, followed by her loyal man. "The preparations are finally ready," she said with a smile. Outside the circle stood the amount of soldiers she still possessed. The dear ones she hadn't sent out to get rid of the rebels of the Amestris military. There were around ten of them. Likely the others were all dead by now. According to the report from Ackman and Peterson, they were nearly overpowered by the enemy, those useless pawns, while her two most trusted people, her spy and her pilot, had managed to sneak away through a secret passage.

It would be all too late now for this world now. By the time the Amestris military would arrive at this place, they would already be back in their own world, with the alchemy and the Gate gone.

Dietlinde regarded her men for some seconds, the obedient dogs they were, before she spoke. "It's a shame that we have lost so many on our way until this moment," she said, her voice lowered in a tone of regret. "But they have all been necessary sacrifices. We who are left will remember them forever as dear defenders towards our country's salvation. Because of them, Germany will experience a whole new opportunity for a rewarding future."

Her men applauded and cheered with excitement. She knew they couldn't wait to leave this awful world.

"I will bring you home soon," she said calmly with a smile. Then she finally turned back to the transmutation circle and kneeled by it. She lifted her palms over it, as if warming her hands over a comforting fire. "For Germany and for our people, unlock our power and let our salvation begin..." She lowered her hands to touch the circle.

"STOP!"

Dietlinde's eyes widened, and turned around quickly towards the voice.

Edward Elric stood in the door opening to the large room, panting heavily. "Stop this right now," he repeated breathlessly. "Or I'm going to fucking punch all of your faces in!"

Dietlinde Eckart grit her teeth. That boy was always interfering when she was about to succeed, but he wouldn't this time. "Capture him," she ordered.

Her men nodded and advanced towards Edward, seemingly not afraid of his threat. The blond alchemist scowled at them, counting them and noticed they were more lightly armed than before. Most of their weapons had probably been used against the military back by the black vessel. Some of them had knives, but no guns. Edward calmly clapped his hands and transmuted his arm into a blade. "Just go ahead, whoever dares."

The fight was short. Edward kicked one man into another, swiftly avoiding getting cut by a dagger and swung his fist towards the next enemy, and whenever one of them came too close to him he lashed out his blade, cutting mercilessly into flesh, but not nearly enough to kill. Soon most of them were down on one knee or less despite being taken lightly, and a few backed away from him afraid to accidentally get their heads chopped off. Edward glared dangerously at Eckart, advancing towards her with his metal blade pointing at her. "Get away from the circle. Now."

Dietlinde stood frozen, infuriated with herself for not being able to concentrate with this little brat attacking her servants. "Idiots!" she yelled. "He's just a small boy, you should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"Proceed with your alchemy, ma'am," Peterson said, stepping forward. He had just been observing until now. "I'll take care of this little bug for you."

Edward's eyes narrowed at him. "You again..."

"Even if I'm not usually into the craft, it will be a pleasure to kill you," Peterson informed. His hand moved towards the back of his pants, where he clearly hid a weapon Edward wouldn't be fond of.

"Hell you won't," a new voice said, and everyone in the room turned towards the voice.

Colonel Roy Mustang stood in the frame of the door, his hand ready to snap. A transmutation circle had been carved into his skin with alchemy. Behind him stood Brigadier General Kiehle and Alphonse Elric.

Mustang moved towards Peterson, who had frozen his movements. "If you move, I will fry you," Mustang warned, before casting a quick glance at Edward. Unsurprisingly he was perfectly fine. "Fullmetal, get Alfons."

Edward nodded and leapt into the transmutation circle without a question. Brigadier General Kiehle pointed a gun towards Eckart, giving the same message as Mustang. "If you do that, this Gate will disappear, won't it?" he asked the woman.

Eckart didn't move, just looked at him coldly. "That's correct."

"Then I'll have to shoot you if you make a move at it," Kiehle simpered.

Edward had reached the large swastika, his breath coming out a little rapidly. "Alfons!"

The taller blond's eyes were closed and his head rested forward laxly. Edward lifted up Alfons' cheek gently, feeling his pulse with his left hand. His pulse beat hard and rapidly, making Edward sigh and smile. "And here you're making me all worried for nothing."

Alfons let out a low groan and focused on his rescuer. "Sorry..."

"Hold on." Quickly Edward cut over all of the ropes holding his lover's arms, and gently caught him as he collapsed forward. "Can you walk?"

Alfons slid down to his knees, pressing his palm to his forehead. He felt terribly weak and dizzy. "I feel strange."

Edward crouched down and stared into his eyes. "Does your mark hurt?"

"Yes." And his vision swam...

"It's probably responding to the Gate since you're so close," Edward construed. "We need to get away from this circle."

"I'm..." Alfons felt his eyes droop and then his brain disconnected into unconsciousness, going limp in Edward's arms.

Edward cursed under his breath. The Gate was sucking up Alfons' energy via the eye mark. So far Alfons didn't seem too harmed, but Edward didn't waste any more time. He lifted him almost effortlessly over his shoulder and stood up. Even if Alfons was tall, he probably weighed less than Edward.

The fight was starting further away, but he ignored it for now. He could only save one at the time, and the others were skilled in combat. With that in mind, Edward hurried out of the transmutation circle with Alfons. Further away from everyone else and the circle, he kneeled down and slipped Alfons off of him and onto the floor, careful not to hit his head against the concrete.

His face looked restful and unperturbed, like he was sleeping at home in their bed as in any other normal day.

"I'm sorry for all this," Edward muttered. "I'll take you home as soon as I can." Then he stood up, ready to join in and capture the Thule soldiers, when Peterson quickly drew a gun and aimed for Brigadier General Kiehle.

Mustang shouted out. "Stop right there!"

Everyone froze on the spot, eyes directed at the gun.

"If you fire," Peterson said calmly, addressing Mustang, "I'll fire as well. Your weapon is flames, and I've already felt some of what it's capable of, but I'm sure I'll make it to the trigger first even if you do."

Dietlinde Eckart quickly stepped towards the distracted Brigadier General and twisted the gun out of his grip while kicking her heel into his stomach. Kiehle sank to his knees with a groan and a smile of triumph slid across the fair-haired woman's face.

She looked up towards her men. "Get rid of them all!"

