Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Isabella.

No POV

Ed and Isa walk right into a room and saw nobody but a skull they just stepped on. They looked a little scared by it when the door automatically closed behind them. "Nice of you two to come." They hear a voice say when they turn to see a moving armor called Number 48 there. "Graciously do I welcome you here."48 said as he draws his sword in front of them. "You don't look too welcoming with that sword." Ed said to him.

"I have been entrusted with guarding these grounds. For now, you may call me Number 48." 48 said to him."48? Catchy." Isabella said to him. "It's been silent for too long. I'm pleased to face someone capable again. But your luck has run out, running into me. Do not think ill of me, children." 48 said to them when Ed turns his arm into a blade, and Isabella transmuted a rock into a dagger. "And you don't think ill of us for being the children who defeated you." Ed said to him. "How 'bout a little blade-on-blade?" Ed and Isa questioned him.

*FF*

A shout was heard from above, and Al look up. An armor that was moving attacked him, and he dodged him. The Al ws shocked by this when an armor called Number 66 stands up. "Nice. You can move well for a big thing. Good." 66 said to them. "Who are you?" Al asked him. "Ooooh. So demanding. I guess I should answer. I'm Number 66. Though, that's just what they call me at work." 66 said to him. "Number 66?" Al questioned his name. "Yes. I have a proper name, too. But if I told you, you'd be so shocked you wet yourself. I'll tell you when I'm peeling your skin." 66 said to her.

*FF*

48 almost attacked Isabella, but she dodged his attack and kicked him in the armored chest. 'Those reflexes.'Isabella thought when 48 moved back. "Why you!" 48 said when he charged at her. "Got him for 'ya, Ed!"Roberta called when she moved aside and Ed got ready to attack him by jumping to the side and grabbing his armored helmet open. Isa made it to her side when Ed landed softly. They turn to face 48 when he setup. "Curious, children?" 48 questioned when he showed his blood seal, and they gasped at the sight of it. 'An Anchoring seal. Body-less armor. He's just like Al.' Ed thought to himself.

*FF*

Al turned to see that 66 is beginning to charge at them.

"Humankind cannot gain anything, without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth."

{Opening song}

Ready Steady Go!/ L'Arc~en~Ciel

"Soul of the Guardian"

Isabella's POV

Ed and I faced Number 48 after he showed us his blood seal, and we smirked at the sight of it. "We knew it. You're as hollow as they come, a spirit in a can." Ed said to him. "I'm surprised you two realized it. Well done."48 said to him. "It was easy, actually. Ed sparred against someone like you all the time. And the way you move, it's a dead giveaway." I said to him. "Really? You don't say. You mean there's someone like me in the outside world?" 48 asked me.

"It's annoying, huh? I can't believe some idiot besides Ed got the idea to bond a soul to a suit of armor. Now we're feeling at original." I said to him. "Fascinating." 48 said to me when he fixed his helmet head back to place and get back into stance. "This deserves a better introduction. Number 48 was my label as a condemned prisoner. According to the official records, I was executed two years ago." 48 said to me."Prisoner?" Ed questioned him

'So that proves it, there is a link between Laboratory 5, and the prison next door.' Ed thought to himself."When my body was flesh and blood, the papers call me "The Slicer". I was a mass murderer, and I made a real splash. Here, my skills have been put to a different use. I'm its immortal guard." 48 said to us. "No, you're hardly immortal." I said to him.

"What?" 48 questioned when Ed points at his blood seal. "That seal of blood. It's alchemy. Someone took them on in that blood and in-tuned it to the metal in your armor. That's what keeps your soul bound to this world. If someone breaks the seal it's made, then you're a deadman." Ed said to him. "He's right, you know." I said to him also when 48 started laughing.

"Finally, someone with a backbone, someone who thinks they can live. This should be a good fight." 48 said to us. "We told you, we know your weakness. This is your final warning before we use it." I said to him. "I don't care! See, I'm the type of person who likes a little struggle in the kill." 48 said to me when he gets into a fighting stance. "So try to make it last." 48 said when Ed and I got ready to fight him.

