Chapter 181 - (Back From Haitus.)

Tatsuya, Miyuki, Ed, and Al finally reached their home outside the Central. Getting out of that shadow's reach did feel great.

There was also the sound of Armors clacking. More like there was one other than Al's armor.

It was number 66 - moments after they left, the building fell down into ruins erasing any trace of a philosopher stone being made.

Ed laid down on the lawn the moment he entered - raising his one hand. His automail arm had stopped working in the middle.

"Finally!! I feel a bit better!"

Al also sat down where he stood, "I thought we would die there..."

"Heh, if you want - I can cut you?" Barry offered his help to them.

Al slumped his body, "No, thank you."

Miyuki glanced at them, "come inside - you'll get sick. You are already going to hear a lot from Winry for breaking that arm - do you want to hear more by getting sick?"

Tatsuya opened the door, "It doesn't matter - she would kill him either way."

Ed raised his body, his eyes seeming to dread the moment he would face her, "Maybe...I'll survive?"

Tatsuya scoffed, "good luck with that." He opened the door, walking inside.

Al stood up, "come on, brother...let's go inside."

Ed laid down on the floor, "leave it be...I'll die anyway..."

When Ed and Al came in,

Tatsuya and Miyuki were talking in whispers as they sat beside each other on the sofa.

They looked up at them and stopped when they entered.

Ed stared at Tatsuya, "what is it?"

Tatsuya stared at them for a while before speaking, "we are planning to go to Dublith for a while."

"Dublith?!" Al, who was about to sit, stood up in shock.

"Why would you want to go there?!" Ed almost didn't run out of the room. The whole idea of Dublith scared him.

"We plan of leaving Nina in Izumi's care, and there is something that we have to do. Someone else to meet."

"Teacher!!"

"Teacher!"

"How do you know... Teacher?!"

"She is your teacher, of course, we went to meet her. She taught me too." Miyuki explained with a smile on her face.

"Is - that - so?" Ed nodded after thinking for a while. Leaving Nina here was too unsafe - those homunculi - that thing that almost killed them...Central was becoming too dangerous.

"I plan on asking Winry to come and repair my arm. After that, we'll come to Dublith as well..."

Tatsuya narrowed his eyes, watching them, "do whatever you want - but remember one thing."

He spoke solemnly, "do not speak of what happened today to anyone inside Central. If that thing from the shadows leaned any of this or that we even know of them. They will kill everyone."

Al abruptly stopped them, "wait! aren't you going to stay and meet Winry?"

Tatsuya paused before deciding, "No... if we wait - it might be too late."

Ed looked down, "she would want to meet you two - She'll be upset."

Tatsuya stood up, "get some rest, and you 66, you'll come with us tomorrow."

"Yes!! I have a feeling I will find someone to cut if I go with you!"

Tatsuya glanced at them before leaving the room. Miyuki stood up after Tatsuya left, "now, boys...don't get into more trouble before you reach Dublith. And...apologize to Winry for me. Tell her, Next time..."

"Yeah..." Ed and Al mumbled at the same time.

After Miyuki left, Ed sat down in front of Al, "sorry, Al..."

Al glanced up, staring at Ed for a while, "I know...we'll find a different way. I don't want to get my body back...not if I had to use another person's soul for it."

Ed just curled up his legs, putting his arm and head on it, "I'm sorry..."

"It's ok..."

"I'm sorry..."

"It's ok..."

"I'm sorry..." Ed said, whimpering.

Al looked up at the roof, "Ed...It's ok..."

Next day,

Tatsuya and Miyuki were on the train to Dublith. Miyuki watched Nina's sleeping face - there were some tears in the corner of her eyes. It seemed she really liked Elicia.

She could just see her crying again when they left her to Izumi.

Miyuki put her head on Tatsuya's shoulder, leaning on him, "we are really going to leave her with Izumi?"

"This would be better for her - Izumi would give her a safe home and a sense of family that we might never be able to give her."

Miyuki took a deep breath, wrapping her hand around his, "I know..."

Tatsuya stared outside the window, gazing at the moving landscape, "I don't like it any more than you do...If possible - I'd want her to stay with us."

"You will?" Miyuki seemed astonished.

Tatsuya turned his face to her, kissing her forehead, "I will..."

"Onii-sama..." She rubbed his palm - holding it tightly.

