Hey all! Yay for Chapter 3 being posted! And thanks so much for the reviews and favorites/follows! I sincerely appreciate them!

This story is coming along quick. Though, I must say, this chapter was a bit harder to write. It went well in the beginning and then I began questioning it at the end, but in the end, this is the result. When I go and edit this story on a later date (after it's finished) I may change things around, but for now, this will do. Now... a couple of things before the chapter begins:

WARNING: Graphic text and strong hints about rape.

BUT! This story is intended to have a happy ending. Event amidst all the angst and hurt/horror. Just thought you all should know that.

Now... on to the story!


Chapter 3

Ed stared, dumbfounded. This had to be some kind of joke, right? He glanced from the woman to Macabé, gauging their reactions. Maybe he had misheard what the guy had said. Elwood; yeah sure, it had to be that, right?

"You really expect me to believe you?" The anger in his voice was loud and clear. The fake (one of the names Edward decided to dub him) placed a hand on his hip, no expression on his own face. He just looked at Ed, perhaps lost in thought. Just what the joker could possibly be thinking was beyond Ed. Everything seemed so ludicrous. How had he gotten himself in this position again? Oh yeah. It was because of her. The lady-who-pretended-to-be-a-nice-citizen-of-Amestris lady. That was why. How he could have been duped- well… those reasons were not something he really wanted to dwell on, either. Who knew that the famed Fullmetal Alchemist, hero of the people, could be so carried away in his thoughts that he couldn't think clearly enough to find his way out of a bad situation? Certainly not Ed.

Sighing, Ed crossed his legs and leaned forward, altogether done with being kidnapped.

"Look. Just give me back my things and I'll be on my way. You let me out of here and I promise there won't be any consequences." Hah, he really should take up poker. He impressed himself sometimes at his ability to lie.

"You want me to let you go?" The Fake asked the question as if the very idea had never occurred to him.

"Is that too stupid a question for you to understand?" Maybe talking back to his captors wasn't the best idea, but it's not like Ed had anything better to do. Or rather, he had other subjects he wanted to avoid.

In all his thoughts, a slap to his face was not something he had been expecting. Somehow, in his musings, Ed had missed seeing the woman close the gap between them, effectively swiping her hand across his face. Her nails left small gashes along his cheek, and Edward could feel the trickle of blood seep out from the wounds.

"It's unfortunate that I had to mar your lovely face, but having such a foul mouth will only bring you pain." The woman stood over him, her face exasperated as she waited for a response from Edward. When the only thing she received was a glare, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"No no, this is a good thing, Karly." Fake Edward spoke up, watching him with wide, curious eyes. So, Karly was the woman's name, eh? Ed made sure to put that information at the back of his mind for safe keeping.

Boots tapped the ground as the fake Edward came to stand at Ed's side. Ed clenched his teeth, unable to help glaring up at his captor. There was no way in hell Ed was shorter than the fake. No way. Without warning, the impostor (who casually had a hand in the coat pocket) stomped on his limp flesh hand. A distressed yelp found its way out of Ed's mouth, and he instantly hunched forward, trying to ease the pain in his fingers. However, when the fake twisted his foot hard against Ed's fingers, he was barely able to contain a cry of pain bubbling the surface of his throat. Seconds passed, and when the pressure was let off his hand, scrapes could be seen all along his knuckles, blood slowly seeping out of the wounds. Ed panted a little, not giving the imposter the privilege of seeing his face.

"You see," the fake spoke, as if giving a lesson, "every bit of information we can get from him will be necessary for the future." A small, gleeful laugh of awe escaped Karly's lips, while Macabé made a noise of awe that clearly stated he had no knowledge of this beforehand.

"What the hell do you want with me?" Ed grit out, watching his fingers try but fail to bend. The fake Edward contemplated his question, cocking his head to the side.

"What do I want with you?" Had Edward looked up right at that moment, he'd have seen the hungry smile that overtook the short man's features, "well now, that is the million dollar question, isn't it?" Abruptly, he turned on his heel to face Macabé and Karly. "Leave. I wish to have a word with my fellow alchemist." Macabé stood, wiping down non-existent crumbs off his old jeans. Karly pouted, glancing down at Edward.

"Don't blemish his beautiful skin too much. He won't be much fun later on if you do."

"That would be a tragedy, wouldn't it?" The fake agreed, glancing at his hostage reflectively, before kicking the other two out of the room. With the door closed, he turned to look at Ed, excitement glittering in his eyes. It was at that moment that Edward's stomach chose to growl once again. The anxiety he felt at having his fingers stomped on and twisted, his body being in less-than acceptable shape for escape, and eyes that hurt every time he glanced towards the window, added to the effect of his lack of food; thereby convincing Ed that if he made any sudden moments within the next minute or so, he'd definitely throw up.

"So you are the famous Edward Elric. The hero of the people. A dog of the military. The Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Wow, that's quite an introduction you've got for me. You should be my lackey." He really couldn't help his snide comment from slipping off his tongue. The guy was asking for it.

