Sorry this is a short chapter compared to my other chapters......I didn't want to end on a half-baked idea so please forgive me, and know that I'll try to write the next chapter as quick as I can!

~Saturnthehero

Alphonse's P.O.V.

I followed Mustang, Hawkeye, Jean, and I entered the third laboratory.
The scientists gave us a questioning glance. I sure hope he has a good excuse.

"Everyone, evacuate now!" He stood straight as he walked, his fingers prepared for a snap at any moment.
Another man came stumbling up behind him and saluting. "This man is a dangerous criminal for the deaths of many civilians- as well as military officials." Mustang informed before assuring the man we'd be ok capturing the murderer.

Well, he's not lying about Barry the Chopper being a murderer....

After everyone evacuated the building, we began our search for our enemies.

...

After a few minutes, we regrouped and made our way down to check the basement of the building. Looking around, the corridor either side of me went on into the darkness; like the blackness itself was swallowing the space.

"Split up and find Barry before he gets in more trouble than he already is." Colonel Mustang ordered. Riza and I went left from the stairs while Jean and Mustang went right.
We proceeded with extreme caution. I was scared that a breath from Riza , or the clunk of my metal feet would give us away.

We continued in silence, but I could tell she was as nervous as I was. Up ahead, I noticed the darkness slowly lifting to a pure white light.

"What's that?" I whispered, but all I got was a shrug. We approached the room cautiously, and the first thing I saw in the pure white room was Barry the Chopper looking down at his body.
Though he and I cannot express emotions on our faces or through our actions very well, I could clearly tell he was mourning his past self.

"You know, it's hard to believe that used to be my old body." He said thoughtfully, "I mean, with the animalistic soul they shoved into that meat bag, I almost feel bad...."

There was a pause, a silence.

"I guess it couldn't take a different soul in my absence."

That's right..if such occurrence happened to Barry the Chopper, is it possible, with my soul bonded to this iron armor, that it won't last until Brother and I get our bodies back?

The thought ran through my mind; and though I couldn't feel, the sense of feet creeped into my hollowed helmet.

Tick tick tick

That was the sound of heels. I knew it all to well from the times mother would walk around the kitchen in a magnificent pair.
Brother and I always marveled at how she stayed upright, and watched for what seems like hours on end as she did the most challenging tasks in those heels.

I turned around, and the memory faded. What stood in its wake was the curvy figure of a woman. Thick, curly black hair trailed down her back and seemed to mix with her black cocktail dress.

I heard Barry chuckle, then state: "Welcome to the party, Miss Lust."

Lust?! Could this be another Homunculus?

"Number 06, what are you doing here? And while I'm at it, why are you with them?" She gave a sharp glance at the two of us. Her eyes like that of swords slicing through a target.

"Because I thought it'd be fun!" To me this didn't seem like the answer the lady was happy to hear. Then again, she wasn't happy that after that statement, Barry said: "and because I want nothing more than to chop you into tiny bits."

"Oh, really?" She gave a light chuckle. It made a spark fun down the back of my armor- as if I could still get chills. "And what are you doing here, Armor Boy? What a terrible loss it would be to kill two candidates for sacrifice in one night....." she sighed, and gave me a thoughtful look.

"What are you talking about?!" Riza held the homunculus at gunpoint.

"Two? Sacrifice?" I mumbled lowly as I really didn't understand what she was saying.

"Yes. Armor Boy, and someone else." The sentence seemed to put her in a happy state as she let a menacing smile grace her lips. "Oh well- I guess if it comes down to it, we could always make that little red head a candidate."

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON SCARLETT!" I heard my angered scream rattle my iron. Though I had no body, no way of conveying my anger in expression, I think I did a pretty good job this time.

Barry stood up from his position next to his past body, and barreled towards Lust with knife in hand.
"This is getting pretty boring....blablablablablah. How about we just get to the fighting!" He jumped into the air for a slash that would finish her but-!

I watched as Barry's iron armor was sliced into pieces. It was as if it were made of soft butter the way Lust cut him up. Her fingers had lengthened to an unimaginable length- and sharp as a buzzsaw.

He fell in a heap behind her, and laid there. Unmoving.

"I hate persistent guys." She said, but there was a feeling that turned in my soul and set it on edge.
Fear.
It's been so long since I've felt even a small piece of emotion that it scared me more than I already was. "Now Lieutenant, I'll send you to the place I sent your Colonel just a few moments ago."

