(AC: Road – FMA OST 1)
The train from Central to Ishval had made several stops through the trip so it was early in the morning by the time it crossed over into Ishval territory. Al, Maria, Denny, and Lan Fan were seated in one of the coaches, in a private compartment. Al had woken up early and availed himself to the restroom, taking the opportunity to change clothes. As he returned to the compartment, he had to step aside to allow a pair of soldiers to pass by. As he entered the compartment, he saw Denny was still asleep while Maria was looking out the window, watching the rolling sand dunes past the window. Lan Fan was inspecting her automail arm, peeking under the metal plating. She was the first to notice Alphonse's return and noticed something peculiar about his clothes.
"Alphonse, are those-…" she said as Al nodded with a smile. He had swapped out his work shirt, brown vest and trousers for a set of black clothes exactly like the ones Edward used to wear during their travels. The shoes on his feet were even the same only they weren't elevator shoes. The metal guards on his arms were visible due to the short sleeves and he wore white gloves on his hands. (A/N: Al's Conqueror of Shamballa appearance only taller and older). The only thing missing from the ensemble was Ed's red coat.
"Edward's? Yeah. I figured if I'm going to be the Fullmetal Alchemist, I might as well look like him." Al said as Maria looked at him curiously. Al proceeded to grab his suitcase from on the luggage rack overhead, opening it up and pulling out a tattered and torn set of brown trousers.
"What happened to those?" Maria asked.
"Xingese assassin. My travels have not been good on my clothes lately." Al said with an innocent grin as he examined one of the legs on the trousers, finding a long dangling strip near the end of the leg from where it had been torn by the kunai. Al proceeded to tear it off, putting the pants back in the suitcase and closing it before using the strip to tie his hair back into a ponytail similar to Ed's.
"How do I look?" Al asked as Maria and Lan Fan looked towards him. (End AC)
"You…look like Ed." Maria replied Al smiled.
"Good. That's exactly what I needed to hear." Al said as they felt the train beginning to slow down.
"Hey! Look!" Denny exclaimed, pointing out the window. They looked out the window and, what they saw, made their eyes widen. (AC: Far East Suite – FMA:B OST 1) Before them was a veritable city being built before their eyes. In only two years, much of Ishval had been rebuilt and what hadn't been was in the process of being built or the preparations for reconstruction were being made. The land outside the city was all lush farmland despite the harsh desert area around it.
"Whoa, look at that!" Maria said in awe, pointing to something. Al looked and saw what she did. There was a group of Amestris soldiers and Ishvalan militia men training together in combat exercises. There were also Amestrian and Ishvalan people working together to restore the city. There was no animosity being displayed towards one another and the people appeared to be cooperating nicely with one another.
"I never served in the Ishval war but my father did. He brought home horror stories of what happened to the people of Ishval, describing the place as dead. He'd be so pleased to see Ishval so full of life again." Maria said as Al nodded in agreement. By now Denny had awoken and was watching out the window with them.
"Yeah. I've never been to Ishval before now though." Al said the train came to a stop at the station. They began to disembark the train, Alphonse walking in front of them. As they exited the station, Al noticed something peculiar. A train station, separate from the main station, sat nearby but it's rails ran due East, disappearing into the distance, not curving in the slightest. There was a huge coal bunker and a large water tower built next to it with a small switcher engine sitting in a siding. He also noticed an alarming number of Amestrian soldiers along with numerous Ishvalan militia men.
"Why's there another station there?" Al asked curiously.
"It's the Amestrian side of the cross-desert railway between Amestris and Xing. The first train from Xing will be arriving this week." Lan Fan explained.
"A cross-desert railway? Wish I had that when I traveled to and from Xing two years ago." Maria said, sweat dropping at the memory.
"The railroad lines have been under construction for two years. It uses the ancient ruins of Xerxes as a halfway point between Amestris and Xing to refuel and resupply for the final leg of the journey." Lan Fan continued, earning a curious look from Al.