Complete chaos began as Eckart's soldiers found new courage to attack the Brigadier General and Mustang, and at the same time Mustang's flame alchemy burned though the air. A couple of meters away, Kiehle had recovered slightly from the blow to his stomach and stood again.

Along with Kiehle, who tried to overpower Peterson and take his gun, Roy proceeded the fight against the Thule soldiers while keeping a half his sight in Al's direction further away. So far he seemed fine, but he was facing the same man who had harassed him earlier.

Al ducked away from the swing Ackman directed at him, but even if he was being pushed further back and away from Mustang, he kept dodging and twisting in different directions as the man tried to capture him.

"You're like a little, annoying fly," the man grunted. "Stand still and be a good boy now."

"I don't think so," Al returned.

Ackman grinned and licked his lips. "At least you're making it interesting for me, kiddo."

Al scowled. Schiller had always called him that. "Just stop this, Thule won't win. It's already over."

"How naïve. Eckart always has a plan."

"Do you really trust her?" Al genuinely wanted to know.

"Why shouldn't I? She'll give us power." Ackman lunged for him again, and this time his swing grazed Al's hair.

Al pulled back further into a safe distance. "Because you admired Schiller, didn't you? And we both know he turned against her in the end."

Ackman stopped hesitantly and scowled back.

Al figured he was onto something here. He would much rather try to solve this with words than fighting. "If you want to be as brave as Schiller, who stood up for what's right, then do the right thing too and try to protect this world rather than destroy it."

Ackman clenched his fists and glowered irritably towards the boy. "You little..." Once again his fist lashed out against Al's throat, but hit only air.

Meanwhile Eckart turned towards Edward and drew a small transmutation circle on the floor with a small piece of chalk. Before he could stop her, she touched it with a knife drawn from her belt and a long, slim sword rose from the ground, embedding into the already existing knife and expanding it.

Edward steeled himself, readily lifting his transmuted blade and curving into defence position over the still unconscious Alfons, prepared to protect him with everything he had. She would never get to lay a finger on him ever again.

"You're as persistent as ever," she complimented, while elegantly lifting her sword and pointing it towards him. "And as foolish as your father."

"I can't believe he would fall for a bitch like you," Edward retorted. "It's the second time he's provided me with a crazy female enemy."

Dietlinde smirked sweetly. "Well, sometimes the twisted lust of men comes to other people's benefits," she said, making Edward scowl angrily from the meaning of that sentence.

"Shut up, you don't know a damned thing about us," he replied heatedly.

"Still I owe you my thanks that your relationship with Heiderich brought him straight back to me," Eckart simpered. "But enough chitchat. I'll need him back now."

"Fuck you," Edward snarled. "You won't get anywhere near him."

At that Dietlinde Eckart stormed two steps forward and attacked, swinging the sword straight for his neck. Edward lifted his automail swiftly and blocked it without getting a single scratch on his arm.

Thanks, Winry.

Eckart lashed forward again and again, but each blow was blocked by Edward's metal blade while he moved to push her backwards in an attempt to get her distance from Alfons. As she tumbled a few steps backwards of the pressure of his defence, Edward lashed back into a counterattack. His arm swung at her sword, and with the blow of the sharp edge of his blade he parted her weapon in two halves on the middle. The upper half flung off and landed some meters away by the quiet Gate.

Eckart stepped back and glowered from her weapon and back to him.

"It seems like your alchemy is growing unstable," Edward said. "Just as I thought. This isn't your power, which means, it becomes weaker the more you use it, along with yourself."

At each word, Eckart's eyes reflected her growing frustration.

"You're using your own life span to power it," Edward warned. "If you try to use it much more, you will die."

"Bullshit!" Eckart shouted. But she didn't seem too convinced with herself. She lashed forward again with the rest of her sword, but Edward swiftly returned the attack and chopped it in half for the second time.

Eckart pulled back again and snarled in anger. All that was left of her sword was a small off-cut spike with a handle. "My will is the same as the Gate's. It exists to destroy this disgraceful excuse of a world!"

Edward shook his head, almost feeling sorry for her. "Just give it up."

"Never." Accepting that the sword wouldn't be much help anymore, she swiftly drew the gun she had taken from Kiehle instead, but Edward was prepared and was already approaching her in running speed. She pulled the trigger, but the bullet missed and in the next second he gripped around her armed hand and forced it up towards the ceiling, keeping it locked there.

"Let go," Edward said in a low voice.

"I long to see you disappear into the depths of the Gate again, but this time, I will make sure you won't return to either of the worlds," Eckart said spitefully. Then she leaned all her weight on him and pushed him backwards with surprising strength. Straight towards the Gate. Edward shot his eyes down, noticing to his light worry the design of the large transmutation circle beneath their feet.

Edward pushed back and ducked away from her as she directed the gun at him again. He leaped towards the swastika that was conveniently standing behind him, in the same moment as she fired, and he managed to get behind the large symbol by a hair as it sheltered him from the bullets.

The edge of the Gate was only a couple of feet away from the tips of his shoes. While pressing his back against the stone sculpture, Edward clapped his hands to make use of the ground. But then his eyes widened marginally, staring down at his feet. If he touched the ground, he might accidentally activate the transmutation circle and get both himself and Eckart caught into it. If the circle was activated, everything would be over. Which meant, as long as he was standing inside the circle he would be half alchemically immobilized.

Eckart's high-heeled steps clacked closer to the swastika. "I will kill you this time, Edward Elric. You have nowhere left to go. Just come out."

Thinking fast, Edward clapped again and touched the swastika. The arm of the cross closest to Eckart shot straight out and knocked her over, making her lose the gun. The gun slid over the concrete floor until it disappeared into the deep, swirling depths of the Gate. Edward sprung forward again towards Eckart, but the look in her eyes made him freeze. She sat on her knees, muttering something incoherently and touched the ground.

Oh no...

"STOP!" Edward yelled out.

But he hadn't even said it, before the transmutation circle activated underneath his feet.

"Fuck..." he breathed.

Dietlinde Eckart laid her head back and cackled. "Take them all! Lead us home and till our death! Our great Fuhrer will win nonetheless!"

Edward turned to the Gate, watching its gradual activation and the large black cloud of creepy hands beginning to bubble out of it.

