Mustang: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 35: Mother or Not

The blonde alchemist surveyed the area and immediately shot Sloth a glare as he walked over and helped Akari up before looking back at her.

"Listen you damn Homunculus. Get away from Al now." Demanded Ed, acting completely different from the last time he saw Sloth.

Akari and Al were surprised, Al especially as he looked at Sloth.

"B-But brother remember. This is....." Trailed Al.

Sloth gave a small smile at Ed as the older Elric gave no reaction back.

"Akari, Al, step back!" Shouted Ed as he clapped his hands, transforming his metal right arm into a firearm.

In an instant Al ducked and Akari stepped back as Ed began to fire at Sloth, who had turned her entire body into water to take the hits as Ed continued to fire until the Sloth completely went away into the floor as Alphonse almost immediately got in between Ed and the water puddle infuriating the older Elric.

"Brother stop!" Said Al.

"Get out of the way Al!" Said Edward as Akari got up and grabbed his shoulder.

"Calm down Edward!" She said only for Ed to shake her off.

"You stay out of this!" Shouted Ed as Sloth's head slowly emerged from the puddle.

"You're hurting me Edward." She said.

Edward's arm turned back to normal as he scoffed at her. "Nice try but I know it takes more than that to kill you!" He said as he immediately began to run the other direction with Sloth immediately chasing him.

She turned both her arms into water as they wrapped around Ed, trapping him and holding him still.

"Your mother was talking to you." Said Sloth with a smirk.

Ed struggled to break until until he turned to look at Sloth as gave a small smile himself.

This shocked Sloth as she looked down to see what they were standing on.

Sloth, as well as Akari and Al who had just caught up to the two were shocked to see a large drawing of a circle with multiple runes within it here of all places.

"What is this?" Asked Sloth.

"I asked myself that same question yesterday as well when I stumbled upon here. Once I found out this specific circle was used to seal and kill Homunculi, I set you up by having Alphonse come here as bait." Said Ed who had this planned the entire time which shocked Al and Akari while Sloth simply gave a smile hearing that.

"That's quite clever of you boy, however it'll take much more than that to kill me you know."

"Oh don't worry I know. I got that all covered!" Said Ed, his hand reaching into his pocket as he pulled out a small container.

In a move that shocked Sloth, Ed, instead of trying to break free decided to turn around and immediately charge straight at Sloth.

This caused the trap to loosen up as Ed reached and slammed the container into Sloth's body as it accepted the container, beginning to merge with it as Sloth began to slowly decay.

"Brother what is that!?" Asked Al.

"She's our fake mom Al. This is her weakness. Her remains." Said Ed.

Hearing this shocked Al as he got upset.

"W-Wait. You dug out our mother's grave without telling me!? What's wrong with you!" Asked Al which shocked Akari.

"In case you didn't notice we're fighting for our lives!" Said Ed.

Al ignored that as he ran and grabbing the container containing their mother's remains out of Sloth as he threw it outside the window.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Said Ed running at Al only for him to shove the other down.

"Just stay down Ed! I'm not gonna let you do this to her!"

"Don't you understand!? We got a job to fulfill!"

"Mom's reamins paralyzed this homunculus. This proves what she is absolutely and where she comes from. We created her that day." Said Al, as he turned to see Sloth regained form and began barfing up her insides.

"You need to understand Al! We did create her and now we gotta put her to rest! Do you really wanna keep being attacked by her again!?" Asked Ed as Al struggled to answer.

He knew what he had to, but he just didn't have the strength to do it.

They all then saw Sloth, who was severely weakened by her own remains, slowly regain human form as she stood up and face Ed.

"Edward..........please."

"Stop trying to play your dumb mom card! You don't even have memories!"

"Yes I do. I don't know how or why. Maybe it was your own feelings and wants that were etched into my own memory. Either way I do have them." Said Sloth.

"If so then why're you still attacking us!?" Asked Ed.

"To be free. These memories are the driving force of everything I do because they feel like chains. I remember, being a mother with endless devotion. Now, I have none. It's a fraudulent persona that's been forced on me, and I don't have the energy to consume it. That's why I have to kill you. So I can prove this identity is false. No real mother would kill her own sons after all. As long as you children are alive, these memories will torment me into trying to make me into this human. They're at war with my real self, and they could win. In time I might even come to love you two." Said Sloth.

Throughout that monologue, Al stayed silent as Ed tried to hold in tears.

It touched Akari, as she knew deep down that despite the hostility, Trisha Elric, Alphonse and Edward's mother was still there.

Sadly, letting her live wasn't an option. Even Sloth knew that herself as she finished speaking.

"How could I allow that though? I should always hate you for creating me." Said Sloth.

Will what strength she had left, she attacked Edward.

This caught him by surprise as he fell down but immediately got up and starting running as Sloth continued to attack with her water whips over and over again not letting Ed get a chance to stop.

Ed then clapped his hands and placed them on the ground as a wall emerged up from it which Sloth easily took down with her water whips.

Ed however kept making more and more walls that Sloth kept knocking down.

"Brother. What're we supposed to do with her?" Asked Al as Akari also waited for his answer.

"We made her. It's our responsibility to deal with her! He said as he his metal arm into a blade as he jumped up and slashed down at Sloth who had turned her body into water avoid damage.

Sloth let out another attack as Ed jumped back to avoid.

Ed then began to parry and block Sloth's attacks with said blade as Sloth wouldn't let off the offensive as she only got faster and faster.

Akari saw that Ed wasn't gonna be able to last long enough so with the remaining energy she had left, she froze time for Sloth only.

"Hurry and attack her while she's frozen! I can't hold it for that long!" Shouted Akari as Ed nodded and charged at Sloth.

Right as time had returned for Sloth, she saw Ed stab her directly through the chest.

Sloth saw this and simply gave a smile. "The final proof is coming when you see how little I care." She said.

That was until a bright glow appeared.

Then in a quick second, Sloth bursted apart into water droplets as It began to rain a bit inside the building as the droplets fell to the floor.

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Chapter 35: Complete