"How do you know all that?" Al asked as Lan Fan looked towards him.
"I've been present when the Emperor discusses it. As his bodyguard, I hear things few are permitted to hear." Lan Fan replied as Al nodded understandingly.
"Oh. Well come on, we need to find Dr. Marcoh." Al said, turning to leave when suddenly they saw a squad of Amestrian soldiers come running towards them. (End AC)
"You there, Fullmetal!" one of the soldiers ordered as the squad came to a stop.
"Yes?" Al asked, confused.
"Come with us, sir. We're under orders to escort you to the base for questioning. The Colonel wants to see you." The soldier reported.
"Lead the way." Al said as he and his escorts fell in among the Amestrian soldiers as they led them away. A few minutes later, Al and company reached the military base just on the edge of the city. They were immediately led inside the command center, soldiers and Ishval militiamen saluting Alphonse as they passed. Finally they reached an office and paused.
"The Colonel has expressed his desire to speak with the Fullmetal Alchemist alone." The lead soldier stated, looking to Al before opening the door to the office. Al swallowed nervously and gave a nod before walking into the office, the door behind him being closed. He saw a lone individual standing in a corner of the office, peering through a window that overlooked the training grounds, his hands behind his back.
"So, we meet again Alphonse Elric." The figure said as he turned to face Al. Al recognized him immediately.
"Major Miles?" Al asked, the Ishvalan soldier from Briggs giving a nod.
"It's Colonel now. I've been put in charge of the Ishval Garrison. Sit down, Alphonse." Miles instructed as Al sat down in the chair.
"It's not often we get a State Alchemist in Ishval. What is your purpose here?" Miles asked, sitting down at his desk, removing his sunglasses and allowing his red Ishvalan eyes to be seen.
"I'm here on a mission from Brigadier General Mustang. I'm trying to find information on a former State Alchemist named Dr. Victor Garand, the Living Hand Alchemist. He's supposed to be a former associate of Dr. Marcoh's. Can you tell me were Dr. Marcoh is, Colonel?" Al asked as Miles glared at him.
"He works at a hospital here in town. Does this Dr. Garand have anything to do with the Red Kingdom?" Miles asked.
"He was their prisoner for a long time but managed to escape." Al replied. Miles remained silent for a moment, the sound of soldiers marching by to a cadence coming into the room through the windows.
"Um…Colonel…have I done something wrong?" Al asked, Miles standing up and walking to look out the window into the training area.
"That's for me to determine, Alphonse. I was assigned to this post personally by Major General Armstrong. Her exact orders were to protect Ishval from any and all threats, both foreign and domestic. She didn't explicitly say it but she includes Amestris itself as a potential threat to Ishval." Miles said, putting his hands behind his back. Al was quietly alarmed by this.
"Amestris?" Al asked.
"It's not so hard to believe. It happened before during the Ishval War of Extermination. The old regime is gone now but we won't let our guard down. I may not be at Briggs anymore but I still live and die by its first rule: Only the strongest survive. Every man here is willing to fight and die in the protection of Ishval, even if it means being branded a traitor to Amestris to do so." Miles explained. Al seemed to contemplate his words for a moment before rising to his feet.
"I understand, Colonel. I really need to continue my mission." Al said.
"Accommodations have been made for you here in the barracks. You're dismissed, Alphonse." Miles said as Al saluted before turning to leave. Al walked out of the office and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Everything go alright in there?" Maria asked as Al nodded.
"Yeah. He just wanted to know why I was here." Al replied as they exited the building.
"The men here seem suspicious of us." Denny said nervously.
"Colonel Miles explained to me that the soldiers here are willing to fight anyone to protect Ishval, including if it means fighting against Amestris." Al replied as Maria looked at the men and women executing combat drills in the base.
"I can't say as I blame them. As someone who's fought against their own country before, I understand the feeling. You'll do anything to protect your home from those who would seek to destroy it, even if it means being branded a traitor in the process." Maria said as they exited the base.
