Edward tries not to glare at the annoyingly incompetent police chief in front of him.

"A-And then…" The man's skin starts to gleam with sweat as he fiddles with his uniform. "I-I swear, they weren't human-"

"That's why I'm here, Chief." Edward angrily interjects, completely sick of the man. "Now hurry up and tell me what the fuck happened so I can do something about it!"

—

"…I wish Al was here." Edward sighs as starts down the snow-coated street. "This sucks."

After walking for a few minutes, Ed spots a brightly lit tavern, complete with half a dozen drunks loitering outside. A strange, haunting piano melody wafts into the street, causing the alchemist to stop in his tracks.

"You like it, little boy?"
Ed spins around to see a large woman grinning at him through the doorway.
"What-"

"It's cold outside, come and have a drink."
"I don't drink." Ed responds with a huff.
"Then come warm yourself up." The woman laughs good-naturedly. "It's not good to be out this late at night."

—

"Here." The woman passes Edward a large glass over the bar.

"I told you, I don't-"

"It's hot chocolate." The woman grins. "I do have ears, you know."
"…Thanks." Ed fishes a coin from his pocket and tosses it to her.
"You're from out of town." She takes the money happily and leans towards him.

"That's right." Edward replies.
"What brought you here?"
"Why do you care?" Ed huffs.
"You look interesting, boy." The woman grins.
"How about you tell me some things too, then?" Edward leans back with a grin. "Equivalent exchange."

—

"Are you sure?" Ed looks helplessly towards Felicia.
"Absolutely." Felicia grins as she absentmindedly wipes down the bar.

"Then, I have no leads." Edward sighs. "Great."
"Well, don't be so down." Felicia reassures. "You've only just got here."
"Any idea where I should start?" Ed asks hopefully.
"Hm…" Felicia looks around thoughtfully before splitting into an ear-to-ear grin. "I have some idea."

In that moment, A familiar melody restarts, causing Ed to spin around and follow Felicia's gaze.

An odd, white-haired boy sits at a large, black piano atop a small elevated stage. Various drunks don't seem to notice, but all pacify slightly as the music starts. It's a subtle change, but nothing gets past the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"His name's Allen." Felicia says suddenly, making Ed turn back to her.
"Yeah?"
"He hasn't said much else." Felicia smiles. "But he's damn good at that piano."

"Where'd he come from?" Ed wonders. "He doesn't seem to be from here."
"You'd be right." Felicia nods. "He turned up a few months ago."
"How'd he end up there?" Ed turns back to the stage.
"Well, he out-cheated everyone at poker." Felicia laughs. "And after people stopped playing him, he asked for a job."

"Poker?" Ed raises an eyebrow. "He doesn't seem the type."
"You'd be surprised." Felicia says. "You should never judge people by their appearance."

"…I suppose so."

—

"And here's your key." Felicia throws the key at Ed, which he catches easily.
"Thanks."
"You're the last room on the left." Felicia adds. "Pay in the morning if you want to stay longer."
"Yeah, okay."

—

"Thanks for cleaning up, Allen." Felicia grins at the boy as he sweeps of the last table.
"It's no problem." Allen smiles. "Besides, I'd feel bad dumping it all on you."

"Then, I need you to do something else." Felicia smirks.
"…What kind of 'something else'?" Allen raises an eyebrow and heads over.

"There was a boy here tonight." Felicia explains. "Works for the military."
"Yeah?"
"He's looking into the murders around here." Felicia continues. "I told him to go talk to you tomorrow."
"And you want me to help out." Allen finishes with a small smile.
"I know you know more than you let on." Felicia laughs. "At least give him some hints."

—

Ed sleepily locks the door to his room, vaguely aware of the noise coming from the tavern below.

"Morning, sunshine." Felicia cheerily greets Edward as he slumps onto one of the bar stools.

"Mornin'." Ed stifles a yawn, leaning forward onto the bar.

"He's a little out of it." Ed barely listens to Felicia as a figure enters his peripheral vision.

"He was up late." The figure speaks. "He left just as we packed up."
"Hey, sunshine." Felicia leans towards Edward. "I need to introduce you two."

—

Allen watches the teen curiously. His bright, golden hair and eyes immediately drawing his attention. The iconic red coat immediately tells Allen who this particular teen is.

