The Price of Life [Fullmetal Alchemist]

Chapter Thirty Two

Warrior in Peril

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Sonia peers over the rooftop, watching Ed be theatrical and over the top with his alchemy in an attempt to lure out Scar. She was skeptical about this all; Scar was never good news, and would he really be so desperate to seek out State Alchemists in the middle of the day? She couldn't say she agreed to the entire plan.

Lan Fan could sense her worry. She tried for words of affirmation.

"Do not fret. The homunculi will come out soon." That didn't help her anxiety, but she appreciated her effort.

Sonia suddenly felt the homunculi's thousands of souls, coming closer and closer.

"Sooner than later," Ling says to the two girls. Sonia is taken by surprise.

"You can feel them too?" she asks, confusion prominent on her facial features.

Ling and Lan Fan look at each other, possibly wondering the same thing.

"How strange," he comments, "But we don't have time right now. Look."

It was a homunculus Sonia hadn't encountered before. He was round and fat with a bald head. He gave off a sense of naivety, but once he opened his giant mouth and went after Lan Fan, she was truly terrified. She remembers clearly what happened the last time she had an encounter with these creatures. For a split of a second, she wondered if her sister would make an appearance.

Lan Fan and Ling ganged up on the homunculus, and Sonia was about to join them in the fight when a voice called to her.

"The See-All Alchemist," the voice boomed from the ground. She looked down from her rooftop, recognizing the voice was King Bradley.

'The Fuhrer is a homunculus himself.'

"Didn't I see you in the hospital a few weeks ago? How are you recovering?" he goes on, unsheathing his two swords. It puts Sonia on edge. "I heard Mustang was in the hospital as well. I wonder whatever happened to him... Have you any idea? Or should I ask him myself?"

"Stop this," she shouts from the roof. "I know what you are! You can't hide the truth from me!"

"An observant one you are, See-All. Did you ever think that would be the cause of your death?"

Sonia looks around at her surroundings. Bradley watches as she transmutes push knives by clapping her hands then a disconnected iron pipe.

"Transmuting without a circle?" He looks genuinely surprised. "How intriguing. Looks like we have another candidate. Never mind that. I grow tired of talking."

Bradley moved so much faster than any aging man she had ever met. She barely had time to block, and his attempts at slicing her open almost succeeded. She knew defending wouldn't get her anywhere, so she threw the tiny dagger at him. It went straight through his left palm. Sonia felt relief, but only for fleeting moments. He simply chuckled and pulled it out of his hand swiftly, as if it didn't pain him at all.

"You let your guard down because you got one shot at me!" He comes at her even faster, and Sonia can't process it quickly enough. "You truly are an amateur!" The homunculus goes for a sword uppercut, it lands. But not on Sonia.

"Lan Fan, no!"

Lan Fan's arm starts immediately gushing out blood, and Ling is quick to abandon the fat homunculus and go to his servant.

"What happened?!"

"She ran in front of me, Bradley hurt her!" There's panic in Ling's eyes as he tries to figure out exactly what to do.