And so I'm back... from outer space... (I do not own that song) Here's the next chapter, and I'm sorry I said I'd give you a cyber Starbucks and I forgot some people! ToT Here, take as many as you want!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.


Ed replanted the phone on it's hook and shook his head. Stupid, stupid Mustang… always worried about nothing. Yet his concern warmed the young boy, and his news frightened him.

"So, was it bad news?" the mayor dragged him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see an anticipating gleam in his eyes. He glanced at his brother, who probably would've been pale if he wasn't made of unfeeling iron.

"Not really, just a jumpy lieutenant colonel. He told me the gory little details about the kidnapper."

"So, the details have gone all the way to the government?" he was surprised, but seemingly happy about this news. Ed anxiously twiddled with his braid before turning his gaze to the mayor. "I'm glad it got that far, or you probably wouldn't be here," he supplied quickly, shrugging his shoulders in embarrassment. Conner gave a gruff cough, and Xald turned to look at him.

"Yes, Julian?" he asked, gently walking around the desk to his friend. The sheriff muttered something to the mayor, and Ed listened as intently as he could, but could still hear nothing. They finished with a laugh from Xald. "What a good idea! I'm surprised I didn't think of it!" He clapped Conner on the back before turning to the two brothers. "My friend just had a marvelous idea! Since you boys are here helping us, you can stay at my place! No need to pay for an inn!" That idea struck Edward's cheapskate side like a tuning fork.

"Is there really enough room?" Al spoke up, his voice echoing timidly. There was another laugh, and a cough that was probably the best the haggard sheriff could do.

"Of course, my dear boy! My house is the biggest one in town! I've got too many rooms!" Ed stood up, his chair scraping against the floor and supplied his own chuckle.

"I'll take you up on your offer, Xald. Thanks," he walked to the door and the metallic footsteps of his brother followed. "Well, I'm off to look around. Bye!" The door closed obnoxiously behind them, but it was lost in the chatter of the office.

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Mustang flipped through the papers again; the hostile fear still whipped his stomach. Like a slave it drove him on, he glanced at the pictures then read the papers again, looking for some clue. But, there was no pattern, no identifying mark that connected the victims besides their age. Their parents owned different stores around the town, but none had control over anything besides their small plots of land. Nothing worse than a kidnapper who doesn't care who he's kidnapping. He placed them in order, and followed the small pattern he noticed there. Girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl… and that was the last one to die. A young girl by the name of Anni. The fear wrapped around his stomach and constricted. Instead of finding a loophole, he just made it all the more clearer… Edward was going to die. He looked again at the pictures; none of the hair colors were the same. There was a pink-yellow strawberry blonde, a deep brunette that was almost black haired, a pale brunette, dirty blonde, raven, vivid red, pale red, silver, and a brunette the color of bark. But no straight up gold, not one of the murdered children had Edward's aureate hair, none that shimmered the same way, none. The murderer had been dancing around, flirting with the gold, waiting for the perfect one. And he had found one.

All his digging only rewarded him with a deeper feeling of fear, the murderer was running out of hair colors, and Edward was one of the only colors left. Unless the guy finds cotton candy pink, the lieutenant colonel thought with dreadful humor. He stood up and threw open his door, greeted by Riza's hardened gaze.

"Lieutenant Colonel?" she asked, her voice politely cool. Her apathetic voice grated against Roy's harried nerves.

"Hawkeye, we need tickets to Kenter. If the train's leaving now, stall it." He ordered, his usual voice cracking slightly. That got the girl's attention.

"Is something wrong? You seem unusually stressed," she remarked, putting down her folder and looking down a paper. Slowly, she picked up the phone.

"Hurry up!" he snapped, prompting her to dial faster. "We need to get there as quick as possible!" If he's not going to leave, I'm going to look after him.

"Isn't that the town you sent the Elrics to?" she asked as she put the phone to her ear and asked for the train station.

"Yes, and we've got to hurry up! That little brat refuses to listen to reason!" he huffed, pacing before her. Hawkeye asked for the train to be stalled, then hung up the phone.

