Spirit Animals

Chapter 36

"What do you mean Fort Briggs has been attacked?" Ed asked incredulously, standing stock still near the steps that led up to the North City train station. Al, Ayala and Chester had all come to a stop next to him when he froze and it was only thanks to the surprise and caution he could feel from the two Animals that he knew he was speaking out loud. Thankfully there didn't seem to be anyone else within earshot of them so he likely hadn't been overheard but he had a feeling that this was something General Armstrong wouldn't want publicized, if he was reading Rachel's thoughts correctly so he made sure he continued the rest of the conversation telepathically. "Who attacked it?"

"I have every reason to believe it was a homunculous," Rachel told him and Ed felt his blood run cold. A homunculous showing up only a few hours from where he and Al were right now? Ed couldn't believe it was just a mere coincidence. Was the homunculous sent as a warning for Ed and Al to back off? If so, why was it sent to Fort Briggs? Unless, Ed thought with horrified realisation, it was sent to prepare Briggs to be bled for the final point of the array. "I can't be certain since Vato and I haven't seen or been near enough to a known homunculous for me to learn their scent. However, from what Ayala, Chester, Nala and Leo have all told me, this creature smelled like what I would expect one of them to smell like," Rachel explained.

"Is everyone alright? What happened?" Ed asked, moving to a nearby bench and sitting on it, mindless of the snow that covered it. He had a feeling this conversation might take a while. He heard and felt Al and the Animals moving with him and two warm weights were sitting on either side of him.

"There were no deaths and no one – as far as Vato and I know of at the moment – were injured seriously enough to have permanent damage. As for what happened, it appears you were right in your theory that one of them were digging the array under Amestris because it dug itself underneath Briggs then came up through the floor of the basement level," Rachel told him. Ed sighed in relief that no one was seriously injured or killed but that begged the question of how no one was injured or hurt.

"What happened with the homunculous?" Ed asked, not believing for a moment that the Ice Queen would let something that managed to infiltrate her base so successfully just walk out alive, even if she was working with Bradley. It wouldn't do any good for the reputation and respect she had gained for herself and the fortress for her to just let something like that go with no Fort Briggs justice inflicted on it.

"We couldn't do anything to it," Rachel told him, a healthy amount of fear in her voice. "Bullets bounced off it, blades shattered against its skin, none of the bigger Animals so much as scratched it. Even the tanks' missiles did absolutely nothing to put this homunculous down," she revealed and Ed reeled slightly with shock. The homunculi he'd come across and fought before – Envy, Gluttony, Lust and Greed – had all been able to be injured by guns, blades and claws so why couldn't this one? Did it have some sort of ultimate shield like Greed?

When he asked, Rachel informed him that she didn't think so. "He didn't cover his body like your memory showed Greed doing. It seemed like this homunculous was just bullet-proof," Rachel told him and Ed sighed. That was just what they needed right now: a homunculous they wouldn't be able to knock down so Ed or Al could get close enough to use their array on him without risking their lives more than necessary.

"Alright. I'm glad you and Falman are safe," Ed said, giving the stingray a mental smile, "but I'm assuming there's another reason you're telling me all of this other than letting us know you've run across a homunculous."

"General Armstrong has asked Vato to ask you to report to Fort Briggs immediately to dispose of the homunculous and answer some questions for her," Rachel revealed and Ed knew his shock had to be showing on his face.