Leave A Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Infinity

I didn't notice it. Like before, I only caught a glimmer before everything kickstarted. Ed saw it first, flicker of some stone. Red.

"That's...!" He was already a quarter of a mile ahead, transmuted earth supplying pathways up to a tall building. "The Philosopher's Stone!"

It...

Was here?

Al and I reached the roof; three Homunculi greeted us, and the nightmare I had came flooding back. The rooftop was similar, but no portal was opening up. I briefly glanced around, noticing there was a door nearby, one that led to the building's top floors. An escape, if we needed it.

And looking out to each Homunculus, the ouroboros tattoos on their skin... We just might need it, that escape.

I paused, breathing in the air. This was it.

The Homunculus in front of us grinned, stone glinting in the sunlight. Still held with one hand.

We had this.

The attacks came all at once; lines made of fingers from the left, a charge with a hand made out of a cleaver to the right. Both attacks blocked by Edward's transmuted spikes. Sharp tunnels that either disintegrated or continued on only to be blocked.

The main Homunculus, a tall creature with an ouroboros tattoo on the side of its face, just laughed, and it was a sound that cut deep within my bones.

The attack that came next was one I didn't expect. It was caused by one reach of the hand, and the rooftop's ground responded, the earth exploding in a tidal wave that pulsed out. I transmuted the earth in front of me into a spike, enough to send me up, get high enough to avoid the attack.

I was alive, for another moment, and then my physical stability crumbled.

The tidal wave had passed, and Ed was already recovering from the platform he'd constructed. Falling and transmuting a javelin. But this weapon, although thrown, was simply caught and discarded off the rooftop. Thrown away like trash.

I ran a few steps forward, raising my knee to my chest and slamming it down. Right on the side of a Homunculi's knee, where the kneecap connected the femur to the bone. The joint broke in half under my weight, my foot continuing on enough to feel the limb subtly pinch me

I thought I had him, and then before my foot could retract, the break molded back together, trapping my foot inside.

I tried to yank my leg back once, twice, three times. And then my foot appeared with red lightning. The lightning skittered around my shoe, as I ducked a hook. I could only guess Ed had saved me with whatever strange power he had.

A soft confirmation, a yell to me. Was I okay?

I couldn't respond to such a question. I just slammed my foot again, nailing the Homunculus in the chest.

"Your foolish attacks have no effect against me."

I hesitated, for a moment, that word hanging me by the throat internally. I... it was right.

My muscles moved on their own, body sprawled out in order to dodge a kick, and I twisted around, hooking foot to ankle and sending my enemy down to the ground.

I stomped their knee, before they could get up. But with cracks of red, the wound just healed once again.

They rose, a grin on their face. I quickly pulled my knee up and struck my leg out, denting his face. Right in his damn tattoo.