Mustang slid back violently as a powerful gust of wind pushed him back with a bright wave of red lightning, the sparks charging the air and making his hair stand on end. The colonel squinted through the red and white haze, trying to make out what exactly was going on.

Alex was in the center of the blaze, a point of light in the suddenly dark in comparison surroundings. He seemed to be violently reacting to the red stone Edward had given to him, his body physically lifting off the ground as energy was released. It appeared as if all of the energy that was contained in the red stone was coming out of Alex in violent bursts, a power that Mustang knew well and had used before…In the Ishvalan rebellion…

So many questions veered through Mustang's head, like why the stones were in the pocket watch and why Alex was reacting to them so violently, but he had no time to consider any of them as each new wave of energy pushed him back further. He could see Edward and Alphonse on the other side of Alex, the latter supporting his older boy as the reaction caused them both to slide back along the street. Armstrong, who had remained behind, moved behind the boys and held them in place. For several more minutes the reaction continued, and Mustang wondered if it would destroy the whole street, when as violently as it began, it ended in a final pulse of energy, knocking them all back on their backs. The wind died down and the sparks faded, and Alex decumbent on the ground once again.

Everyone was stunned at the sudden stillness and Mustang lowered the arms that were covering his face. He took stock of his men. Hawkeye was slowly getting off the ground where she had been thrown, her eyes wide open and staring at Alex, Havoc helping her up. Breda and Furey were stepping out of an alley where they had taken refuge, the older officer with a protective hand holding back the younger who was looking around him curiously. Falman stepped out behind them as well, holding his gun at the ready, his usual serious face slack with shock. Good, it looked like no one else was injured…Mustang snapped his eyes back to the boys when they got over their shock and moved back to Alex's side, Alphonse still supporting Fullmetal.

Al and Ed crouched down beside their brother. Edward looked down at the prone form of the boy, still shaking from the power he had felt from that red stone. That stone was a lot more potent than anything they had come in contact with before. He should have been wondering about why it was in his watch in the first place, but all he had eyes for was his younger brother.

Alex was still not moving. His eyes had closed at some point in the reaction, but Edward felt his chest and was reassured to feel a steady heartbeat. Edward scanned the rest of his body and was at least relieved to see that the injuries had been completely healed, and Alex was breathing slowly. His clothes were still destroyed beyond repair, but the skin that Edward could see was unblemished.

"He's still not moving," Alphonse said, his voice trembling.

"Yeah, but…" Ed placed his hand on Alex's cheek, feeling the healthy flush he had been missing before. "Last time he came in contact with a red stone in Lior, he said he passed out. I think…" Ed let out a huff of released tension as he ran his hands over where Alex's horrible injuries had been. "I think he'll be alright…" Ed smiled slightly.

"He's going to be mad that we used a red stone on him…" Al said distractedly, touching Alex's hand and sighing in relief when he got a brief glimpse of Alex dreaming. He was only asleep… "We promised…"

Ed huffed a disbelieving laugh. "It saved his life, Al. I think he will make an exception."

"I talked with him on the roof last night, brother. I think he really resents how his contact with the red stone is changing him…" Now that he knew his brother was safe, other concerns started to cloud Alphonse's mind.

The two boys looked down at their slumbering brother in slight concern, but it did not overshadow the relief they felt that Alex was still alive.

"We'll just have to help him through it when the time comes." Ed mumbled.

Mustang stood back, watching, and Armstrong walked up to his side.

"There has to be a really good story behind those three boys." Armstrong said.

