Chapter Two "Equivalent Exchange"

Edward opened up the doors in front of him; it was not like it was when he had walked through these the first time. He was greeted to Rose's smile and dancing, but now she just spat at him.

"I wonder if Winry would look at me the same way…" Ed could not help but wonder. "If, she'd think I was a Monster too."

Ed never really cared what others thought of him before; he was not well liked but not well hated either, unless they were looking to stand in his way of finding the Philosopher's Stone.

He came across a broken down house, there was a loud crunching noise. "Who's there?"

Ed's head jerked back, he now knew what was the end of Dante.
It was hard for Ed to hold his stomach, she was no longer intact. Her body was torn to pieces and he was left to look at her remains.

Stepping forward, he felt a strong unease. The city started to shake at his feet like hell was swallowing it up, Ed was about to look around but he felt a weird crick in his shoulder.

"This whole place is going to cave in, what the hell have they been doing down here?" Ed laid his hand against the side of a metal post so he wouldn't fall over do to the earth's movement, but his hand felt… weird.

His right arm had completely blended into metal, taking on the structural properties of the post he'd touched. After he pulled it back, it formed into a sharp object like a knife, similar to that he would make his Automail into.

"Ok, that's a new one." Ed's eyes were big.

Even with the whole place rattling it did not take away his concentration. He tried touching other objects, brick walls, iron lampposts, the ground and an old tree, only the post would work.

As soon as he came to this realization, he could not help but laugh at the irony. "Somebody up there is laughing his head off right about now. I have my arm back, but it still ends up metal."

Even stranger was the second he thought of the material metal, his arm would change form as well, touch too. He looked to be getting irritated.

"Al, I'll have a lot to tell you when I bring you back." He grinned defiantly, knowing full well he was going against the very principles he had lead himself to believe. "I'm bringing you back and am accepting of the consequences."

After a few moments he began to wonder why he was questioning himself at all, all that greeted him was the sound of rubble falling from the surface and landing at his feet.
His arm felt heavy but he did not notice it, he had built up the muscles in his arm from his Automail.

He walked swiftly, but his hair was moving in his face. His braid had been undone since he had awakened. His attire was much different as well, his pants were short and his shirt was close to his chest so that his abs were showing. His eyes too… Ed could not see himself but the white reflection that shown was missing; it looked more like that of a doll's eyes than anything human.

He would not admit it, but he felt different. There was a deep hole in the middle of his heart that sucked in everything; his senses were heightened so everything was in motion, his steps were impacting the ground he walked on.

He came to the stairs he had come from, the way out only a story upwards. The houses were all still intact, though the constant rumbling was bringing the floor to its end.

Ed smiled; there was a light at the top of the tunnel. This was the first glad sight he had seen. With no hesitation he ran up the stairs, only to be interrupted.

Gluttony, the Homunculus that had butchered Dante was starring him in the face. Surprisingly, Ed did not seem alarmed in any way, he didn't even move.

"Why don't I feel anything?" Ed wondered. Fear was not reaching him; in fact Gluttony did not faze him at all. Still he moved into a pose ready for a fight.

Gluttony had become nothing more than a monster lusting for indulgence. He had started to shape into something else entirely, like he had grown two extra arms. He was slobbering all over the steps, having smashed through the side of the wall. Ed looked irritated when his saliva had touched his arm.

"Hey! I just got this arm back." Ed frowned, itching for a fight but he was unarmed.

Ed reared back as the creature dove in for the kill, his teeth barely missing Ed by the ends of his hair. Ed was more nimble he noticed, able to flip out of the way with ease. He was in the moment, dodging like it was second nature. He started to make his way up the stairs, half way there. Still, Gluttony perused him. The earth started to shake yet again, making it easier for Ed.

"Finally, a break." Ed snickered, dodging a chunk of the wall that had come undone. Gluttony however, was now using a different method. To Ed's horror, Gluttony had slipped by on the opposite side of him, having Ed himself about to run into his trap. Ed did not have time to stop; he was still not used to having two legs. All he could do was press his hands together in vain, his alchemy still did not work.

In a split second, in the simple blink of Ed's eyes came his unusual rescuer. With his missing arm and leg, bloodied and lacking of stones, Wrath had thrown his body against Gluttony's side.

Ed slid to a stop on one of the steps as the stars began to fall apart from the impact. The walls had been smashed on both sides from Wrath and Gluttony's abrupt entrances. But now the Homunculi were falling to the ground, several stories down.

Wrath called out to Edward. "BRING MOMMY BACK! PLEASE!"

The boy-like Homunculus pressed his eyes together, about to shed tears if Homunculi had any. His hair flew back as he pressed his arm into Gluttony's throat angrily. "I won't let you kill him! He needs to give her back!"

Ed looked at the path in front of him, the way out. But, he could not continue.

He sighed, frustrated. "Equivalent Exchange." With that, he ran down to save Wrath, he was indebted to him now.
End chapter