"Nii-san!" He heard Al scream behind him. "Nii-san, get out of there!"

Edward turned to him, seeing his brother dodging away from Ackman and his heart fired up. But it seemed like his little brother was okay for now. He had other things to worry about. Eckart was still on her knees inside the circle, laughing heartlessly as the Gate made a thundering sound and the thin black hands were rising high up from the deep abyss. Edward stared at it in horror for a second before his mind began to function once again, and he started running straight for Alfons. He wouldn't be safe even if he was not lying in the circle, he just knew, this entire place wasn't safe anymore. Whatever Eckart had done, it would have a great effect.

Before he even knew it, the ground started splitting in two underneath him, and he yelled out as a wide and deep crack spread straight through the concrete. He managed to cling onto the edge on the right side with his stronger automail fingers, while the crack was growing wider and deeper. It started by the Gate, but the Gate wasn't harmed. It was like the Gate was grinning, using the surface of this world as its greedy mouth.

Edward tried to haul himself up over the edge, but only managed to get his chest, elbows and arms up, as the ground was shaking and moving like an earthquake and made it difficult to climb. He had only air beneath his feet now. He twisted his head back towards Al and the others. Were they alright?

Mustang and Kiehle stood back to back, still fighting the soldiers as the floor cracked into two halves. The ground underneath their feet loosened and smouldered up and there was no time to jump to a safe area.

"COLONEL!" Edward shouted, but the warning came too late, and he witnessed both Mustang and Kiehle falling down towards darkness, along with some of Dietlinde Eckart's henchmen.

"Shit," he breathed and clapped while resting only his elbows on the edge, and thinking as fast he could. There was no time in hell to worry about the transmutation circle anymore. He made a stance under his feet from the cliff wall, and hurriedly made a new transmutation directly afterwards. He had to make it, or else both Mustang and Kiehle would be crushed at the bottom.

Along with blue sparkles of energy flaring around him, Mustang hit several sources of the wall which appeared underneath him as he fell, and not before he hit the ground hard he realized it had been done with alchemy to alleviate his fall. He groaned out as he sat up slowly and touched his aching temple. "Thanks, Fullmetal," he mumbled.

The soldiers from Thule Society hadn't been that lucky. He saw a couple of them laying some metres away, either dead or knocked out. He stared up towards the top, the light of the Gate still visible far up at the surface. He needed a good transmutation to get back up from there.

In the meantime Al had been pressed more and more into a corner, and had helplessly watched the Colonel and Kiehle disappear into the deep crack.

"You shouldn't let your attention drive away from me," Ackman grinned, before his fist connected to Al's cheek and sent him sprawling to the ground.

Al quickly crawled back to his feet, ignoring the taste of blood from his lip. With his back at Ackman, he sprinted forward towards the wall with calculated speed, and just as Ackman gripped at his arms from behind to hold him back, Al kept running straight up the wall while supporting his back against the enemy. Then he kicked off from the wall with both feet and made a backwards somersault right over Ackman's head.

In confusion, Ackman lost the hold of him and Al landed on his feet behind the man. Ackman whipped around with a sly grin. "Impressive performance. You're good at keeping me entertained. You make me want to break all the bones in your body."

Al ignored the comment and was about to clap his hands, when he suddenly noticed how the Gate was acting. It kept reacting on Dietlinde Eckart's activation. Hundreds of black hands similar to what he had seen before stood out of it, spreading out over the entrance. Al froze in shock and before he could escape, Ackman pressed him brutally into a wall and coated over his mouth with his palm.

"What is it, kitten? Have you lost your claws?" Ackman purred.

Al twisted in his grip and tried to pry his hands off of him.

"Yes, that's better. I prefer my prey to be kicking. That keeps it interesting even when I break you." Ackman grinned. "Actually, I consider taking you back to Germany with me, and then I will make you my own little pet. Wouldn't you like that, kitten?"

Al twisted his head away from his hand and gasped for air. He had to do something with the Gate, and fast. "Let me go! The Gate will kill someone if you don't."

"Ackman!" Peterson yelled at some place behind him. He had avoided the split in the ground by a hair, and still had his gun. "Chairman Eckart has lost it completely!"

Ackman turned around, staring dumbfounded towards his leader.

Dietlinde Eckart was still sitting in the transmutation circle, right by the edge of the Gate where the split had begun, and stretching her arms towards the black hands that were coming for her. No one was able to do anything but stare in disbelief as the thin black hands coiled around Dietlinde Eckart and dissolved her at random places of her body.

"For Germany!" she screamed. "We will rise again!"

The moment after she faded into nothing and was gone, like the wind was blowing the ashes of her burned corpse away.

"Chairman..." Ackman managed with wide eyes.

Al saw this as the only opportunity he had to get away and leapt quickly out of his grasp. Maybe this was his only time to do anything and stop the Gate from killing more people. But he didn't get far before a new pair of hands caught him in another iron grip. He tried to transmute something, but his arms were being held apart over his head and restraining him from doing alchemy. Al struggled again against his new captor, kicking his legs and snarling at him.

"Ackman," Peterson said in a low voice, ignoring the fighting boy in his grip. "She's gone."

"What does this mean?" Ackman demanded. "Look at that thing! Is this going to help us go back? I think not."

"This boy can," Peterson said. "Him or his brother."

Ackman turned back to Al, and grasped him around his collar. "Boy, how can we get back to Germany?"

Al struggled to regain his breath, still trashing to get loose and pulling at his arms. "You can't go back. Only an alchemist can..."

Ackman slapped him so hard that Al's head got flipped to the side. "Try again," the man said coldly.

Al's eyes were huge, the pain throbbing at his cheek. "You saw what happened to Dietlinde Eckart," he said, a little shakily but picked his words carefully. "The Gate isn't controllable. Only an alchemist can do it and stop all this. If you let me go, I can—"

"Well, in that case," Peterson muttered. He started dragging Al towards the edge of the cliff, but that was not what Al had had in mind. He was too far from the Gate and the transmutation circle to be able to stop it.

Edward was still on his hands and knees on the small source of the wall he had created underneath himself, looking for the Colonel somewhere at the bottom of the crack. Hopefully he had made it down unharmed. The Colonel was a strong bastard.

