Hello my dear readers! From this point on, there are 10 chapters left for this story! We're almost there! Thanks for sticking by me and my inconsistent updates, I really appreciate it! Love you all!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It would appear that you have some more new friends," Colonel Mustang stated. The white mannequins kept on coming if as if nothing had happened. "Ah, this place brings back so many memories," Colonel smirked. "It's the place where I saw your tears of truth, Lieutenant. To be honest, I would like to see them again."

"I hate to break down and cry again," Lieutenant Hawkeye rolled her eyes. "Water makes you useless."

"Hey!" I shouted, roundhouse kicking a couple of the mannequins. "Stop flirting and fight!"

"Don't to give me orders!" Colonel yelled, flushed slightly pink.

"Actually, I would agree," Lieutenant Hawkeye said, aiming her gun at one of the mannequins, preparing to shoot.

"Don't use your gun!" Edward warned. "Bullets do no harm on these guys!"

"Ugh, now I'm useless?" Lieutenant Hawkeye groaned.

"What are these, Homunculi?" Colonel asked.

"No," Edward replied. "They're not regenerating their wounds.They're powered by Philosopher's Stone"

The two watched us as we continued to fight off the monsters. Colonel snapped his fingers. A spark flew and he sent a wave of flames at all mannequins, circling around us. They screamed in pain as they burned away into dust. Edward stared in shock at the remains of what Colonel had done. "They are the enemy, Fullmetal," Colonel reminded.

Some pipes some above broke and out fell May and her panda. "May!" Jelso cried. "Are you alright?" Envy had fallen from the hole as well and landed right in front of the doorway the mannequins came from, coughing at all the dust from the explosion and fall.

"Envy!" Edward gasped.

"You guys..." He coughed as May slid off the giant gate she was holding onto. Despite being dizzy from the fall, she seemed to be just fine. Envy coughed and waved off some of the dust that had flown up from the fall and she ran up to Scar.

"Fool!" Scar shouted. "Why didn't you go back to your home country?"

"But...I mean...I mean..." May began to cry.

"Never mind! Don't cry!"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Scar!"

"Geez, this is why you humans turn my stomach," Envy sneered as he surveyed what we had done to the mannequins. "I've got to admit, I'm quite impressed of what you done here. The Fullmetal Alchemist, the Clockwork Alchemist, the Flame Alchemist, and not to mention Scar. And those filthy Chimeras who I owe up north are here, with you. Now, which one should I deal with first?"

"You're Envy, right?" Colonel asked. "The Homunculus who can change his shape, as I recall."

"Eh, so you do know," Envy shrugged. "Pleased to meet you, Colonel Mustang. Wait a second." He paused as he glanced at us again and ran the numbers in his head once more. "Are you teaming up with him, Scar? This is one of the State Alchemists who turned Ishval into a hellhole."

"You're right," Scar nodded in acknowledgement.

"Huh?" Envy whined. "You're acting chummy?! You're no fun. Let me see you guys act more rumbly-grumbly. It's so much more fun when you maggots are shouting at each other."

"We don't have time to entertain your boorish interests," Colonel Mustang sighed.

"Boorish?" Envy cackled. "Then let me ask you this: You humans love watching each others' misfortune and watching fools run around in circles, don't you? Isn't that why you're always at war with each other?"

"Hmm, indeed, it is delightful to watch fools get worked up in a frenzy," Colonel smirked as Envy whistled with agreement. "And watching you Homunculi going into a frenzy is especially enjoyable."

Envy glared, not amused." I've answered your question," the Colonel's tone suddenly turned serious. "Now, why don't you answer mine? Who was the one who killed Maes Hughes?" Edward and I jerked at Colonel. It was such a sensitive topic, bringing back unpleasant memories on my part. But why did Colonel wanted to know so badly right now? "And I want the truth, Homunculus."

Envy glared at Colonel, "Maria Ross did. That's why you burned her to death."

"No," Colonel Mustang shook his head. "It wasn't her."

