Chapter 174 - Scar

The metallic slab with meters high soil above it moved and covered the rectangular cavity in the ground flawlessly. It seemed as if there was never anything different here.

Far above, there was a swarm of semicircular drones with a single black dot at the center. From far, it looked like an eye. With a short humming sound, the whole swarm of these drones disappeared as each of them started moving in a different direction.

In East City,

Tatsuya took out tens of drones as they disappeared while moving towards the city. It would take time before the drones from Central City reaches here. Since he was here, it would be better, he released the drones he kept in item storage for an emergency.

He gave the glassy rectangular slab in his hand to Miyuki, "Ironically, I can't see now." He created the project third eye to be used in case of emergency. To keep an eye on this country and find out about whatever was happening.

Miyuki held the portable monitor in her hand, "Till Onii-sama get his sight back, let me be your eyes."

Tatsuya gently pulled her in front of him, hugging her from behind, "Yeah..."

Miyuki leaned back, wondering, "what are we looking for?"

"That guy, Hughes warned us about."

A murderer was roaming the streets of Amestris. The code name he was given was Scar and his favorite target? State Alchemist.

Tatsuya had the perfect target for him.

Miyuki manipulated the remote control to search for the Scar. She flipped the glassy slap from the middle, increase the surface area as multiple screens appeared on the glassy slab, covering it.

From the description she heard, Scar was a man with brown skin, fairy tall, muscular build, and wore sunglasses; he also had an X-shaped scar on his face that gave him the name. It would be easy to find someone like that, "Onii-sama, should we go inside? It might take time to find him?"

Tatsuya was still trying to see through tens of thousands of Chi in the city, "I have a feeling we will find him soon." They were too many, too chaotic. He could still make out a few of them. Like Shou Tucker's, Eds, Flame Alchemists.

Last time he had a similar feeling about Nina, but he ignored it. He wasn't used to whatever this was, intuition? He didn't know.

Suddenly, a beep resounded from now the square glass slab.

"Hm?" Miyuki turned the thin slab over. It showed even more small rectangular screens; above all the screens, there was a small gap, with East City blinking in bold letters.

One of the many rectangular screens was blinking; she tapped on the screen, expanding it.

A fleeting view appeared on the screen. On the screen was a house; she watched as a tall, muscular man wearing a jacket walked inside.

"Found him..." Miyuki watched the live footage in extreme surprise.

"He is going in Tucker's house!"

"..." This time, even Tatsuya was speechless. He wasn't sure if he should be happy? Laugh? Be satisfied? or what?

Miyuki moved the cloaked drone behind Scar.

In Shou Tucker's house,

Scar stood at the entrance watching Shou Tucker as he sat leaning against the wall. He sat curled up, shivering, frightened, his arms holding himself.

"You are Shou Tucker, correct?"

Shou just watched him in fear, "who are you?!"

Scar walked towards him, talking, "Foolish Alchemist, who have turned their ways from God..." He held Shou Tucker's face with force, "Shall be punished."

*Cra*Cra*Crackle*

Blue lighting appeared from Scar's hand, covering Shou Tucker's whole body.

"Ughuh!"

Shou Tucker dropped down, bleeding all over, lifeless.

Scar watched him before turning around.

Miyuki watched the video with a displeased frown, "that man got an easy death."

"So? Shou Tucker's death?" Tatsuya said while focusing his senses towards Shou Tucker's house. He felt the Chi in had disappeared.

His attention wasn't on Shou Tucker but remembering Scar's Chi. It would be in his best interest if he remembered the Chi of the murderer. In some ways, he might have lost the way to see things clearly, but now, he could see much farther.

"Yes, he is..." She said, a bit disappointed with the result.

Tatsuya kissed her head, his hand gently rubbing her waist, "let's go."

"Mm-hm"

In front of a two-story brick house, surrounded by rolling hills.

"Mom! Mom! Come Look!"

A seven or eight years old Ed ran with a horse figurine in his hand.

A beautiful, warm woman turned to face him with a smile, "what is it, Edward?"

"Hee-Hee, It's a present," Edward said showing, the horse to his mother.

"Oh? for me?" The woman asked in surprise while maintaining a smiling face.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, gazing at the horse figurine.

"I transmuted it; I put it together with Alchemy!"

She watched Edward and the figurine in astonishment, "You did? I guess you DO take after your father!"

She patted her head, "Thank you, Edward! You really are special. Being able to create something so wonderful..."