"You don't know the half of it…" Mustang mumbled. "Hell, I don't even know the half of it…" Although, he reflected, he did know a fair bit. His conversation with Alex had confirmed some of his guesses about the boy, though never in his wildest dreams did he expect something like this to happen. Alex looked completely healed, and judging by the expression on Ed's face, he would be just fine. A glimmer of red drew Mustang's eye, and he spotted a piece of the red stone lying innocuously on the sidewalk next to his foot. He picked it up and examined it, feeling its alchemical signature through his glove. No, it wasn't the weapon they had used in Ishval all those years ago, but it was similar. And much weaker…He pocketed it. He would have to have Hughes and his crew sweep the area thoroughly later, making sure no evidence was left behind. He had just stumbled on something big, and he wanted no interference…

"Armstrong," Mustang said, drawing the large man's attention. "That was some strange storm we suddenly experienced. The weather in this city can be quite unpredictable, wouldn't you say?"

Armstrong turned his gaze back towards the boys in consideration. Edward was wiping the tears off his face and Alphonse beginning to tend to the boy's bleeding leg, wrapping it in cloth. The remainder of Edward's blue jacket, half shredded and covered in blood, was draped over Alex's still form, and the boy who had been clearly dead moments before, seemed to now be sleeping peacefully. He looked to the sky, which had finally begun clearing for the first time in over a week, the sunset peaking through. "Yes sir."

o-0-o

Several hours later, Mustang was staring over his carded hands, his elbows resting on his desk. His officers were seated on the red couches or standing behind them, waiting for their debrief of what they had all just experience. Edward and Alphonse were there, as well as Armstrong and the rest of his most trusted men. Hawkeye stood faithfully at his side, her calm presence a comfort for the stressed colonel. Hughes leaned against the window on his other side, looking down onto the street below. He had spent the last couple hours scouring the scene with his men, and they had managed to collect the pieces of Edward's watch as well as most of the pieces of his automail and Alex's weapons. They sat in a box beside the colonel's desk.

Edward was looking the most worse for wear. His leg port had been slightly damaged, some of the shards of metal biting into his flesh, causing the bleeding he had been experiencing earlier. Despite that, he had insisted on coming to this meeting, even going so far as to crawl out of the hospital room. He was sitting in a wheel chair, looking like he hated every minute of it. Deep shadows were present under his golden eyes, demonstrating the stress of what he had gone through not hours before. He had been forced to change out of his bloodied uniform, and was now back to wearing his usual attire, with the exception of the leather pants, replaced with a pair of loose black slacks, the cloth slackening where his missing leg should have been. Alphonse also looked pretty rough; his armor badly dented and although his face was unreadable as always, one could clearly see the slump of his shoulders, betraying his own weariness. Alex was resting on the couch to their left, the boys refusing to let the other out of their sight, despite Mustang telling them that Alex would be with a doctor that he explicitly trusted. His clothes had also been destroyed, and he was now wearing a spare set. The rest was beyond repair and needed to be disposed of. For some reason, though, the boys insisted on keeping Alex's green coat with Orkan's Symbol on it.

Mustang inwardly sighed, trying to decide where to begin. He decided, for the sake of the two unfamiliar with the history, to start at the beginning. "The Ishvalans were a race of people to the east of us," he began. "They believed that their god Ishvala was the one absolute creator. Because of this belief, they saw alchemy as an abomination, a sin against nature. Even after they were annexed into the country, there were still many conflicts between us and them, causing a great resentment of our presence. Then, thirteen years ago a soldier accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child. And that led to a full blown civil war…" Mustang closed his eyes, remembering the strife. "After that, one uprising led to another, soon spreading to over the whole eastern sector. After seven years of this, an order came down from the high command…to exterminate Ishval. Many state alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons. Needless to say, the state alchemists produced striking results." The words felt ashen on his tongue, and an old guilt rose within him, but he pushed it down. He moved on. "That man is an Ishvalan survivor. In a way, his revenge is justified."

"Bull," Edward suddenly said, breaking the silence that had held over the others in the room. He grit his teeth in anger. "There is no justification in getting revenge on people that had nothing to do with it. He's just using the mantle of his god to justify murder."

"Still," Mustang said, "he's coming at us with full force. We can't let ourselves be killed for his cause. Next time, there will be no talk. Take him out on sight."

"Yes sir," his men chorused with a simultaneous nod.