Envy stared some more at Colonel before going into a fit of laughter. "So, you're telling me that girl you burned to death was innocent?" He cackled. "Oh my god, how did you break that news to her family? Did you have the guts to tell them or did you keep your mouth shut?"

"Answer my question. I'm getting sick and tired of asking the others the same question!" He yelled.

Envy smirked and began to cackle, "Congratulations, Colonel Mustang. You've finally caught your culprit."

Lieutenant Hawkeye aimed her gun at him and he giggled. "So, it was you who did it?" Colonel Mustang asked, cocking his head at him. "I doubt that a moron like you can pull something like that."

"HA! MORON?!" Envy shouted as began to shape shift. "TELL ME WHO'S THE MORON HERE CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S ME! I PREFER THAT TERM FOR SOMEONE WHO FALLS FOR A CHEAP TRICK LIKE THIS!" Envy had shape-shifted into Gracia. Mustang's face turned into a mixture of confusion, hurt, and anger. I covered my mouth in horror and shock, the feeling settling right into my stomach. Oh god, am I going to puke?

"HA!" Envy cried out with delight, grabbing his arms in pleasure. "YOU SHOULD SEE THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE!!! OH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE IT!!! THAT WAS THE SAME LOOK ON HUGHES' FACE WHEN I SHOT HIM! THE UTTER SHOCK, THE DUMB CONFUSION! YOU COULD SEE EVERY EMOTION ON HIS FACE WHEN HIS OWN WIFE SHOT HIM! OH...IT. WAS. GREAT!!!"

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. "That's I all I needed to know, " Colonel Mustang had a death glare of his face as he snapped his gloves back on. "The fact that you admitted that you did it, but you mocked his death...that's it. The first thing I'll be burning out is your tongue!"

He breathed heavily, "Scar, Fullmetal, Clockwork, I got this. Take the others and move on ahead. He's my quarry."

Jerso nodded. "So, let's--"

"I'm staying," I stepped forward, drawing my sword. The sick I had felt earlier turned right into fury and rage as I drew my other sword, ready to fight. "He's my fight too. I was there when he died," I growled.

Edward stared at me for a bit before turning around and was about to take the others back when Envy turned his right arm into his giant green arm from his true form and blocked our way. "Now, who said that you could go--" he taunted as Colonel sparked a flame at his mouth.

He yelled and got down on his knees, graoning from the shock of the burn. "Are you sure you can afford to talk to anyone else while facing me?" Colonel Mustang demanded. "I would say that nimble tongue of yours has gotten nice and greasy. It burns so well, doesn't it, Envy?"

"Are you sure you can manage--" Edward asked.

"We can manage," Lieutenant Hawkeye stiffly needed, pointing her gun at Envy.

"Eve, you shouldn't get involved--" Edward started.

"I said this is my fight as well," I snapped, gripping my swords even tighter.

"But--" Edward said.

"Go, Edward Elric," Colonel ordered. "You have something else you have to do."

"Come on, let's go Ed," Darius grabbed Edward by the head and dragged him away.

"Hold on!" Edward stammered as the group continued forward through the doorway opened by the mannequins.

Envy reverted back to his original form as he got back up. "Damn it..." Envy cursed. "Yes, you've been pursuing the one who killed Hughes for a long time," Envy stated as he staggered back up. "Such a beautiful friendship!"

Envy clenched his arms and they turned green and he transformed himself into that hideous green lizard monster. Colonel held out both arms in front of us. "Stay back, Lieutenant and Clockwork."

"In deference to your beautiful friendship, I will fight you all-out," Envy roared. "I can't really pull my punches in this body, so it's not my fault what might hap--"

Colonel snapped his fingers and incinerated Envy's eyes, causing him to grab his face with his monstrous limbs and roar in pain. "How does it feel, having the fluid inside your eyeballs boil?" Colonel taunted. "I'll bet it hurts beyond imagination."

"Damn you!" Envy yelled as red regenerating sparks ran all over his face before Colonel snapped his fingers and set Envy's whole body on fire, making him scream out in pain.