In Afternoon,

Nina glanced at Tatsuya and Miyuki, her eyes roaming around as she sat on Alexander, "Why are we here?" She glanced at the house with the red door in front of her. She had a bad feeling...

Miyuki patted her head with a smile, "Onii-sama and I have to go somewhere - Izumi and Sig will take care of Nina for a while."

Nina held Miyuki's sleeves as her eyes became watery, "No!! I don't want you to go!!" She shouted in her childish voice.

Tatsuya patted her back, "we'll come back to see Nina, don't worry."

"No!!No!!NO!!!!"

Alexander started barking after hearing Nina scream. Miyuki picked her up, hugging her in her arms.

"Hey!! Who's making so much noise?!!" Abruptly, the door opened, and Izumi walked out.

Her eyes stared at Tatsuya and Miyuki, "It's you!!" Soon, her eyes went to Nina, who was crying, "you had a child?!!!"

Tatsuya's glanced at Nina before shaking his head, "let's talk inside."

After a while, Inside Izumi's house.

*Crack*Break* "Damn it!!!!"

Tatsuya watched as Izume broke the table in anger. Fury on her face was all too visible - all too much.

Even Sig had his fist tightened with all his might. Although he didn't shout or break things. The veins on his forehead were all too visible. He was on the verge of exploding.

After taking out more of her anger - she sat down - holding her head.

"So, you used Human Transmutation to save the girl...?"

Tatsuya removed his glasses, "Yeah...I lost my eyes..."

Izumi glanced up, looking at Tatusya's eyes..."You know - if it was for any other purpose - I would have really beaten you up. But, right now - I am just glad you did it... I apologize for that..."

Tatsuya shook his head in understanding, "I know how you feel - You don't have to feel guilty about it."

After a while, as they calmed down - Izumi spoke, "you are really going to leave her in our care?"

Tatsuya glanced at them, "we feel you would be the best parents for her..."

Izumi stammered a bit, "I..." She seemed happy, scared, upset, worried, all at the same time.

Sig held her hand, reassuring her. He looked towards Tatsuya before bowing his body, "thank you for giving us this chance."

Tatsuya nodded with a smile, "I believe you will be great parents."

Izumi's eyes sharpened, "I will - I promise. I will protect her..."

Tatsuya stood up, wearing his sunglasses, "I don't want you to protect her - We could do that too. I want you to love her, giving her the love of parents that she might not be blessed with anywhere else."

As Tatsuya passed by Izumi, a tear fell from her eyes, "I will..." She muttered, crying as she looked down on her hands tightened in a fist, clutching her clothes.

When Tatsuya entered the guest room where Miyuki and Nina were. Because Nina was crying too much, Miyuki decided to stay with her and calm her down. Moreover, they didn't want Nina to hear about her father.

He was surprised after seeing Nina asleep. It seemed a bit unnatural that she would sleep so peacefully. Moreover, Alexander was quietly asleep too.

Miyuki had the remote monitor in her hand as she was watching something with focus, "what happened?"

Miyuki glanced up before calling Tatsuya, "Onii-sama, our time is running out. We need to make a move now!"

Tatsuya moved forward, looking at what Miyuki was watching. Seeing the live feed - he narrowed his eyes.

In front of Central Train Station,

People were all but gone - there were only men and women of the army.

Major Armstrong and Hughes were also one of them.

"We are going to South City - It is time for a regular inspection." Fuhrer watched them with a smile.

Hughes's eyes flashed for a moment, but he hid it.

Fuhrer Bradley gazed at every one of them - one by one.

"Everyone, get on board."

"Yes! Sir!!"

Someways away from them,

Lust, Envy, and Gluttony were standing there. Greed was his usual - drooling, but Lust was a bit different.

Envy spoke, watching them, "those fools dancing at Wrath's palm should be more than enough for Greed."

Lust narrowed her eyes, "let's just hope they are enough..."

"You doubt them?"

"No..." Lust shook her head, "that man - call it intuition - but that man is dangerous."

"Heh! Whatever! He is just a human!" Envy spoke disgruntled. He thought Lust was giving them too much credit.

"That's the problem...I don't think...he is human..." Lust spoke slowly, wondering about what she felt.

"Not Human...Not Human...Not delicious..." Gluttony muttered.

Envy watched him, "what are you talking about?!"

"Not Delicious! Not Delicious!!" Gluttony spoke, almost as if he feared what he saw.