"Come on. We need to find the hospital. The Colonel said that's where Dr. Marcoh is." Al said as they started to walk towards a large structure with a red cross on the side, indicating the hospital. As they walked, they didn't notice that they were being watched from nearby. Lan Fan however suspected it and glanced over her shoulder. She relaxed slightly when she saw who it was watching them. Standing at a market stall nearby was a tall Ishvalan man with a pair of sunglasses on and a scar on his face in the shape of an X.
"That Ishvalan man from two years ago is watching us." Lan Fan said as Al looked over his shoulder and saw Scar watching them from a distance.
"Scar." Al said softly before Scar pulled a hood up over his head and disappeared into the crowd.
"The Ishvalan serial killer? The one who killed all the State Alchemists two years ago? He's here?" Denny asked, nervously.
"Yes but he's not a danger to us. He's a friend now if anything." Lan Fan replied.
"It's true. Scar and the Ishvalans helped save Amestris from the Homunculi two years ago. If it wasn't for him, we didn't stand a chance of stopping them." Al explained.
"But why is he walking away from us?" Maria asked.
"He's probably just shy." Al replied as they pressed on towards the hospital, walking in the front doors. The Hospital was different than one would expect. It featured arched ceilings, beautiful mosaic imagery, and small busts and statuettes of prominent Ishvalan figures.
"This is a hospital?" Denny asked.
"Feels more like a temple to me." Maria commented.
"In a sense, it is both." An Ishvalan man said as he approached. He was bald with only a white handlebar moustache. It was Scar's Mentor.
"Both?" Alphonse asked, confused.
"Your Amestrian doctors heal the wounds of the flesh while Ishvala heals the wounds of the soul. You are Alphonse Elric, younger brother of Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist." The Mentor said as Al blinked in surprise and nodded.
"Y-Yes. How did you know?" Al asked.
"A friend told me about you. It is rare that a State Alchemist comes here with escorts from Amestris and our neighbors to the East. I recognized you from my friend's description, although that was a long time ago. Tell me, what has become of the man named Van Hohenheim?" The Mentor asked as Al's eyes widened.
"Dad? He…He passed away two years ago. You knew my dad?" Al asked, the Mentor nodding.
"Yes and no. Your father helped us understand what was happening in Amestris. During that time he took a moment to reflect on his life and family. He said a lot about you and your brother, including how proud he was of you both." The Mentor said as Al smiled sadly.
"I never really got a chance to know him. Thank you." Al said as the Mentor gave a nod.
"Do not thank me, Alphonse Elric. Now, you are here to see the Doctor. Come this way." The Mentor said as he led them into a room where an Ishvalan couple sat anxiously waiting for something.
"How are things here in Ishval since the reconstructed started, sir?" Al asked as the Mentor smiled towards him.
"The children of Ishvala and our Amestrian neighbors have finally been united. Seldom are we viewed with prejudice now and we no longer see differing skin tones or eye colors. We see people. We see life. We have also have developed a greater tolerance for your alchemy. We are still wary of State Alchemists like yourselves given the death and destruction they wrought years ago, but we have come to realize that alchemy is a gift from Ishvala. Some of your alchemists have even come to embrace our way of life, shying away from using alchemy as a solution to problems in favor of doing things by the strength of their hands and the sweat of their brows." The Mentor said as a door opposite them opened, allowing a familiar, facially deformed, man in a lab coat to enter. It was Dr. Marcoh.
"Doctor!" the Ishvalan man said as he and his wife rose to their feet.
"I have the results right here. The tests came back positive. Congratulations to you both." Dr. Marcoh said with a smile as the Ishvalan woman's eyes sparkled with joy. She and her husband immediately embraced in a hug of joy. Al and the others immediately deduced what had happened and were smiling with joy at the sight.
"Thank you, doctor. Praise to Ishvala!" the husband said tearfully.
"I'm just the messenger. Now go on you two, you have a lot of preparations to make." Marcoh said as the two nodded and hurried for the door, looking to the Mentor and bowing to him respectfully.