"Nice to meet you." Allen politely holds out his right hand. "My name's Allen."
"Edward Elric." Ed sits up slowly and takes Allen's hand, slightly surprised by their matching white gloves.

"You're off work for today." Felicia turns to Allen, who's eyes widen in surprise.
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely." Felicia grins. "I've got to get a newbie into the swing of things anyway. Better to push to load onto him."
"Well, alright then." Allen smiles and turns back to Edward. "I hope you don't mind me tagging along for today."
"Meh." Edward shrugs, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair.

"I'll leave you two alone." Felicia wanders off, leaving the two teens on the bar.

—

Edward doesn't think much of the boy. His white hair there him off initially, but he seemed far too passive for Ed's liking. Ed watches him take a seat next to him a polite smile plastered into his face.

"Felicia says you can help me." Ed opens, shifting his position to face Allen properly.
"Depends on what you want to know." Allen grins. "And what you already know."

"Right." Ed leans back slightly, watching Allen curiously.

"And? What do you know?" Allen mimics Ed slightly. "I'd hate to bore you."

"Five people have been killed in the last three weeks." Ed recounts lazily. "All in various pieces and all who disappeared at least five days beforehand."
"Six." Allen says suddenly, turning away from Edward.
"Huh?" Ed leans forward. "Six whats?"
"Six deaths." Allen says sadly. "The last one was found this morning, about an hour ago."

"How do you know that?" Ed asks suspiciously.

"Because the police chief just came in the door." Allen gestures behind him. "And just told Felicia about the find."

"What the-" Ed leans to his left, over the bar, and spots Felicia talking to the annoying man from yesterday. He can barely make out their words.

"You're sure that you didn't see anything?" The chief asks desperately.

"I'm absolutely sure." Felicia shakes her head. "Seems like you're short on witnesses Caesar."

"…Something like that." Caesar sighs. "I-I'll keep in touch."

"…You've got good ears." Ed mutters as the chief leaves solemnly.

"It's a talent." Allen shrugs.

"And that makes six deaths, six bodies and no leads." Ed groans. "Great."
"…Not quite." Allen says quietly, a small smile on his face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed stares at Allen.
"You want a lead, right?" Allen turns towards him.
"Of course." Ed nods.
"…The bodies, they were moved from the place they were killed." Allen almost whispers. "In fact, they were all killed at the same place."
"How do you know that?" Ed demands. "And don't tell me you overheard it."
"I didn't." Allen grins. "Try taking another look at the crime scenes."
"The crime scenes?"
"Where they were found." Allen hops of his seat, heading slowly towards the door. "I'll show you."

—

"…I don't get it." Ed glares at the bloodstained cobble stones of the dingy alleyway. A light chatter of shoppers echo from the market place just nearby, causing long shadows to dance across the walls.

"You've seen a lot of fights, right Edward?" Allen crouches down.
"Yeah?"
"What usually happens?"
"Uh…" Ed turns back to the alleyway.
"…The body was found just there." Allen points right into the blood stains. "In pieces."

Ed mutters something ineligible before freezing. "Shit."
"Hm?" Allen stands back up, looking at Ed curiously. "What was that?"
"…I said…" Ed takes a step forward, suddenly enthralled by the narrow space. "There should be more blood."

"What makes you say that?" Allen asks with a smile, watching Ed's retreating back.
"An adult will have about four point seven to five and a half litres of blood." Ed explains, animatedly exploring the space.
"And?"
"From how much is here…" Ed turns back to the dried stains. "And how much space it's covered…There was only about two litres spilt…"
"So?"
"So…" Ed turns to Allen excitedly. "They couldn't have been killed here!"

Ed stares at Allen, a smiles still on his face form his revelation. Suddenly, it drops as another hits him.
"…Which is exactly what you told me." Ed groans. "Shit."
"Don't be so down." Allen reassures, heading over to him. "You got it pretty fast."
"Yeah, well…" Ed straightens up. "It doesn't really help us."

"Well…" Allen says thoughtfully. "If the bodies were moved to places around the city, it can't have been for no reason."
"Right." Ed nods. "Then, if we can figure out what the locations mean…then it can give us some clues to the killer!"
"…Elementary." Allen mutters.
"What was that?" Ed turns to look at him.
"Nothing, nothing." Allen smiles. "So, where to next?"