48 got ready to attack us, but we dodged his attack. Then his sword clashed with Ed's arm, and my transmuted dagger. Ed and I moved back when 48 started attacking us, but we kept on dodging his attacks until our weapons collided again. Then we fought back by attacking him, but he dodged it, and we collided again when Ed begins his attack, and 48 dodged it. Then our weapons collided again, and Ed and I moved back when he felt his auto-mail malfunctioning a bit, and he grabbed his shoulder and panted. I started panting also.

"The lighter weight should make you faster. But that means it's easier to break, too, so don't be reckless."

Ed smirked when 48 attacked him again, and he dodged it, and I ducked for cover when that sword almost hit my bun. 'We're in trouble. Better make this quick.' Ed thought when our weapons collided, and I attacked him, but he dodged it. Then 48 swiftly attacked us, but we flipped over, but the attack 48 made gives Ed a wound on his left shoulder, and me a cut on the left cheek. 48 kept on attacking, and me and Ed dodging those attacks and he almost stabbed Ed, but he and I flip over, and after that, it made us go backward and fall on our butts panting for breaths.

"Just like monkeys, aren't you two?" 48 questioned us. "You better watch your mouth!" Ed and I said to him as he started laughing. "It's been so long since I have such responsive prey. But judging from your wounds, and your breathing it won't last much longer. My body, unlike yours, does not know fatigue. Give up any hope you two had. As we speak, my colleague is disposing of your companions outside. You can't rely on them to help you two now." 48 said to us.

"So this colleague of yours, is he strong?" I asked him. "Yes, he is. Though not as strong as myself." 48 said to me as Ed and I chuckled. "What's so funny?" 48 questioned when Ed and I stood up. "We've got nothin' to worry about then." Ed said to him when he and I stood up and wiped our faces. "My companion as you put it, I fought him plenty of times, and I've never beat him once." Ed said to him. "And for my companion as you put it, however. She's not a suit of armor, she's a pure-bird flesh and blood human being, and I've fought her plenty of times, and I've never beat her once." I said to him as well.

*No one's POV*

Al punched 66 in the face, making him fly to the ground. He started to sit up while growling. "Quit that! Hold still, so I can cut you up!" 66 shouted when he charged at Al, and he dodged his attack and attacked him again. "Miserable behemoth! You're smiling at me, aren't you?!" 66 questioned when he repeatedly attacked him, and Al repeatedly dodged them. "I'll spill your insides! I'll show you two how thinly you slice!" 66 shouted when Al tripped over a rock.

"NOW YOU'RE FRIGHTENED!" 66 shouted when he stabbed Al's armor arm. "I'LL CARVE OUT A SHOULDER ROAST!" 66 shouted when Al breaks his knife with his arm and grabs one of 66's arms. Then Al kicked him in the face, making him fall to the ground along with his helmet head. Al looked at this turn of events when 66 sat up. "Now you've gone and done it, you brute! You've knocked off my head!" 66 said when he stood back up grabbing his helmet head.

"You're empty inside..." Al said to him when he faced him. "Yes. That's what they said when they sentenced me...And thanks to the circumstances, it ended up quite literal... You don't recognize me like this, do you?" 66questioned us. "What do you mean?" Al asked him. "Don't tell me you've forgotten! After all, it was thanks to your help catching me that I ended up here... A condemned man... Number 66 was my name on death row. But back when I was flesh and entrails, I have better names... Barry the Butcher... Or my favorite... Barry the Chopper...!" 66 said to me.

"Barry the Chopper?" Al questioned when I remembered what happened years ago. "You're the one who kidnapped Winry." "That's right! And after being caught, imprisoned, and executed... I've come back from a pit of fire to take my revenge on YOU TWO, maggots!" 66 said to us as he started laughing, and Al tilted his head to the side innocently. "Is that so?" Al questioned as he stopped laughing.

"'Is that so?'? What do you mean: "Is that so?"?! People get terrified when a serial killer comes back from the dead! And an empty suit of armor moves on its own! You should be saying "Ah!" or "Ahhh!" or "Why he doesn't have a body?!" What's wrong with you?! Don't you realize how horrifying I am?!" 66 stammered at us when Al removes his helmet.

"Take it easy... You're going to hurt my feelings..." Al said to him as he hummed. "Are you executed prisoners, too?" 66 asked us. "No. I'm not a crook." Al said to him. "I supposed not... No... Why would you have been helping the police? But who cares where you came from?! I know your weakness now! You have better beg for mercy! Your life belongs to me! If I destroy the blood seal on your armor, you'll die!" 66 said to us.

