We were walking through the endless halls of Third Laboratory. Edward was leading the way, but it seemed like he was lost. "Huh?" He muttered, searching the area, confused. "That's strange. I'm sure it was this way. No, that way?"

"Are you lost, Fullmetal?" Mustang taunted as he walked up beside Edward.

"Los-shut up! If I hadn't had to come back for a certain dumb nitwit fooling around, this wouldn't happen!"

"Nobody asked you to come back."

"Get out of here! If it weren't for Scar and I, you and Eve definitely would have lost your way!"

"Don't you patronize me. All you did was help your girlfriend, Clockwork. It was thanks to Lieutenant that I was able to regain control back there."

"What?!"

"Keep it down," Scar growled. "The enemy will find us."

"Scar..." Lieutenant Hawkeye started. "I want to offer my thanks now, while I can, for persuading the Colonel. I know that it probably upsets you Ishvalans to have someone like me say thank you, but you may have brought him back....to what he once was. Thank you."

"Your word of gratitude are not needed." Scar brushed off her thanks.

We walked on ahead without speaking to each other when all of the sudden, our entire group stopped walking. "We're close," Scar nodded.

"You think so too, huh?" Edward agreed.

"Can you guys sense his presence?" Lieutenant Hawkeye asked.

"I'm getting a bad feeling," Edward shook his head, trusting his gut instinct. "I guess you could say my uglier old wounds are aching."

Edward began taking the lead and along ahead into the unlit portion of the corridor until it opened up into a wide space that was a room. It was a dimly lit room, and the center of it, was a man wearing glasses squatting over a white transmutation circle. "Well, well, to think that I would have a gallery watching," he smirked, showing off his gold tooth. "You're making me nervous."

"Who are you?" Edward demanded as he turned his right arm into a half-foot long sword. We all prepared our weapons.

"Who am I?" He replied, placing a finger under his chin, his glasses gleaming so I couldn't see his eyes. "Well, I guess you could say...the man who created Führer Bradley..."

"The Führer?" Colonel sputtered, putting on his gloves. "That means that you're in their side!"

"Oh, it's you," the man's glasses stopped gleaming and I could see that his eyeballs were looking all over the place, indicating insanity. "I thought you were at the radio station, but you've came all the way down here for me. Thanks, that will save me some trouble, Mustang."

He lifted his hands up and several men all wearing white tank tops, khakis, and black military boots armed with swords came down from above and went after us. "Take these guys in for a bit," he smirked.

"Split up!" I yelled.

We all scrambled away into different groups. Edward dodged some of their sword attacks. "W-Who are these guys?" He asked.

"Mannequin soldiers?" Colonel Mustang suggested as he stood back-to-back with Lieutenant Hawkeye as the men circled them.

"No," Scar yelled, punching one of them in the face. "These guys move more decidedly then them!"

"These are the men that might have become Führer Bradley," the man explained, drawing something on the ground with chalk.

Colonel choked, "Men who are brought together when they are born, and given specialized education and training for the sole purpose of becoming Führer. And on the twelfth trial, Führer Bradley came into being. Then, these guys are..."

"The leftovers," The gold-toothed man shrugged. "But then, they have received great deal of combat training. They aren't as strong as Führer Bradley, but they are strong."

The men charged at us. Edward deflected their sword attacks with his automail arm as Scar nimbly dodged his attacks. Colonel attempted to engage in hand-to-hand combat with one of them while Lieutenant Hawkeye used her hand guns against them. I clapped my hands and made the ground go up underneath them, but they jumped away the ground gave way. One of them put me in a headlock and I bit his arm hard. He let go of me and blood dribbled down from the teeth marks I left on him. "God damn it!" Edward cussed. "I know these guys are superhuman, but come on!"

Edward continued to deflect attacks while also slashing back. Scar attempted to blow one of the guy's brains out but he dodged before he did so. I drew both of my swords and crossed swords with the guy in front of me while fending off a guy behind me. Colonel punched a guy and he and Lieutenant Hawkeye backed up until they were back-to-back again. They jumped back, aiming their weapons of destruction at each other. Colonel smiled in reassurance that it was just his Lieutenant before she fired three times and killed the guy that was trying to sneak-attack Colonel. "You left your back wide-open, Colonel," Lieutenant Hawkeye chastised.

