Leave A Scar

My platform deconstructed, gingerly placing me upon the flat rooftop. Memories came back, as I surveyed the landscape stretched out in front of me. Being in Dublith, seeing all those Homunculi for the first time. These didn't look much different, aside from the darker hair color.

"Either she got some nice hair dye just for the hell of it, or something about the process of homunculi creation changed."

I shook away Ed's words, watching as the Alchemist on my mind finished walking forward, hands in his pockets. A burst of wind blew, whipping his coat to the side and blowing my hair as well. I lifted a hand, wishing I had something of a hairtie, and tucked it behind my ears, listening as Ed spoke.

"So tell me," he began, "what're ugly guys like you doing all the way up here, with something as valuable as that?"

I looked over, seeing the amulet again. Green, beautiful, everything I imagined it to be, if I ever imagined it at all.

The Homunculus holding it smiled, revealing the teeth of a shark.

"Wouldn't you like to know, little Alchemist?"

"You're him, right?" Another one taunted, leaning forward and exposing sharp vertebrae, his black suit stretching with them. "You're the Fullmetal pipsqueak!"

Ed tsked, and when his head turned, I saw the light glare on his face. "So you been talkin' to Envy."

They just smiled. 

"Well"—The stone was tossed in the air and caught again. It hopped up, dropping down before being hiccuped again—"You gonna try and get this, or what?"

Hands clapped, a blade was created.

"Bring it!"

It all happened at once

An alarm went off in the back of my head. I ducked instantly, pivoting around as my attack landed, catching him on the side of his ribcage. Except the blow was only met with a sharp grin, a sharp laugh as well.

My heart and my confidence in everything dropped as if it fell off the edge of this building.

His punch came with a step to the side and memory—instinct—kicked in. I moved, folding the arm and snapping the bone.

He screamed, I released and backed away.

It'd been a really long time, since I had activated on someone.

Memories from another life tried to come forth, but I pushed them away, side-stepping a punch and shooting two fingers into two eyes. My nails were short, but my fingers did the job.

Hands up! I said, HANDS UP!

A side kick; a fake that tried to lead into a sweeping hook. I blocked the arcing motion with a slapping hit of the hand, side-stepping in to sweep the leg that held the Homunculus balance.

So they could fight...

As he fell, he bent backwards, hands picking him up and flipping him upright and away from me. Acrobatic, too.

I raised my hands, keeping them loose as I slid my left foot back. Deepening my stance, narrowing my eyes.

Even still, my heart hammered.

He tried another kick; a spinning hook that aimed for my head. I ducked it, wind gusting above me, and rose again.

A side kick greeted me, and for a moment, time slowed down. My left foot kicked back against the ground, opening the compartment there. One that was created during a time when I was very paranoid. Ridiculously so. I had a hard time making the circles, but after seeing the bomber, I did a few alterations, and well... 

The Homunculus screamed, body arching forwards as he fell to the ground. "MY LEGS!" Another scream. "What the FUCK did you do to my legs, you BITCH?!"

"Nice work!" he told me, paying no mind to the blood shooting out of the creature's mouth. "Guess those transmutations came in handy!"

The disabled Homunculus suddenly grabbed my legs, and I tripped backwards, landing on my hands. I kicked and tried to fight him away, but his hand morphed into a blade. I tried to scream, sensing my voice was the only available weapon before a block of concrete slammed into the Homunculus like a freight train. 

I looked back, seeing Al smile at me.

"You okay?" he asked. 

I nodded, quickly picking myself up again, trying to ignore the heavy scrapes against my knees. The bleeding wounds along my arms. "Y-yeah. I'm fine."

Al flashed me a smile, and then his arms were up, blocking a heavy jumping kick—a reverse crescent.

What kind of training did these Homunculi have?

Another attack came, one I ducked again. Moving enough to pivot and strike my other leg out, heel slamming into the Homunculi's face. I pressed a little more weight onto my standing foot, activating the second circle there. A backup; a close-ranged cement transmutation. 

The ground rose up into a sharp spike, nailing through the Homunculi's body. All the way from the groin to the forehead. I slowly retracted my kick, eyes wide and mind trying not to see all the blood that had landed on my legs. Trying not to feel the bits and pieces on my arm or the sick splatters of warmth on my face. I staggered back, trying to keep my hands up.

A scream, one in Ed's direction. I hurridely looked over, eyes wide as something small attached to many tendrils of muscle was in Ed's hand. With another pull, the Philosopher's Stone was disconnected.

Sensing movement, I looked in front of myself again. Even through the spike—a bloodied narrow triangle slammed up through the back of his throat—he grinned.

"Even if I 'die',"—His head turned, moving and craning to the side, red lightning scattering at the motion—"more will come. You can't stop something already happening!!"

"Pull out the stone!!" Ed yelled, speaking to Al and I. "It's in their ċhėsts," he added, speaking to me. And hearing my name set off an alarm inside my head.

Okay.

I ripped into the center of the ċhėst with both hands, short nails combing through muscle. Blood covering my hands, blending into what I was digging into. And then I saw it, in all its hellish glory. The Philosopher's Stone!!

I yanked it out, blood spraying up and towards me as the muscles gave way. Pulling apart like a rope fraying. I squinted passed what landed on my face, watching the Homunculus turn to ash in front of me.

"There's so many more coming for you, Fullmetal!!" It—they—yelled, screaming at the sky.

