Planeptune Basilicom

It had been a few hours since Alex and Neptune had their encounter with Scar.

Since then, Neptune was able to self heal most of her range and simply wrapped bandages around her abdomen while Alex had to keep his left arm up with a sling due to his left shoulder being out of commission for a while.

Right now, Alex, Neptune, and Nepgear sat on the couch with IF standing to the side as Histoire was in front of them.

"I see. It all makes sense now. He managed to escape Ishval during this incurring revolt against them. Due to him seeing so many of his people getting killed, his reason for killing State Alchemists is justified." Said Histoire.

"Like hell it is!" Shouted Alex as he stood up.

"There's no justification for killing people who aren't directly involved with it! He's just dressing his ugly lust for vengeance in the mantle of his god and calling himself an agent of justice!"

"Still, the fact is, he's coming at you with full force. You can't let yourself be killed for his cause. So, Alex, what're you going to do now?"

"I'm gonna keep moving. I can't just sit around as long as I'm still alive. Of course, I know my limits so I promise I'll stay out until I'm recovered." He said as Histoire nodded as she flew out.

Three Weeks Later

"H-Hey! What's going on here?" Asked Alex as he happened to come by a crime scene surrounded by policemen.

IF was also there and just walked up to Alex as she didn't speak but just pointed in front of to show Compa kneeling next to a child as the boy clung to the sheets as he sobbed for his mom.

"That makes 5." Said IF.

"5? 5 of what?" Asked Alex.

"There's a serial killer on the loose. It's claimed 5 lives. All females."

"Hasn't investigations found anything yet?" Asked a policeman.

"Don't blame them." Said IF.

Alex stared at the young boy who was crying over the presumed dead body of what Alex assumed was his mother.

'I know how it feels kid.' Thought Alex.

"Come on. It's time to go." Said Compa as he stood up to pull the boy away as the boy struggled in Compa's grasp as he eventually pulled off the covers showing the mother's dead body.

Alex immediately grew a horrified face and wide eyed as the mother's dead reminded Alex of his own mother as he got flash backs of his mom's dead body.

He kept on getting visions until his breathe became ragged.

IF noticed immediately.

"Alex? You okay?"

Alex eventually fell over and fainted.

Later

Alex suddenly opened his eyes.

He noticed he was staring at the roof of the Planeptune Basilicom.

"Sounds like you saw something pretty awful huh?" Asked Histoire.

Alex looked to his right and saw and saw Histoire floating on her book next to him.

Alex sighed.

"It's, n-no big deal."

"You were crying out for your mother the entire time you were asleep. You kept on saying you were sorry."

Alex wide eyed at Histoire's words.

"I've had my suspicions about you still not getting over what happened 2 years ago in the slums. It's okay to admit the past still hurts Alex. It helps you get over it more."

Alex sighted and covered his eyes with his arm as Histoire continued to speak

"I understand that committing mass murder and performing genocide is highly illegal, but, in your situation, I understand why you did it. You didn't wanna see the nation you loved go down cause of a meaningless reason."

Alex nodded and went back to sleep knowing it was already sunset.

The Next Day

Shockingly, Alex's boss Bradley told him to wait at the entrance of Tucker's now former house.

Alex simply opened and closed his pocket watch as he waited.

Eventually, Bradley arrived as he greeted Alex as they entered the home.

"Why so glum Alex?" Asked Bradley.

"It's only been 3 years and this State Alchemist job is a little more real than I bargained for. I think I just need something to take my mind off this whole mess. So uh, what's this assignment you got for me?"

Eventually, both Alex and Bradley went down to Tucker's basement.

"Here you go." Said Bradley opening the doors.

Alex narrowed his seeing the animals that Tucker had in cages still alive.

"Your orders are to go through and organize all of this stuff. You should familiarize yourself with all the results of Tucker's experiments."

"So you want me to takeover, that maniac's research!?"

"True, he might've gone about it the wrong way but some of his findings could be of great use to the Black Ops."

"Why don't you let that wackjob do it himself!?"

"He can't. He's dead. Just a few hours after the car escorting his chimera left, we found him suddenly murdered in his own home."

"What if your one of your own men did it!? They could've covered it up!"

Bradley then stood up to Alex immediately shutting him down.

"You don't question the wisdom of the Black Ops. You see, that's the first law of State Alchemy Alex."