—

"Uh, here." The police chief, Caesar, lays out a map in front of Edward, with six red Xs marked across it.

"Thanks." Ed waves the man away and leans forward to inspect the map.

Unfortunately, Allen hadn't been allowed into the police station, leaving the teen staring at the passing people walk by.

Allen slumps down the ground, letting his head rest against the front of the station. He can see his breath mix with the freeing air in a blast of the white air, swirling into nothingness. Even in the middle of the day, the sun is barely seen through the thick, grey clouds above. Allen just hopes that it won't rain, but judging his past luck, it'll probably hail instead.

"I've got it!" Ed loudly emerges from the station, causing Allen to jump up.
"You did?"
"I think it's just a simple pattern." Ed explains. "You know, every third street, down two blocks, ignoring any larger roads of heavily populated areas.

"So?" Allen prompts. "Any leads?"
"They all seem to be equidistant from a particular building." Ed continues. "Actually, it's a large block, but it's a start."

—

"…Here?" Allen looks out at the large park, the grass shrivelled and trees bare of leaves.
"I'm sure of it." Ed nods confidently as he takes off down the path.
"If you say so." Allen follows after him, carefully watching their surroundings.

"There are street lamps everywhere!" Allen calls after Ed. "It wouldn't be easy to kill someone here, especially multiple times!"

"There's got to be something!" Ed insists, all but glaring at the parklands.

"Well, there's at least eighteen gallons of blood somewhere." Allen adds. "Or, at least the remains."

The pair investigate the park for another hour, Edward stubbornly checking every park bench and lamp post.

"Do lots of people come through here?" Ed wonders, staring down the winding paths.
"Not really." Allen shrugs. "Since winter, people don't come here often. But it's a useful shortcut between the main streets."

"Hm…" Ed sits on the nearest park bench and lets out a long sigh. "This isn't going anywhere."
"It's only been a few hours." Allen says, taking a seat next to him. "There's still plenty of time."
"Plenty of time for more people to die." Ed says gloomily.
"…You're annoyingly pessimistic." Allen grumbles.
"And you're annoyingly optimistic." Ed retorts angrily. "It cancels out."

"Sure." Allen shrugs and tips his head upwards to stare at the greying sky.

—

"Huh?" Ed sits up suddenly, eyes focused directly in front of him.
"What is it?" Allen looks towards him and follows his gaze.
"There." Ed stands, moving jogging forwards.
"Hey, wait up!" Allen scrambles after him. "What are you looking at?"

Ed doesn't reply, instead he speeds up, leaving Allen to trail after him.

—

"This?" Allen watches Ed stare up at a small, metal circle. "Isn't this a manhole?"

"That's in the middle of a park?" Ed grins. "I'm opening it."
"Don't-"
Ed stands over the hole and raises his left foot. The cover easily break free as Ed slams down onto it. The loud echoes clatter for a few moments.

"Tell me that isn't a sewer…" Allen warily steps forward.
Ed leans down and takes a look through the hole. "…It's not a sewer."

—

"Wait here." Ed starts down a rattly ladder, which shudders under his weight.

"You don't expect me to just wait for you." Allen retorts, stepping forward.
"You're a civilian." Ed says. "I can't really let you-"

"Try and stop me." Allen crouches down with a smirk.
"…Fine, whatever." Ed glares up at Allen. "Don't blame me when you're hurt."
"I'll try."

—

"It's not a sewer, but it still stinks." Ed stares disdainfully at the slightly damp, metal floors. Everything else seems to be dug out of the ground, with various pipes and piers of trash protruding form the otherwise stone and dirt walls.

Allen kicks aside the bent manhole cover, causing a loud clang.

"Which way?" Allen asks, looking at the tunnel continuing on either side.

"…Right." Ed decides, starting in that direction.

"What makes you say that?" Allen wonders, heading after him.
"Fifty-fifty chance." Ed shrugs, not turning around.
"Heh."

—

"Hm?" Ed stops as a door appears on their left.

"A door?" Allen takes a closer look.
"Let's get it open." Ed grins.

"How?" Allen raises an eyebrow and gestures to the iron door. "It's made of metal."
"…" Ed falters before muttering under his breath. "It's times like these…"
"Huh?"

"Nothing." Ed sighs. "Let's keep moving."