"Sir, what's wrong with Edward?" she asked, her voice radiating calm. This quieted his unrest a bit.

Roy took a deep breath and headed for the door. "The kidnappings that are happening in Kenter, Edward fits right in with his victims."

"Did you try telling him?" She thinks I'm overreacting.

"Yes, he won't listen! He's going to have his bones pulled out before he believes me," he took a deep breath. "I know you think I'm overreacting, but we've never sent an officer to investigate something like this before, with him fitting right in with the other victims. If I don't do something, It'll feel just as bad as if I put the gun to his head myself." he glanced sideways at Hawkeye, but her face stayed the same rock-hard calm.

"We've never had someone as young as him, either." She retorted softly. Roy's spine froze, but he continued walking. He opened his mouth to argue, but she gently shook her head. "Do you think we'll be enough?" That question struck him.

"Pardon?"

"Do you think the two of us will be enough? Or do you think we should gather some troops. It would better our odds." Roy stopped and glanced back at the building. The strategic part of his mind knew she was right, but the more protective part yearned to grab Edward and shove him in a suitcase until the kidnapper was found (Heaven knows he's small enough). He bit the inside of his lip in indecision. "It's always better to be more prepared than unprepared." She reasoned.

"Fine," as much as he fancied the suitcase idea, the thought of being so close, yet so far, would haunt him for the rest of his life.

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Al kneeled down beside his brother, who was already squatting beside the bloodstained sand. The two had already investigated the other places where the bodies had been found, this was the last one. With every scene, the younger Elric had wanted to throw up (though he knew it to be physically impossible). The blood had congealed the sand into small globs, and by the looks of the sand, there had been plenty of the crimson liquid.

Then a memory hit him, "brother, when you had talked to Lieutenant colonel Mustang, why were you so polite? You never talk to him like that!" His brother gave a grunt, and sat down well out of the range of the blood.

"I was by that mayor guy," he answered, relaxing into the shadow-cooled sand.

"So?"

Ed shuddered, though scorching, "he gives me the creeps! It just felt, weird, not to talk polite in front of him," he seemed to have trouble expressing his feelings.

"So you felt like you had to?" Al put in, causing Ed's face to brighten.

"Yeah!" But it still made no sense to the younger of the two. Suddenly, Edward kicked a boot-full of sand over the bloody spot. "These murders are sick! So much blood, and those poor kids, left boneless. I can't imagine going through that torture." His yellow eyes seemed pained, and his body trembled.

"Brother?"

"It's nothing." He stood up, and examined the bloody spot some more. Alphonse just watched as his brother guarded his eyes and he turned into the emotionless dog of the military he swore he'd never become.

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He gently sharpened the rusty knife, watching as the red flaked off and fell to the stained ground beneath him. He loved the sharp squeak it made as it raked against the stone, sounding like the squeal of a child. Once he had his fill of it, he placed it beside his other wicked tools. He was all set for his ochroid little boy, the all-too-frequent shudders racked through his body, his anticipation almost a tangible thing that thickened the air around him.

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Edward stopped at the small restaurant, ordering plenty of food, enough to feed a small militia. The dread in his stomach couldn't be smothered by food, though, as he stuffed in as much food as his small form could take.

"I thought we would eat with Xald," Al muttered, watching as Ed ate more and more. Fullmetal scoffed and put down his fork.

"I'd hate to inconvenience him even more," his voice was an odd mix of respect and loathing. Al cocked his head like an abandoned dog.

"You're unusually respectful," he laughed, and Ed flinched. He picked up his fork and dug into his steak once again.

"Oh shut up Al! I just feel like being respectful, you got a problem with that?" he mumbled around his steak. But that wasn't the reason either, that man, Xald, had an odd effect on him. It made him want to act respectful, like he should be respectful. Then the dread flinched in his stomach at the thought of the man. What if that crackpot Mustang's right?

I know it's short, but it's a calm-before-the-storm chapter, so I hope you liked it. More cyber Starbucks for give!