"The same goes for you... Right?" Al asked him as he goes shocked by what Al said. "But I still have the advantage, you rotten beast! You don't know where my blood seal is!" 66 said to me. "And you don't know where my seal is, either..." Al said to him. As well as he freaks out at what we said and started growling.

"Then I'll just have to chop you up until I find it! And you can't do that! 'Cause you don't have knives!" 66 said to us as he charges at him, and Al rubbed his head at this. "Why do we have to get the crazy one?" Al asked himself when he gets into a fighting stance.

Maria's POV

Every soldier, including Major Armstrong, arrived, and Bloch and I are behind him. "B and C Block have both turned up zilch. He's not a magician, we know he's here somewhere. I want him found, whatever it takes!" One soldier ordered the others. "Yes sir!" The soldier said to him when Armstrong examines what happened here. "He has guts that's for sure, attacking a military facility in the middle of Central." Armstrong said to us. "I still don't understand, Major. Why is Scar so preoccupied with Edward Elric, and Isabella Rockbell? What's he trying to get from them?" Bloch questioned him.

"That's not your concern. Where are the Elrics and Rockbell now?" Armstrong asked Bloch when he and I got a little confused by this. "The Elrics, and Rockbell, right, sir I-I don't know." Bloch said when Armstrong faced him and flexed himself. "You're acting suspicious, Bloch!" Armstrong said to him. "I-I'm sorry, sir! I'm sorry! You see they, uhh..." Bloch said when I stepped in. "Permission to speak, Major, sir?" I questioned when he faced me.

"With your authorization, I'd like to relocate any troops we have available." I said to him. "What are you talking about?" Armstrong asked me. "Helping out the Elric brothers and Rockbell, Major. I know their current location, Central Laboratory No. 5." I said to him. "And what else can you tell me?" Armstrong asked me.

*Isabella's POV*

Ed and I continued our sword fight against Slicer, and we keep dodging his attacks, and we moved aside from another attack. Ed started to pant heavily with blood seeping out of his wound, and I panted also with a cut on my left cheek. "You two are in a downward spiral. Your moves keep getting sloppier. Admit it, little man and little woman. You're through." Slicer said when Ed and I started to stammer at this. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE, YOU CAN'T SEE?! TOO SMALL OUR TARGETS TO HIT WITHOUT A MAGNIFYING GLASS!" Ed and I stammered at him as he chuckled at this.

"At least you two still have enough energy to scream. But that too will pass." Slicer said when our weapons collided again. And Ed can feel his auto-mail malfunctioning again. 'Not the auto-mail again.' Ed thought when we broke away and kept dodging until we begin to fall back. "Wide open!" Slicer said when he got ready for an attack, but Ed and I dodged it, and moved to another side. Ed clasped his hand together and tried to use alchemy to create a spear, but Slicer sliced it in half, and Ed and I moved back when the pieces fell.

"You two give me far too little credit." Slicer said as Ed and I panted for breaths. "Did you two really think you could beat me, with a toss of a spear? Please." Slicer said as Ed and I continued to pant for breaths. "Thank you for the struggle. You two have done well to last this long, but your limit's been reached." Slicer said to us when he comes toward us, and Ed and I stood up, and got into a fighting stance. "Relax. Admit your defeats. There's nothing you two can do to win now." Slicer said to us. "We'll see about that." I said to him when he stopped.

"You're forgetting a key detail, we didn't come here alone." I said to him when two figures appears. "Now, Al, attack!" Ed and I shouted when the figure appeared behind him. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in!" Slicer shouted when he sliced the figure in half. "What?" Slicer questioned when he realized he was falling for it. "Psych!" I shouted when I run up and sliced his head off. "No fair!" Slicer said when his head fall off, and I landed softly with Ed by my side. And his body fell along with it. And Ed and I stood up chuckling.

