Hiding In The Shadows (a Full Metal Alchemist FanFic)

Greed's demise

Scarlett's P.O.V.

WHY. ARE. WE. FOLLOWING. THIS DAMNED. HOMUNCULI!???! It seemed Al really wanted to know where the hell he was going, and so, I was dragged along as well. Lovely. We found an abandoned shack, and the six of us entered it and waited.

And waited.

Aaaaannnndddd waited.

Damn, it's getting dark.

Maybe I should make a story up to pass the time.

Once upon a time, there was a shrimp. His name was Edward Elric, and he lived in the deep blue sea where he was the smallest of all shrimp. He liked to believe he was an angry troll that was feared by all, but in reality, people thought he was an annoying little-

"None of them are showing up Greed." The dog chimera smoothed his hair down, only to see it stand back up. Alphonse stood from where he was seated, and I slid off the window sill.
"They're all gone..?" The girl inside Al's armor seemed to break down at the sentence.

"Now what, Greedy?" I said nonchalantly. He shrugged and sent a forced smile my way.

"They died for me. I'm touched. Now let's get out of here." Wow, that was a bipolar sentence. We heard as the door shatter to splinters, and two people entered. One was a woman that wore a too revealing dress and the other needed to lay off in the chocolates.

"Hello Greed." he woman smiled behind her black lipstick. Greed seemed to flinch under the words. The two chimeras chose to stay behind, covering for us as we ran like cowards. Damn. I hate to admit it.

"Greed..?" The snake girl lifted Al's helmet slightly to see her leader. He then whispered something I couldn't hear, but it must've been something she didn't like, because she started to thrash around and get out.

"Take care of her for me." Greed smiled sadly, taking the familiar route to... Dante's? Al was trying to keep the girl inside his armor, so I thought it would be okay if I accompany Greed. I raced after Greed, and he turned quickly to give me a frown.

"This isn't your fight." He informed me.

"Hey, you're the leader." I shrugged.

"What makes you think that?"

"Greed may consume a person, but a leader consumes the problems ahead to leave a path for followers to follow." I advised. He looked at me weird before shrugging an continuing down the path. I walked alongside him, huh. I guess he's not as bad as I truly thought.

"So what are you gong to do once you reach Dante's?" I asked him, "if I might say?" He sighed, but not because of annoyance, it sounded more like, what Hughes sounded before we left on the train. Can't wait to see him again.

"It's because she's not what everyone perceive she is." He finally replied, and my ears perked up at the sentence. I started to jump up and down on the ground.

"I knew it!!! BOOM!! TAKE THAT YA OLD HAG!!" I laughed, and surprisingly, so did Greed.

"You're a very strange alchemist." He chuckled, "but that's also a good thing. Maybe a strange alchemist is all Edward and Alphonse Elric needed." My face blushed red and I squeezed my hands together to redirect it. Before I knew it we were at the steps of the Deep Dante's house. I started in, but my homunculus friend stopped me. Yea. We are now bros.

"This is where you leave me. Even though you followed, this is my fight." He patted my head, like I was like a small kid, and strode inside before I could say another word. I raised a eyebrow to that, but I still said nothing. After a few minutes of sitting on the steps, I heard a shrimp's voice rise form the forest.

"Scarlett!!" He seemed to be calling to the sky, probably still looking for me. A few twigs snapped, and I stood up with my hands in my pockets. A bright flash of light blinded a hundred foot radius with its blue light. I groaned at the spin in the back of my retinas, but was cut off by hands wrapping around my torso.

"Bitch! You had me scared..." I looked behind me to see Edward's golden hair buried into my back. What is he doing? Where's the real Ed? Ya know, the one that wouldn't care if I died, the one that had a serious anger issue. Soon enough, I was trying to hide my blush and Ed had pulled away with relief in his eyes. He then slapped the top of my head with the palm of his hand before anything else got weird.

"Stay here." He ordered, pointing to the steps once again. I groaned, standing my ground and folding my arms across my chest.

"Imma comin with you. Idiot with anger issues." I snapped, starting up the stairs with him. A smirk placed on my face, since what could he do to stop me? "And there's no-" I was cut off by the most unexpected thing from Edward Elric.

He kissed me.

On the lips.

He pulled away a few seconds later, a smirk on his lips while my hands flew to my own. The heat in my cheeks could make water boil now.

"I finally got that smirk off your face." He chuckled slowly, and pushed me lightly back down the stairs so I couldn't follow him. What. The. Hell. Why? How?....maybe it was just a prank, to get a smirk off my face, but still. I clutched my coat in my hands as I awaited Edward to return.

Edwards P.O.V.

Oh. My. Science. I just- oh my science I can't even. I was in the moment, and I simply leaned in to her. Once I locked the door behind me, I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand. How do I know she even likes me? I need to push this thought aside.

"Greed!" I called the homunculus's name and only was greeted by his gasps for air. He was in the main library where he knelt to the ground, panting heavily. Yes. That sounded really weird.
"You're going down." I gritted my teeth at him as he simply stood back up, putting on his shades.

"You're getting cocky you know." He sighed.

"Let Scarlett and Al go!"

"Don't you get it? I did. I let them go." His smile was now gone and replaced with a frown. I didn't buy it. My hand was now a sword and I was running toward Greed. We clashed boldly, him stronger and pushing me away with his ultimate shield. He slashed at my side a couple of times, some hitting their target and others being blocked by alchemy.

I jumped over his head and came in for another blow to his abdomen, but he grabbed me by the neck. My airway was suddenly blocked, and my vision became black on the edges. I couldn't hear a word he was saying, all I could see was my life flash before my eyes.

Then it stopped on Scarlett. I don't know why, but my life flash thing stopped and went in slow motion. I had to live. There was so much I needed to say. I started to think; the hardness of his so called "ultimate shield", seemed a lot like...

"...your alchemy is nothing compared to me. Let's try-" I clapped my hands and grabbed his arm. A alchemic reaction happened, causing Greed to drop me. "What did you-" He went to punch me, but his hardened skin disintegrated on contact with my own fist. His eyes widened.

"What the hell did you do to my do to my shield you little bastard?!?" He yelled.

"It's really easy when you realize that there are no inexplainable events. Everything is a result of measurable scientific action, even your precious ultimate shield. They say Homunculi have the same structure as a human on an elemental level. And one element that hardens when you hit abrasions? Carbon. Makes up one third of your body. And the hardness of carbon can change when the atomic bonds are strong or not. It can be the difference between pencil lead and a diamond." I smirked, finishing my speech with my sword piercing his chest. He coughed up blood, red and sticky.

"Who knew I'd meet my end with you." He chuckled darkly. "I guess this is my demise." His skin started to flake, turning into ash as it blew away in the wind. "just take care of that girl of yours..." I could even hear the smile in his voice. Watching the last of his ashes safely float away, I turned to walk out the door to Scarlett.