"I'm surprised you'd intentionally make my target bigger for me," Colonel glared. "Did you think being bigger would let you beat me? Idiot. Get up, monster. Hurry and regenerate yourself. I'm going to let you relive that pain over and over until you die."

Envy swung his tail and smashed the open gate next to him, sending boulders at us. I immediately jumped in the way and using alchemy, sent my explosives up at the boulders and blew them up into smaller, more harmless rocks. As the dust cleared, Envy was nowhere in sight. "YOU COWARD!!" Colonel yelled he ran ahead.

"Colonel!" Lieutenant Hawkeye cried out.

"Lieutenant, you wait here!" Colonel ordered. "Clockwork, stay by her! I'm going to take care of him myself!"

Lieutenant Hawkeye and I ran up by the entrance and paused, hesitating at first, until Envy's screams of pain echoed through the door. Lieutenant Hawkeye sighed, drawing her gun, "Colonel, I'm disobeying your orders." She ran inside.

"Hold up!" I yelled, running after her. By the time I reached the inside, Lieutenant Hawkeye was already gone. "Damn it!" I growled, looking down the possible pathways she could of gone. I choose the path in front of me and ran down it to see where it takes me to.

As I was running, I heard footsteps behind me and I paused, drawing my sword, preparing if it was Envy. I spun around, bring my sword up preparing to slice through Envy when a sudden metal clang stopped my attack. It was Edward! My sword was up against his automail arm that was lifted up to block my attack. I had torn his sleeve from the blade of my sword. "Ed?" I gasped, withdrawing my sword. "Is that you?"

"Y-Yeah," Edward stammered, a little shocked at how violent I was.

"You short dumbass!" I yelled. "Colonel Mustang told you to go ahead!"

"You didn't follow through with that as well!" He shouted.

"Fair enough," I sighed. "Follow me and help me track down Envy."

As we were walking, Edward stayed behind me as I was ahead, eyes darting back and forth to seek if Envy was around. Then, it dawned on me about what I had just said to Edward. I stopped at my tracks, causing Edward to stop, and quickly drew my sword and pointed it at Edward's throat. "Hey, what's the--" Edward demanded.

"I just called you short I didn't get a reaction out of you," I glared. "You think I didn't notice? I learned my lesson quickly after that incident in Gluttony's stomach. Edward Elric, is that really you?"

Edward's eyes widened before he jumped back, shifting back into Envy. "You really are perceptive, aren't ya Evelyn?" He sneered.

"You really are stupid!" I yelled, clapping my hands and pushing Envy with them. A clock appeared on his chest and once it ticked, Envy realized what I had done but there was no way to remove the explosive on him unless I undo the transmutation. "I accused you of being Envy and you still shifted back into him!" After three ticks, the clock exploded on Envy, leaving him to scream in pain as he curled up in a ball and clutched his chest.

I ran up to him and sliced upwards with my sword which Envy had avoided. I jabbed him but he transformed his arm into the gunat lizard arm and grabbed my hand, catching my attack. I drew my other sword and stabbed his under arm, causing him to roar in pain as he recoiled, letting go of my arm. "I had forgotten you were ambidextrous," He growled.

"Further proof that you are a idiot!" I shrugged as I used my alchemy to bring the ground up underneath him and he sunk in a hole filled with jagged pieces of concrete. "I WILL TAKE IMMENSE PLEASURE IN SLICING YOU UP UNTIL YOU CAN'T REGENERATE YOURSELF ANYMORE!" I shouted as I ran up to him with my sword, preparing to slice off a limb before a bullet whizzed past me.

I froze to see Lieutenant Hawkeye at the other end of the corridor, holding both of her handguns up and aiming at Envy has he got out of the hole I blew up to trap him. As soon as he got out she didn't give him a break and began to shoot him with both handguns. Taking my chances to get a bullet between my eyes, I ran up to Envy and began to attack him with both swords so he had to dodge two oncoming attacks. "Ow, that hurts!" He cursed as he shifted both of his arms into the giant green lizard arms and attempted to stab us with it. I leaned to the side and dodged but Lieutenant Hawkeye took a nick to the shoulder.