"All's fair and war, pal, everyone knows that." Ed said to him when his blood seal stays in tack, and Ed and I walked right up to him, and he turned his arm back to normal. And I turned the rock back to normal also."Why are you two stopping now, kids? My blood seal isn't broken yet." Slicer questioned when Ed picks him up. "Your soul's attached to your helmet. Now that it's cut off, your body's just a useless hunk of iron. You're no threat to me and Ed, anymore. Now down to business. There's something that you need to tell us about." Isaid to him

"The Philosopher's Stone?" Slicer questioned as Ed and I gasped. "If you two came here, there's little else you could be seeking." Slicer said to us. "Good, then let's cut to the chase, tell us all you know about the Stone, and its connection to this lab." Ed said to him. "I can't do that." Slicer said to him. "Really? Listen, Slicer. Beaten up dogs don't get to call the shots. You tell me and Roberta now, or we're breaking your seal." Ed said to him as he chuckles. "The battle isn't over yet." Slicer said to him. "Huh? What are you talking about?" I asked him when Ed and I sensed something behind us.

The armored body I just took down started to move, and I moved aside and Ed got sliced on the left side of his torso, and I gasped at this. "Edward!" I cried out when Ed held his torso. "But how? It can't be!" Ed said as he falls to his knees and dropped the older Slicer's head in the process. I fell to my knees in shock when the younger Slicer lowers his sword. "Haven't you two heard of sharing? One set of armor doesn't have to mean one soul." Younger Slicer said when he showed us his own blood seal.

"A second blood seal. With this one on the body." I said out of shock when the younger Slicer kneels down to his brother. "Are you okay, older brother?" Younger Slicer asked his brother. "Yes, younger brother. Just barely." Older Slicer said to him. "You two are brothers?" I questioned in shock when the younger Slicer set the older Slicer's head up to place.

"Did I forget to mention that?" Older Slicer questioned us. "Yes, you forgot." Younger Slicer said to him. "That'swhat made the mass murderer the Slicer, so great." Older Slicer said to us. "He was a pair of mass murdering brothers." Younger Slicer said to us when Ed stood up. But I was too shocked to stand up to my feet.

"All this time, Isa and I have actually been fighting two people. That sure reeks a foul play." Ed said to them. "All's fair and war." Older Slicer said to what Ed said earlier. "Isn't that what he said?" Younger Slicer questioned him. "Yes, brother, it is." Older Slicer said to him when the younger Slicer is getting ready to fight Ed. But I can't move a muscle from what just happened. "How dare you injure my older brother. I'll slice you off at the knees, so you're even closer to the ground like your beloved partner is on her knees." Younger Slicersaid to him.

"More short jokes, huh? You'll pay for that." Ed said to him when he claps his hands together. "Just like him."Ed said to him when the younger Slicer attacks him, but he dodged it, making him stop what he was doing. "Ohno. I'm not giving you time for alchemy." Younger Slicer said to him as he continues to attack him. I looked at this like nothing. I couldn't even move in to help him. I'm such a coward. Ed keeps on dodging him when blood spilled to the ground, which is making him black out soon.

'I'm getting light-headed. I'm losing too much blood.' Ed thought to himself as he dodged those attacks when the younger Slicer used the hilt of the sword to hit Ed in the gut. "Leave him alone!" I cried out when Ed moved back to a nearby pillar and held onto his torso.

I stood up and slowly made my way toward Ed. 'Edward, I can't let you die!' I thought as I try to get closer to him. "If it ends like this, then who's gonna finish the job, and get Al back to normal again?" Ed said to himself when the younger Slicer gets ready to finish Ed off. "This is for my brother!" Younger Slicer said as he gets ready for the finishing move, and Ed remembers that Scar character in his head. "And this is for mine!" Ed said to himself when I finally made it to Ed's side in front of him. His eyes widen at what he just saw.

"What the-? Isabella?!" Ed said when I clapped my hands together. "Stupid girl. You don't have time to transmute!" Younger Slicer said to me as Ed and I ducked from his sword. "We'll see about that, tough guy!" I said to him as I placed my hands on his armor. 'To beat a serial killer, I guess I'll have to act like one.' I thought to myself when Scar appeared in my mind. 'Edward. Last time, you saved me from the perils of death at the hands of that Scar character. Now it's time for me to return the favor.' I thought to myself when the younger Slicer's armor breaks into pieces.

