Adrenaline still coursed through him but with it reality began to set in. Edward tried to choke down the panic that threatened to distract him as he followed Russell down through the remains of the building. He had to stay close to Kimbley and Russell. If he let them get away... no, he didn't want to think about that. Letting them get away was not an option. He wouldn't let them beat him or hurt Elysia and Richard anymore.
He was angry with himself. He was overconfident and he miscalculated. He figured with the homunculi loose they'd find a way to create Philosopher's Stones for themselves. He had planned for that scenario. He hoped to wear out their stones. He knew it wouldn't be a problem; that it'd be easy to trap Russell but Kimbley... he underestimated the man... or rather, the homunculus. But he didn't know who was hosting which homunculus before he came to Razkuul. Kimbley and Envy together was going to be a hard combination to beat. Kimbley had more reason to want revenge over Russell's pitiful excuse. Kimbley was dangerous. The Crimson Alchemist liked destruction and wouldn't care who got in the way - or hurt - in order to get to kill the person that imprisoned him. He would also be even more unstable then he already was before he was trapped within the Gate. Twenty years was a long time.
Envy would be pissed off too for being trapped for so long; the years of starting civil wars within Amestris to form the transmutation circle that never got activated and an immortal army that never saw the light of day... Envy wasn't one to let these failures pass. It would be a sore spot with the homunculus. Having Kimbley and Envy together was a dangerous mix.
Edward knew he couldn't give up. He had to keep going. He pushed himself on though he was tired from using the flame alchemy. He'd seen it done plenty of times. Mustang didn't get to use his favorite trick much and liked to show off when he could; which was usually when Edward needed a light when they managed to escape for fresh air during some formal state function. He knew the theory behind it - more so once he had Mustang's spare gloves and was able to study the circle up close - but had never tried it before. He hadn't realized how much energy it took to control the intensity of the flame. He wasn't too worried about that when he first came up with the plan. He remembered Al's account of Mustang destroying the homunculus Lust and had hoped for similar results; to weaken Russell enough to get him to reveal where they were holding Elysia and Richard. To find that out he would have to keep up with the two homunculi now.
He broke through Russell's barrier easily. He was lucky he had weakened the homunculus enough that he was unable to produce much to block him. The tunnel was dimly lit by small lanterns hung at intervals on support beams. He knew he was walking into a trap but he did so with that knowledge. He had been prepared for it. If it would somehow lead him to Elysia and Richard so be it. He'd managed to get out of sticky situations before and he could do it again.
Though one thing did worry him; if this tunnel came out into Drachma… he'd have to do some quick thinking if he came face to face with Drachman troops. But when Russell's shadowy form disappeared around a bend he tossed the thought aside to worry about later.
Several yards down the tunnel, not far from the bend, he felt the ground begin to shake. He knew he was close; he could hear panting and Russell's feet scraping along the ground. A little earth shaking wasn't going to stop him when he was so close. But it got worse and the sound of falling rock echoed down towards him. He knew he shouldn't go any further but he couldn't leave Elysia and Richard to the mercy of two homunculi any longer. Dirt and rock began to shower on him but he still kept going, stumbling along the way, until larger bits of earth began to fall around him, forcing him to stop. He clapped his hands and tried to shore up the tunnel but a rock came loose hitting him on the arm hard before he could use alchemy. He barely managed to provide some protection as the tunnel caved in around him and everything went black.
Al had seen his brother fight before but not with the fury and almost mindless, recklessness with no regard to his own safety or with such an intent to kill. He didn't know why it scared him. It shouldn't have been a shock - considering Edward was fighting two homunculi - but it was. He was so very different since the war. Al knew it had changed Edward but something about it - even after all these years - really struck him to the core that no matter how close they were there was still so much he didn't know about his brother and now, there was Edward charging after Kimbley... if he didn't hurry he'd never have the chance to understand. If he didn't stop Edward, there was also the very real possibility he would no longer have a brother.
He had to stop Edward. The way he was rushing off wasn't going to help Elysia and Richard either. Why doesn't he get it? Al thought angrily as he ran along. Why does he keep doing this to me? Running off like he's the only one who can fix this!
"Is he on those pills you were talking about?" Al asked as he entered the remains of the collapsed building they saw Edward run into as he chased Kimbley and stopped.
"No," Lin and Havoc answered together, both sounding relieved, as they skidded to a stop before running into Al.
"He doesn't react very well to them," Havoc continued. "This is actually normal for him."
Al looked around and didn't see anyone but could clearly hear them; the splintering of wood and loose stone crumbling. He hurried over to the gaping hole in the middle of the building. It made Al think of a giant's mouth, opened, revealing long, dagger like teeth, waiting to devour whoever got too close. He looked down and saw Edward disappear through a tunnel entrance several levels below them; swallowed up by the giant.
"Shit," Havoc breathed, panting slightly after the mad dash to catch up with Edward. "I know he's fast but how did he get down there without killing himself. It doesn't even look like he used alchemy."
"He didn't," Al said tiredly. "He probably jumped down without thinking. There's no choice but to follow after him."
"I'm too old to be monkeying around through a jungle gym of death," Havoc said looking at Al like he was crazy. His body hadn't slowed too much over the years but going after Edward through a twisted, condemned building was more than he could handle.
Al gave him a teasing smile. "Do you really think I'd make you climb?"
"Lately you've been acting a lot like Ed so yes, I did, in fact."
"Humph," Al grunted as he put his hands together. "I'd hope that I was being a little more level headed than that idiot..."
A rumble shook the ground and they grabbed onto something to keep from falling over. A cloud of dust spewed from the tunnel entrance Edward had gone down.
"Hurry," Al said urgently as he restructured the beams of wood and bent steel and iron building materials into a sturdy flight of stairs. He was already halfway down before his transmutation was finished. They quickly descended down to the lower level into a cloud of choking dirt. Covering their mouths and noses with their arms didn't help much to keep from breathing in the fouled air.
Al was the first to step into the tunnel. He wasn't afraid of it collapsing on him but of what he would see. But he didn't have to worry about that. It was too dark to see anything. "Jean, do you have a light?"
Havoc reached into his pocket, pulled out his lighter and handed it to Al who ignited it. The dust was taking its time to settle and the light didn't help much. It was too quiet once the ground stopped shaking and settled down; the only sound came from Al's shoes crunching over the ground as he stepped carefully into the tunnel. Then through the dust and dim light he saw his way was blocked and his heart nearly burst through his chest.
"Edward!" He sobbed running towards the wall of fallen rock and wood support beams. "Edward!" He called out again, straining to hear an answer, hoping his brother wasn't too far under the mass of earth.
"Take this," he said handing the lighter to Lin and clapped his hands together. He would have to move a little at a time. He had no idea where Edward was and didn't want to crush his brother as he repaired the tunnel, moving rock back into place. But he had to move quickly. Edward would be trapped with little air for him to breathe if he had survived. It wouldn't take long for him to suffocate.
Fear for his brother drove him into a frenzied impatience as he pushed himself to hurry. But it was slow going and the more time that passed without any sign of Edward he grew frustrated, angry and even more fearful.
"Al," Havoc said, his quavering voice reflecting Al's hurried panic motions. "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Just keep the light pointed this way and stay out of my way," Al grunted trying to keep his voice steady.