Bradley handed Alex the file and walked away.

Later That Day

"I'm sorry Alex, but, it's a no go." Said IF as Alex had wanted to join them in hunting down the serial killer.

"Why not!? What if that serial killer you guys have been looking for really did kill Nina!? I could help you find him!"

"And the job you were ordered by your boss Bradley to do? Have you finished analyzing Tucker's research?"

Alex scoffed before sighing.

"I, couldn't do that. In that case I'll investigate on my own."

"You do know if you investigate on your own, Bradley will find out and remove your pocket watch and State Alchemist title."

"Like hell he's gonna find out! I'm being the logical one!" Alex then ran out of the building as IF sighed.

Meanwhile

A train stopped at the train station and out from the train Uni had appeared.

"Alex is totally gonna be shocked seeing me here all of sudden." She said walking away from the station.

Back With Alex

"Have you ever seen it? What can you tell me about it?" Said Alex as he asked Histoire about the Philosopher's Stone.

"No too much. I'm afraid I've never heard anything substantial about the Philosopher's Stone. Well, about it actually existing and all. As far as I know, it's just a legend."

"I see."

"Alex, what can I say is that it's best for you if you found another hobby to pursue. Chasing after the Philosopher's Stone is dangerous."

"I fully well know the circumstances, but, I'm prepared."

Later That Day

Alex sat inside a Planeptune cafe reading a book on supposed info on the serial killer case until he saw and noticed IF sit in front of her.

"Why are you here?"

"Just wanted too. Also, you owe me for allowing you to participate in then case so let this slide."

"Fine. So, what's the status?"

"The investigation's at a standstill. We got no clues and no witnesses to go on. Body's are all sliced and diced but none of us can figure out how he does it in such a short time."

"Maybe he killed them somewhere else and then moved the bodies later. How long between the time of death and when they were found?"

"We've come a long way but even with modern technology we can't figure that out, but, between us and the police, we must've checked the trunks of every single car entering and exiting the city."

"There must be some sort of blind spot your missing here. A car that can hide bodies or a-." Alex was then cut off.

"Or maybe it's all been the work of an Alchemist." Said IF as Alex got upset.

"Alchemists are not cold blooded murderers!" He shouted at IF.

IF chuckled as Alex sat back down signing.

"Um, excuse me are you Alex Mustang?" Said a waitress walking to him.

"Yeah I am. Who's asking?"

"Apparently, there's a guest waiting for you at the Basilicom."

At The Planeptune Basilicom

"Hm? That's strange. I told her to wait right here. I wonder where she could've wandered off to." Said a Basilicom Worker.

Alex walked down the steps.

"Is something wrong Mr. Mustang?"

Alex walked up to a fallen bullet on the ground and picked it up to inspect it.

"Property of the LS Candidate? What the, Uni?"

Alex then looked down and noticed tire markings.

"Was there a car stopped here when you left her?"

"Well, yeah. There's always refrigerated trucks parked here when they drop of food for the mass hall.".

Alex then struck an idea.

"Refrigerated trucks. A car that can hide bodies. Shit! This is bad!"

Ales immediately ran off following the markings the tires had left behind.

Eventually, he made it to the location of the truck.

As he entered the place, he noticed it was a cold Butcher's Shop.

As he looked around between all the carved pig carcasses, he noticed a woman kneeled down as he ran up to her.

"Hey miss. Are you alright? Have you seen others like you in here?"

"O-Over there. A young girl." Said the woman pointing in front of her.

"Okay. I'll just go grab her so we can get the hell out of this place! Don't worry ma'am. Your in safe hands no-." Before he could finish talking, the old lady had struck Alex hard with a bat as Alex fell over, unconscious.

A sound of metal grinding on metal was heard as Alex slowly opened his eyes.

"My hero awakes." Said the girl.

"Why you!?" Alex tried to perform Alchemy but noticed he was tied up.

"Word on the playground is that you can transmute without a circle using your hands, so, just to be safe, I tied you up."

The girl chuckled before removing her wig showing Alex their real identity.

"Please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Barry and this here is my butcher shop."

"Y-Your a man."

"Guilty as charged! And, to reward you for making it this far, we have a special guest!"

Barry moved some pig carcasses across their line as Alex saw Uni, gagged and chained by her hands to the ceiling as Alex grew upset.

"Hey! Let her go!"

Barry stepped next to Uni.

