(Tucker Crime Scene)

**Hughes P.O.V**

        I was given orders to go and retrieve Shou Tucker, Nina, and Nicole and bring them to the Command Center. My team and I pulled up to the Tucker Residence, and I instantly felt that something was off. I looked through the gate and saw the bodies of the two MPs we left to guard the place. I quickly threw my hand up to bring my team's attention to me.
        "Everyone needs to keep their guard up; we don't know if the person who killed those guards is still in the house or not. Our objective is to get Shou Tucker, Nicole Tucker, and the chimera Nina Tucker out of the house safe and sound. I think it's safe to say that the killer who is targeting state alchemists is behind this; if you see him, shoot to kill." I instructed them before letting my team loose to go and clear out the house.
        "Major Armstrong, I'm going to have to ask you to stay out here, for your safety," I said as I put my arm in front of the man as he tried following the rest of my soldiers.
        "With all due respect, sir, I couldn't live with myself if that murderer got hold of those little girls and I was out here doing nothing to help. I'm sorry, I will take my punishment without question." He said as he pushed past me.
        I started to protest, but just decided to follow behind him with my gun drawn. The house was dark and quiet; the air felt heavy with sorrow.
        I walked up to the second floor of the house, keeping my gun ready as I made my way through. Checking in rooms that didn't look like they'd been touched yet, I noticed a set of double doors that were left ajar. I took in a quick breath and quietly headed right to the door.
        I pushed my gun through the opening, stating my presence and telling whoever might be inside to have their hands up before I pushed the door the rest of the way open.
        "Oh no." That was the only thing I could say when I saw the blood that stained the walls and the three bodies that littered the floor. I clenched my jaw as I turned away, forcing the tears that wanted to form away. I went up to the bodies to check their pulses, not expecting there to be any survivors, as I could tell from just looking at them that it was the work of the alchemist killer, but I just needed to be sure.
        I pulled a glove from my pocket and pressed two fingers to Shou Tucker's jugular. Nothing.
        I then moved to the chimera. Nothing.
        Finally, I went to check on Nicole Tucker. I pressed my fingers to her neck and waited, feeling nothing at first. I started to pull my hand away when I suddenly noticed her move. It was subtle, but I know for a fact she did. I checked her pulse again, feeling a few faint pulses.
        "They're in here! I need medics STAT." I yelled as loud as I could, "Nicole? Nicole!"
        I gently pushed her hair from her face to see her eyes immediately lock with mine; her chest started to weakly rise and fall as she started breathing.
        My medic, Armstrong, and I all got Nicole put onto a stretcher and got her sent off to the hospital while the rest of my team took care of Shou and Nina's bodies, gently draping cloths over them as they started documenting the crime scene.

(Liore)

        “God has given us a great trial, my children! Wicked heathens have spread an insidious rumor that’s trying to shake our faith, and now the military seeks to oppress us, but we must hold tight to our faith! The time has come to rise and fight for the great God, Leto!” Cornello told his followers.
        “Yeah, we fight for the protection of Leto!” One follower shouted.
        “Down with heathens and heresy!” Another one agreed.
        “No, don’t be fooled! That man speaks nothing but lies; can’t you see that?!” Someone else called out before being bombarded by people.
        “Watch your tongue!”
        The townspeople began to riot.

(Central Command)

**Ed P.O.V**

        Al and I found ourselves at Central Headquarters, making our way up to Mustang’s office. I quickly stuck out my hand to knock on his door, but froze as the door opened to reveal Lt. Hawkeye.        
        “Huh? What’s the matter, you two? You’re up awfully early…” She said as she walked past us.
        “We needed to know…” Al started.
        “What’s going to happen to Tucker and Nina?” I asked.
        Riza stopped walking; a look of shock came across her face as she looked at us.
        “Mr. Tucker was scheduled to be stripped of his certification and stand trial for what he did to Nina, but… they’re dead.”
        “Dead?!” Al shouted, shocked. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t force myself to form any words.
        “You two would find out anyway, so I might as well tell you. They’ve been murdered.”
        “They... How? By who?” I asked, following behind her as she walked off.
        “We don’t know…”
        "What about Nicole? Is she dead, too?" I asked.
        Riza shook her head as she pulled on her coat. "She was found alive, but just barely. She was sent to the hospital, but I don't know if she'll make it. I was just heading over to the scene now."
        “We’re coming with you,” Al and I said together.
        “No.”
        “Why not?!” I shouted only to have her stop and loom over me. “You don’t need to see this.” She said it firmly, then turned back and left us standing there in the hall.

(Hospital)