"Oh, why so soon?"
A monotonic voice echoes through the tunnel, causing the two to look around suddenly.

"What the hell?" Ed glares at the tunnel walls. "Who's there!?"
"Hehehehe…"
"Edward?" Allen takes a step back, eye fixed on the tunnel behind them.
"Won't you come in?"

The iron door creaks open, revealing the large room beyond.
"…I think we know where all that blood went." Allen murmurs.

"Shit."

—

"Where'd that voice come from?" Allen muses as the two wander into the room.

"What the…" Ed crouches down to the tracks of blood across the ground.

"What is it?" Allen watches Ed inspect the floor.
"No idea." Ed looks up at the giant room, including the giant pillars holding up the ceiling.
"How far down did we go?" Allen wonders, staring at the high ceiling.
"Not that far." Ed narrows his eyes.
"Then…"
"We might me inside a building." Ed says. "At least the top parts are."
"There aren't many big buildings near the park…" Allen says thoughtfully. "Directly right of where we entered would be…"
"Here." Ed retrieves the police map from his jacket and rolls it out.

"We're under here, I think." Allen points to a small cluster of buildings. "I've never seen anyone go in or out of there."

"You wouldn't…"
"What was that?" Ed and Allen look up from the map.

"No one leaves here alive…"

"Don't be a coward!" Ed calls out. "Stop hiding!"
"Heh…"

A loud creak is followed by the slam of the door and the click of a lock.
"Great." Ed mutters, moving into the room's centre.

"What now?" Allen asks.

"I…" Ed looks down, eyebrow's furrowed in concentration. "Wait a second."
"Huh?"

Ed rushes the the back of the room, a determined expression on his face.

"Step back!" Ed calls to Allen, gesturing to the right wall.
Allen silently complies, jogging backwards with his eyes focused on Ed.

"What the fuck…" Ed speaks quietly, but Allen can still hear his voice echo through the empty room.
"What is it?" Allen calls, slowly walking around the room's edge.

"It's a transmutation circle of some kind." Edward scowls. "But I've never seem one like this before."

"It's a bit of an experiment." The metallic voice speaks again, except now it's gained a more human undertone.
"What kind of experiment?" Ed angrily demands.
"Would you like to find out?"

—

The ground shudders suddenly, nearly knocking the two teens off their feet.

"What!?" Ed steadies him on a nearby pillar, watching as the bloody circle in front of them lowers slightly, about thirty centimetres into the ground.
"Look out!" Allen calls out suddenly, causing Ed to spin around suddenly.

Unfortunately, it wasn't in time to block the sharp push from the man.

Ed topples onto the circle, taking a second to look up at his attacker.

The man is dressed ridiculously, with a brightly coloured suit and trench coat. A large, excessively decorated top hat covers his entire head, even falling over his eyes. All Ed could see was the menacing glint of a pair of glasses and an equally disturbing grin.

"Ed!? Are you alright?
Ed looks to his left, immediately spotting Allen a little ways away. He hasn't spotted the strange man yet.
"Stay there!" Ed calls out, getting to his feet.

"Good idea." The man chuckles, regaining Ed's attention.
"What-"

Allen cries out suddenly as the ground rumbles again, tendrils of rock jumping upwards and gripping onto his arms and legs.

"It's always good to have a back-up." The man grins, taking a step away from Edward.
"Don't think you've won." Ed growls, jumping forward to meet the man.

"Oh, but I already have."

—

The blinding white flash causes ed to stumble, using one hand to cover his eyes.

Once the light clears, Ed looks around, only for a shockwave of foreboding to scramble his guts.
"Fuck."

—

"Ed!?" Allen calls out, watching the near-blinding lights dance across the circle. Ed hadn't noticed, but about a dozen figures had joined him on the circle, all dressed in back robes and clicking like machines.

Unfortunately, Allen had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

—

"It's good to see you."
Ed looks up to glare at the figure of white. His large grin as prominent and troubling as ever.

"Wish I could say the same." Ed grits out, not daring to move closer. "What the hell is this anyway?"
"It's funny actually." Truth lets out a sharp laugh.
"I doubt it." Ed growls.

Suddenly, a dozen figures appear around Ed, their black robes stained with fresh blood and their bodies almost completely crushed.
"These ones didn't make it." Truth grins.
"Who are they?" Ed looks warily at the one nearest him, just a metre to his left.