Suddenly the world turned dark, her smile turned creepy. She smiled, her face covered in blood, "Too bad you couldn't put me back together!"

Child Edward watched her in horror before waking up in bed.

"Nightmare again?"

Edward let out a breath as he turned to look at the owner of the voice.

He frowned in embarrassment, "don't you have anything better to do?"

He watched Tatsuya leaning back on the sofa chair, with a teacup in his hand.

"You don't know how troublesome it is without eyes. I basically have nothing to do, or rather, there is nothing much I can do."

Ed moved, sitting at the edge of the bed, his feet touching the floor, "where is Al?"

"He went to get some food for me. Unlike you, I like to wake early."

Ed silently sat on the bed, "what do you plan to do now?" He hesitated, "about your eyes?"

"Hmm...not sure, get used to being blind?"

Ed tightened his fist, "that's not what I mean! Won't you try to get your eyes back?!"

"How?" Tatsuya asked back, indifferently, "Philosophers Stone?"

"There must be a way?! You always know more than you let on! Don't you know a way?!" He always knew Tatsuya had more knowledge about their situation than he let on. He even thought Tatsuya must have a way to get his eyes and their bodies back. He had always believed that.

"I do have an idea, it's all about cause and effects if you remove the cause...some effects should disappear."

Ed frowned in confusion, "what are you talking about?!"

Tatsuya curled his lips into a smile, "you will understand...in due time."

Ed calmed down; he was already used to Tatsuya, never giving him a straight answer.

"You really saw Al?"

"Yes..."

"..."

"That's not a good thing."

"What? Why?!" Ed asked in apparent confusion. Shouldn't he seeing Al's body be a good thing?

"I have been healing Al's soul for years. I never saw his body before; now that I saw it could only mean one thing. The connection between his body and soul have grown stronger. If it goes on like this, his body might pull back his soul. I could slow the deterioration down, but you won't have more than a few years to find a way."

Ed stood up alarmed, his eyes staring at Tatsuya, "Wait! Haven't you been healing Al? What was that for?!! Shouldn't that help Al in some way?!"

"It does, if by chance...ever, Al's blood seal gets damaged, the stored energy would restore it. It also allows him to feel things even with a metal body."

"Isn't there a way to help?!"

"Yes, but in the long run, that won't be good for Al."

Ed slumped down on the bed, "I see..."

After a bit of silence, he spoke, "I will...find a way to cure him...get his body back."

Tatsuya just drank tea in silence. Shortly, the door opened.

Al walked in with two plates in his hand. He was half bent, probably used his elbow to open the gate.

"Al?"

"Ed...you are awake? I got you some food too."

He put a plate on the bed with milk in it before taking the other plate to Tatsuya.

"Thank you, Al."

After they ate,

Ed stood up, "I will go talk to Colonel Mustang. I am going to talk to him about Shou Tucker."

"If there is any change in the situation, tell me."

After they left, Tatsuya kept leaning on the chair with his eyes closed.

His senses spread across the city, as far as they could.

"I wonder if they would meet..."

Sometime later, the door opened,

Miyuki walked in with a chirping Nina and Alexander following behind her.

The three of them had been staying in the neighboring room.

"Big Brother!" Nina ran and jumped up in Tatsuya's lap.

"Woof! Woof!" Alexander came running, standing beside him.

Tatsuya patted her head, kissing her cheek, "Morning, Nina!"

Tatsuya said, cuddling her in his arms.

Miyuki stood behind him, resting her arms on his shoulder, "Miyuki doesn't get the greeting?!"

Tatsuya turned his face, kissing her cheek, "Morning, Miyuki..."

"Morning...Onii-sama..."

Tatsuya stroked Nina's head, "Nina, do you want to go shopping?"

Nina looked up in expectation, "shopping?"

"Yes, buy some clothes, food, ice cream?"

Nina's eyes started shining, "icecream?!" She stood up on Tatsuya's lap, "Nina wants to go!"

Miyuki chuckled, watching Nina's excited expression, "then, let's get ready, shall we?"

Nina jumped down, running towards the door, "Yes! Alexander, come!"

Miyuki smiled, before turning to Tatsuya, "does Onii-sama need any help?"

Tatsuya shook his head, "don't worry about me...my other senses make up for my lost sight. It is a bit inconvenient, but not that big a problem."

Miyuki turned to look at Tatsuya's dull eyes, "don't be shy if you need anything..."

"I won't."