Flinching a little in pain, he noticed a dark stain growing on the side of his upper arm. The stitches had probably gotten ripped apart and his bullet wound started to bleed again. His arm felt almost numb. What a great timing...

"Hey, big brother," Peterson called from the other side of the split ground. "Seems like there's only us left!"

Edward stared up and his eyes narrowed. Peterson and Ackman stood on the edge, holding a reluctant Alphonse in between them. Behind him was Alfons lying unconscious. The five of them were the only ones left with the Gate.

"I want you to pick one right now," Peterson grinned. "You can only save one of them, remember?"

To Edward's right, black hands were still stretching out of the Gate, searching above them and the ceiling of the hollow mountain was starting to dissolve slowly. It seemed like the Gate had started devouring the environment around in search for another sacrifice. They didn't have much time left!

Edward didn't know what to do. He could transmute a bridge to Al, but then he would set Alfons in danger by creating a free passage to him for Peterson. If he fought Peterson, he couldn't stop Ackman from hurting Al, and if he fought Ackman, Peterson would target Alfons for sure. But if Alfons continued lying there any longer, eventually the black hands would reach him anyway. Either that, or Peterson would push Al into the Gate and make the black hands take him.

Edward's heart slammed hard against his chest. He couldn't do this. He couldn't choose.

"Nii-san, forget about me!" Al yelled. "This is my Gate, it's my responsibility! I have to go!"

Edward stared at him in disbelief and angrily pointed a metal finger at him. "Don't you dare, Al! You're not going anywhere! Just shut up and let me think."

"There will be no time for thinking," Peterson called out. "The Gate doesn't seem to be patient."

The stars were already clearly visible through the hole the Gate had created above their heads.

Edward shook his head, as if trying to shake himself into a way out of the dilemma. "Let him go, you bastards!"

"I told you, didn't I?" Peterson grinned. "That I would somehow be there the day that Heiderich-boy gets taken from you."

"Shut up, you dirty son of a bitch!" Edward yelled. They were playing with him, and he was only losing precious time like this.

Al stared at his brother with desperation in his eyes. "If I don't go, Alfons won't make it."

"Bullshit!" Edward shouted. "Don't do anything, I mean it, Alphonse!"

"That means," Peterson said. "You just picked your choice. We'll take care of your brother for you, while the Gate eats up your boyfriend." He grinned deviously and twisted Al's arm behind his back, making Al shout out in pain.

"Bastards!" Edward grated. "Let him go."

"I would worry more about myself if I were you," Ackman said, nodding behind Edward. Edward whipped around, seeing the black hands being dreadfully close to where he was standing on the small stone beneath the edge of the cliff. The black hands were following the edge of the crack, closing in on both him and Alfons who was lying much further away above him. Shit.

While ignoring the tingling pain from his arm, he clapped his hands and made more sources grow out of the cliff wall, one after one pointing out over one another and creating a small stair back to the top. He leaped up them and made it safely back to ground level. He turned back to his two enemies and his little brother. "Let him go," he repeated. "Or I swear I will cross this gap and throw both of you into the Gate!"

"Yeah, you heard what he said," another voice suddenly sounded behind Ackman and Peterson. "Let the kid go."

This time it was Peterson and Ackman's turn to whip around in shock, for the second time being surprised by Amestrian soldiers. There stood Jean Havoc, still armed with his gun. Beside him stood Riza Hawkeye, Heymans Breda and Cain Fuery ready with their own guns. Some of the Brigadier General's soldiers were behind them as well.

"About time," Edward muttered.

"Fuck," Peterson breathed, quickly drawing his gun and aiming towards them. "We have nothing to lose anymore, what makes you think we'll surren—"

Riza Hawkeye fired before he was even done, brutally piercing his hand holding the shotgun. The gun flew out of his hand and dropped down into the deep darkness of the parted ground.

Next to him, his comrade sighed. "It's over." Ackman shoved Al towards the newly arrived group of Amestrians, and Peterson let out a defeated snarl in agony as his comrade raised his arms over his head.

"I'll never give into this disgusting world!" Peterson yelled, keeping his blooded hand pressed to his chest. "I'm not going to be like Schiller." He gave Al a detestable look before he suddenly sprung to the right, straight for the Gate.

"No, wait!" Al shouted after him.

The man jumped and disappeared into the mayhem of black hands inside the Gate. Al quickly turned away and inhaled deeply. Then Riza caught him by his shoulder, looking worried. "Are you alright, Alphonse?"

Al nodded slowly.

"Where is the Colonel?" she asked.

The Colonel... Al turned back towards the deep crack in quiet apprehension and hesitantly pointed at it. "He fell together with the Brigadier General, down there..."

---

The fight was still raging on above, although all the mingling sounds didn't reach down to him coherently. He rubbed his forehead and stood up on his feet, cringing a little from laying too much pressure on his right foot. Damn it all... That deranged woman had activated the transformation circle, but without Alfons Heiderich being in it at least. He knew Edward was alright as well; he had saved him from the hard fall after all. Al hadn't fallen into the split with him, so hopefully he was okay too. The boy was a good fighter. The only one left to worry about would be...

"Finally we're alone together, Mustang," a cold voice said behind him.

Roy turned around slowly, staring at his former childhood friend. "Kiehle..."

The other man was bleeding from his head, but seemed to be in one piece. What else concerned Roy was the dagger he clutched in his hand. It had belonged to one of the henchmen from Thule Society, and the blade was already smeared in dark blood. Further away behind Kiehle, a man was lying lifeless and bleeding from wounds that hadn't been caused by the fall. Roy pictured that Kiehle must have taken the dagger from the (now dead) Thule-soldier who had fallen with them and survived, and stabbed him to death.

"What do you mean by that?" Roy asked cautiously.

"You've always been well guarded. Hell, blackmailing you hardly even worked. Sooner or later you would've exposed me, wouldn't you?" Kiehle deduced bitterly.

"Why would I?" Roy asked. "I wouldn't break that promise, not even if it is a promise to someone like you."

"Cut the crap, Mustang!" Kiehle barked. "I have no reason to let you go up there again with me, and we both know it."

Mustang's eye narrowed. "Are you going to take revenge on me for something that happened over 20 years ago?"