Lieutenant Hawkeye then pulled out her shotgun and began to shoot Envy, at a much slower but much more powerful pace while I used my alchemy to keep blowing him up by the backside, having both of his front and back flanks attacked by us. "Damn it, you two are really annoying with those things!" He shouted as he stuck his arms in the hole I blew up and they transformed into the lizard arms, traveling underground and bursting through the concrete floor, wrapping around and lifting us into the air before slamming us back into the ground. Lieutenant Hawkeye gasped in pain as her hair went undone.

I, still in a haze with my head ringing, managed to free one of my arms from his grasp. "I'll dump you both in front of the Colonel like a worn-out dish rag--" he laughed but screamed as I stabbed the limb he had wrapped around me with my sword, causing him to loosen his grip on me even more as I rolled out.

As I transmuted another circle underneath him, this time with the intent of doing harm instead of bringing the ground up underneath it, it was met with a fiery explosion. Instead of the flame explosion countering mine like Scar's, it worked together with it, taking Envy down with a double attack as he cried out in shock. The limb that was wrapped around Hawkeye crumbled as she gasped, "Colonel?"

Envy was on his hands and knees, lifting his hand slowly in the air like he was about to attack him. Colonel had his fingers together, ready to snap as he stared darkly at Envy. "What do you think you were doing with my Lieutenant and my niece?" He growled.

Now he was pissed. Envy almost had that stare that begged for mercy as Colonel Mustang sent another flame attack at him. While burning, Colonel glanced backwards then at me, while I was still crouched on the ground with my hands on the ground as well. "Don't do anything rash, Lieutenant, Clockwork," he ordered. "I told you two to stay behind."

"Damn human!" Envy shrieked. "Don't you dare look down at me--"

Colonel interrupted him with an explosion of fire while I sent my clock explosives at Envy, blowing them up so he didn't have a single break from any attacks. Colonel either didn't notice me in his fury of attacks or didn't mind that I was adding into Envy's suffering out of our vengeance. He began continuously snapped his fingers, sending wave after wave of fiery explosions and I followed with all my might, clapping and slamming my hands on the ground, transmuting exploding clocks all over Envy's body without a break.

My hair flew all over the place from the sparks and this constant movement, but I didn't care. I will take pleasure in this damn Homunculus' suffering! HE killed Hughes! HE sent Mustang and I into a spiral of grief! HE was the reason why he died, not because I wasn't fast enough to save him!

Envy's burned husk bent backwards and fell to the ground, his jaw still open and eyes rolled to the back of his head from all the pain from the fiery death he experienced over and over again as it began to crumble away. Some green, tiny lizard thing popped out of his school and jumped away from the dusting body. "Damn it," it spoke, shedding a tear. "Not this again." It was what was left of Envy.

Colonel Mustang had his boot over the thing. "Is that your true body?" He sneered. "You're ugly. Envy, your name means 'jealous,' right? That makes sense"

"Please don't!" it begged in a pitiful tone.

"And envy is an ugly thing."

"No, I don't want to die! No! No!"

"I won't give you a choice...now burn in hell!"

Colonel about to crush Envy when Lieutenant Hawkeye had her gun pointed to his head. "What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant?" He spat.

"That's enough, Colonel," Lieutenant Hawkeye scolded. "I will deal with him from here."

"One more blast will finish him. Put down your gun."

"I cannot obey that order, sir. Please put your hand down."

"Stop screwing around! I said put it down!"

Sparks flew and caused the ground to turn up a bit, causing Colonel to stumble. Envy shrieked as he flew in the air and Edward caught him and held him in his hand. "Fullmetal..." Colonel growled. "Let me have that." He reached his hand out for Edward to put it pack into his hand. Edward gulped as Envy squirmed. "I'll ask you one more time," He repeated, poisoning every single word. "Let me have that."