"I don't envy you," Hughes said, not looking away from the street below. "This is one nasty customer." He turned around and looked to the boys. "Well, Edward, Alphonse? What are you guys going to do now? What's the plan?"

"Well," Ed said, looking up at Al. "First we need to wait for Alex to wake up. Then I have to get my automail repaired. I'm no good to anyone like this…" He glance down at his body and then quickly looked away. "There's no way we are giving up."

"Resembool?" Al asked.

Ed nodded. "Yup. It's been a long time, but there is only one mechanic in Amestris I trust to work on my automail." He smiled, thinking of the pretty blonde. He hadn't seen her since she had come to visit, almost ten months ago…still, he would have liked to visit a little more dignified than he was now…

Mustang stood up. "Everyone, go home and get some sleep. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. You boys get better. You have three weeks, but see me before you leave. Dismissed." A series of salutes and 'yes sir's later, the room was empty, leaving the colonel to his thoughts.

The black haired man massaged his temples, trying to relieve his headache. His entire body ached and he could already feel the stress beginning to make his stomach hurt. He would make sure that Scar would be his assignment and stop him before he killed anyone else…And also, the red stones. Why were they in the watch. He pulled out his own silver watch and stared at it contemplatively, sorely tempted to break it open as well. But someone–someone with power– had put them there, and to let on that he had discovered this fact may put them in danger. No, he had to go about this subtly.

He sighed wearrily, thinking of all the work ahead of him. No time to rest though. He had work to do. He rustled through the box of Edward's automail and grabbed the pieces of his watch, along with the accompanying red stones. He looked at the gleaming gems considering before placing them on his desk with the other pieces. Best to keep them with the watch for now, so as not to arouse suspicion. He drew a careful transmutation circle on his desk with a piece of chalk and moved the pieces to rest on top of it. With a flash of light, the watch was back intact, the capsule and the red stones held safely within it. He picked it up, examining his handiwork. Under close scrutiny, the watch would not hold up, but it would serve for now. He sighed, tired. He would give the watch back in the morning with strict instructions not to tamper with it again. It could be dangerous if anyone found out that it had been opened…but that was tomorrow. For now, he needed some sleep. Mustang walked out of the room, flicking off the light and shutting the door, leaving the watch on his desk to gleam in the moonlight.

o-0-o

The first thing I noticed was that I was extremely comfortable. I stretched languidly on the soft surface of the blankets I was laying on, feeling content for the first time in what felt like forever. Aaahh…When was the last time I slept? It had to have been weeks…I tried to fall back into the blissful state I had missed so much, but my mind refused to shut down again since it appeared to boot up. Regretfully, I opened my eyes slowly, shaking off my sleepiness. I looked around groggily. I was in the guest room at the Hughes' house again. We must have stayed another night…

I sat up on the bed and after an initial wave of slight vertigo, looked around. To my surprise, it was actually late evening, the setting sun on the other side of the house, the orange light reflecting off the buildings across the street and into the dark room. That was strange…why was I asleep in the middle of the evening…? Then again, when did I fall asleep at all?

…I could't remember. I took stock of myself, feeling slightly disoriented. Whatever the case, the sleep seemed to have done me a world of good. The strange craving and fatigue I had been experiencing ever since Xenotime seemed to be gone, and my veins were buzzing with endorphins, as if I had just went on a run. I felt satisfied, as if something I had been missing had been fulfilled. I shook my head, not really having the mental capacity to examine that at the moment, and took stock of my body.

I was wearing a black t-shirt and some comfortable loose fitting slacks and no shoes. I shivered slightly in the cold air that was filtering through the opened window and looked around for my jacket. It wasn't there…I dumped out my bag, but I couldn't find it. My weapons were also missing. Suddenly alarmed, my hand shot up to my ear and I was relieved to find that the earring that Edward had given me was still there, the metal cool and reassuring on my fingers. Okay…so I was missing some stuff…what exactly happened?