"I'm letting my subordinate cover it," Colonel Mustang countered. "It happens."

The gold-toothed man was drawing on the ground. He looked up after he was finished, showing his insane eyes again. Lieutenant Hawkeye shot one of the guys down. "That will do," he said, "Now then, shall we get started? No. 17, No. 18, No. 21, No. 23, No. 26, come here."

Following his orders, five of the men that caught us ran up to the gold-toothed man. "What's going on?!" Edward cried.

Edward saw the transmutation circle under the gold-toothed man and his eyes widened. The transmutation circle was in the shape of a pentagon with a circle surrounding it and small circles circling the vertices. "Here goes!" The gold-toothed man smiled, raising a hand into the air. He slammed his hand onto the circle. Blue light appeared and sparks made a circle around the men, lines connecting them to the center circle. Lightning flew all across the room.

"What have you done?!" Edward demanded.

"Oh, this is just the first stage," said the gold-toothed man. "Do you know how many alchemy laboratories there are under direct prefectural control here in a Central?"

"There are four of them currently in use within the city," Edward replied before remembering the Fifth Laboratory that I was held hostage within. "The Fifth Laboratory...five of them. A five-cornered transmutation circle!"

"Don't tell me that curved underground passageway connected the laboratories together in a circle!" Lieutenant Hawkeye gasped.

The blue light flashed and consumed the room in a dark magenta light. The gold-toothed man cackled evilly as tentacle-like black arms emerged and decomposed the men surrounded the circle. A giant eye appeared underneath Edward and those same arms reached up and began to decompose him. Edward screamed as he stumbled to break free from them. "Fullmetal!" Mustang shouted.

"EDWARD!" I shrieked as dashed over, grabbing his hand and struggled to pull him free, not wanting to repeat that same mistake from Briggs. But it was like he was glued to the ground.

"Little girl, it's no use!" The gold-toothed man cackled. "He's the sacrifice! He must go!"

"E-Evie..." Edward struggled desperately.

"Hold on!" I gritted my teeth as I yanked Edward with all my might but to no avail. Suddenly, his hands decomposed and he screamed as he was consumed entirely. The giant eye underneath him closed and the sparks stopped flying all over the room. Everyone stared dumbfounded and shocked as I stared at my empty hand as questions swarmed my head. How did Edward vanish like that? Why? Was he the only one? What's going to happen to him?

"He's gone," Lieutenant Hawkeye finally reacted.

"What did you do?" Colonel Mustang shouted.

"He's carried off to a place where you will join him, soon enough," he cackled maniacally as he sent more of those men that fought us earlier after us again, engaging us in combat once more.

I slashed back at the men that circled me as Colonel snapped his fingers to set them on fire and Lieutenant Hawkeye shot them with her guns while Scar tried to blow them up and they kept on dodging him. "My word, the people up there are so unreliable," sighed the gold-toothed man. "To think that they can't even get five sacrifices ready for this day. But then, they only managed to assemble those who took the bait of something small like immortality. I suppose it's no surprise they didn't get the job done."

As Lieutenant Hawkeye shot a guy that was sprinting towards her, one of her bullets got jammed mid-fire and she gasped, enabling her from shooting. She was pinned down by the neck by the guy who sprinted after her. He then held a sword at the base of her neck as he sat her up.

"You bastards!" Colonel Mustang shouted as he prepared to set the guy on fire. "Let her go!"

Two guys swung their swords at him, cutting his glove and he was unable to use his alchemy to save Lieutenant Hawkeye. They put Mustang into an armlock and forced him onto the ground. As Scar dodged oncoming swords, he was backed into another guy who held his sword by the neck and the other guy who cornered him held his sword by the other side of his neck.