"No," Edward replied.

"I must give him the worst of all deaths."

"No!"

"Give him to me! Or else I'll burn him up along with your right hand!"

"Fine with me! I'll fight like I mean it! But before I do, take a good look at your own face! Is that the face you plan to wear when you're the nation's top man? That's not what you're...Colonel, that's not what your after, is it?"

"Who cares?!" I shouted, getting up from my spot. I was hunched over, panting from the adrenaline from the battle over. My hair was in chunks and all raggedy on my face. "Ed, give him the damn thing! He's going to die anyways, so why wait any longer?"

"Don't be like the Colonel, Eve!" Edward shouted. "You're better than that...right?"

Colonel glared at Edward even more and his fingers tensed, ready to snap. "Are you going down the path of a beast, given over to his passion?" Scar asked. "You can if you want to. If you're going for revenge, I won't stop you."

"Hey!" Edward shouted. "You're not helping!"

"I have no right to stop another from taking vengeance," Scar crossed his arms. "But I do think it would be a sight to see what sort of world a man who is held captive by his own hatred, at the head of everyone else, would create."

Colonel Mustang choked and some sparks flew. "Colonel, I cannot let you kill Envy," Lieutenant Hawkeye said, her hand trembling while still maintaining a steady grip on the gun pointed at head. "That being said, I do not intend to let him live. I will dispose of him, sir."

"I finally did it!" Colonel Mustang yelled. "I finally ran him down!"

"I know!" Lieutenant Hawkeye shouted. "But still...but still, what you are about to do is not to help your country, or your friends! This is pure hatred. And I will not lose you through it!"

"Like I said before, what difference does it make?" I screamed, gripping my raggedy hair through my delusional rage. "Whether you shoot him, the Colonel burns him alive, or even if Edward snaps his neck back, what's the difference?"

"Eve...you're more like the Colonel than I thought you were..." Edward scowled, trying to strike a low blow at me to snap me out of it.

"HOW WOULD YOU EVER KNOW?!" I screamed at the top of my lands, hands out in exasperation before I made a fist and slammed it to the wall. "IT'S NOT LIKE YOU WERE AT FAULT THAT HUGHES DIED!"

That was my breaking point. I snapped. Whatever sanity I had left from the fight was gone. Poof. I grabbed my hair again and began to sob harshly, flashbacks of his death consuming me whole again. "Clockwork, we've been over this," Mustang spoke to me slowly, a hint of displeasure in his tone. "I understand you blame yourself because you were there on the scene, but it's not your fault. It's this bastard's fault that he died--"

"You don't get it," I sobbed as I slid down into a crouching stance, my head bent down as the tears slid down my face. "That's only a part of the story. I left him that night. He was hurt, and I-I could've helped, but I left him to fight the that Homunculus who chased us. I-I wasn't watching him and so he called for help and I wasn't fast enough and he died! It's all my fault, Colonel! If I had done something different that night, he'd still be alive today!" I looked up, tears streaming down my face as I showed my true self; raggedy hair, red eyes, eye bags, streaks of tears as I screamed, "THIS IS MY ONE CHANCE TO FIX MY MISTAKES!"

I crouched there, crying, not wanting to look up and face the shame. I heard footsteps approaching and I expected it was Colonel Mustang in front of me and that he was going to slap me, but I felt a comforting hand on my back. it was Edward. "You did your best," he comforted me. "That night. You did what anybody would've done that night. You always did your best. You don't give yourself enough credit. You always beat yourself up over every single mistake you make. You also blame yourself for not making the right decision when someone gets hurt. You always get hurt but you say what you did wasn't enough. Eve, you did help. You didn't abandon him. You fought and protected him with all your might, like what you do to me. It's not your fault he died. It was never your fault."

My eyes widened at those words being spoken to me. I slowly embraced Edward, my tears halting from shock. But, memories of all the times Hughes helped me from when I first moved to East City to my automail transition and even to supporting me State Alchemist test when I wanted to give up moved me to tears. I gripped Edward's shoulder as I cried some more, feeling a huge weight slide off my shoulders.