"Wrong question." Truth taunts. "Try 'what'."

Ed crouches down and reaches out for the black hood, resisting the urge to flinch at the bloody wetness still present.

Pulling the fabric back, Ed catches a glimpse of what lies underneath.
"What the hell is this?" Ed turns back to the Truth. "What are these?"

The half-metal skull seems to stare up at Ed, even with it's absent eyes. The remaining flesh twists painfully against the blackened metal, probably iron, which is complete with various bolts, screws and nails.

"They have no name." Truth finally says. "But their maker calls them Demons."
"Demons?" Ed raises an eyebrow.
"Souls returned from hell." Truth finishes with a grin.

"Returned…" Ed turns back to the fallen figures. "Like the homunculi?"
"You know that I can't tell you that much." Truth takes a few steps forward. "Besides, there's still a transmutation to finish.
"What do you mean?" Ed glare hardens.

"You'll see."

—

The light fades as quickly as it came, the blinding white disappearing into nothing in under a second, finally letting Allen see the results.

Amazingly, Ed lies across the ground, but he's too far for Allen to see any…damages. The black-robed figures had disappeared, but something else lies in the circle.

"Perfect."
Allen freezes as a very familiar man steps out onto the circle, sweeping past Ed and walking over to the opposite side, where a small green crystal glows.

Taking it into his hand, the man inspects it for a second before shrugging and slipping it into his pocket.
"I'll test it later."

"Ugh." Ed twitches slightly, groaning as he tries to sit up.
"Hm…" The man looks at Ed disdainfully, as if he were a cockroach that has escaped extermination. "That's not right."
He pulls the green crystal back out, suddenly glaring at it. "Then this is another failure." The crystal is easily crushed in his grip, the remaining dust falling to the ground and dissipating.

"Ed! Get away!" Allen calls out quickly, not wanting the man to hurt his new friend.

Is that what they were? Friends?

"Huh?" Ed's head snaps up, immediately spotting the man, no more than a few meters away. "Shit."
"Oh, hush." The man turns to Allen, an annoyingly passive expression across his face. "Stay there a little longer, will you? I have to deal with this first."
"Ed!" Allen calls again, hoping he wouldn't be forced to intervene. Edward is strong enough. At least strong enough to escape… He has to be.
"Deal with me?" Ed grins, a fire sparking in his eyes. "Just try it."
"You seem very sure of yourself." The man says, stepping forward.
"You'd be surprised how little time it takes to learn some new tricks!" With the last word, Ed crouches to the ground for a split-second, only to rise with a blue flash and a large, spear in his hands.

With one strong jab, the man is pushed backwards by Ed's spear. The man appears unresponsive, so Ed moves to strike again.
"This isn't over."
It comes out as just a whisper, but Ed easily hear's the man's words.

—

The burst of smoke quickly fills the entire room, completely obscuring Allen's vision. There are no sounds, just a deafening silence as the grey smoke slowly sinks to the ground, coating the ground in a thin layer.

"You alright?"
Allen spots Ed, who's slowly walking over, his spear nowhere to be seen.

"…Fine." Allen nods, glancing back down at his rocky restraints with a sheepish smile. "Just a little stuck."
"Here." Ed reaches out to the stone, and with a flash of light, causing it to crumble into dust.

"Was that alchemy?" Allen wonders, rubbing his sore wrists. "I thought you-"

"Me too…" Ed scowls before shaking his head. "Let's get out of here."

—

the two walk back in an awkward, thick silence. Ed seems lost in thought, absentmindedly rubbing his left arm. Allen watches on warily, not wanting to disturb him.

They emerge back at the park, the sun now a far way down the sky. The park lamps are all lit, replacing the lost light.

"You should head back to the inn." Ed days suddenly, face still stony.
"What about you?" Allen asks.

"I need to make a call."

—

"Yes? This is-"

"Hawkeye? I need to-"

"Edward? What's wrong?"
"…Nothing."
"Don't try to lie to me."
"Just…Is Al there?"
"…Let me check."

"Alphonse?" Riza Hawkeye leans in through the doorway, immediately spotting the younger, golden-eyed teen.

"Yes?" Al looks up sleepily from a large book across his lap.
"Edward's on the phone." She holds up the phone for emphasis. "It sounds important."

