Fullmetal Alchemist: The Way To The Top

Chapter 1: Decision

Slowly, the darkness pulled away. First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye knew something must have happened. She was standing in front of a chimera, leaning against him. Just a while ago, her throat was cut. Her only luck was that May Chang was near at that moment. She was able to shut her wound with alkehestry, preventing Riza from bleeding out. Riza was saved but she still felt weak from the blood loss. Her shirt and jacket were soaked. It was a warm day but Riza felt terribly cold. The shivers that went through her body weren't her greatest concern. Her Colonel was taken away by the Homunculi and she wasn't able to prevent that.

Riza was wondering whether the Colonel was still alive. She pulled that thought away very quickly. He had to be alive. But what did Bradley say when the Colonel was taken? "I can not guarantee he still has all of his limbs." They forced him to perform the Human Transmutation. When the Elric brothers tried to do it, it cost Ed his left leg. Al was taken away by the Truth. Ed sacrificed his right arm in exchange with his brother's soul and bound it to a suit of armor. But the question was, what happened to the Colonel? Was his body taken? Was his arm or leg pulled apart? Another shiver went through her body at that thought. Riza worried very much for him ever since they first met. He had always been reckless about himself. He cared always only about the others. Everybody in the military said it will cost him his life once. That was what Riza was for. To protect him. But now she failed. She prayed he was alright, even though she didn't believe in any gods.

Riza was deeply in her thoughts when a sound from underneath them came. Not long after, two pillars made with alchemy came. On each pillar, there were a few people. One had a form of a block, it was made by Al. So he was safe. Riza moved then her eyes to the other one. It hat a form of a hand. On the top of it... "COLONEL!" she cried out. On the same time, Mr. Curtis did the same for his wife Izumi.

When they reached the level of the floor the Lieutenant was at, she noticed that something wasn't right. Izumi helped the Colonel to get out of the pillar. She was then hugged by her husband who was crying with joy. The Lieutenant ran quickly to her Colonel. He was sitting on the ground, holding his hand in front of his face. "Are you injured, Colonel?!" the Lieutenant asked with fear in her voice. He looked up to her. No, he looked through her. He has sort of unconscious look in his eyes. The Lieutenant tried to figure out what they have done to him. After a few seconds which seemed like ages, he finally said: "They took my eyesight." That easy sentence flipped over everything she believed in.

The future of the Colonel becoming the President ended in that moment. What will he do? This was everything he lived for. To save this nation. 'This cannot be happening,' the Lieutenant told to herself, 'now I am going to wake up. Please.' A sharp pain in her throat brought her back to the presence. She observed the Colonel carefully being ready to help him when he would need it.

The Colonel had very similar thoughts. He thought about how he decided to become the President back in Ishval. His best friend Maes Hughes supported him until his last breath. The night he was killed, he said the military was in danger. The Colonel promised to eliminate that danger. On his way to that, he lost another subordinate, Havoc, who was paralyzed after the Homunculus Lust pierced him through and injured his spine. After a long time, now he was so close to destroying the Homunculi. He couldn't give up at any circumstances. He had to bring it to the end. But he wasn't able to do it alone in this state.

"Lieutenant, how are your wounds?" he asked. The Lieutenant looked at him in disbelief, this was the last question she was expecting. "Here you go again, Sir," she said then, "you should be worrying about yourself. Your eyes..." The Colonel didn't let her finish the sentence. "Lieutenant! Can you still fight?" he asked. The Lieutenant wasn't able to say a word at first, but then she ignored the pain in her throat, as well as the fact her wound was starting to bleed again. It wasn't that bad at the moment and the Colonel needed her. Then she finally answered: "Yes, Sir!"

They slowly stood up. The Lieutenant stood near the Colonel, making sure he knew where she was. A tear escaped from her eye. 'I can't cry!' she thought, 'I have to stay strong for the Colonel!' she slapped her face lightly. The last time she cried was in the 3rd laboratory. She thought the Colonel was dead. She was even ready to die. She has given up. How foolish! The Colonel hasn't given up after what happened to him. The Lieutenant was angry with herself. She gave up on fighting. She had done a terrible thing. But now she could help to save their country. And she was going to do that!

Major Armstrong made a pillar to bring them to the surface, where the others were fighting. On the next floor, they met Greed, Lan Fan and Scar. Greed took the chance to manage the fight. He said everyone who couldn't fight had to stay back. Major General Armstrong wasn't ready to give up so easily. Greed understood quickly it wasn't possible to command her. He spoke to the Major and Colonel. He informed them the Father was a solid Philosopher's stone made from hundreds of thousands of human lives. He knew the Alchemists will understand what that meant. Then he commanded all the normal humans to get off. One of the soldiers convinced the Major General to stay back. She then turned to her brother: "Take the radio with you. And you had damn well better win!" He smiled down on her: "No need to tell me!"

The Colonel considered the family business of the Armstrongs was solved so he made his way to the ones who were going to fight. Greed gave him a fed-up look. "Hey, hey I said no gimps." The Colonel knew someone was going to be against him joining the fight. He has already prepared the answer: "You need my help to burn through this guy's store of Philosopher's stones, right? Then I need the Lieutenant to be my eyes." Greed tried to argue but Lan Fan knew they had no time for that. After the Major promised Mr. Curtis to protect Izumi and the others, he built a pillar and they headed to the surface to join a fight which might be their last one.

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This chapter was basically the story told in the manga. I was wondering what the characters were thinking in those moments. I thought it must have been very difficult for them to find the courage to fight.

So, this was the first fanfiction chapter I have ever written. Hope you liked it. The second chapter is coming soon :)