Ace: *randomly sits up* Hey look, more reviews!

Greed: SCORE! Furorensu-Chan says I'm right about something!

Ace: And thanks for the congrats, I guess.

Roy: Um, I really didn't need to know that, neoko-chan. But, since I am such a hot item... *hides under chair with twig to fend off those who are stalking him*

Lela: YAY FOR THE LOVE!

Sonya: I really hate you sometimes. I just don't have any love.

Ace: AND I WILL NOT STOP TEASING YOU FOR ANOTHER STORY INSTALLMENT AFTER THIS ONE! SO HA! I'm gonna go hide now...

Kayla: DOUBLE YAY FOR MORE LOVE!

Sonya: WHY?

Ace: Oh yeah, CSI Aphrodite, I woke up. I do that for sugar and reviews. *sticks out tongue*

Sonya: Suddenly I feel so much more loved now that I know I have a fan.

Greed: WHAT AM I, CHOPPED LIVER?

Envy: Yeah, pretty much.

Greed: AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MUSTANG STOLE FROM ME! *begins straining to get out of Sonya's restraints*

Ace: And um, I did kinda update, but if I told you what's gonna happen, there wouldn't be a point in updating.

Sonya: However, we all do know I am badass enough to resurrect dead people.

Ed: Ace5980 does not own FullMetal Alchemist.

Ace: Where've you and Envy been?

Ed: Um, nowhere.

Kayla: I DEMAND YOU TELL ME! *tackles*

3: Chimeras, Angels, and Alchemists

"What is your purpose then, Sonya?"

She sighed, looking out the window conflictedly. "I'm looking for the person who first discovered the formula to make angels, my original creator of sorts. She never meant for me to be changed and actually only figured out the formula because she was bored. It wasn't even entirely her fault I ended up like this, yet she still holds herself responsible. If that feeling of responsibility is what gets my lover back, then so be it."

Roy could understand her drive to do absolutely anything to keep the people she loved safe. "Fine. I'll help you. What's the plan?"

Knowledge smirked. "Well, as it happens, everyone's target is close enough to warrant only one trip. However, we don't want to advertise that there's a pair of angels in Central, so the fewer people that come with us, the better. Justice and I will be coming, naturally."

"It would help if you told me a little more about where we're storming or how you two operate," Roy grumbled.

Sonya smirked now. "If we told you even a fraction of our capabilities, combat or otherwise, your brain would implode long before we came close to finishing. For all intents and purposes, you can just consider me a swordsman and Knowledge an archer."

"Archer? Not a sharpshooter?"

"Bow and arrow," Knowledge confirmed. Seeing Roy's skeptical look, he added, "Trust me, I'm just as dangerous as any elite sharpshooter, if not more so. We have more than a few abilities to put us eons ahead of even the most talented mortal."

"I'll take Alex Armstrong and Jean Havoc, Knowledge. You'll do better with Roy and Riza anyway."

"Good," the alchemist said. "Each group'll have an angel, an alchemist, and a gun with them." He cleared his throat, adopting a tactician's aspect to better direct this. "Now, do you think you could give me some kind of blueprints-"

Sonya twisted faster than the eye could follow, even Knowledge's, her sword materializing to pin Roy's uniform to the wall. "We may be working together on this, Flame, but you should remember that I always lead. I'll take point. Knowledge will be the one to fill you in on the details of his cunning plan. Disobey me and I will personally cut your heart from your chest right after I castrate you with a cactus and sandpaper."

"Fine, but know this, angel. If you lead any of my people astray, I will burn you to such a fine powder that no one will ever be able to even remotely identify the remains."

The two locked eyes for one long moment, evaluating the fire burning in each soul before she yanked back her sword, releasing him. "Gather your men. We'll be waiting."

"An angel! A real, perfect angel!"

"For all your talk of angels, she still slumbers with no sign of awakening."

"I followed everything Paradox told me, right down to the letter! The only solution I have received was that this angel would awaken when she came into contact with another angel's blood!"

"Which is why we are permitting you to try to summon one using the formula, but I assure you, if you fail, you will not live to see the consequences."

"Trust me, Paradox hasn't led us wrong yet."

"The time grows nearer, Justice."

"We'll give them five more minutes."

"You're pushing your luck, Justice."

"You say that as if I have something left to lose." The younger angel looked up from her hands, hearing sounds too quiet for any ears but hers. "They're coming." She handed her cloak to Knowledge as they had agreed. Roy would be the only one to know they were really angels; the pair had decided it would prove simpler for Knowledge to pretend to be a dove-chimera than for everyone to be brought up to speed on Sonya's unique situation.

The first thing that happened when the humans came around the corner was that Riza's gun pressed against Sonya's temple. "Where is Edward?" she asked coldly, then became aware of a cold blade pricking against her neck.

Final Judgment gleamed in Sonya's hand, looking decidedly macabre against Riza's skin. "Just put it down, Riza Hawkeye," the angel said slowly and assuredly. "We may be horribly outnumbered, but you're viciously outclassed." Slowly, the gun meandered its way back to its holster, but the sword disappeared in an impressive dexterous twirl of Sonya's fingers. The subtle message was inherent. The two strangers must have possessed very dangerous qualities to them if they were unafraid of the immediate threat posed to them by the cold barrel of a sniper's handgun.

"So," Jean interrupted casually, a cigarette, miraculously unlit, stuck in his mouth, "what're we getting into this time?" Roy glared at him. "What?" he said unapologetically. "Last time we went off on a secret mission, we dealt with homunculi." Sonya flinched visibly at that last word. "I just want a vague notion of what we're dealing with."

Sonya laughed, a cruel off-sounding thing. "We're dealing with the same three things I've dealt with all my life."

"And that would be?" Alex prompted.

"Chimeras, angels, and alchemists," she supplied. "The only question is whether they'll prove to be friend or foe."

Sonya: Wow. Epic, no?

Greed: Blah blah blah, I just have one question.

Ace: Shoot.

Greed: Who's Paradox?

Ace: I DENY KNOWLEDGE!

Knowledge: But I'm right here! *runs away*

Roy: So where's the kitty and the shrimp and the wolf and the palm tree?

Sonya: Oh, my sisters are currently torturing their significant others to find out what they were doing.

Roy: *blinks* Is that even legal?

Greed: Who knows, who cares?

Ace: Okay, you two, do reward!

Sonya: Those of you who review will get the location of Roy's crappy hidey-hole to scar him for life or whatever. Just do it! I wanna watch so bad!

Greed: DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!

Ace: CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!

Roy: OH SNAP! I'M SO OUTTA HERE! *runs away with little defense twig*