"Brother?"
"Al!"
"Did something happen? Are you alright?"
"I, uh, it's a long story."
"I've got plenty of time."

—

Ed awkwardly enters the full inn, loud shouts attempt to talk over each other, as a familiar piano tune plays in the background.

"You're back late." Felicia grins from across the bar, five glasses in her hands.
"Rough day." Ed mutters. "I thought Allen'd tell you."
"He wouldn't say a word." Felicia frowns. "Did something happen?"
"Something." Ed shrugs. "I'm going upstairs."
"Alright then." Felicia watches the boy retreat, weaving through the crowds and swirly heading up the stairs and out of sight.

—

"Alright, what happened today?" Felicia confronts Allen as the last customer leaves the building.
"Nothing." Allen shakes his head, not meeting Felicia's eyes.
"Don't give me that." Felicia reprimands. "Now tell me."
"…" Allen looks down uncomfortably.
"Alright, fine." Felicia huffs. "But if I find out that you did something dangerous or stupid." She fixes him with a glare. "You're going to pay for it."
"Yes ma'am." Allen nods with a small grin, enough to sooth the angry bar-woman.

"Get out of here." Felicia pushes Allen away. "You look like you need the rest."

—

Ed peeks through the crack in his door, spotting the still lit inn below. He'll have to take the window.

The police chief had said not to go back, that they'd investigate in the morning. Hell, even Al had asked him not to.

But he had to.

Whatever these 'Demons' where, they weren't anything good.

—

Allen steps out into the freezing street, the deep blackness of the sky almost dripping onto the world below. The shining stars less then specks in the distance, a bright moon bares down on him like an angry god.

That was a good one.

—

The manhole cover comes away easily, allowing Ed to quickly slip inside.

—

Allen jogs down the empty streets, favouring the darker sides, letting his form disappear into the darkness.

—

Ed curses his loud footsteps, which echo obviously through the small tunnel.

—

Allen comes to a stop suddenly, as the silence is broken by a sound that rocks his body with fear.

—

Ed immediately hears the clicks. Along with the sound of metal against stone. And…the sound of a cocked gun.

—

Allen apprehensively heads into the dark alley, hoping that the Demons hadn't claimed another victim.

—

Ed scowls as the sounds disappear as quickly as they came, which is to say slowly and unevenly.

Soon, the silence returns, and Ed keeps walking.

—

Allen looks around the dark alley. He could have sworn it came from here…

Unfortunatley, he was right.

Even more unfortunately, that was definitely a gunshot. And that was definitely blood seeping through his shirt.

Shit.

—

Ed hears the gunshot. It echoes far louder than his footsteps. The sound continues to bounce in front of him, eventually getting swallowed by the darkness.

Ed doesn't even hesitate.

He turns and he runs.

—

Allen glares at the figure in front of him. It's half-metallic body glistening slightly in the moonlight.

Dropping to his knees, Allen tries to keep his eyes on the Demon as it moves closer slowly.

It's right arm isn't an arm at all, instead a long-barrelled gun sits where it's forearm should be. A gun which has just shot Allen in his stomach.

"You'll regret that."

—

Ed spots the small ladder immediately. An even smaller grate sits above him, giving Ed a clear view of the moon above.

—

Ed jumps up into the alley way, senses all focused on finding the attacker.

Instead, he spots a familiar white-headed teen, leaning against the far wall of the alley.

His clothes are covered in a dark blood, not quite human, but blood nonetheless.

Ed tries to step forward, only for his foot to collide with a body. Ed immediately spots the metallic attachments, giving Ed a very good idea of what it is.

"Hey, Ed." Allen grins weakly as Ed carefully steps around the fallen Akuma.

"What happened?" Ed looks warily at Allen's blood-stained clothes. "Is that-"

"Most of it isn't mine." Allen lets out a deep breath. "But, yeah, some of it is."
"What did you do?" Ed turns back to the Demon, it's dark blood slowly pooling across the cobblestones.

"Heh." Allen holds out a large army knife, it's blade dripping with a deep red.
"Happened a little fast." Allen says admits, moving forward only to immediately regret it at the painful tug from his stomach. "Urk."
"Where are you hurt?" Ed moves closer, expression softening.
"Shot me." Allen softly explains. "Sorry."
"Can you get back to the inn?" Ed asks.

