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"So that thing is called an Akuma?" Ed was writing down all the details that Allen -not Chris- had explained to him.

"Yes," Allen nodded.

"Are they some kind of robot, but they seem to have their own mind," Ed trailed off.'Advanced science or some kind of transmutation, is it possible they were able to transmute the soul?'

"No they are, were, they were...humans at one point," Allen said quietly.

Ed stopped his note taking and looked at the other, "What do you mean were?" 'Not human transmutation, not human transmutation, not again!'

Allen sighed and scratched his hand through his hair, his hand which was now not a sword or a claw 'What about energy conservation? Where does the mass come from? Is the cross some kind of converter...'

Allen closed his eyes and started speaking in a monotone, almost as if he had said this speech many times before, "The creature, like I said is an Akuma. They are weapons belonging to someone called the Millennium Earl. When someone dies, and someone close to them feels extreme amounts of sorrow, the Earl appears before them," Allen took a deep breath and looked into Edward's eyes, and Ed was shocked to see such similar pain and defeat that mirrored his own, "He appears before the person and asks if they want their precious one back. He says he can bring them back."

Ed snorted,"There must be a price."

A corner of Allen's mouth rose into a grimace, "There is. He does bring the person's soul back, but when he does he gets complete control over them. He stores the soul in some kind of machine, and when it is called back it is given one task. Kill the person who called it and take over their body."

Allen slumped back in his seat, "After that, all they do is kill and look for innocence, but the soul is still there still seeing everything, and it can't control itself. It is one of the worst kinds of fate I can think of…" Allen trailed off, staring out the window.

Ed felt himself still 'sorrow at someone's death...bring them back...Mom… if Al and I had been in this world, would we have tried it?' Ed started and looked back up at Allen's face.

"You listened to him, didn't you, this Earl?" Ed questioned, and Allen instantly looked back at him.

"Yes"

"Who -" Ed stopped, he wasn't good at this stuff, dammit, Al was always better with people.

Allen didn't respond for a time, but shrank into his chair and breathed out a sigh, "My father, my adoptive father more or less, he was all I had, and I was just a kid, I had no idea. And when the Earl called him back he cursed me, cursed me for making him an Akuma." suddenly Allen started scrubbing his face.

'Ack! No, not crying, please, please not crying, help!' Ed glanced around, but when his gaze landed back on Allen he noticed he wasn't crying. His eyes were red, well the area around one of them. It looked like some kind of scar trailed down his face, right over his left eye.

"This is the curse, " Allen sat back down and curled up, "but when he attacked me my innocence awoke, and I killed him, my own father who I had just brought back. And he thanked me for it." Allen let out a bark that was either a laugh or a sob. "but the curse stayed, I can see Akuma souls, always. No matter where I am I know who is an Akuma and I can see there pain, so far, I think I'm the only one…" Allen trailed off quietly.

"I…" Ed started and trailed off, but built up again, "I understand."

Allen looked up into Ed's face, and after a moment spoke out, "yeah…"

"You, you keep talking about innocence, what do you mean, certainly not the idea of purity?" Ed said after a moment, trying to move the conversation forward.

Allen smiled, relieved to move on from the previous point, "No, of course not," he had a small smile, "Innocence is an.. energy? a weapon? It is used to fight Akuma, my arm is one see?"

Allen pointed to the cross in his hand.

"Innocence can take many different forms, some, like mine are parasitic, meaning they are part of the person's body. There are others that are weapons, like swords, or even take the form of something normal , like boots. Each kind of innocence has an ability and if they are paired correctly, then they can become very powerful."

"So if you find this innocence, you can just use it?" Ed asked, leaning forward, 'maybe this is what I'm looking for?!'

Allen quickly shook his head, "No, the innocence chooses who it goes to, and then the closer the person's goals, dreams, and soul line up with the innocence, the more powerful it becomes."

"Ah, maybe a genetic marker of some kind for compatibility," Ed started to murmur, "But I don't understand where the energy comes from, does it take it from you since it is connected to you?"

"Yeah, it does, actually, I usually have to eat a lot more than anyone else to keep my body working, especially since my innocence is very powerful," Allen smiled.

