Chapter 6: The Hand of Destruction Alt Title
Today’s chapter begins as a younger (and infinitely more adoreable) Edward Elric comes running to his mother, who is in the garden picking tomatoes. Mrs Elric has long brown hair ending in a ponytail, and is wearing an apron. Young Edward shows his mother a small wooden horse that he had made during alchemy, as Edward proudly exclaims to his mother. She pats Edward on the head saying that he is a wonderful boy, and that he could always make nice things. “But....” she says, as the background becomes black (I do not like where this is going), “Why did you make mother turn out like this....” as blood starts dripping from her *. A tomato and the horse falls to the ground as Edward wakes up in a sweating, panting mess from his dream. He clutches his metal leg in pain, apparently having moved it in a bad way.
We cut to the Eastern Headquarters where Ed and Al are waiting at Mustang’s office (At least I think it’s Mustang’s office). Ed is looking uncertain about going in before he turns around to leave. However, Hawkeye comes out of the room and asks Edward what she wanted to see him about. Edward asks what will happen to Nina and Tucker. Hawkeye has a blank look at first before saying that initially, Tucker was supposed to have his license revoked, be taken into custody and interrogated, but as she explains, it’s a moot point now, seeing as that both he and Nina are now dead, murdered to be precise, much to the sheer horror of the Elrics. She says that they would have figured it out sooner or later (That is something to remember in a later moment in Volume 9). Ed asks who did it, but Hawkeye says that she doesn’t know, and is currently on her way to the crime scene. Ed asks to come with her but Hawkeye refuses, as “You wouldn't want to see them like this” *
At the Tucker residence, a disgruntled officer with glasses and a Goatee is complaining being asked to escort Tucker downtown for trial, and asks Mustang if he should tag and bag the corpses, or if Mustang should. Said officer is accompanied by another officer, a HUGE, bald person, with a single curly lock of hair and a mustache. The glasses guy complains that Central never said that they would be collecting body bags, before a disrguntled Mustang says “YES, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes * I am aware that it is an oversight on our part. Would you just examine him already?” Hughes guesses it being, in his words “Divine Retribution” as he looks at the bloody corpses and says “Jackpot” (Cringing in the process for obvious reasons). Mustang asks if the sentries were taken out the same way to which Hughes says yes, having their organs violently imploded (Then how come blood spurts were coming out of their bodies?). Hughes turns to the huge guy, whom he identifies as Major Armstrong, as he says that there is no mistake, it is his signature, as we see a shot of the killer.
Meanwhile, we cut to Lior (Remember that? First two chapters?), * which has seen better days, as the entire city has broken out in riots with mass destruction and carnage everywhere. Observing this spectacle are our old friends Lust and Gluttony from the second chapter. Lust is calling humanity stupid as she watches, as out from the shadows, in steps.....Cornello?! But he.....Through the head.....Guess he was a Highlander or something. He mocks the rioters for basically accomplishing their plan unknowingly, and Lust greets him. She apologies to him for having to trouble him in this manner, but Cornello waves it off and says that he will have to go back to the city he is posted to (?). Lust says that while “The Fullmetal Brat” caused some interference with the plan, everything is moving ahead of schedule (So I guess Ed and Al DIDN’T cause this! We go into more detail on that point later in Volume 5 and Further in Volume 17 [!]). They talk some more about how humans are stupid, cycle of hatred, yadda yadda, they talk about how many will die before Gluttony asks if he can eat the corpses *, to which Lust says “No you can not”. That’s......Disturbingly cute....Then, Lust suddenly adresses Cornello as “Envy” and asks him how long he’s planning to keep up his disguise. Yes, turns out Cornello is still dead, as Envy complains about Lust being a spoilsport, before saying that he didn’t like being Cornello in the first place. Envy is, as you can tell, a Shapeshifter, as he tuns into his true form, a small, muscular, yet very effeminate person with long strands of black hair, clothing only covering his top and a loincloth for his lower body. He has that node pattern on his back, and he has his Ouroboros tattoo on his right leg (Which seems like a kinda random place). He introduces this form with “The Young and Devilishly cute is more my style!”
I.....Am honestly having a hard time deciding whether Envy is a boy or girl.... *
Lust mocks Envy about how he can’t alter his “Vile personality of his” (Which ticks off Envy) as they are disracted by a cry of horror coming from Cornello’s assistant from way back. He is horrified at Envy revealing himself asking “What in the lord’s name are you?!”. Lust asks the other two for ideas, and Gluttony asks if he can eat him. See I guess this is why it’s a bad idea to be reckless with Shapeshifting. It is fortunate for the Homonculi that they have a human disposal bin. And by human disposal bin, I mean Gluttony *. So while Gluttony is having his lunch, Lust and Envy start talking about Sho Tucker. Lust does not give a shit that he was murdered because she knew he was useless, but what concerns Envy is that he was murdered by “That guy”. He also brings up that both Mustang and Edward were in the area. Lust states that even though Edward almost ruined their plans in Lior, they need him alive as “He’ll make a wonderful sacrafice”. Ohhh....Foreshadowing....
