This is the next chapter for my story. I still don't own FMA, though I do wonder why this never happened in the anime. It just seems like the kind of screwed up thing that Father would have wanted to happen.

Chapter 2

Briskly chugging along the 315 is taking a harsh bend, and sends one very sleep alchemist to the floor. Jumping up screaming Edward's head flicks left to right as Alphonse kneels over him and tries to calm him down. "Big brother please stop. You just fell off your seat that is all." Seeming to catch on Edward glances almost sheepishly at the other riders before pulling himself away from Alphonse's large hulking form. "I'm fine."

Dragging himself into his seat Edward glances out the window, watching as the barren countryside flashes past. "Big brother...do you think that that this painter is trying to create a soul bound weapon?" A shiver runs up the golden haired state alchemist, "your not a weapon Al." Alphonse's deep red eyes seem to glow brighter for a moment. "I know brother...but this painter might think differently."

Nodding his head, but not wanting to, Edward has to agree with his brother. 'It is true that a soldier that needs no rest or food would be helpful to any army, but that isn't the feeling I'm getting.' "No Alphonse I think this particular kind of crazy is focused on something other than an undead army."

Standing up Edward had to stand on his toes to reach the overhead storage where his suitcase was thrown earlier. Alphonse does have to flinch a little when Edward ultimately has to jump to reach his bag before returning to his seat across from his metal-bound brother. Alphonse's eyes follow Edward, waiting till he is looking at him once again before he asks the question he needs answered. "How can you tell?" Edward turns his head to look away from his younger brother, "The victims are getting younger and younger."

No words are spoken back as Edward looks through his bag. A small girl across the aisle from them starts to wave at Alphonse distracting him from his older brother's silence. A quick cough from Edward pulls Al back into the moment and he peers at the paper spread out next to Ed on the bench. "If the culprit wanted an army than large victims would make more sense. At the same time, he may be smaller and therefore unable to hold and incapacitate a large enemy as part of this trial stage." Edward breaks off to rub his chin before handing a picture over to his brother.

"That's his last male victim, what do you make of how he left him, Al?" Taking the black and white photo from his older sibling Alphonse grasps the image in his leather bound steel gauntlet before flipping it so he can view it from different angles. "Big brother I think te metal was purposely pushed into is neck. It must have been part of a conduit." Taking the picture back Ed sets it beside the picture of the last victim. "The same metal splinters are in the neck of every victim are him as well." Laying out the pictures of the last two victims beside the two already laid down Edward pointed to a larger piece of metal that is laying beside the last male victim head. "If we accept that the same markings were attached to the metal, for lack of a better term, collars that these later splinters come from than I think it's safe to say that our killer is trying to bind souls." Looking up into his larger siblings hollow eyes Ed whispers out, "we only need to know if he wanted their souls or to attach a new one."

Alphonse leaned closer so as to try and look at the symbols on the 'collar's' pieces. "Big brother, how much blood does it say was found on the pieces of metal?" Edward looks up at his brother, immediately following his thought process. Grabbing the reports e flicks trough them till he can find the later one. "According to the reporting officers, the blood was only trace. A secondary cut was made on each victims' stomach. "It looks like the victims were indeed dead when the metal was attached to their necks." Not really wanting to say what both of the brothers were thinking Edward sat back holding the picture of the last male victim, just so he can focus in on the collar. With that, the brothers lapse into silence for the rest of their trip into Ellition.