I sat back on the bed slowly and crossed my arms over my chest. I closed my eyes, trying to recall the last thing I remembered, retracing my steps. Ed and I were going to Central Command…Al wanted to go to the library for some reason…The colonel..I wanted to spar…that large guy with the sparkly eyes…the chimera…

The chimera! My eyes snapped open and instantly my mind was flooded with images. My heart started pounding in my throat as I remembered our flight, Basque Grand, his blood going everywhere! And then being chased by that lunatic with the white hair, stones falling…!

My hands frantically ran over my body in panic. I had been dead! I had been crushed by stone! The pain I remembered nearly caused my body to seize. But I felt not a single blemish on my skin and no pain other than the phantoms going through my limbs. It had all happened so quickly that I hadn't had time to even think of a single regret. I had heard Alphonse calling out to me, but then I was…gone. After that there was nothing!

Was I really dead?! But that couldn't be right, I mean, I could feel my heartbeat, and the cold in the air and the floorboards under my feet. Dead people couldn't feel last time I checked. So I was alive. But why? How? Had we somehow gotten away? What had happened to that guy?

Questions buzzed in my head loudly, and I looked around the room in confusion. I needed to find someone to tell me what was going on. Where was everyone? Where were my brothers?

I walked swiftly to the door and threw it open, striding into the hallway. I could hear voices down the hall coming from the living room, so I began to walk in that direction. Movement caught the corner of my eye from a dark doorway to my left and I startled slightly, but then I realized it was just my reflection from the mirror in the hall bathroom.

I shook my head at myself. I was starting to lose it…I glanced one last time at the mirror, and then froze. I walked forward slowly, not taking my eyes off my reflection. Please let that just be my imagination…I couldn't see properly because of the dark, but my eyes looked strange. I flicked on the light switch…and screamed.

Staring back at me was my reflection, but it was all wrong. My eyes, usually a bright forest green, were the color of blood, and with the florescent combined with the freakish color made me look demonic. I looked…like a monster. No…! I slammed my hand into the mirror in fear, and to my surprise, it shattered violently in a shower of glass, my hand nearly breaking through the wall. I pulled it back immediately, and the force was such that I stumbled back and slammed into the wall behind me. I slid down slowly, cradling my damaged hand in shock. I was bleeding, shattered glass peircing through my skin. I looked back at the destroyed wall, panting in pain and fear.

"What the hell…?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

Suddenly, the small bathroom was filled with concerned and alarmed voices and I looked up. Alphonse burst through the door. He gasped in surprise and stared first at the shattered wall, then at me.

"Alex?" Alphonse said, moving towards me. I flinched back and he paused. He caught sight of my hand. "Alex, you're hurt!" He moved towards me again, but I unconsciously flinched away.

"Al! What the hell is going on!" Edward shouted from the hallway. He pushed inside and paused, eyes open wide with shock, taking in the scene.

I stared at my older brother, momentarily forgetting my pain in my surprise. He looked horrible. He was wearing an outfit similar to mine and I could immediately see that his automail arm was completely gone. He was standing heavily against the doorframe and as I scanned him over I was stunned to see that his automail leg was replaced with a white plastic prosthetic. There were deep bags under his eyes and he was covered in cuts and bruises as well. I glanced over at Al and he looked just as banged up. What the hell had happened!?

I was jolted out of my thoughts as my injured hand suddenly glowed a bright red and healed freakishly fast before my very eyes. I had been healing quickly ever since I had absorbed the red water in Xenotime, but it had still taken a couple of weeks at least to heal a wound like that. This–this was inhuman. This shouldn't be possible…! I began hyperventilating, my eyes wide. "Wha-wha-" I gasped.

"Alex, calm down…It's alright…" Alphonse said slowly, holding his hands in front of him non-threateningly. Edward was staring at me, but was making no moves towards me, just standing by the door with an inscrutable expression.

