Dawn: Life sucks. First, everyone should think I'm dead due to my laziness (No, instead Ace5980, the other author everyone likely thinks died but didn't, and I just had a falling out when she found out my sexual orientation, which is something I'd rather not go into), but I'm not, so yeah. I'm also sick and tired with how no one seems to like this story other than my beta, neoko-chan, so I'm gonna try reposting it under T first as a last-ditch attempt, even though the rating WILL go up to M by the third chapter.

Roy: *whispers to Ed* She's crazy.

Dawn: I HEARD THAT! NOW GO DO THE DISCLAIMER!

Roy: Um...

Ed: ImmortalDawn18 does not own FullMetal Alchemist, merely this plot line and her OC, Alexius.

Dawn: *glares daggers at Roy*

Roy: Shit.

Prologue

Alexius felt almost naked without his gun on his hip and his horse underneath his body. Riding generally hurt like hell, it usually did for males, but clutching his Exorcist's gun in his fist was a heady feeling he longed for with all of his considerably black heart. He scowled at the window of the little general store, hating how his reflection didn't appear in the glass. He never knew how he looked, not that he really gave a damn about how his long red hair looked, but he wasn't about to trust anyone, not after what happened. Trust was something that did not come easily out here, and Alexius saw no point in forcing the issue.

Biting his lip, he pushed into the store, his black Exorcist coat flapping around him. Inside, a blond woman looked up, her eyes piercing. "May I help you?" she asked, her tone broaching no arguments or excuses.

"Is that lazy bastard up yet? I have some important business to discuss with him."

She frowned judgmentally. "You know he does not like hunting anymore, Alexius."

"Yes, but this is something he needs to address." He was quiet for a moment as she eyed him speculatively. "Dammit, Riza, I can't do this alone. I took the time off, the time I didn't need to grieve, but I still can't quite convince the damn shrink to let me pick up a gun again. Not without a recommendation."

She sighed, recognizing defeat. "I'll get him for you," she murmured, blowing past the counter to venture up the staircase hidden within one particular part of the wood paneling.

He only stood there for a moment, shifting his weight impatiently from boot to boot with his fingers twitching impatiently by his empty holster before he sensed a presence behind him. There were only two people in the entire world who could sneak up on him like that, the other one being someone he'd sworn to forget. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me, Alexius."

He shook his head. "Never you, Roy. I just had some business to take care of."

The dark-haired man chuckled dryly, leaning against a solid part of wall. "How's Scout?" he inquired politely, remembering the way Alexius had been so fond of the steadfast horse.

"Dead and gone a year ago." The boy's tone was clipped, little emotion leaking through. "That there is his colt, Hunter."

"He certainly takes after his sire."

"Indeed."

Roy shifted, turning his attention to the true meaning of Alexius's visit. The boy was a pretty good liar, though how he managed to convince the usually shrewd woman that the other Amestrian Exorcists would not put a gun into his extremely capable hands was beyond him. "Riza tells me you have a business proposition for me."

The redhead's emerald eyes seemed to harden, distancing themselves slightly from the conversation. "You know I'm a careful Exorcist, Roy. I'm not one to go out wildly seeking justice or to dive into a fight without knowing where all of my enemy's positions are or if I'll have enough balls in my gun," he said, obviously working up to asking the man to take something on his word and faith.

"Just spit it out already, Alexius. You know I take the potential gains and losses over past history."

"You know that old fairytale, the one about the Twelve Towers before they fell?"

Roy eyed him suspiciously. "What about it?"

"Well, before my father passed away, he told me a cock-and-bull story about them, and I think it's high time I tested it."

Roy frowned. "You're wanting to test one of Kit's crazy death-bed ramblings? Like I said before, Alexius, I think that last horseshoe knocked something in his brain."

"I wouldn't disagree with you there, but I found the proof he offered me of his tale right where he told me it would be."

"All right," he said, midnight eyes wary. "I'm listening."

"There weren't just Twelve Towers. The only reason we were told there were Twelve was because the last one, the Thirteenth, was supposedly the one where they kept a handful of filthy half-demons in. When Kit was younger, he apparently found what he believes to be that Thirteenth Tower and cleansed it of much of the evil lurking within. Sadly, the many demons drove him out and killed his team, but not before he managed to extract the price, a gold coin that the head demon claimed held a human soul inside. Kit was never able to extract the soul, but he kept the coin, hidden away from the rest of the world along with his story."

"And the coin?" Roy asked skeptically.

Alexius pulled a small gold disc from one of the pockets of his coat and flipped it to Roy. "Seems ordinary enough, save for the picture."

True to his word, the coin depicted a young boy glaring from the metal, a fierce expression on his face. Roy studied it for a long moment, briefly wondering if the engraving might have had a model before coming to his senses and fixing his gaze on Alexius. "I don't know, this seems rather sketchy," he muttered, unwilling to fully commit to such a strange claim on such little proof.

"I know, which is why I came to you rather than the rest of the Exorcists." He breathed hard, his eyes turning as hard as what Roy often thought of them of, emeralds. "Look, I know this is a really strange claim, even for us, but I can't take this one on alone, Roy. I know that two men aren't going to do much good against Towers full of demons, but dammit, I just need to know that my father wasn't quite as insane as I thought."

Roy sighed, his midnight eyes finding the ceiling for a moment. Why was it that whenever Alexius needed his help, it ended up drawing him out of his forced retirement? "Fine. I'll work with you on this, so long as you get more conclusive proof before we going storming any Towers for more gold coins and you keep this from the rest of the Exorcists."

Alexius nodded, eying the outside world with a discerning gaze. "It's too dark to attempt a travel anywhere," he noted absently, seeming almost wistful as he recalled his missing weapon. "Do you think Riza would put me up as well?"

Roy smiled ruefully. "Of course. If she puts up with my ass staying here 24/7, she can't exactly complain about you spending the night."

Roy: *whimpering* Please review, as it will make Dawn-sama NOT do horrible things to me.

Dawn: *smirks* Good boy. You may go screw Ed in Narnia.

Ed: Narnia?

Alex: The closet.

Ed: Okay then.

Dawn: Thank you, and good night!