A big thank you to everyone for getting this story to it's twentieth chapter! Whoo!

Chapter Twenty: The Seventh

Shinobu's heartbeat pounded in his ears as he and Miyagi slowly made their way down the halls of the main base. Unlike Alpha and Digamma, they had found entrance through the sewers and service areas of the building, much like the plan for their last attack.

But unlike that plan, they did not have Beta's strength or Delta's firepower or Digamma's time stopping to protect them. They couldn't even run because of Miyagi's blindness, and Shinobu's entire body trembled as he led his partner through the maze of corridors.

"Turn left here," Miyagi said. Shinobu complied, grateful that at least they had Miyagi's radar and the likelihood of them running into soldiers was slim.

As they neared Korovin's lab, Shinobu's grip on Miyagi's hand tightened and he had to stop his teeth from chattering as images began to flash before his eyes. Images of the torture he had suffered at the hands of that madman, of blood, carnage, and heart stopping fear. Of a scalpel running down the center of his chest, drawing such dark crimson from his insides. Of Korovin's hands and body violating him, making him writhe in unimaginable pain and agony.

It became too much for him, and Shinobu came to a halt, his face drained of all emotion but fear.

"Bu-chin?" Miyagi said as he felt the boy stop. "What the matter?"

"I—I can't do it Miyagi," Shinobu shivered. "He'll find us…He'll find me!"

"No he won't," Miyagi said firmly, urging the blond forward. "From what my vision told me, he's not even here. He's seeing to the damage at the second base. Now come on, we're close."

But when the boy wouldn't budge, Miyagi felt around and set his hand on Shinobu's head.

"Bu, do you trust me?"

"Of course," Shinobu replied, hanging his head in shame.

"Then be brave, and lead me to that evil place so we can destroy all trace of it."

Shinobu swallowed hard and choked out an affirmative grunt, and the two made their way to a set of double doors. Shinobu entered the entrance code on the keypad that Alpha had given him and tentatively slipped inside.

"Good," Miyagi said. "Now we just need to find the—"

SLAM!

Shinobu whirled around as the door closed with a frightening thud.

"Miyagi," he cried. "What's going on?!"

"Ah, so you've come at last," A sickly familiar voice came from the other side of the room.

Shinobu stopped breathing as he took in the most terrifying image he had ever seen: a grinning Korovin emerging from behind a dividing curtain, a scalpel held lightly in his fingers. Even more horrific was the doctor's left eye, which had been replaced with a robotic one that stared unmercifully with a blazing red pupil.

"I've been waiting for you poppet," Korovin cooed. "The chase is over and you are mine again."

"B—But Mi—Miyagi!" Shinobu stuttered. "You said he wasn't here! YOU SAID!"

"Shinobu," Miyagi whispered. "Be strong—"

"YOU LIED TO ME!" He wailed back, holding his head in his hands as his breaths came in sobbing chokes.

"Tsk, tsk," Korovin said, coming towards them. "I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge, but I suppose I can postpone the fun for the sake of research. We still have much to accomplish my sweet little Epsilon—"

But Korovin's words were cut off as Miyagi whipped a small object out of his pocket and threw it in the doctor's direction. Thinking quickly, Korovin managed to duck behind a metal cabinet before the hand grenade went off, but the explosion sent Miyagi sprawling on the floor. As soon as the smoke cleared, Korovin jumped out and looked around, but Shinobu had already turned invisible. The doctor wiped some blood off his cheek and growled impatiently before his eyes landed on the semi-conscious Miyagi. A smile curled at one of the corners of his mouth as he walked over and stamped his boot on the back of Miyagi's head, knocking him out instantly.

Maybe playtime was still in order after all.

Had Misaki already not been on the ground, his knees would have given out at the sight of Takahiro standing before him. He stared in complete disbelief, and slowly crawled forward, reaching a hand out to his brother as if he were an angel.

"Nii-chan," he whispered. "It's you…it's really you."