"You don't even know what happened," Kiehle hissed, taking a step closer.

"I think I do," Mustang said. "That's why I never reported you for the murder of Sergeant Major James Anderson." He knew. Kiehle's actions, his murder on their own man during Ishbal, had been covered by him because of the incident when they were kids, which Roy himself felt responsible for. He knew, the military was probably the only place Kiehle would succeed in life after having something like that happen to him as a small boy, even if it had ruined him as a human being. "Your kidnapper used you, didn't he?" Mustang said slowly. "He forced you into sexual intercourse."

Kiehle gritted his teeth, lifting the dagger towards Mustang. "He loved knives like these too. You never saw any of my scars, neither the ones outside or inside my body."

So his suspicions had finally been verified. "Is that the reason why you used Alfons Heiderich the same way?" Mustang said coldly. It was a blunt question, but he could no longer deny it. He had suspected it after he met Alfons by the elevator; when he had come from Kiehle's office late that afternoon a couple of days ago. The boy had looked shaken and agitated. He hadn't been sure, but the look in Kiehle's eyes now confirmed it.

The abused had become the abuser.

Kiehle chortled. "Alfons Heiderich was an easy target. He wouldn't let down his friends as easily as you. I could make him agree to anything if I wanted, as long as I had the Elric-brothers, and even you, locked within my palm."

"As I thought," Mustang muttered. "You really are the worst type of bastard I've ever met…"

"It happened because you betrayed me," Kiehle whispered. "You left me to die."

Mustang trembled a little of those words, his fist clenching hard at his side. "You have no idea how much that incident has haunted me…"

"Oh, I'm sure you had it awful," Kiehle said sarcastically. "I really hope you did. Still, I should've killed you too that night in Ishbal and blamed the murders of both you and Anderson on the Ishbalans."

"However," Mustang continued. "Even if that happened to you because of me, you still could have chosen a better path than to ruin the lives of other innocent people, innocent like you used to be. You won't get anywhere blaming me."

He might have protected his reputation after the incident with Anderson, but that was it. Everything was different now. Kiehle had committed completely new crimes since that time, and he couldn't ignore it now that he knew the truth.

"Life is unfair. Why would I have to make a different choice?" Kiehle went on. "Why should everyone have what I never had? Their life, their happiness, a person to love? I found someone who could give that to me the way I like, so I decided to take it. Just like it was taken from me."

Mustang gritted his teeth. "There's no room left in my heart to forgive you anymore, Rheo."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Kiehle said. Then he suddenly sprang forward without warning, with his dagger ready and lashing unwaveringly against Mustang's throat. Mustang ducked and for a moment was struck by a light shock. It was almost like he was 9 again, and he saw the very same eyes of the assaulter he and Rheo had met in the forest, with the dagger in hand, in Kiehle's cold eyes. But it only lasted for a second, as he shot out his leg and hooked it behind Kiehle's ankle to trip the attacker. Kiehle stumbled back and avoided falling, but just as he was regaining control, Mustang snapped his fingers.

Kiehle had left him with no other choice. Only one of them would come back from this hole on their own feet.

But nothing happened. His flame alchemy refused to ignite. He frowned and looked at his hand, discovering the problem. The transmutation circle Alphonse had made had been scratched up and covered with dirt from the fall, making it completely useless.

Kiehle shot forward again, and Mustang caught his wrist, keeping the dagger wedged mere inches away from slicing his throat. He was pressed down on his back with Kiehle on top of him, his shoulders tensing up and he kept his sharp eye fixed at Kiehle's steel ones.

"Are you this weak, Colonel? What happened to your flames?" Kiehle mocked and shot him a wicked grin. He leaned his weight further on the dagger, making Mustang struggle to keep it at distance. The man's weight surpassed his, and made him let out a ragged breath of endeavour.

"I've always wanted to do this," Kiehle whispered callously. "To see you fall, to see you fail."

In desperation Mustang spat at his hand in an attempt to clean out the wound straining his alchemy circle.

"Pathetic," Kiehle muttered. He relaxed his grip on the dagger, sent his knee hard down into Mustang's stomach and sniggered as he made Roy gasp for air. Then he twisted Mustang's hand down on the ground and with all his strength, thrust the knife right through the inside of his palm.

Mustang yelled out. His hand was burning in fierce pain and was stuck to the ground, the tip of the blade being buried deep into the earth.

Kiehle leant down and whispered in his ear. "I'll tell you one of the last things that old bastard told me, something you probably don't know. He said, be a good boy and shut up now. Let this moment be a countdown to your death, right from this second. I'll fuck you while holding this knife to your throat, and you will submit. You will even take your own enjoyment in it, I'll make sure. And the moment you come, I will slice your throat and kill you. Your last moment will consist of the most humiliating method of pleasure. That will be my last gift to you."

Kiehle smirked from the unmistakable trace of appal in Roy's one, wide eye. "Too bad I don't swing that way when it comes to people like you. Then you really would have gotten what you deserve." Kiehle's eyes showed no sign of repent. "Just for the record, after he said those words, I managed to overpower him and killed him first."

Roy took many deep breaths while listening, and at the same time feeling how the blood was pumping out of his hand. Deciding he refused to go down without a fight, he pulled his knee up to his chest in a split second and kicked Kiehle right in the chest with his utmost strength. It had its effect. The man flew back and off of him, and hit the ground with his back first a few steps away. But that wasn't nearly enough. He recovered fast and stood back up on unsteady feet.

"It's futile," Kiehle sneered. "Perhaps I would've let you win if I had managed to imagine you on top and leading this damaged country, Mustang. But unfortunately, I can't. You're too soft, too cowardly and lacking in several other departments." He turned away with a grumpy snort. "And the irony is, you were my motivation."

Mustang cursed as he twisted his head to spot his own stabbed hand being pinned to the ground above his head. He moved his hand towards the grip of the dagger to remove it, but then Kiehle was back, swiftly stepping onto his wrist to stop him before he could reach it. He gasped out in pain.

"Are you surprised? You've always known I despise you, so why would someone like you be my motivation? I'll tell you." Kiehle directed the gun he had picked up from one of the Thule-soldiers towards Mustang's head from above, and Mustang stiffened, seeing him upside down from his view on the ground. With his other foot, Kiehle stepped down on the grip of the dagger, pressing it further through his hand. Roy arched helplessly back and parted his lips without a sound.