"Yes, we do." The husband said as the Mentor bowed back and showed them out, Al and the others watching them leave. They then heard Marcoh chuckling in amusement.
"It's good to deliver that kind of news. I'd pay almost any price if I could see such unbridled joy on people's faces every day." Marcoh said as he approached the group.
"Alphonse, it's good to see you again." Dr. Marcoh greeted, extending a hand which Alphonse shook.
"It's good to see you again too Dr. Marcoh." Alphonse replied.
"You seem to be in good shape. You appear to be eating well. Getting plenty of exercise?" Marcoh asked as Al blinked slightly in confusion.
"Um yes but I'm not here for an examination, Doctor." Al replied as Marcoh gave an understanding nod.
"Well I was the physician that helped you with the physical therapy after you regained your body two years ago. It's only natural for me to be concerned. Now then, what can I help you with? I see you have a State Alchemist's watch." Marcoh said as he led Alphonse to his private office.
"We'll remain out here if you need us Alphonse." Maria said as Alphonse gave a nod, Maria and Denny standing guard at the door while Lan Fan sat down on the bench nearby. Inside the office, Al sat down in front of Marcoh's desk while Marcoh closed the door behind them.
"To answer your question, Dr. Marcoh, yes. I am a State Alchemist now. I took up my brother's title as the Fullmetal Alchemist." Alphonse explained as Marcoh sat down at his desk.
"You're Fullmetal now? That's strange. Did something happen to Edward to make him lose his title or did they revoke it due to his having given up Alchemy?" Marcoh asked as Al nodded.
"Yes sir. I took up the title to try and protect brother. See, he's being hunted by the Red Kingdom." Al said as Marcoh's face turned grim.
"Mmm, I'd heard of them. Nasty bunch. You say they're after Edward?" Marcoh asked.
"Yes sir. But we don't know why. It's part of the reason I'm here. I'm trying to find some information on a different person that the Red Kingdom is trying to find." Al explained as Marcoh grimaced in thought.
"You do realize what the Red Kingdom is, right Alphonse?" Marcoh asked but Al paused.
"I thought they were a terrorist group." Al said as Marcoh gave a nod.
"They are, but I was referring to their name. The Red Kingdom. It's another name for the Philosopher's Stone." Marcoh said as Al froze, a disconcerted expression on his face. (AC: Sorrowful Stone – FMA:B OST 3)
"The Philosopher's Stone?" Al asked as Marcoh nodded.
"A veritable kingdom in the form of a red stone. It dates back to the earliest legends of the Philosopher's Stone. Legends which said it took a whole kingdom to create the first stones." Marcoh said as Al realized the legends' meaning. He thought back to his father, Hohenheim's, explanation of how he became a human Philosopher's Stone when the entire nation of Xerxes was transmuted into two stones: Hohenheim and Father. The kingdom had been transmuted into a red stone: a Red Kingdom.
"Do you think they're trying to create another Philosopher's Stone?" Al asked as Marcoh pondered.
"It's possible. They would need someone to show them how first. But aside from you, your brother, and maybe a handful of Alchemists, I don't know anyone who does." Marcoh said as Al grimaced.
"I think they might know already. A few days ago, a man showed up at our home in Resembool. He claimed to be a former associate of yours from Laboratory Five: Doctor Victor Garand." Al said as Marcoh's face flashed with shock and disbelief.
"Garand? He's alive?! But…I thought that he had been transmuted into a stone himself!" Marcoh exclaimed, leaning forward in his chair.
"That's what he said about you. He thought you were transmuted too. According to him, he had been held captive by the Red Kingdom for years." Al replied as Marcoh sat back in stunned shock.
"Garand…we worked together to create the Philosopher's Stones for the military during the Ishval war. There were three of us. Myself, Garand, and Morser. Hmm. I guess if he's still alive, Morser might be too." Marcoh contemplated, Al arching a curious eyebrow.