Another laugh, this one from the Homunculus disintegrating by Al's hand.

"Oh, how little you know, Fullmetal Alchemist!!" It was a scream, a screech that made my hair stand up. Made my blood cells turn to icicles.

What were they planning? What was happening?

A glimmer of green caught my eye.

It fell, right from sharp hands.

The Amulet dropped, its surface snapping in thirds. But the material... I couldn't deny what it was.

Plastic.

What we were after... Searched for... It was just cracked plastic.

It was a stillness that even our breath couldn't fill. Ed tried to speak. Or maybe my mind just wanted to hear his voice. Just wanted that distraction. But even then... Even then I was being so selfish. 

His words came so quietly, a broken, shell of a whisper.

"No."

No, this couldn't be happening. I knew he wanted to say that, I could feel the words overtaking my own mind as well. Possessing me. Just those thoughts, and the sight of cracked plastic surrounded by smaller fragments.

"No."

A bit louder this time. And another sound, one that broke that stillness as his foot dragged against the concrete. Shifting, stepping as his body swayed into a standing position.

I wanted to crumble right there, just collapse with the emptiness inside me. Bleeding out with invisible "agony" that would pool over my ċhėst. 

I wanted to do something, but the idea was shut inside a room of darkness, overhead light clicked off.

I didn't deserve to help them. 

I didn't have a single thing I could offer, especially not at a time like this.

Ed called my name, bringing my stare over to him. In surprise, in shock that he spoke it so calmly. Softly demanding my attention. He was still hunched over, hands deep in his pockets, bangs covering his eyes from me. But I saw his lips move, speaking to Al as well. 

The helmet creaked, bright eyes made of light looking to him. The soul inside saying nothing, and we both waited. Watched as Ed straightened his posture, head tipping back. Bangs sweeping against his cheekbone but not drifting far enough to reveal his eyes.

"Stop looking like somebody just died," he told us. 

I felt words choke against my throat. How else was I supposed to react? What else could I possibly offer in return, if not mourning for something I never completely had?

But I stayed silent, quiet as always. Listening, watching, his feet shift and boot slide as he turned around. But his steps didn't drag; his movements calm, collected. One after the other, completely sure of himself. 

He stepped onto the ledge of the building, a click sounding as his left leg moved up, metal foot joining his right. Balancing himself completely. He spoke as he did this, a soft wind hollowing us out more so than we already were.

"So they're comin', just for me, huh?" His weight shifted, balancing on his left leg. He began healing, currents of lightning sweeping around his human leg. 

He inhaled; a powerful, controlled breath in. His wounds began healing, red lightning skittering and closing up the cuts and injuries that were hidden from me with his clothes. Internal ones, probably. I saw the lightning go near his face as well, but he didn't seem to notice, and he spoke as this all happened.

"And they act like they have a shot." Another wound healed, at his leg. His shoe pivoted, digging the ball of his foot into the ground like he was twisting out a cigarette. "Heh."

He was suddenly pointing out into the city, voice rising to a shout. "Well see if you can try! We'll take all of you on, just wait and see!"

I felt like my soul just died, hearing that. We had bȧrėly survived this fight, and they'd be sending more? How could we... Possibly go on?

"Hey," He raised a hand, pointing one blood splattered gloved finger at me. One eye closed in a wink, mouth hooked in a grin. "Get that look off your face! We've done this before and we'll do it again!"

Are you sure?

I couldn't say anything in return. A cut on my cheek spilled more blood―the aftereffect of the Homunculus' lightning as their stone was pulled away―and roughly I dragged the side of my hand across the wound. It stung even more, reminding me of my own immortality.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't even offer him a response. Someone so strong; so much stronger than me.

Al moved. One foot closer to his brother, and Ed grinned with a snickering laugh. A sleek, hook-like motion of his arm with a thumbs up sign before that hand disappeared into a complete intact red coat. He didn't even rip anything this time, aside from a glove. Was he getting better, or our enemies getting weaker?

My head shook, memories of the bomber cascading down into my consciousness. These Homunculi didn't have explosives, but maybe in time... Maybe in time they would.

Another voice sounded, speaking my name. I looked up, seeing Ed give me that soft smile. Wind blew again, momentarily hiding us from one another. Ed's bangs died down first, and I tucked mine behind my ears after.

What now? What left is there to do?

Some part of me wanted to look at the broken plastic. The remains of our search. I just remembered Edward on that hospital rooftop, a flat surface that supported all three of us. The surface I wanted to throw myself off of, after revealing part of the monster that made up myself.

I wanted to die right then, too, on another rooftop. Wind carrying nothing as I plummeted face-first into darkness.

Ed shrugged one shoulder, the action so nonchalant it nearly sparked anger within me. His eyes closed, head tilting to one side as he said, "So it's one tiny piece of plastic." His hand removed something from his pants pocket, dangling something round and silver. For a moment, I was back on a train, handing a false State Alchemist watch to a childhood friend.

The Alchemist pocket-watch continued to swing, and I just stared.

"It's nothing that's too different than this," he continued on, and spun the chain around his pointer finger, feigning a yawn.

"Brother..." Al looked up, eyes nearly as empty as I felt. "What about you? What about your protection?"

Another sharp grin. The watch was pocketed, and Ed looked behind his shoulder, out into the city's skyline.

"Nothin' I can't handle," he said, voice faint.