WCHB Chapter Eleven

What Could Have Been
(What would things be like if Trisha Elric never died? Ed finds himself in that dimension but wants to go home.)

Chapter Eleven: Fateful Revelations

“Would you stop staring at my face?!” Ed demanded.

“Where did they take Nina?” Tucker pleaded. He decided not to ask why the two of them had almost identical swollen areas on their cheeks - Ed’s left cheek, Edward’s right. Both boys were glaring at him because of his staring.

“Somewhere safe. It was for her own good, anyway. If they didn’t take her away from you, you would have used her in one of your experiments,” Ed said accusingly.

“You don’t know that! Don’t you see that she was all the family I had left?!”

“This isn’t why we came!” Edward yelled at the two of them. They turned to look at him as he said, “Tucker, we want to know more about that stuff that makes dimensional portals. We know you were making it for a guy named Jonston.”

“He said he was the only one that could go through those portals, but I can, too,” Ed said.

“So, take us to your stash,” Edward said.

“And what’s in it for me?” Tucker asked the two of them with a grin. He hoped they could pull some strings and get him off the hook.

“If you take us to the substance... I won’t kill you,” Ed said as he formed a blade.

“Wha?” Edward uttered in surprise. ‘He’ll kill him?’

Tucker’s eyes widened. Would he do it? He seemed serious that night, but... “Would you really kill me, Edward...? A human being, just like yourself?”

It was Ed’s turn to be surprised. ‘Tucker’s right... I don’t think I can. Human life is too special...’

“Tell me... That automail arm... You performed some type of human transmutation, didn’t you? See? We have both done things we shouldn’t have...”

“You slime!” Ed snarled. “Don’t ever compare us! I only did what I did to save life, not destroy it!”

“Destroy life?” Tucker said with a chuckle. “Why, I never killed anyone. I just transform life into new forms.”

“Err... You’re the exact same as the Tucker I knew. Don’t you remember your wife’s last words?! It’s a living hell for them!”

“I’m truly sorry for that, but I did it in the name of science...”

“Shh! I hear something!” Edward said as he glanced toward one of the walls.

“Huh?” Ed asked, turning to look at the wall, himself. At that moment, there was an explosion and the wall blew out, sending dust and chunks of drywall into the room. The two Eds covered their mouths and squinted their eyes as they waited to see what was going on.

“You broke our deal, Tucker... You ratted us out, and now you’re going to pay,” Jonston’s voice said from the adjoining room. As the smoke cleared, the man noticed the two teens. “What the?! - What are you two doing here?!”

“Sewing Life Alchemist, your time has come...” Scar said as he approached Tucker.

“N-No! I didn’t fix the formula yet! You need me!” Tucker pleaded as he backed against a wall.

“Not anymore...” The Ishbalan said. He remembered what was said yesterday.

“And who’s he? Your twin or something?”

“Or something.”

“I now realize that I am only responsible for my own dimension. - Just as there are other versions of him, there are other versions of me,” Scar said, referring to Ed and Edward. “My others are in charge of their worlds, and I am in charge of mine and mine only.”

“Aahhhh!”

The two Eds and Jonston stopped fighting at the scream, watching as Tucker fell to the floor with a light thud - only heard because, otherwise, the room was deathly quiet - and the dust on the floor slowly rose up around Tucker, enveloping him.

“Now...” Scar said as he turned around. Ed closed his eyes, expecting the worst, but Scar walked past Ed. “The Transparent Alchemist - it’s time to pay for your sins.”

“Wha?! Hey! We had a deal!”

“You are no longer necessary,” Scar said as he walked toward Jonston.

“But you can’t complete your mission without me! The only reason you were able to kill so many is because of my alchemy! Without me, they would know you were coming!”

“Let them know their fate before it befalls them. They can’t escape me, just as you can’t,” Scar said. He blew out the wall behind him with his arm and Jonston had to shield his eyes from the flying debris.

As the smoke began to clear, Jonston widened his eyes in horror. He could see beakers of red liquid, the containers now broken, and his precious formula dripping onto and being absorbed by the carpet.