.......What........?

It was a few moments before Hawkeye began to grasp the situation like I was.
"No.....you're lying......" she denied. The crack in her voice said it all. I turned to see her face, and the anguish there said it all.

"NO!" She emptied her guns- all of them- at Lust, but just as Greed had showed me, bullets had no effect on her. Her emotion was so strong, it was bleeding from her eyes along with her tears as she cried for Colonel Mustang.
An action I would never be able to do, no matter how hard I tried.

"Finished?" Lust gurgled out as the bullets lodged in her neck began to fall onto the ground, having not done their job. "Humans truly are pitiful, weak, and hopeless things."

Defeated, Hawkeye. The Riza Hawkeye, slumped to the ground in defeat and mourning. What could I do?

Then I realized what I needed to be done.

I may not be able to save Mustang.
Or Hughes, or Maria, or Nina, or Scarlett, or the hundreds of people who gave their lives to see that my brother and I can continue our search for a way to get our bodies back.

But I sure as heck won't let Riza Hawkeye become one of those I couldn't save.

"Lieutenant. Get up and run. I'll hold her back." I stood between the enemy and Riza.

"So you want to go first?" Lust challenged. I quickly clapped my hands and made a weapon from the ground.
Her eyebrows raised- wether she was impressed or shock, I don't know. "You've opened the gate...."

It was all a blur, but one minute I had a weapon and was easy to defend. Then the spear I had made snapped into smaller pieces and my armor was damaged by Lust.
"A pity, really. Forget candidate, your were a sure sacrifice!" She tried to kill Riza, but I blocked with my left arm and took more damage.

"....Alphonse, leave me and run....." Riza cried from behind me. How could she ever think I'd do that!?

"No!" I answered.

"Run!"

"No!"

"Save yourself!"

"NO! FOR TOO LONG HAVE I WATCHED PEOPLE DIE IN FRONT OF ME!" I felt the creak of my armor slowly grow until there was a snap and my metal flew into the air.
For as long as I my soul was in this world, I will not watch another person I care about die.

"You're a troublesome-" a snap rang out and then the room was lit with a golden glow of fire.

Looking up, he was there.

He was alive.

"Well, if that's how you feel, Alphonse Elric, I have no right to judge." He smirked, ten readied for another attack.
In an effort to save Riza, I created a concrete barrier and wrapped the remains of my armored body around her as the heat began to rise along with the screams of agony.

"HOw aR3 You ALIvE?" She cried out, but the answer was simple: fire plus open wound equals-

"I cauterize the wound. Nearly passed out from the pain, but somehow I was able to endure." Roy Mustang is, as my brother and Scarlett would say, a tough son of a bitch.

And for once, I couldn't agree more.

Blast after blast, scream after scream echoed in the room.

And then, it stopped. I unwrapped myself from the protective shield I made and peeked around the wall of concrete.

Lust, frozen in her position, stared down Mustang. Her deadly fingers barely an inch from slicing open his forehead, and his lighter poised for another attack should the need arise.

"You...killed me." Lust's voice was raspy. Her entire body began to flake, then start vanishing onto the wind as ash would after burning a log on a fire. "I always wanted to die at the hands of a handsome man."

There was a long pause, as if both knew there was nothing more to say; though Lust had one last remark before her demise.

"Those eyes, filled with so much hope.." she called out, "I can't wait to watch as they fill with fear and anguish.....before closing one last time..."

And suddenly, Lust was gone with the wind.

Scarlett's P.O.V.

Once Edward and I stepped off the train, I turned to wave to Major Armstrong and Lieutenant Breda. Both waved back, and bickered.

Well, at least Edward and I have made up- and I mean he's been much more expressive of his feelings to me ever since what happened in the ruins of Xerxes.

"Happy to finally be home?" I asked, as we held hands down the dirt road.

"Yeah. I wonder what the old lady's been doing lately." Ed replied. I smiled back at him, even if I knew he wouldn't return the smile. He'd just turn his head, stutter, and blush profusely.

"Come on, I'll race ya to Pinako's!" Ah, challenges, I always am in the mood to kick a shrimp's butt.

"You're on red head!"

Before he even finished his insult, I was gone. Tearing up the path, past the houses and town, down the hill then up again. It was only when I had just past the graveyard had I realized I couldn't hear Edward's loud curses from behind me.

"Ed..?" I looked back and, well,

Let's just say daddy's a little late coming home for Father's Day.