"hmm," Ed started scribbling noted down in his book… and then shot up again, "Wait, why did you call yourself Chris earlier, do people with innocence usually have to be undercover?"

Allen flinched, and Edward's eyebrows raised, "Um, no, not usually actually, well we call ourselves Exorcists, and at the moment...I'm not their favourite person." Allen stood up from his seat, "Um, I'm going to need to sleep, so sorry, um, goodnight!" and he practically threw himself into the bed and was out like a light.

Ed wrote down a bit more in his journal, and looked over at the younger boy. 'Innocence, Akuma, some kind of society? Earl Millenium, ability to manipulate matter, this doesn't make sense, none of this is balanced! And what the hell was that! He just fell asleep. Very fishy, his society doesn't like him at the moment, and he said he is really powerful...gah! I need more facts.'

Ed sighed and flopped down on his bed, still staring at Allen, 'Poor kid, he seems stuck in the same place Al and I were, at least we had each other, he seems to not have anyone.'

'...I could help him.'

Ed jerked up in the bed and tensed, the entire time he had been stuck in this world he had only had one goal, get back home. But now...now he had met someone with such a similar tale to his own, his own eyes reflected back at him. His own wants, desires, failures, and pain. Secrets, power, and underlying feeling of...hopelessness underneath the need to continue forward. Ed sighed to himself, and looked over at Allen's sleeping form.

'Fine, all right, I'll see if I can help the kid, a week, I'll travel with him for a week, and that is it!'

Allen woke up the next morning, and looked over to see Edward still asleep. He went to the bathroom, and got ready for the day, quietly packing up his bag, and tiptoeing downstairs. He nodded to the lady at the desk, and quickly paced down the road back to the train station.

Ten minutes later, and he was seated on another random train, headed as far away from the Order as he could go.

"So, Italy huh, I haven't been there yet, any fun?" A voice smirked from the seat next to him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Allen fell off the chair and slid to the ground, soon joined by Edward who was laughing hysterically.

"How did you get here? What in the world?"

Edward smiled and slid into the seat across from him, "Thought you could sneak away, haha, Edward Elric fake sleeping technique still works wonders!"

Allen clumsily heaved himself back up into his seat, "...not to be rude, but why did you pretend to be asleep?...Are you following me?"

Ed snickered and then kicked his legs up into the opposing seat (They barely made it ,but they did) "Ah, well, I decided to take a break for a bit, and you seem interesting, so why not?" With that he grabbed a book out of his bag, hiding his face as he saw Allen face fault.

'This vacation seems like a good idea after all.'

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you have a list of ways to torture a man called Roy Mustang?"

"Because he is an evil, womanizing, lay-about."

"...Want some help?"

"Hey Ed"

"Hmm?"

Allen shuffled a little bit, and then looked around at the papers surrounding Edward, "Can I help?

Ed looked up and smirked, "Only if you are prepared for an exponential increase in basic anatomy, biology, separate plane theories,metallurgy, and theoretical physics."

"Well, I'm not doing much else right now," Allen shrugged and plopped down next to Ed.

"Alright, first lets go over some basic equations, do you know how gravity works?"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"YES"

"NO...Don't give me that face... fine."

Allen grinned in triumph and dragged Edward to the circus.

'Next time I see him, Roy is going to cry,' Ed smirked as Allen showed him another new way to destroy the competition at cards.

Edward sighed and chucked a pillow at Allen, mainly, his grumbling stomach. You would think after two weeks he would have gotten used to it, but no. "Wake up, idiot, your stomach's about to eat itself!"

"Whaaa?"

A sigh escaped Allen as he dragged Edward away from an elderly couple who had called Allen a sweetie for taking his younger brother out on a trip with him.

He winced as he listened to the torrent of swear words burst from Edward's mouth.

He didn't notice and amused gleam in Ed's eyes.

Allen sighed, and moved his hair out of his eyes. It had grown way too quickly in the past few weeks, reaching down to just under his shoulders.

"Use this," Edward dropped a hair band on top of Allen's head, and the moved back to the strange contraption he had been playing with.