Colonel sighed before turning back to Lieutenant Hawkeye. "If you're going to shoot me, then shoot me," he muttered. "However...after you shoot me, what will you do then?"

"I have no intention of living on myself, free of care," She admitted. "Once this fight is over, I will remove my body, along with its maddening flame alchemy, from the face of the earth."

Colonel's face twisted to pure rage and he snapped his fingers towards the corridor beside him, sending his flames out there. "I can't have him do that," he sighed. "I can't...afford to lose you. What kind of situation is this? Scolded by a child, my niece is confessing her insecurities, lectured by a man who came after me as an enemy...and causing you pain, once again...I'm just a big fool." He walked up to Lieutenant Hawkeye, put his hand her hand and the gun, and lowered it. "I'm sorry..." he whispered as he fell to the ground. Lieutenant Hawkeye squatted down so she could be at his level and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"What are you, dense?!" Envy yelled from Edward's hand as we released each other. "Just flowery worlds, and make-believe empathy? Ah, it's turning my stomach. Are you humans really that over-the-top? Just do whatever you want to do, like your gut tells you to do. Colonel Mustang! Have you forgotten? Scar was out to take your life. As I recall, Scar was also the one who killed both of the pipsqueak's friend's parents. Yeah, yeah, and the girl-and-dog Chimera in East City. Isn't Scar the one killed her, too? As for you, Scar, what happened to all that hatred over your countrymen killed in Ishval? And for the woman, all full of herself, being called the 'Hawk's eye', she shot your pals left and right! You'll never get another chance like this! Well, go get them! This is a prime opportunity! Hate and weep! Kill, and be killed! Trash around! Grovel in the dirt! Teaming up together as friends is something you scum couldn't possibly do! Right, pipsqueak? Right, Hawkeye? Mustang? Clockwork? Scar?"

He looked around, waiting for anyone of us to go berserk and kill each other. "H-How come?" He sputtered. "Huh? How come? Huh? Huh? Huh? How come? How come? How come? How come?!"

"Envy..." Edward muttered. "You're...jealous of humans. Humans are supposed to be so much weaker than you Homunculi, and yet when we're beaten down, and get discouraged, or seem like we're about to go astray and fall, we still stand up to the challenge, again and again. Those who are around to pick us back up. And you...you're envious of humans like that."

Envy stared at Edward for a bit, contemplating his words, and began to squirm. "Hey, what are you doing?" Edward demanded as he bit Edward's finger. "Hey, ow!" Edward yelled as he dropped him.

Lieutenant Hawkeye drew out her gun. "Wait," Scar said. "He won't last long."

"It's so humiliating, ending up like a worn-out dishrag...walked on all over by you humans...you loathsome beings..." Envy whimpered, trying to crawl away. "What's worse, of all the scum out there, this scummiest pipsqueak had to be the one..." Envy let out a loud wail and burst into tears. "Damn it!" He sobbed. "Damn it...damn it...how humiliating! How humiliating! Me, Envy...jealous of you humans? Me, Envy?! Me, Envy, being understood by this kid? That's humiliating." He let out a short giggle. "We'll see how long those flowery words will last. Best of luck."

Envy opened his long mouth and stuck his hands inside. He pulled out a Philosopher's Stone and gripped it in his tiny hands, as if he was trying to crush it. My eyes widened. He was trying to crush it! "Envy, don't--" Edward cried out.

Too late. Envy crushed the Philosopher's Stone into bits. The liquid it was made up of splattered everywhere on him as he flopped onto the ground and crumbled away into dust. "Bye bye...Edward...Elric..." he whispered as he crumbled away into nothingness.

Everyone's eyes widened at the shock of what happened. I covered my mouth from the horror. Colonel covered his eyes, refusing to look at the sight before him. "He terminated his own life...?" He said. "Cowardly bastard."