"…Probably." Allen winces.
"Keep your hand on it." Ed advises, slinging Allen's free arm over his shoulders. "I'll help you walk."

—

"What on earth?" Felicia immediately rushes over as the two stumble into the inn.

"We need a doctor." Ed says quickly. "Allen's been shot."
"Shot?" Felicia's eyes widen in horror. "I-I'll see if doctor Carter is still up."

"Where should I put him!?" Ed calls, watching Felicia hurry off.
"In my room!" She points to a small door behind the bar. "I'll be with you in a minute!"

—

"Shit, shit, shit." Ed mutters to himself as he presses down on Allen's bleeding stomach.

"Stop freaking out." Allen all by whispers, watching Ed with a lazy expression.
"Tell that to me when your not mortally wounded." Ed retorts.
"Maybe I will." Allen grins as Felicia enters the room, a small box in her hands.

"This is all I have." She says, passing the box to Ed. "Doctor Carter will be here in a few minutes.

—

"He'll recover, thankfully." Doctor Carter nods to Felicia and Edward. "The bullet didn't hit anything vital, but he's lost a lot of blood."
"How can we help him?" Felicia asks worriedly.

"He needs rest, mostly." Carter replies. "But you should take him to a proper hospital if you can, within the next week."

"…Thank you." Felicia nods. "Thanks you so much."
"It's my pleasure." Carter turns to Edward. "Take good care of your friend."
"I will."

—

"Ugh." Allen stirs with a groan. His stomach stings like hell and his mouth feels like it's stuffed with cotton, not to mention his almost indecipherable memories. "What happened?"
"A few things." Ed appears to Allen's right, sitting on a backwards chair and leaning on the back.

"Ed?" Allen blinks at the teen.

"Why were you out in the streets?" Ed seriously questions.

"I wanted to head back." Allen admits. "To where we found the circle."
"Why?"
"…" Allen looks away, like he's been caught in a lie.

"Well, whatever." Ed shrugs. "I'm glad you're not dead, though."
"Really." Allen raises an eyebrow, a small grin forming on his face. "Thanks for caring."
"Shut it." Ed bites, not quite angrily. "It's just…"
"What?" Allen shifts in his spot, leaning closer to Edward.

"You remind me of my brother." Ed admits with a smile.

"You have a brother?"
"Yeah, his name's Alphonse. He's a year younger than me."
"Must be nice, having a sibling."
"It was nicer with a whole family."

"Ugh, it's not like it lasted long." Ed sighs, standing up uncomfortably. "I…I'm heading to the site. Chief Caesar is meeting me there.
"Oh, good luck then."

—

"U-Uh g-good morning-"
"Yeah, hey." Edward dismisses the nervous police chief Caesar as he approaches the manhole.

"We've started mapping out the tunnels." An unnamed police officer informs Edward.
"Find anything?" Ed asks, preparing to drop in himself.
"N-Nothing except that room you told us about." Caesar answers. "The rest is just tunnels, a-as far as we can tell."
"Good." Ed mutters, taking the first steps into the tunnels. "At least there's no more of those damn circles."

"U-Uh…" The chief watches Ed nervously.
"What?" Ed demands.

"T-There was something…"

—

"Gross." Ed scowls at the dead Demon, it's body unnaturally spread across the ground, complete with clumps of rotting flesh and clotted blood.

"A-Are there any more?" Caesar looks around nervously.

"…Somehow, I doubt it." Ed says. "They've abandoned this place and broke the circle."
"T-Then they've moved on." Caesar says hopefully. "They w-won't bother us anymore."
"Probably not." Ed heads back towards the ladder, leaving the police to clean up the mess.

—

"How'd it go?" Allen watches Ed enter the back room from his, technically Felicia's, bed.

"Boring." Ed sighs. "Seems that the Demons and anyone one else who used the tunnels are long gone."
"…I suppose that's good." Allen muses. "This town is too small to loose too many people."

"I was just getting used to this place." Ed sighs. "Guess I need to move on soon."
"Oh? Where are you headed?"
"Since all this is over, I've got another mission in Darkensburn."

"That's not too far."
"Yeah, that's good I guess."
"…When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow probably. There'll be some guys from Central to help clean up." Ed shrugs. "But I'm not really needed now the threat is gone."