"If I ever let a fool like you surpass me, I'd begin to lose faith in myself," Kiehle said. "It's been nice playing this game with you for all these years, Mustang. But now you know more than I feel comfortable with. There's no turning back from the shame of being violated, raped and tortured as a child, at least not when I look at you – the last person I saw before my life was ruined, and seeing how great you're doing now regardless of your cowardly methods."

Roy felt sickened. The pain flushed through him from both the blade and Kiehle's weight on his wrist. Any time the bone in his arm would probably break. He couldn't remember that he had ever been this defeated before... Did he deserve this?

"Rheo..." Roy snarled. "You're not using that incident as an excuse for this. Not for killing me. Not for tormenting Alfons Heiderich. That is who you are, and it seems to be too late now. You will never be able to have the life you wish for now."

Kiehle smiled a dark smile. "Thank you, Roy. For finally showing your hatred to me. Your pity has always killed me."

Somehow that smile felt strange. Roy closed his eye. Thank you? Needless to say, he had never been thanked like that before.

There was a small silence which was close to unbearable. Roy figured, life had never been fair for anyone.

"Goodbye, Roy," Kiehle said. Then he pulled the trigger.

The gun clicked and Mustang's heart beat rapidly against his chest. Unexpectedly, there had been no loud gunshot, and he perplexedly wondered why, until he realized the gun was out of bullets.

"Fuck," Kiehle cursed. "Why have you always been this hard to kill?"

He hadn't even said it, before something dropped and hit the ground right next to him from above. With widened eyes, he discovered to his bemusement that it was another gun. He started laughing hard, and picked it up. "Never mind that," he chortled and discarded the useless gun to the ground. "It seems someone up there wants you dead as well, Mustang."

Mustang swallowed, but narrowed his eye. This coincidence was almost too unfortunate to be true. "Rheo, you won't get away with this and you know it. Killing me won't solve anything."

"No, it won't solve everything," Kiehle admitted. "But I will discover a way to find that document and burn it. Then, everything will work out for me. And you probably know the first one I will hunt down to thank after that."

"No, who?" Roy asked dismally.

"The one you always kept away from me, the one I wanted from the start."

"You motherfucking bastard," Roy snarled. "So, Alfons Heiderich was the closest one to Alphonse you could get your hands on."

"Indeed." Kiehle directed the new gun towards Roy's head. "This time, you're dead."

Abruptly the loud sound of gunfire loomed against the walls at the bottom of the crevice. Not only once. Twice, thrice, four times, bullets were piercing through flesh and spraying the ground in crimson.

Roy's eye saw only black, as he was clutching his eye tightly shut. How pathetic he was. He would never be able to keep them safe from Carl R. Kiehle now. He hadn't even managed to protect them from him while working with the bastard. He hat let Alfons Heiderich get raped, and got Edward shot. If the Gate's balance really decided the fate of people, it wouldn't save him either.

Then a body hit the ground with a heavy slam.

"Colonel!" a voice was shouting. "Colonel!"

He opened his eye slowly. He wondered why he didn't feel the pain of the bullets. Was dying always this slow?

A beautiful Queen with blond hair and dark, concerned eyes leaned over him, removing the dagger from his palm and brushed his hair off his damp face. Roy involuntary flinched in pain as the blade was withdrawn from his flesh.

"Colonel," Riza repeated, her voice shaking of worry. "Are you all right, sir?"

He frowned at her. Then he tried to sit up, realizing that he wasn't the one who had been pierced by bullets.

The body of Brigadier General Carl Rheo Kiehle lay behind him, covered in dark blood and his eyes as lifeless as they had been while he were alive, only blanker, and his face screwed up in a twisted, albeit motionless grimace.

Riza was already bandaging the bleeding wound on his hand. "Sir, please don't move too much," she instructed.

"He thanked me," Mustang said in a low voice, and turned away from the dead man as reality came down to him. "That's what you wanted to hear, huh…?" He bowed his head. "Hopefully you will be that person you were supposed to be now." His own voice sounded hollow.

Rheo... Why did you turn into this person you didn't want to be against your own will?

Riza looked at him as she finished bandaging, concern written in her eyes. "Colonel, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I will be. Thank you for saving my life once again." He finally looked at her. "I'm glad you are okay as well, Lieutenant," he said.

Her face softened. Then she quickly stood up and saluted. "I came to confirm your safety, sir. Due to this, I have shot a fellow officer of my own country and I'll be willing to accept any consequences from that action."

He rose as well, straightening his back and looked down at the body for some seconds. "No. That's not what happened," Roy Mustang said. "He fell. He fell in line of duty."

---

Alfons woke up slowly, still feeling pain trickling in his foot. He stared straight up at a sky of stars and he almost smiled in happiness in response. They were so clear, and so many, and the only thing ruining how beautiful they looked were the many thin black familiar hands consuming them in darkness, covering the ceiling in the roof. They looked like they were searching. He lifted his head up, propping himself up on his arms. They were everywhere, some of them closing in on him. The Gate was further away in front of him, and he was lying outside the transmutation circle. But that didn't matter. They could easily reach out to him. Eventually they would.

He had no strength, barely enough to sit up, so he remained lying down on his back, listening to the sounds of laughing voices. It was echoing in his ears, like children laughing in joy while playing.

The stretching black hands nudged at his feet, seeming to be smelling his scent before wrapping around him and tightening, making sure he wouldn't get away. It felt uncomfortable.

Alfons tried to move despite the lack of energy in his body, finding that he could and sat up slowly, hazily regarding the creepy black monsters. They looked like snakes, coiling leisurely around him. He was in such a state of astonishment that he didn't even realize the rest of his surroundings until a voice sparked his mind's reach.

"Alfons!" Edward yelled out. He was further away to his left, by a large split in the ground.

Alfons twisted his head towards him, looking worried. To his dread he saw how Edward was fighting against the black hands that tried to get a hold of him too, while reaching his metal hand out towards him. Stretching out to attain him. To protect him.