So Gluttony is done with his meal (After Lust tells him to wipe the human gunk off his mouth) as Envy states that while he does not know who “That Guy” is, he might hinder their plans, so Lust decides to do something about it. She then asks Envy what the guy’s name is as it is said in a transition back to the Tucker murder scene to be “Scar”. Armstrong explains that it’s just an Alias that the military gave to him, as there are few details about him whether it be identity, motives or methods. The only thing they know for sure is his prominent Scar on his forehead. Hughes explains that he has murdered five state alchemists in Central alone and ten outside (DAMN). Mustang says he has heard the rumors, but Hughes says that they are not rumors, as “Old Man Gran” was found dead in the same way five days ago. THIS gets Mustang’s attention, identifying him as “General Gran, THE Iron Blood Alchemist, a close combat specialist”. Wow. If only we could have seen his epic struggle. Oh well! *.
Hughes says it’s proof that Scar is out there, and advises Mustang to increase his escort and to keep his “excursions” (Read: Fun time with Women) down to a minimum, as Scar must be after the big names, and Mustang is the most prolific State Alchemist in the area. Suddenly Mustang gets into a panic, as he orders for the Elrics to be found. Hawkeye explains that they went to see her and took a stroll, as Mustang curses the bad luck of it all, yelling to the soldiers to find the Elrics. At the city clock, Ed and Al are sitting there, still thinking about the Tucker incident. Ed says to Al that his head is all cluttered up, as he spent all of last night thinking about what Alchemy meant to him (Well that and presumably being locked in the fetal position after dreaming his mother bleeding from her face). He an Al recite a teaching given to them about Alchemy, how it makes the world go round and ties into the cycle of life and death. Ed says that their Sensei used to drill that into their heads, and that he thought he understood it all, before their Human Transmutation attempt went horribly wrong. Ed states that he hasn’t learnt a thing. He follows on by saying that he thought that a walking in the rain would wash their troubles away (That’s metaphorical rain, not physical rain), but it’s beating down and making everything worse (Which is why I think drowning your sorrows in rain is stupid. I find wind better for that job). Al laments that he can’t even feel rain, or anything in his state. al says that he still wants to get their bodies back, even if it means going against the laws of nature (He is going to be eating those words next volume).
Suddenly, one of Mustangs men, who I call Greg Dyne, “Gunner” Dyne as his friends call him, calls out to Edward Elric. Loud enough so anyone can hear it. Especially the State Alchemist murderer known as Scar who is right next to Greg, and realizes that he is talking about Edward Elric, the Sparkly Vampire Man Fullmetal Alchemist. Greg tells Edward that the Colonal sent him, and he needs to return to HQ, as there is a serial killer on the loose who is right behind him. Scar calls out to Edward, naming him as The Fullmetal Alchemist, to Ed’s horror, as Greg shouts out that he is the serial killer. Greg tries to pull out his gun, as Edward yells at him to stop *, but is too late as Scar implodes Greg’s head. Ed completely freaks out, mentally panicking, basically having that voice in his head telling him “Oh Shit, OH SHIT!” * Ed really thinks that he is going to die, as the clock strikes twelve. However, Ed manages to yell to Al to run for it, as they run for their lives from Scar.
I now want to introduce a facet of this Liveblog. Anybody familiar with Linkara’s History of Power Rangers will know about what he calls “The Wasserman Factor”, how events can be made more exciting or emotional if you play the proper music. I love doing that with all kinds of media, and I want to do it here. So I will introduce tracks for various events during the series.
Music for Scar encounter and fight
Music
Ed is thinking that although he has done some things that would have ticked people off, not to the extent that they would want to kill him (That speaks so much about Ed’s travels) *. Al directs Ed into an alleyway, where Al draws up a transmutation circle and trasmutates a wall in Scar’s path. Al even says “Let’s see him get through that!” * Their celebration is short lived, as Scar blasts through the wall using his Alchemy powers with no effort at all. Ed and Al try to flee, but Scar uses his Alchemy to collapse part of the alley way into their path, trapping them. *
With no choice left, Ed and Al decide to fight, as Ed transmutates a curved Bowie Knife and Al prepares his fists as they charge at Scar. Scar calls it “A valiant effort”, but says that they are too slow, as he easily dodges the Elric’s attacks and disintegrates Al’s left side in the process (From between his arm and leg). Ed cries out for Al and tries to attack Scar with his knife, but is again too slow as Scar just grabs his arm and uses his Alchemy on it. However, Scar is shocked that it does nothing, as Ed rolls out of the way and takes off his jacket. Scar then realizes what’s going on, noting how his “Flesh Deconstruction” failed against both Ed and Al *. He says that he has little time to waste on “Freaks” like them (he has a reason for this insult as we will see in due time), as Ed transmutates the back of his arm into a blade edge. Al tells Ed to run for it, but Ed refuses since he does not want to leave Al behind. Scar notes that Ed performs Alchemy by clapping his hands, which creates a circle (Explained in further detail in Volume 6). Ed charges at him, which is probably the stupidest thing Ed could possibly do as 1-He knows he can deconstruct metal, 2-He is superior to him in speed and CQC and 3-His Automail blade edge is the worst weapon to use against something like Scar’s powers (I know Ed is worried about Al but come on). And so of course, Scar grabs Ed’s arm (Saying that the arm must be destroyed as he does it) and our chapter ends on a Cliffhanger as Ed’s arm explodes in an impressively detailed burst of wrecked metal, bolts, cylinders and wires.
HOW WILL THE ELRICS GET OUT OF THIS ONE?
IS THIS THE END FOR THEM?
WHAT IS THE PLAN OF THE MYSTERIOUS GROUP IN LIOR?
WHO IS SCAR?
AND WHEN THE HELL IS MADMAN GOING TO RELEASE VOLUME 24?
Tune in next time....
SAME FULLMETAL TIME!
SAME FULLMETAL CHANNEL!