"Since she enjoys taking guns apart I thought I'd do the same to her. If you watch us carefully you might just see what makes her tick."

"Your sick! Why're you doing this!?"

"Why? Well, what a strange little question that is."

Barry looked at Uni before walking to grab his cleaver.

"I suppose it's cause I enjoy it. The first person I killed was my wife. She was nagging me about something and without meaning to I chopped her to pieces, but, when I saw how finely I can slice her, I wanted more. More people to cut up to reduce to their basic building blocks and I wanted everyone to see."

"How could a person murder someone for such a stupid reason!?"

"Because they can!"

Barry then walked towards Alex as he got scared.

"H-Hey stay back!"

"Men, have morals, but, send them to war, and, they have no problem slaying each other in the most brutal fashions. Why do you think that is?"

"I have no idea."

Barry placed the cleaver on Alex's as he let out a small yelp as the chained and gagged Uni closes her eyes to not look.

Blood spilt onto to floor as Alex's face scrunched in pain before looking at Barry.

"Because, deep down inside, we all want to kill. Most just need to go ahead from their society. Like the State Alchemists I saw in a village. Slaughtering helpless people. Splat. Big piles of blood."

"I-It's not true!" Alex said as flashbacks of the massacre of the slums and Tucker's chimera came to his head.

"No! It isn't!"

Suddenly, Alex secretly tapped a small transmutation circle her carved into the chains that tied him as the chains glowed blue before breaking apart.

"You little!"

Barry swung at Alex as he shouted as he fell down avoiding his slash.

Alex used his legs to pick up a spear that he transmuted by using the chains.

Barry went for two more slashes as Alex blocked both with his spear before getting up and running away.

He bumped into a pig carcass as Barry sliced it but Alex tripped down causing him to dodge it again.

He slowly crawled away as Barry walked up to him.

Alex then started to swing his spear fearfully as it ended up grazing the right palm of Barry's hand as it got cut.

Alex took the opportunity to run back to Uni as he tried to grind away at the chains holding Uni up.

Uni made noises through her gag to warn that Barry was coming.

Barry showed up and slashed at Alex as he dodged but bumped into the table.

Alex noticed his metal wrist plate fall down so he picked it up and immediately ran away until he tripped over a fallen pig carcass.

Alex put the plate back on his left wrist right when Barry shoed up in front of him ready to slash away.

Alex then used his Alchemy to bring his wrist plate into a blade as he fearfully did a bad job at blocking Barry's slashes as he got cuts on both arms.

However, Uni fell off the stool as she bumped into a line of pig carcasses as the line bumped into Barry causing to fall on top of Alex s both fell.

Both regained focus as Alex immediately kicked away Barry's cleaver and got ready to stab Barry.

Then, a hand touched Alex's shoulder.

"Don't!"

Alex got even more scared as he turned around to slash behind him only for his slash to grind against the black sword of Black Heart.

"It'll take more than that to kill me Alex." Said Black Heart as Alex looked up at her in shock.

Lastation and Planeptune forces showed up and immediately pointed guns at Barry as she shrugged immediately giving up.

Purple Heart and Purple Sister both freed Uni as all three girls turned their heads to Alex and Black Heart.

"N-Noire. I."

"Alex. Are you hurt?"

Tears started to fall slowly from Alex's face.

"I, really thought, he was going to kill me. I honestly thought I was gonna die. I-I was so scared. So scared." He said as Black Heart brought Alex into an embrace, softly stroking his hair as he continued to weep.

Eventually, Barry was brought to the back of a police vehicle as he was driven away.

Alex sat on some steps, wrapping a blanket over him to hide his many arm wounds from Barry's slashes.

Eventually, all the police staff left and all that was left was Black Heart, Purple Heart, Nepgear, and Uni.

"Alex. Are you, okay?" Hesitantly asked Black Heart.

"W-When I was certain he was gonna kill me, my mind went blank, and, I didn't have any hope anymore. The only thing I could do was scream my lungs out. I felt so helpless. I couldn't even come to believe that someone might save me, then, you showed up Noire."

Alex had tears well up before putting his hands to his face.

"Why must the world remind me? I'm not a god. I'm human. A tiny, insignificant human. Who couldn't even save a little girl."

As Alex said that, the two CPU's and two Candidates all gently embraced Alex, as he wept into the night.

Part 12: Barry The Chopper: End