**Hughes P.O.V**

        I rested my hand on Nicole's shoulder, trying to comfort her. She was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.
        She had red splotches formed from her neck up her face and head; no other injuries were reported. The doctors informed me that she did sustain internal injuries that could have killed her, but we're speculating that she must've passed out from the pain, and her body automatically started working towards repairing itself. By some miracle, it was healed just enough whenever we arrived that she was able to wake up.
        "My father was murdered right in front of my eyes... He'll never be punished for what he did to Nina; he got off easy... Even if he was arrested and tossed in prison, it still wouldn't have been enough." Her voice was breaking when she lifted her head out of her hands, tears welling up in her eyes.
        I pulled her into a tight hug; I stood there and held her as she wailed. She buried her face into my chest, muffling her cries, her hands gripping onto my uniform, keeping me in place. I swayed a little bit, helping her calm down.
        "Nicole. I know this is really difficult for you, and I'm sorry to have to ask, but I need you to tell me what happened. Everything you can remember, down to the smallest detail. Anything to help us find the man who did this to you and your family?" I said as I held her. A few minutes later, I realized that she had stopped crying.
        She pulled away from me, still sniffling with a few stray tears falling. I reached over and grabbed the box of tissues that was sitting on her bedside table and offered them to her. She took the box and pulled a few tissues out, then set the box on the bed next to her.
        "I... well..." She wiped her face and nose with the tissue.
        I sat and pulled a notepad and pen from my coat to take notes as she slowly began to tell me the events that led up to the murders. She told me about leaving the hospital, stopping at a store, then getting home and finding the dead guards.
        "I ignored every warning sign. Being told to wait for the military car to bring me home... I ran haphazardly into an unsecured place after finding the murdered guards instead of calling for help..." She paused, wiping more tears away. "I just shouldn't have come to the hospital that day; I should've stayed home... I might've been able to save Nina."
        "Don't go blaming yourself for any of this. You were doing your job; you were helping people. It's not like you knew about your father's sickening plan or that man coming and attacking your family."
        "Why did I get to live, though?"
        "We think your healing alchemy is what saved you. You probably just passed out from the pain, and your body started healing the injuries you sustained before they became lethal. And since you were covered in blood, he must've thought he did succeed in killing you...
        "He had me; I felt him. I swear I felt myself die... I just want to be with my sister; she was my only reason for staying alive!" Nicole exclaimed, tears starting to flow again.
        "Don't talk like that, Nicole..." I put my hands on both of her shoulders and made her look at me. "It's understandable to feel the weight of what happened, but your survival isn't a burden; it's a testament to your resilience. You're not alone in these feelings, and it's okay to allow yourself to grieve and begin to heal."
        She looked me in the eyes, and she started crying again. I pulled her into another hug and let her cry into my shoulder.
        "You were put here for a reason... You've helped save so many people, you've changed so many lives, you shouldn't take your life for granted either... This is one of the hardest things anyone could go through, but with your persistence and determination, you'll be able to make it through today. Then you'll make it through tomorrow, and then next week. You just need to keep going, for Nina."

(Later - Central Headquarters)

        I had returned to headquarters from the hospital and met up with Major Armstrong. The two of us sat on one of the benches just outside of Colonel Mustang's office.
        “He’s always one step ahead of us,” I muttered to Armstrong. “Better catch up to him quickly, the way things are going…” Armstrong trailed off.
        Mustang had come out and sat on the bench across from us. “You sound as though you were expecting this. Fill me in.”

~~~***~~~***~~~

        “Scar… because of his face?” Mustang asked.
        “Yeah, we don’t really know anything else about him, so that’s what we are calling him,” I explained.
        “The target is both unidentified and elusive; the only information we could obtain about him is that he has a large scar on his forehead,” Armstrong added.
        “Yes, I’ve heard stories about this man. That’s who you’re trying to hunt down?” Mustang asked, putting his hand to his chin.
        “By order of the Military Police Command Center, meanwhile, all my other work is piling up. Man, my head hurts…” I muttered, rubbing my temples.
        “He’s already killed five people in Central, all State alchemists. His body count is now up to ten.” Armstrong said, “Five days ago, he took down old man Gran.”
        “The Brigadier General?! But he was an expert in weapon transmutation!” Mustang stated, shocked.
        “That shows you how dangerous this guy is…” I trailed off as I looked at Mustang with a serious face. “You should increase your escort and lay low for a while; nobody will blame you. Please, I’m asking as your friend… You and the Tuckers were the only state alchemists in this area, right?”
        I watched as Mustang’s eyes grew wide with a sudden realization, “Oh no!”

(Somewhere in the City)

**Ed P.O.V**

        Al and I were sitting on a set of steps in the pouring rain; the news about the Tuckers had weighed heavily on us all day.
        “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. We put all of our trust in alchemy, but in the end, we lose it. Alchemy is the science of understanding the flow of matter and its laws. Everything circulates. Even death is a part of that circulation, and we must accept the flow... Hmph, teacher sure drove that into our heads, didn’t she? I thought I understood it, but. I didn’t. I’m just an idiot. All this time, and I haven’t grown up one bit. I thought maybe the rain would wash away some of this gloom, but all it's doing is making me more depressed.” I said as I looked up at the sky, feeling the rain sprinkle on my face.
        Al sighed and looked up too. “I don’t even get that much. Without a body, I can’t feel the rain hit my face; that’s something I miss all the time. I want to get my body back soon, brother… I just want to be human again, even if it means going against the flow of the world and trying to do the impossible….”
        “You… Are you the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric?” My eyes snapped open to see a man wearing glasses with snow-white hair and a scar on his head.
        Before I realized it, the man pulled his arm back, releasing blue light.
        “Brother!” I heard Al yell as I found myself being pulled out of the way of this man's attack.
        I blinked as the shock disappeared. I clapped my hands together and transmuted a wall to try and block the guy.
        “What the hell is going on?!” I shouted as I watched this man blow the wall apart.
        “Let’s get out of here!” I yelled as Al and I ran down a different set of stairs, but we stopped when the man suddenly appeared at the bottom, his arm at the ready.
        “No, you don’t…” he said as he destroyed the stairs, causing Al and me to fall.
        Luckily, Al was able to grab on to the remaining edge with one arm, and he grabbed my leg with the other. The scarred man then destroyed the rest of the stairs, causing us to fall to the ground, thankfully on our feet.
        “Damn it! What’s this guy’s problem?! There’s no reason for him to want to kill us, right?” I yelled out as Al and I continued running down the street at high speed.