But the more Akihiko looked, the more he realized…it wasn't. The Takahiro before them wasn't the bright-eyed, smiling friend he had loved. His glasses were gone and the gaze he held was one of a cold statue made of stone. And as Akihiko put the pieces together, his breath quickened and he leaned down to help Misaki to his feet, all the while never taking his eyes from Takahiro and his father.

"Usagi, look," Misaki said, his eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Misaki, I know this is hard to believe…but that's not your brother."

"W—What?" Misaki sputtered, but as he too took in Takahiro's unchanging face, he struggled against Akihiko's arms.

"What did you do to my brother?!" He yelled, hot moisture spilling down his cheeks.

"We merely made a few 'improvements,'" the President commented dryly. "I present to you our newest superhuman: Zeta, the seventh."

"Nii-chan! Talk to me!" Misaki cried. "Tell me you're still in there!"

"He can't hear you Misaki," Akihiko whispered to him. "Look at his eyes. Takahiro's gone, replaced by that—that thing!"

"Oh Akihiko, always with the dramatics," the President said. "But at least now we can put a stop to all this once and for all. Zeta, take them."

Takahiro stepped forward, and Akihiko pushed Misaki behind him protectively, but all three of them started when another voice came from behind the super computer at the far edge of the room.

"I've had just about enough of you, old man," it said coldly. "I think it's about time I showed you who's really in charge."

A figure stepped from out of the shadows and it took all of Akihiko's willpower not to let his mouth dropped.

"H—Haruhiko?" He gasped.

Akihiko's brother glanced at him with a deadly smile before turning back to their father. And without any warning whatsoever, the President dropped to his knees and began screaming. He clutched his head as if it were going to explode, and Akihiko eyes widened as he saw blood streaming out from his father's ears.

Then, with a final cry, the President fell forward onto the ground, dead. And although he held no love for his father, Akihiko's eyes lingered on the corpse before turning back to Haruhiko, who looked rather smug.

"Ah, it's so nice not to have to hear that annoying voice anymore, even if I did control what it said."

"It was you," Akihiko said, clenching his fists. "It was you all along wasn't it?! You were controlling him!"

Haruhiko shrugged.

"The FMA needed a reputable figurehead so I gave them one. The doctor was completely on board of course. But now that I have achieved perfection I no longer need a puppet. He served his purpose. And you have long out lived yours."

Seeing a familiar dark glint in his brother's eyes, Akihiko gritted his teeth and whispered to Misaki.

"Misaki, run. Get out of here now!"

"But—"

"I said now! Run as fast as you can!"

Misaki nodded and burst out of the room with lightning speed, running down the hall. But Haruhiko only scoffed.

"That protective action of yours was futile Akihiko. Zeta is an improvement on Digamma, and he has super speed as well. Go after him. I want that one alive."

Akihiko watched in horror as Takahiro ran after Misaki with the same blinding speed, and he gritted his teeth, feeling helpless.

"Who knows?" Haruhiko smiled. "Maybe I'll have him dragged back here so I can kill them both before you. I'd love to see that look of shear defeat on your face."

"How dare you mess with me!" Akihiko yelled, clenching his fists as he began to charge up his own powers. "And how dare you mess with those I love!"

Heavy objects around the room began to stir and levitate under the pressure of his telekinesis, but this only made Haruhiko angrier.

"Everyone always talked about what a stunning brain you had Akihiko," He sneered, stepping closer. "All throughout our childhood…so why shouldn't I have tested it? Science begged me to…as well as a desire to see you suffer. But you are only Alpha, the clumsy, blind beginning, while I am Omega. Perfection. The end. And I shall be the end of you my dear, stupid little brother."

With that, Haruhiko grabbed a remote from his pocket and pressed it and Akihiko jumped as yellow gas began to spray from the ceilings. The very same gas that had almost killed him at the secondary base. And as he was shrouded in it, Haruhiko smiled.

"Goodbye Akihiko."