"Colonel!" I shouted as I clapped my hands but a guy behind me shoved me and I fell to the ground, my sword sliding away from me. The guy who shoved me placed his boot on my head so I couldn't move. As I reached out for my sword, another guy stepped on that hand, causing me to cry out and tear up a bit from the instant pain of having my hand stepped on and nearly crushed.

"All right, good, hold him there," clapped the gold-toothed man. "Now then, Mustang, we are out of time. I would appreciate it if you would proceed to cooperate with us. Could you perform a little human transmutation and open the gateway for me?"

"What?" Colonel gasped.

"It doesn't matter who," shrugged the gold-toothed man. "A parent you've lost, a lover, a friend...the one you were so close to. What was his name? Hughes?" The Colonel's eyes narrowed in anger. "He will do too," nodded the gold-toothed man. "I will get things set up for you over here."

"I'm one of the sacrifices?" Colonel asked.

"Yes. Although the Clockwork Alchemist is another potential candidate, you are much more preferred. Those who have opened the gateway can become sacrifices."

"That's why the Elric brothers were chosen?"

"Yes, it is."

"They told me that human transmutation could not be done. What kind of fool would perform it knowing it would fail?"

"Yes, you're right. You see, all you have to do is open the gateway and return."

"No way! I won't perform human transmutation nor will I open the gateway!"

"I told you, we are out of time."

The sound of flesh being sliced open echoed through the room as our eyes glazed over the source of the sound. The man who had the sword by Lieutenant Hawkeye's neck had sliced the base of it open, blood pouring everywhere. Lieutenant Hawkeye made a choking noise as she collapsed in the ground, twitching from the pain. "Lieutenant!" Colonel Mustang shrieked. "Lieutenant! Lieutenant!"

"Now, why don't you try opening the gateway, Mustang?" smirked the gold-toothed man.

"I'll kill you!" Colonel shouted. The man who sliced her neck open dragged Lieutenant Hawkeye by the arm over to the circle the gold-toothed man had used earlier, leaving a streak of blood in her wake. She was gripping her wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "Lieutenant, can you hear me?" Colonel begged. "Answer me!"

"Now, perform human transmutation and become the fifth," ordered the gold-toothed man. "Come on, if you don't hurry, the woman will lose her life. Ah, I know. Would you like to transmute her after she dies? That would be okay too."

"I won't die," Lieutenant Hawkeye moaned. "You see, I am under orders not to die."

"If people could obtain an immortal body like that it wouldn't be very sporting," sighed the gold-toothed man. "Mustang what will it be? Your precious woman is about to die. If you do nothing, she will soon bleed to death. However, I am a doctor that can use alchemy and I even have a Philosopher's Stone."

The gold-toothed man pulled out a vial containing a red liquid inside from his pocket inside his lab coat. "Which is to say, I would be able to save this woman's life with all certainty. But is she dies before you make up your mind, then there will be nothing that I can do. Oh?" He glanced downwards at Lieutenant Hawkeye. "She sure has grown quiet," He taunted. "Has she died?"

Colonel gritted his teeth but Lieutenant Hawkeye groaned, "Colonel..." His face melted into sight reassurance as he heard her voice. "There is no need for you to perform human transmutation."

"You'll do it, won't you, Mustang?" smiled the gold-toothed man. "Well?

My eyes traveled to the bleeding Lieutenant Hawkeye as she rasped for oxygen, the puddle of blood that was forming over the transmutation circle, the gold-toothed man's vial of Philosophers Stone, and Colonel Mustang's face of pain as he was unable to make a choice. Finally, he dropped his head in shame. "Alright," he replied. "I'll do it."

I wanted to scream NO! at Colonel but the gold-toothed man's glasses gleamed as he smiled evilly, "Oh, you're going to do it?"

"All right, Lieutenant," the Colonel dropped his head reluctantly before lifting it back up defiantly. "I will not perform the human transmutation."

"You're going to forsake her? How cold of you."

"Forsake? As someone who treats these men as sacrificial pawns, you're the last person I want to hear that from."