"Morser? Who's he?" Al asked as Marcoh sighed heavily.
"Dr. Elizabeth Morser. The Fire Bloom Alchemist. She was a promising bio-alchemist. She and Garand grew up together in the western part of the country and both studied alchemy. I met her and Garand once shortly after becoming a State Alchemist, this was back when I was just a young man, fresh out of college. From what I understand, she and Garand were married for a brief time but…something happened that led to a divorce between them. I don't know what. When I saw them again at Laboratory Five, the two happy young people I had met long ago were gone. Replaced by two despondent and angry alchemists. Garand was the despondent one while Morser was the angry one. I'd overhear some of their conversations, talking about bringing someone back from somewhere but Garand wouldn't hear of it. Worse, Morser kept begging the Homunculi to let them keep one of the Philosopher's Stones but was repeatedly denied." Marcoh explained as Al gulped nervously.
"They knew about the Homunculi?" Al asked as Marcoh nodded.
"We all did." Marcoh replied.
"Do you have any idea why they wanted to keep one of the stones?" Al asked. Marcoh cupped his chin in thought.
"Not exactly but I think they were contemplating a human transmutation." Marcoh said as Al shivered.
"Do you know who they were trying to bring back to life?" Al asked but Marcoh shook his head.
"No. I don't." Marcoh replied.
"Okay. What else can you tell me about Dr. Garand? I know he successfully transmuted a human hand with the intention of developing a biological alternative to automail." Al asked.
"That was his greatest achievement, yes. He transmuted the hand and the doctors successfully attached it to the arm of a young boy who had lost his hand in an accident. Unfortunately the boy's body rejected the limb and they had to amputate it. It still got Garand his State Alchemist's Certification though. Now that I think about it, Garand once told me he believed he had solved the problem of bringing someone back to life: How to perform a successful human transmutation. He said you had to build the body first, transmute the soul second." Marcoh said as Al thought of something.
"Kind of like how brother attached my soul to my armor, right?" Al asked as Marcoh nodded.
"Very similar, yes." Marcoh said as Al pondered.
"Maybe that's the secret that Garand was trying to keep from the Red Kingdom. He said there was a secret he needed to keep from them. He wanted Ed and I to transmute him into a Philosopher's Stone as a means of silencing him and keeping the secret from the Red Kingdom." Al said as Marcoh seemed startled by the information.
"Transmute himself into a Philosopher's Stone? Hmm. I know from our experiments in Laboratory Five that a single soul can create a stone but it would be extremely weak. It wouldn't do anyone much good. It would last for maybe one transmutation with a high likelihood of a rebound if not used carefully. Even Garand knew that." Marcoh said as Al sat leaned against the back of his chair. (End AC)
"If he knew that, then why would he want to be transmuted into a stone?" Al asked. Marcoh shrugged helplessly.
"I'm not sure. Perhaps he-…wait, what's that sound?" Marcoh asked as they fell silent. That's when they heard it, gunshots coming from within the city.
"Is that coming from the military base?" Al asked but Marcoh leapt to his feet.
"No, that's coming from in town!" Marcoh exclaimed as the door to the office flew open, Maria and Denny both with their pistols drawn. (AC: Knives and Shadows – FMA:B OST 3)
"Alphonse! The city's under attack!" Maria exclaimed as Al raced out the door, his escorts close behind. They raced out of the hospital and into the streets where they saw a pack of chimeras with the red bandanas of the Red Kingdom charging through town, attacking the citizenry while the Amestrian soldiers and Ishvalan militiamen fought against them.
"Come on! We need to help them!" Al exclaimed, clapping his hands together and transmuting the arm blade before charging into battle. One of the chimeras leapt at him but was impaled on the end of the arm blade before being thrown away. Al then turned and clapped his hands together, slamming them into the ground and transmuting a number of rectangular stone blocks over the entrances to some of the structures, keeping the citizens seeking refuge safe inside. Behind him, Denny and Maria fired at the chimeras with their pistols while Lan Fan scrambled to protect the civilians, cutting down the chimeras with ease. Al had just dispatched two more chimeras when he saw one charging towards him only to get gunned down in a hail of bullets. Al turned and what he saw made his eyes widen. Rolling down the middle of the street was a Briggs Tank with Colonel Miles in the machine gunner's seat on top, the gun's controls in hand.