"Alphonse…" I gasped, "What the hell happened? I–I was dead! I remember dying! There was no way I could have survived being crushed like that…"

"You didn't," Ed finally spoke. I turned my panicked eyes towards him, my breaths stilling in stunned silence. He pushed off the wall and began limping to me, his prosthetic leg causing him to lean slightly to the left. It was too small for him…

"You did die. I watched the light leave from your eyes…" He collapsed to his knees before me, the fake limb folding under him awkwardly. When he regained his balance, he looked me in the eye, his usually bright golden eyes dimmed in pain and sadness. He lifted his one hand towards my face. "I'm glad you're awake…You've been sleeping for days…"

I shied away from his touch as well. "Then how am I alive? What happened to me…why am I–" I was going to say 'more freakish than before', but the words caught in my throat.

Edward moved his hand away guiltily and glanced at Alphonse. Al nodded, and Ed took a deep breath before looking straight into my eyes. "The man who was chasing us…he killed you. The only way to save you was to give you a red stone."

For several moments, the room was completely silent as I took in the news, my face frozen and my breath caught in my throat. I stared.

Edward shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. He looked at Alphonse, but our younger brother merely stared at me. Eventually, Al spoke. His voice was tinny and trying to be comforting, but his words could not comfort me. "Alex, it was the only way. You weren't breathing, and your body was half crushed–"

"Shut up." My voice rang harshly through the small bathroom. Edward and Alphonse both flinched back at my angry tone as it echoed off the walls. My face scrunched in anger and I looked down in disbelief.

"You promised…" I whispered. I felt betrayed. He promised…!

"I know, but–" Edward tried, but I cut him off harshly with a violent gesture of my hand, my red eyes boring into his gold ones. His breath caught in his throat.

"No!" I shouted. "You said you wouldn't let any red stone near me ever again! What gives you the right!?"

"Alex, be reasonable–" Alphonse tired to interject.

"You shut up!" I cut him off, my angry red gaze turning to the suit of armor. "You knew how terrified I was of the red stones and you went ahead with it anyway! All that talk about trust? Bullshit!"

"Ah." Alphonse stepped back at my ire, and even from across the room I could feel his hurt. But I was too angry to care.

"Don't blame Alphonse," Ed said, anger seeping into his voice as well, although it was defensive. "It was my fault. I found the red stone–I did it to save you!"

"Oh, I know," I said, growling. "Everything is your fault. You were the one who ripped me from my home and destroyed my life. You were the one who couldn't protect me, and you were the one who broke his promise. I would have been human and happy but I'm not! I'm some inhuman freak and it's all. Your. Fault!" I sat panting when I was done, glaring a hole in the floor. Silence met my words and I looked up, prepared to continue fighting, when I saw the expression on Edward's face.

Ed sat back, his mouth gaping open in silent surprise. His eyes though…they held so much pain and hurt at my words that my anger drained away like a sieve and I suddenly realized what I just said. "Ed…I…"

Ed suddenly looked down. He grimaced and his eyes narrowed. "So that's how you really feel," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He suddenly looked back at me, his golden eyes blazing, and if I could have I would have taken a step back at the fury I saw there. "I did it to save your life. I refuse to regret it. You can blame me all you want, but don't you dare blame Alphonse!"

My anger rose within me again as quickly as it had fled, red hot in my chest and burning my eyes. "Maybe I would have preferred to die!" Anything would be better than becoming this–this inhuman thing!

"Alex…!" Alphonse gasped, and Ed bared his teeth.

"Stop it! Don't you ever–" He grabbed me roughly by the shoulder, and we both shuddered and cried out in surprise.

Edward's emotions slammed into me and I could feel it all–his anger, his fear, his regret and his pain–all of it swept through me like a blazing fire and I almost blacked out at its intensity. Edward was grimacing in surprise as well, and his grip on my shoulder became painfully tight, bruising my skin. It was exactly like the first time I had come into contact with Alphonse, the emotions overwhelming.