"They are happy to serve as sacrificial pawns. I fed these men, who were abandoned by their parents, and would have died if I had done nothing. I gave them a first-rate education. I gave them a reason to exist. These men are grateful to me."

"Which is why you let yourself be caught off-balance."

"What do you--?"

Suddenly, a blob of clear slime came down from the ceiling above, grabbed the gold-toothed man, and lifted him back up. All the men who served under him looked around in confusion. "He vanished?" Scar raised a brow.

The vial containing the Philosopher's Stone dropped on one of the men's heads and he looked up to see the gold-toothed man being hanged by Jerso's saliva. He squirmed, kicking his legs as he gripped the saliva that was wrapped around his neck like a noose in hopes of freeing himself. "Yeah, we're grateful," Jerso nodded sarcastically. "After all, I was able to nab you like this."

"Let me go!" Begged the gold-toothed man.

"Let everyone loose, right now!" Jerso ordered. "Or else..." Jerso let out a ball of saliva, tightening the noose around his neck.

"I'm the only doctor who can use alchemy right now!" Negotiated the gold-toothed man. "If you kill me, you'll never save the woman! Do you understand?"

"Heh, don't give me that third-rate line, Doctor," Jerso snickered.

Zampano and May descended from the hole that Jerso was in on the ceiling. Zampano shot spikes and May threw her kunai at the men who has us pinned down. Zampano's spikes missed the men that surrounded Scar, but they moved to dodge the spikes, giving space for Scar to pounce of one of them and destroy their sword with his alchemy. The man who was on my hand jumped to avoid the spikes and I used that window of time to grab my sword and swinging my arm backwards, I stabbed the man who was stepping on my head in the gut. Once I got up again, I used my alchemy to place an explosive clock on his chest, blowing him up.

One of the kunai struck of the men who had Colonel in an armlock and flinched in pain and Colonel grabbed his hand and stabbed the other guy who had him in an armlock in the thigh, freeing himself. Colonel sprang up and ran to the critically injured Lieutenant Hawkeye but one of the men stood in his path. "Out of my way!" He shouted, snapping his fingers and setting the man on fire.

I was engaged in a duel with the guy who had stepped on my hand while Scar was dodging attacks from the men who had him retrained earlier. May began to chase the vial that contained the Philosopher's Stone inside as the Colonel was beside the Lieutenant. He knelt down and picked her up gingerly, cradling her in his arms. "Lieutenant!" He pleaded. "Stay with me! Lieutenant, open your eyes! Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Lieutenant!"

A man tried to sneak attack Colonel Mustang but was met with a kick to a jaw by Darius. As he came down, he asked, "Are you alright?" But was met with no response from Colonel.

"Don't you die!" Colonel cried. "Lieutenant, stay with me!"

May stopped chasing the vial but when she heard Colonel's pleads, she paused, glancing at him and back at the vial. She sighed and ran towards him. "She comes first!" She yelled. "Let me take care of this!"

Drawing a transmutation circle with Lieutenant Hawkeye's blood and placing her kunai down on specific spots on the circle, she told Colonel to lay Lieutenant Hawkeye down on the center of the circle and he obeyed. She used her alkahestry on Hawkeye and the circle glowed underneath her. Once the circle dimmed, Lieutenant Hawkeye gritted her teeth as her eyelids tensed, as if she was waking up but wanted to stay asleep longer.

"Lieutenant!" Colonel sighed as he cradled her again.

"I managed to stop the bleeding for now, but you have to get her to a proper doctor," May explained.

"Thanks, I owe you one," Colonel breathed.

Lieutenant Hawkeye slowly opened her eyes as she looked up at Mustang. "Colonel, I'm sorry..." She mumbled.

"Don't speak," Colonel Mustang shook his head. "Just rest."

"I'm so glad...you understood the look I gave you."

"It's because we've been together for so long. Besides, you see glaring at me with that look that said, 'Perform human transmutation and I'll shoot you.'" Lieutenant Hawkeye gasped a little before giving Colonel a closed-eye smile and they had a moment of peace together.