"Get a move on, Fullmetal! They're coming from the west!" Miles yelled as Al gave a nod and hurried down the street, heading towards the train station which was on the west side of town. As he approached the station, the ground beneath him began to shake violently, causing him to stumble and fall forward onto the ground. He suddenly felt the ground start to buckle and rise into the air, carrying him up with it. Al quickly transmuted the earth beneath him into a simple earthen slope, allowing him to slide down the side of it on his feet. As he slid down, a sudden burst of spiky rocks erupted from the ground at the bottom. Al quickly leapt up and over the spikes, narrowly missing them. As he climbed to his feet, the earth buckled beneath him again, trapping his right leg in the ground.
"Try and move from that, boy!" a gruff man's voice yelled from nearby. Al looked around and saw a large man with a bushy brown beard, bald head with brown hair lining the edges of the crown, a muscular frame, a white work shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of brown trousers with the legs rolled up to just below his knees, and a pair of boots with metal plates along the tops and soles. Tattooed on the man's calves were a series of alchemical symbols. Around his ankles were tied a pair of Red Kingdom bandanas. Al glared at him while the man scowled at him.
"Tsh. So you're the great Fullmetal Alchemist, legend of the people, the savior of Amestris! You don't look all that special!" the man huffed as Al continued to glare at him.
"You there, freeze!" a voice said from nearby. The man turned to glare at a pair of Amestrian soldiers who held rifles pointed at him. The man's glare merely intensified before raising his right foot and stomping down on the ground, causing a pair of massive stone spikes to burst from the ground and impale the two soldiers through the chests. Al's eyes widened in horror and anger.
"Who are you?! What do you want with me?!" Al asked angrily, earning the man's attention.
"I'm just here to retrieve you boy. The Immortal Alchemist has need of a secret that you possess. We need you alive so come peacefully." The man said but Al snarled at him.
"No way! You're not getting any secrets from me!" Al argued as the man sighed in frustration.
"So be it." He said as he raised his left foot, allowing Al to see a transmutation circle engraved on the sole of it before stomping back down, causing a rectangular shaft of rock to burst up from the ground near Al, headed straight for his face. (End AC) Without warning, the shaft suddenly shattered into tiny pieces, leaving Al unscathed.
"WHAT?!" the man yelped in disbelief. Al stood wide eyed at the sight of a heavily tattooed hand and arm mere inches from his face. (AC: Clash of the Alchemists – FMA:B OST 1) He looked to see Scar standing next to him, having shattered the shaft with his destruction alchemy, glaring angrily at the Red Kingdom Alchemist.
"An Ishvalan using alchemy? Ah you're the infamous Ishvalan serial killer!" the Red Kingdom Alchemist snarled.
"You are Horatio Sherman, the Quake Alchemist. You were among the State Alchemists to fight in the Ishval War." Scar said as the man scowled.
"How perceptive of you to remember. I don't pretend to have enjoyed what I did to your people so don't get any ideas that I went along with the State's orders out of personal pleasure! So, are you going to murder me too like you did to the other veteran State Alchemists from Ishval?" Sherman asked.