Allen watches Ed silently, lost in his thoughts. His fingers have wandered back to his left arm, which he's rubbing slowly.

"…I'm hungry." Ed stands suddenly. "I'll see what Felicia's cooked up."
"Uh, right, see you."
"Yeah, bye."

—

Allen lays back onto the bed as the door closes slowly. He can faintly hear Ed's footsteps head back into the Inn, slowly fading to be replaced by silence.

"…Great." Allen breaths, laying his right arm over his eyes. "What should I do now?"

—

"Tomorrow?" Felicia drops Ed's lunch on the table. "You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." Ed says. "Besides, it's not like I'm leaving this place unprotected."
"I thought you said that there wasn't any threat?"
"There shouldn't be." Ed shrugs. "But better safe than sorry."

"Well, the earliest train in is at seven." Felicia recalls. "It heads out at eight."
"That'll be fine." Ed decides. "I'll be out of your hair early tomorrow."

—

"You're going with him, aren't you?" Felicia stares down at Allen.
"Uh, what makes you say that?"
"I know you, Allen." Felicia sighs. "Well, I don't know much, but I know you'll go with him."
"…You're surprisingly perceptive, Felicia."
"Are you?"
"…That is the plan." Allen nods. "But he doesn't know it."
"You're still injured." Felicia adds with a frown. "Should you really be travelling like that?"
"I've gone in worse conditions." Allen reassures with a smile. "I'll be fine."

—

"Thanks for everything." Ed shakes Felicia's hand. "You were a big help."
"I'm glad." Felicia smiles. "Good luck on your travels."
"Yeah, thanks." Ed nods. "By the way, where's Allen?"
"Went out." Felicia shrugs, almost unable to hide a smile. "He said to say goodbye."
"Well, when you see him, tell him thanks." Ed heads to the door with a wave. "See ya."
"Bye." Felicia waves, a smile finally appearing on her lips. "But, I think you can tell him yourself."

—

"The train will depart in one minute."

Ed flinches at the high-pitched static over the intercom, accompanied by a irritating buzz.

He heads over to the waiting train, soft wisps of smoke still floating away from the tracks, mixing with the frigid air.

"Here." Ed waves his ticket in front of the conductor as he steps aboard, heading straight for his seat.

—

Ed relaxes into the seat of his annoyingly small space. The seats in front of him push against his knees and crush his bag on the floor.
As the train finally starts moving, a few stragglers move into their seats, barely filling half of the car. The platform eventually speeds into the distance, replacing Ed's view with a seemingly endless expanse of grey-stained snow.

"Kinda depressing, isn't it?"
Ed jumps at the sound, whirling his head around to see a figure leaning on the back of his seat.

"Allen!?"
"Shh." Allen holds a finger to his smiling lips. "You're disturbing the other passengers."

—

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ed glares at Allen as the latter takes the empty seat beside him.
"Moving on." Allen shrugs. "I was getting bored of such a small town."
"Bullshit." Ed says sharply. "You wouldn't just leave. Not when you're still injured."
"Fine, I wanted to follow you." Allen smiles. "I've always wanted a little adventure."
"You're going to get hurt." Ed scowls. "You already did."
"Meh." Allen shrugs. "Dangers of the trade. I'd be getting hurt anyway."
"What kind go trade are you involved in?"
"Underage gambling." Allen answers casually. "Theft, pickpocketing, petty revenge on those who wronged me."

"…You can't be serious."
"I am."
"I should arrest you."
"Will you?"

"…Ugh, no."

—

"So, what's the plan?" Allen asks, prodding still pouting Edward.
"I gotta find out what that guy was doing." Ed sits up. "And I already know it's no good."
"Don't you have to report back to Central or something?"
"Nah, I'm kind of independent. But I do have to complete any missions on the way."
"Like you one in Darkensburn." Allen recalls.
"Yeah." Ed leans back. "But after that, I'll continue investigating."
"Then, can I tag along? It's no good to be doing all that alone."
"…Do whatever you want. I can't really stop you."
"You're very eloquent." Allen grins.
"Shut up."

—

ok i kno i should be working on me other stories but i needed to get this one out of my system.

let me kno if you want this continued or nah, i really enjoyed writing this, since it's one of my fav crossovers .

Thanks again for reading!
~Cheese Wizzard (•̀o•́)ง