Alfons realized a lot must have happened while he was unconscious. The entire floor was parted in two. He and Edward were being stuck on one side, and everyone else was on the other. The Gate could probably reach for all of them. But it needed only one.

Only him.

Alfons' eyes hardened. So this was it, huh. The thought of leaving this beautiful world stung his heart like he had been swallowing a handful of needles. The needles were torturing his heart on the inside of his chest, poking and stabbing him with the inevitable truth. He was going to die. He would never see Edward again. There was nothing he could do. He had hoped it would take much longer. That he might have had a couple of years left spending with Edward in this world, but no. Now the second world was rejecting him of life. So be it. He was still grateful for the time he had had.

So be it...

"Edward, get away from here," Alfons instructed calmly.

Edward stared at him with wide eyes, already realizing to his horror that Alfons was giving up. "Are you an idiot? Stand up! Get away yourself!"

"I can't," Alfons said softly, which was true. He couldn't feel his legs at all. Did he even have legs still? He stared at them. They seemed to be attached still, yet it felt like they weren't there. Like he was becoming paralyzed.

"Alfons!" Edward shouted out. He finally managed to pull himself free from the black hands that had been exploring and keeping him restrained and sprinted directly for Alfons in shear fortitude, reaching his side and dropping to his knees while locking his arms tightly around him. His hands fisted the back of Alfons' shirt as he pulled him close. "This isn't supposed to happen," he exclaimed. "It can't be over. I'll do anything…"

"Edward," Alfons said, touching his hair gently. Fortunately he could still use his arms. "It's okay."

"What the hell do you mean?" Edward grated. "It's not okay!" He clapped his hands quickly and clamped them down on the black monstrous snakes coating Alfons's legs. His transmutation died down even before anything happened, and Edward's eyes widened. "No way…"

Alchemy didn't work on these ugly creatures! He tried desperately again, clapping and planting his palms onto the things, but nothing changed. "Damn it!" he cursed. How could he stop this?

The black hands tightened further around his knees, making Alfons grind his teeth as a shooting pain shot through his body in all the places he could still feel from his marked foot. But he ignored it. "This is supposed to happen…" he said softly. He had to try calming Edward down. "I'm—" The black arms suddenly pulled at him sharply, and a great sparkling energy started hurling around him like a huge tornado before he could say more. He closed his eyes and held his breath. It seemed like the Gate was going for the final forfeit.

Yes, it was supposed to happen. But like this? Not like this…

Wouldn't he even get to say goodbye?

The cyclone of energy and black hands were lifting him and pulling him back towards the Gate. In the chaos he had lost the hold of Edward, but still Edward was reaching out for him.

"NO!"

On the other side of the crevice, the others were witnessing what was happening in shock and disbelief.

"Alfons!" Al cried out, thinking quickly that he had to do something to help. He clapped his hands and touched the ground. Lightning shot up around him as the ground immediately stretched out across the crack, creating a solid bridge, large enough that it would be safe to cross over the huge gap. Shortly after he was on his feet again and started sprinting towards the scene. But he was stopped before he could get very far across. He looked back at the man holding him, and saw black hair and a huge eye-patch.

"Roy," he quivered. It seemed like he had just come back up the stair down the crevice he had transmuted for Riza a short while ago.

"Don't get close," Mustang ordered, but didn't let go of the boy because he obviously wouldn't listen to him willingly. As far as he could tell, there was little to be done and the Gate was too dangerous to get closer to now. No matter how much he had wanted to protect Alfons Heiderich, he couldn't protect him from the Gate. The black hands were covering most of the room with the whirlwind of energy in the centre.

Meanwhile Alphonse struggled in his grip, shouting and staring desperately in the direction of his brother and Alfons. "NII-SAN! ALFONS! NO!"

Edward sprinted at the speed of light and had thrown himself headfirst into the whirlwind, where he tugged Alfons down and made them both land on their stomachs on the ground, facing each other. But it still didn't make the tornado disappear. He gripped tightly around Alfons' upper arms. Holding him back before he was dragged even further towards the Gate, even if they were already all too close to it to have much time to think of something.

They were already by the remains of the swastika. The black hands stopped pulling him slightly because of their resistance, and Alfons lifted his head to face Edward and clung to his arms in a secure grip. This was probably his last chance to say goodbye. But he could only stare at Edward's desperate golden eyes. Even in that state he looked beautiful. Edward's grip tightened around his arms, muttering almost incoherently.

"Not you. I can't lose you. Not again."

Was Edward crying? Alfons didn't want him to be sad. But maybe he was crying as well, he didn't take time to notice. He smiled at Edward, to make him feel a little better. "I told you, it's okay like this. I wish we had some more time to be together, but I knew this would happen. I'm just glad it's happening while you still remember me."

"I'd never forget you, no matter what," Edward cried. "You can't disappear! I won't let you! I promised to protect you."

"I'm letting you off the hook," Alfons smiled unhappily. Edward looked so disheartened; he wished he could've made him feel better. "I'll always be with you. My life was wonderful while knowing you." His face started to dissolve leisurely, his cheek scattering away like fragments of glass breaking. He was pulled a little further back, and now he was at the very edge of the Gate.

"Better me, rather me than your brother," Alfons said and Edward gasped.

"You knew… about the theory?"

"The night you left out in the rain… you threw the coded book across the room. You taught me how to decode it in Munich once… so I did." Alfons chuckled. "I was up all night. And I found out…"

Edward was speechless. That was so long ago. All this time... Alfons had known?

Alfons let go of Edward's arm with one hand to lightly brush his tears away, but before he could, his hand dissolved into small fragments right before of his own eyes. He stared at it in wonder. He felt no pain. Vivid blue eyes met Edward's wide amber ones once again, and he leaned into Edward's lips. Edward's lips were warm, but his were cold.

Was he dying now?

"At least I got to say goodbye," Alfons whispered, and Edward could only understand his words because he read his lips. The winds of energy and the echoing of the black souls were deafening.

"I'll never forget you. I'll always love you."

"Alfons!" Edward grated out. "Don't you dare let go of my hand."

Alfons smiled and squeezed Edward's flesh hand slightly with the one he still had left. "Edward, promise me you must go on and…"

"No… No!" Edward gripped him tighter. "I can't do that."

"Please. Live."