Allen quickly tied his hair in a ponytail, and continued to read over the biology book Ed had lent him.

"How come you always run into these Akuma?" Ed sighed as he quickly helped Allen bandage his side.

"I'm the only one who can actually see them, so I can help where others can't, and I can't let those souls be stuck in that hell," Allen sighed and smiled at Ed in thanks for the bandage.

Ed sighed again and shook his head, they were way too similar for his health.

"Ed, Ed! Are you al right?" Allen gripped his arm and helped him up.

"Fine," Ed glared at his leg. Damn it all.

"Sure you are, because people just randomly collapse in the middle of the street for no reason whatsoever," Allen replied with a cheerful grin on his face, and Ed flinched, it was that smile.

"Fine, I'll.." Ed grimaced, "I'll tell you when we are inside."

Ed had not let Allen carry him into whatever room in whatever place they were staying for the night, he was fine! He could take care of himself thank you very much.

Ed settled himself on the side of a bed, while Allen pulled a chair over.

"Well, what is is?" Allen hedged.

Ed sighed, "I'll just show you all right?" Ed huffed and began unbuttoning his shirt. He let it hang open and then took off his boot. He then allowed his shirt to fall off of his right shoulder.

Allen stared at the metal that was connected to his flesh, "What, what are these?" Allen moved forward, but stopped to look at Edward before he touched them.

Ed sighed and grabbed Allen's hand with his automail one, "They are called automail, robotic pieces that I use to replace my arm and leg, and as you can tell they are really not common, here, so I have to hide them. Added to that is the fact I can't find anyone to fix them to me as I grow (yes he was growing damn it!) so my balance isn't that good."

Allen had been moving the digits and looking at the machinery while Ed spoke, but looked up after he finished. His gaze met Ed's and he quietly asked, "Why do you need them?"

Ed grimaced, "It's a long story…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Allen had told him his story, and it...it was only fair that Ed tell his. Equivalent exchange and all that.

"I used to live with my mother, and my little brother Alphonse, Al is his nickname. My dad was never home, and our mother was all we had." Ed felt Allen settle next to him on the bed, and kept plowing forward, "She got sick, really sick, no one could help her, and then she died."

"Al and I didn't want to believe it, and we were always so smart, too smart, too full of ourselves to realize there are reasons why people don't do certain things," Ed laughed hollowly, "We thought we could bring her back through…. a ritual. An equivalent exchange of sorts. But we didn't realize that once someone is dead, you can't bring them back."

Ed stopped and Allen was silent, but still held Ed's hand, showing his support, "Well, we tried, and failed. Instead of our mother we brought back..something. A monster. And to pay for it took my leg, and,and it took Al." Ed's voice quavered, but suddenly became fierce, "And like hell I was going to let some bastard take my brother from me, so I went back and said I would give anything for my brother. It took my arm in exchange for his soul, and I put his soul inside a suit of armor that was there."

Allen said nothing, but waited as Ed caught his breath.

"After that, all I wanted was to help Al...to get his body back...and I think in the end I might have...but the price was that I was taken from them, from everybody, and I can't find them anymore." Ed ground the last part out and the was quiet.

"Is that why you keep going to all of these scientists, to find your brother?"

A nod.

Silence.

"We should check out China, they have some of the most advanced technologies in the world, and I met some very interesting people in India as well. America is up and coming at the moment so they might have something you are looking for. I have contacts who can get us into the States quite easily, they do owe me after all." Allen had gotten up from his seat and quickly started to jot down notes on a small piece of paper.

"In fact, we might want to start in America, it is a lot easier to move around and I speak the language…"

Ed looked shocked in Allen's direction, "What?"

Allen put the paper down, and smiled at Ed, "You don't mind if I come along, do you?"

"Of-of course not but...don't you have people here?" Ed blurted out, accidently asking the one question he had never been able to before.

Because it terrified him. Yes, Allen was weird, and quirky but he was good, and kind, and it was strange seeing him in the newspapers as some kind of threat, to see him not talk about any friends or anyone who would miss him.

"I…" Allen started, "They…" He shut his eyes and turned to face the wall.