"You're attacking my home, my people, my friends. I am not going to kill you for what you did years ago, but I will kill you for what you're doing NOW!" Scar yelled before charging towards Sherman who quickly stomped the ground, sending pillars of rock up around Scar in attempt to throw him off balance but to no avail. Scar merely juked and weaved past the pillars, smashing the ones he couldn't go around with his destruction alchemy as he drew closer to the Quake Alchemist. Sherman snarled and jumped before slamming his feet into the ground, causing a pillar of rock to rise up from beneath him, putting more distance between him and Scar. He wasn't expecting to hear a sudden explosion from below before a massive cannonball smashed into and through the side of his pillar, shattering it. He quickly righted himself in midair and landed feet first, transmuting the ground beneath him into sand upon impact to soften his landing. He looked around for the source of the cannonball and saw Alphonse mounted atop a massive cannon transmuted from the ground beneath him. Al climbed to his feet just as Sherman stomped his left foot, causing the earthen cannon to explode, sending Al into the air. Al however was ready for him and clapped his hands together, landing in a tuck and roll on the ground before slamming his hands onto the ground once he stopped rolling, transmuting a spear from the ground in both hands, startling Sherman.
"No transmutation circle." He said to himself in stunned amazement. He didn't have a chance to marvel more as Al hurled the spear like a javelin. The spear would've hit him had a large reptilian chimera caught it in midair in its teeth. Al froze at the sight of the chimera. It had the head of a chameleon but with the teeth and body of a tiger, the body a scaly feline-like shape. The chimera growled at Alphonse before snapping the spear in two in its jaws before charging at Al who quickly ducked down onto one knee before leaping into the air, bounding over the chimera to run towards Sherman but the chimera had spun around and was chasing after him, gaining ground. Before it could reach him though, it was tackled to the ground by Scar who killed it by imploding its brain with destruction alchemy. As Scar rose to his feet, he was suddenly attacked by an ocelot/owl chimera that delivered a fast swipe of its claws against Scar's arm, damaging the alchemical tattoo on his right arm. Al heard Scar cry out in pain and turned to try and help when the ground beneath him buckled, trapping his feet and causing him to fall forward but when his hands hit the ground, the earth beneath his hands buckled as well, his hands and feet now trapped within the ground, leaving Al at the mercy of the Quake Alchemist. (End AC) Al struggled to get free but to no avail as the Quake Alchemist approached him from behind.
"That's quite enough out of you for today, Fullmetal. It's time to come with us. Time for you to share the secrets you hold with the Red Kingdom. Time for you to-." "HEY, HAIRBALL!" a voice yelled from nearby, a voice that Al recognized. Sherman turned just in time for a large armored fist to fly in and deliver a powerful punch to his face, sending him flying some distance away before landing and tumbling along the ground a little before coming to a stop in the sand. Al blinked at the sight of Sherman's landing but was stunned even more at the sight of what had done it: a towering suit of familiar metal armor, his armor. (AC: Amestris Military March – FMA:B OST 3)
"I want you to get one thing through that thick skull of yours, fur brains! Don't you ever touch my little brother again, or else you'll have to answer to me! YOU GOT THAT?!" the armor yelled with Edward's voice resonating from within, pointing at the stunned Sherman. Al could only watch in stunned amazement, not noticing a wolf chimera come charging towards him but the armor noticed the chimera and bounded over Al before driving a fist into the top of its head, plowing it into the ground and collapsing its skull. A pack of chimera started charging towards the armor but the armor dropped into a fighting stance. In the end the armor didn't have to do anything as the chimeras were gunned down by a squad of Amestrian and Ishvalan soldiers, Ross and Bloch among them, with Colonel Miles in his tank behind them. The chimera attacking Scar was also killed by a thrown stiletto blade to the back of the head. Scar stumbled to the ground on one knee to recover his strength, bracing himself with his injured arm when he saw five knives land in a circle around his arm and suddenly glow with a blue light, his wounds healing before his eyes and restoring his alchemical tattoo. Sherman snarled at the turn of events and climbed to his feet, glaring at the armor.
"Who are you?!" Sherman spat, now missing a tooth from the punch he had received earlier, his face bruised and swelling. The armor immediately pointed to itself with its thumb as it stood over Alphonse in a defensive posture.
"Who am I?! I'm Edward Elric! The Fullmetal Alchemist!"
End Chapter 8
Horatio Sherman is named after the M4 Sherman Tank.