"A partial transmutation. She stopped at step two, breaking something apart." Older Slicer said in shock when his brother's bottom part of his body fall to the ground, along with his upper part. Ed falls onto his but holding onto his torso, and I fell to my knees and moved to Ed's side. "Sorry about that. But we don't have time to die, we've got work to do." Ed said when the younger Slicer started to wiggle, and we freak out at this."Curse you two! Now you've done it!" Younger Slicer shouted and Ed and I screamed. "Oh, shut up, and rust!" Ed and I shouted at him.

"The Slicer deserves better than this! You two will pay, alchemists! We'll tear you two apart..." Younger Slicer trailed off when he stopped wiggling. "Won't we, older brother?" Younger Slicer asked his brother. "No, younger brother. It pains me to say it, but we lost." Older Slicer said to him when Ed jabs his foot on the bottom part of the armor. "There, uhh... Wouldn't happen to be a third brother, would there?" Ed questioned them. "No." The brothers said to him. "I see." I said to them.

"You two can pat yourselves on the back, children. This time, you two really won as a team." Older Slicer said to us. "Perfect, then this time you can tell us everything you know about the Philosopher's Stone." Ed said to him. "No, I cannot say. Listen to me, you two must destroy us." Older Slicer said to us. "You heard him, finish the job. There's nothing for the defeated, but death. That's our rule." Younger Slicer said to us as well. "We're not killing anyone. That's not what we do." I said to them.

"You two are too generous with your words. Saying anyone, not anything. As if we could still be called human in this twisted state. I didn't say 'kill us', I say 'destroy'. Destroy these things we've become, now get on with it." Older Slicer said to me and Ed as we look down. "The only we could do that is that we'd admit it your definition was right. And if we did, if we'd accepted you weren't human. That means I'd have to admit the same for my brother, and I can't do that." Ed said to them. "He's your brother." Older Slicer said to us.

Alphonse's POV

I kept on dodging Barry's attacks until I punched him in the face, and he falls backward to the ground. He sat us angrily. "Damn it! I hate you!" Barry shouted at us. "Can we call it a draw, already? I'm worried about my brother. and I'm worried about my friend." I said to him as well as he stood up. "Brother? And friend? You're kidding? Those little pipsqueak alchemists are your brother and friend?"Barry asked us.

"Yes. And he gets angry if you call him that.." I said to him. "I see. This changes everything." Barry said as he started laughing. "How? Yeah, what's so funny?" I asked him. "So, it was your brother, who put you in that armor shell, and you and your friend weren't involved in this, isn't that right?" Barry questioned him. "Yes, he did. He risked his life to do it, to save him. And yes, she and I weren't involved in this." I said to him.

"Oh, that's just rich!" Barry said as he started laughing. "What are you laughing about?" I asked him as he stopped laughing. "Nothing, nothing. It's just, brotherly love, and friendship is so beautiful. Gets me every time, even when it's a total fraud." Barry said to me. "A fraud?" I questioned him. "That's right. Artificialaffection." Barry said to us. "No! You don't know anything about us, and them! My brother loves me for real, and he loves me!" I shouted at him.

"What naive worm, you are! What if your friend next to you is a fake, an imitation? How would you know the difference?" Barry questioned as my eyes widen at what he said. "Your friend's brother's the one who crafted him in this form, how do you know he loves him because he made it, so he would? Tailored his memories, and personality to suit him best." Barry said to me. "That just isn't true! I'm Alphonse Elric! I was exactly the same as I was when I was a boy! I know!" I shouted at him as he chuckles at this.

"But that's the trick, isn't it? His so-called soul it's invisible. Undetectable by any scientific tool. But what if he was designed in a way, to make it impossible for him to decide what's real, and what lies his brother's been feeding him?" Barry questioned me. "No. That can't be." I said out of shock.

Isabella's POV

I was by Ed's side after we defeated the Slicer brothers. "My brother's a person, I'm telling you. And that means you guys are, too." Ed said to them. When the older Slicer started laughing. "Are you alright, older brother?" Younger Slicer asked his brother.

"Yes. It's funny, that's all. As long as I remember, my brother, I'm thrived on stealing, carnage, and murder. We were demonized, spit on, called animals." Older Slicer said to him. "Forget biology, we were inhuman, because they couldn't stun at what we did, and now's the first time we're treated as people when we're scraps of metal." Older Slicer said when he started laughing. "It's too much! What stupid irony!" Older Slicer said about my words.

{Ending song}

Tobira no Mukou e/ YeLLOW Generation