Alphonse was shouting at the both of us, his hands held out although he didn't know what to do with them. He was calling out as Edward and I were frozen, and Hughes burst into the room, immediately taking in the scene but unsure of what to do either.

The emotions whipped through me like an out of control forest fire. Edward had nowhere near Alphonse's control, and his wild emotions threatened to consume me. Suddenly it was all too much, and with a scream I shoved Edward away from me. When our contact ceased, it was like a bright light had been shut off and my mind was once again consumed with comforting darkness. I panted harshly and opened my eyes. I immediately wished I hadn't.

Edward was crumpled against the wall across from me, his head hanging low and a trail of blood streaming down the side of his face where he had struck the hard tiles. Alphonse and Hughes were crouched over him, shouting his name. "Ed!"

"Ed…?" I whispered.

Hughes looked over his shoulder and pointed at me. "Don't move an inch," he said harshly. He looked back to Edward and began to try to rouse him, and Ed groaned and opened his eyes, finding me and fixing me with a shocked gaze. "What…?"

Alphonse, seeing that his brother was ok, rounded on me. "Why did you do that!" He shouted.

I flinched back, curling my arms around my stomach defensively. "I–I–" Tears fell down my face and I trembled. No…I… I stood abruptly. Ed must have seen what I was planning, because he struggled to stand up as well, despite Hughes' protest.

"Alex, wait–"

But I was no longer listening. I shook my head violently and fled, leaving my brothers and Hughes behind. I blew down the stairs and past a startled Gracia, who dropped a cooking pot in surprise. I could hear Nina calling out my name as I blew past the living room, but I pressed on. I couldn't let her see me like this...! I slammed open the front door with inhuman force, nearly tearing it off its hinges, and ran into the darkening street, golden in the sunset.

My heart roared in my ears as my feet propelled me down the nearly abandoned streets with no way of knowing where I was going. I just had to get away. Away from myself, and away from people who I could hurt.

Dangerous.

Monster.

I grit my teeth and panted harshly, running even faster. I rounded a corner…and fell back on my ass as I ran into a solid wall of…man? I ran straight into someone.

"Hey watch it–" An angry male voice said. "Wait–Alex?"

I looked up in surprise to see the man I had knocked back on the ground was none other than Roy Mustang, for once changed out of his normal military blues and wearing casual clothes: a white button up shirt and black slacks. He looked disheveled and bewildered, sitting on the ground where I had knocked him. As I looked at him, his eyes widened in surprise and I was startled to see a spark of fear there as well. I averted my gaze, feeling shameful and hurt. I knew my eyes were disturbing, but to have even Roy Mustang flinch back from me in fear…A few more tears leaked from my eyes as I squeezed them shut tightly. I turned away and ran in the opposite direction. I didn't want to end up hurting him too!

"Hey, wait! Alex!" Mustang called out behind me, but I continued to run blindly. I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle my healing powers, my strange empathy powers, my inhuman strength…and I couldn't handle the fact that I had hurt Edward and Alphonse, both with my words and my hands. I was a sick monster who needed to be caged like the chimera in Tucker's lab. I couldn't handle it…so I ran.

What's up guys! Whew, some harsh words were exchanged yeah? Alex is pissed. He didn't mean it, Ed! And the government conspiracy begins. Yay! Sorry, I know I promised lizard cat but he's around here somewhere. He is part cat after all, and he'll do what he wants. I had to cut it off here because Roy is going to be involved next chapter and that will take a huge chunk that I didn't want to stop in the middle of. Besides, I thought you guys might appreciate this because it's been a while since I updated. Sorry about that. I had to code an entire website in like, a week. Not easy.

And oh shiznits! Alex's empathy powers grow? So it wasn't something special with Alphonse? Afraid not. It will get explained in detail later on. No worries, it was my plan all along, I'm not just pulling this out of my figurative hat. You'll see.

Next chapter: Roy tells a story, and Alex decides he needs to go on his own for a while. See you next time!