Edward shook his head and refused to let go, but the effort was in vain. His hands suddenly clutched around nothing and he was only hugging the empty air as Alfons' remains were pulled into the yellow depths of the Gate, along with the hurricane of energy and laughing voices of dead souls. In desperation Edward stretched down after him with both hands.

"ALFONS!"

Both his metal and flesh hand had all their fingers spread out so wide it hurt.

The last thing dissolving was his deep azure eyes, with his smile still echoing in them.

Then Alfons was gone.

Gone…

Edward stiffened in the midst of shock, a lump growing in his throat and a warm flood pressing forward from behind his eyes. He sat up slowly on his knees by the edge of the Gate, darkness covering his eyes and his fingers gripping tightly at the ground while Alfons' last words repeated over and over in his mind. Alfons had known all along. He had endured everything. Until the very end, he had smiled. He had told him to live.

Please. Live...

But something inside Edward's heart just died. Images of Alfons' bright smile flashed before his eyes. He existed in every thought of his mind. He was seeing Alfons working on blueprints of the latest rocket model, Alfons was laughing at him while eating his poor attempt of cooking breakfast, Alfons was standing out in the rain and kissing him, Alfons was sitting beside him on the rooftop and watched the starry night over Munich, Alfons was resting on top of his chest with a soft smile and listening to his beating heart, Alfons was lying in his lap covered in blood and his eyes closed.

Edward, live...

I'll always be with you.

Edward dried off his cheek with his sleeve and slowly stood up on shaking legs. All around him the black hands were heading home, pulling back, letting go of the world. The whirl of energy had disappeared along with Alfons' body and soul.

The deal was over.

Everything eventually turned quiet. The Gate remained, but it had calmed down to normal. Waiting for him to destroy it.

Edward gazed up towards the sky, towards the stars Alfons had loved. "What is the equivalent exchange in this?" he asked the dark night sky. "Tell me..."

Behind him Roy's unit had gathered, standing quietly with their heads bowed in grief, as if an imaginary requiem was being played in the distance.

Jean Havoc lifted a cigarette shakily to his mouth and lit it. Next to him, Breda was clutching his gun tightly in his hands. Fuery was bowing his head deeply. Riza Hawkeye's eyes had turned glassy, her hand lifted to cover her mouth in disbelief.

Colonel Roy Mustang silently let go of Alphonse and turned away. So Alfons Heiderich had gone, after all. He hadn't had the time to be in this world for long. Neither had he had much time to enjoy it considering what he had been through. Still, he had made Edward the happiest person in the world while being alive. Mustang swore to himself that he would remember him. People like Alfons Heiderich existed not to be forgotten.

Alphonse's large eyes had teared up and he swallowed a couple of times. He couldn't believe this. Alfons was gone... Just when he had accepted him for everything he was, and everything he was to Edward.

Alfons Heiderich had almost been like another brother to him. At the same time he had been someone his brother loved more than a brother. Alfons had always cared, not only about Edward, but about Al too. Alphonse didn't feel like stopping the tears that pressed through the barrier of his bronze orbs. Alfons had been a good person. Someone who had deserved to live. He had deserved to live in this world.

But Schiller had been right in the end. The world was a cruel and unfair place to live in.

Al took a few steps towards his brother, speaking in a weak voice. "Nii-san…" But what could he say? What could he possibly say which could make his brother feel better? Probably nothing. Edward wouldn't be the same after this. He had been so happy whenever he had been with Alfons, and Al wished he could bring it all back. He wished he had gone instead. But that wasn't possible anymore. It was gone forever.

Alfons wouldn't return to this world ever again.

"I'm sorry, Al," Edward suddenly said. His voice sounded strangely coherent. Al had expected him to be far more grief-struck and frowned at him. Why did he apologize to him? Edward's next words made his heart twist in his chest.

"I can't let him go." Edward still had his back turned to him, his face directed at the Gate.

Al's eyes widened marginally, and Roy stepped quickly over to him with a frown. "I'm very sorry about all this, Fullmetal, but what do you mean about that? Hell, I would have done anything if there was a way, but sadly it isn't anything we can do. It's too late…"

Edward turned to him and looked up, his eyes strong and resolute. "No. This isn't over yet." He paused before he continued. "Colonel… Please, this will really be the last thing I'll ever ask of you."

Roy didn't like the sound of this.

"If I'm not back within thirty minutes, you have to destroy the Gate."

Everyone stared at him with wide eyes like he was insane.

Edward turned away from them again, back towards the open Gate and stared down into the yellow swirls of energy. "I'm going after him. I know he isn't dead," he added quietly.

The Gate had needed a sacrifice from the other world, and Eckart and Peterson had both gone first. There was still hope that Alfons could make it. He was still inside there, Edward just knew it. There was no way he could give up on Alfons.

Roy was silent for a short while. This was really insane, but he somehow understood Edward's way of thinking. Alfons had been the last person to go into the Gate, not the first. Maybe there was a way to bring him out of there alive. If anyone could do it, it would be Edward. Besides, when the blond alchemist had made up his mind about something, there was no way of altering his decision.

Al stepped to his brother's side, unsurprisingly resolute. "If you're going, I'm going too."

Edward turned to him, looking a combination of discomfort and pleading. "Al, please understand. You can't come with me."

"No, you must understand. I'm tired of hearing you say that," Al said. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not." He sounded neither mad nor criticizing. He was simply stating a fact. "We've always been through everything together, all those years we were journeying together. That is still what I want to do. Going into the Gate is no exception, and two alchemists think better than one."

"But… there's no guarantee that we'll make it back," Edward said. His voice was stern.

"I know," Al said. "But if I can't go with you, I'll stop you from going myself."

Edward couldn't help but smile softly at that statement. It reminded him of the time Alfons had told him the exact same thing. He gave in, lifting his hand and letting it drop onto Al's head to rub his hair in an appreciating gesture. "Okay, little brother."

After all, this only made him more confident that they had to make it back out again alive.

It was time. Soon he would reach his final trial, to test his strength on the equivalent bond to both his little brother and his beloved.

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A/N: We're getting so close to the end. I hope the wait was worthwhile. So, are you ready for the last chapter of this monster of a story, soon to come?

What you review here will echo in my very soul for eternity.