Edward barely heard the next words, and when he recognized what they were he nearly knocked Allen over.

"At this point I think they would rather have me dead."

"WHAT?"

Ed grabbed Allen's shoulder and spun him around, "Explain, NOW." Allen flinched under his glare and Ed quickly let go, he didn't move back though, and looked straight into Allen's eyes.

"What kind of bastards want you dead, and how soon do you want me to deal with them?" Ed glared.

Allen just blinked, "What? But, why…"

Ed smirked, evil, EVIL, plots filling his head. It was too late, he was attached, this damn brat (he was to allowed to call him a brat, height had nothing to do with brattiness) that had same stupid complex that he did, and the same stupid naivety of Al. That was it, Ed was adopting him as an unofficial Elric. It was only fair after all.

"There is no "why?" There is only the fact that I know you are good, so anyone who want you dead is obviously either very stupid, or evil incarnate." Ed nodded to himself.

Allen just stared.

"Allen?"

No response.

"Hey Allen, you okay?".

"Why...why do you.." Allen couldn't seem to get the words past his throat.

Ed frowned, why wouldn't he fight for someone he believed in, someone he could admit was starting to feel like family? Family always came first in his book.

But the look on Allen's face said so much more then he seemed able to stutter out. It was the look of someone who had resigned themselves to fight alone. Forever. Someone who had never had anyone else to fall back to in times of pain, or to help them when they needed it. Yes, Ed had had a tough life, but he had Al, his little brother, who he knew would always be there when he needed it. Allen hadn't had anyone, and the more Ed thought the more angry he got.

Ed nodded to himself and then looked Allen in the eye, "Sucks to be you, but I have decided that you are an unofficial Elric, so you are stuck with me now, old man!"

Allen stared, grumbled at the insult, but then looked up at Ed again. "What do you mean?"

Ed moved back and flopped onto the bed, and Allen slid down the wall until he was sitting.

"I mean that, you just, you seem like and Elric, like me and Al, and you feel like family. So I decided that you would join ours. By the way you have no say in this so too bad," Ed smiled at the last part looking victorious. "Oh, and Al will completely agree with me, so once I find him I am dragging you along, especially since apparently some idiots want to kill you."

Allen looked to be in shock, but then a slow smile spread over his face. A small giggle burst out, and then laughter. Full joyous mirthful laughter filled the room. Tears streamed down his face, and he curled into himself. He heard the bed heave as a weight was lifted from it, and felt the warmth against his side as an arm draped over his shoulders.

"Thanks.." he murmured to his knees, and he could practically see the grin that was on Edward's face.

"No problem," Ed felt lighter than he had in a very long time, "now, I really want you to tell me about these idiots, and maybe there address and favourite foods...for research purposes of course."

Allen snorted and lent back.

"Fine"

The Millennium Earl. Noah. Neah. The fourteenth. Exorcists. Black Order. The Pope. Allen quietly explained everything to Ed. He took it with his usual...grace.

"So what you are saying is is that some bastard is trying to take over your body. You obviously do not want this, and neither does anyone else because he betrayed the Noah, and for some reason the Black Order thinks he is a threat to them."

A nod.

"What the fuck is wrong with those people!" Ed exploded.

Allen just shrugged, "I can see why they would be worried, I mean… I have a powerful innocence and if I lose…" Allen sighed.

Ed's eyes narrowed, going over likely situations, but suddenly froze, "Has he affected you at all these past couple weeks?"

Allen froze as well, "...no...I" suddenly Allen bolted into the bathroom. There was a shocked gasp and Ed sprinted in afterwards.

"Allen?"

"I don't understand, " Allen stared at himself in the glass, "he...he is just gone!"

"You mean he isn't in your reflection?" Ed questioned.

"Yes, and he hasn't been in a while I just didn't notice…" Allen trailed off.

"Could it be because you aren't interacting with the places and people that would cause him to awaken?" Ed asked.

"Maybe?"

"...so America?"

Ed and Allen grinned at each other.

Yes, progress! The next chapter is really the turning point! Yeah~

~Not Necessarily in Between