The imposter Edward made his way towards Edward, bending his knees to get a closer look at his captive. Ed humphed and looked in the opposite direction. Without warning, a hand snapped forward and grabbed his chin, painfully twisting his head from side to side. Ed was unable to stop a wince when fingers dug into the cuts on his cheek.

"Wow, you really are young. I never thought it possible that the military would stoop so low as to let a kid join the ranks, but…" he clucked his tongue, stinky breath infiltrating Ed's nose. Now that Ed had a closer look at the guy, he was surprised to see that the fake Edward was rather young himself. Couldn't have been more than a few years older than him. The new revelation could definitely be used to Ed's advantage. Same age, equal skill- if him calling himself an alchemist was anything to go by. Logic that made sense in his mind.

Though Ed still felt weak for an inane reason, with the fake Edward so enthralled with looking at his face, he took the chance to prop his elbows against the floorboards and use as much momentum as he could muster to knee the guy in the ribs with his automail leg. With a yelp of surprise, fake Edward propelled forward into the wall, grabbing his side in pain. Ed used that to his advantage and brought his other leg around to kick the guy in the head, but was effectively stopped by an arm that shot up to block his path. That definitely gave Edward his own bit of surprise. His kick should not have been so easily thwarted. What had they done to him while he slept? Dammit, why did he feel so weak!

A laugh made its way out of the fake's mouth, before a fist shot out and slammed against Ed's ribs. Ed gasped and panted against the strike. That… hurt a lot more than he thought it would.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" The fake commented, resting his elbow along Ed's flesh shoulder. Did the guy think they were friends? He shrugged him off.

"What's wrong with you?" He mustered out, the urge to rub the pain in his ribs slowly receding.

"Me? You kicked me first. You only got what you deserve." Impostor Ed stood up, opting to sit on the bed for a moment.

"I'm not gonna ask again," if Ed could fake his confidence, maybe he'd be able to intimidate his captor enough to make a mistake. Such as accidentally leaving the key to the chains holding him down, "why the hell did you bring me here?"

"You want me to answer your questions when you're being rude? That's not how it works. I'm the one asking the questions here." Fake Edward leaned against his knees, his eyes thinning to slits. From where he was sitting, Edward was barely able to make out his face, as the light from the windows continued to glare so effortlessly into his eyes.

"Now tell me, my fellow alchemist, how does it feel being a dog of the military? Just what made you decide to become one? Were you forced? You do have some pretty amazing skills. It's why we have to watch your hands. I see that you tried to create a transmutation earlier before I could come see you ." Fake Edward stood, favoring his ribs just a little, and began to pace. His hands moved animatedly as he spoke.

"Oh! And I am curious. We're both alchemists here, right?" He gave an unnecessary pause at the question. Really, if the guy didn't know Edward was an alchemist already, he wouldn't have chained Ed's hands, "so one of my main questions is… where did you put the transmutation circle on your body to be able to never need one?"

"What are you talking about?" The question was asked more out of spite than anything else. Of course Ed knew what he was talking about. The fact that he could transmute without a circle… that opened of a can of worms which Edward would explicitly not be divulging about to some pompous, snob-ass wannabe who thought too highly of himself.

The fake quit his pacing to give him a knowing look, "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." He walked up to Ed, stepping on each leg to make sure there wasn't a repeat like early happening, then hunched down to look at Edward's automail arm. Ed gasped at the unnatural pressure against his flesh ankle. It was only now that he realized his boots were missing. Bastard. How had he not noticed earlier? When he tried to pull his leg away, the fake pressed harder. Then, as if he didn't notice any resistance or change in how hard he stepped on Ed's leg, the fake reached out both hands to get a closer look at the automail arm.

Instinctively, Ed tried to pull his arm away. Even if he couldn't actually feel the the wannabe's fingers, didn't mean he wanted his fingerprints all over it. Fake Edward didn't seem to notice Ed's reluctance, taking the liberty to rip the sleeve of his jacket in order to get a better look at the automail.

"Hey! That's expensive material, you jerk!" Ed yelled, pissed that the poser thought he had the right to do away with his clothes.

"Expensive?" Fake Edward paused in his inspection, glancing curiously at Ed, "what is expensive to you, when you get paid handsomely?"

"What are you, a grandpa?" He quipped back, "using words such as 'handsomely' clearly implies that."

A hand suddenly gripped Ed's throat, cutting off his airway, slamming him against the wall; inciting more pain to a still tender head gash. Choking, Ed tried to gasp, and instantly felt panicked when his captor was squeezing too tight.

"You know, just because I let you stay in this bedroom, doesn't mean you can say mean things to me. You can't just talk back. That's not how we're gonna run things, got it?" Ed did his best to nod, his vision going black before the fake released him. Ed gasped, gulping in as much as air as quickly as possible, head lowered. The fake still stood on his legs, digging deeper, cutting skin, blood seeping over the edges of his boot. Ed let out an involuntary cry from the unfamiliar pain, before snubbing the noise as much as possible while trying to get air in his lungs.

Why was this guy, who was nearly the same age nonetheless, doing this?

"Isn't it obvious?" Fake Edward brought his face close to Ed's, his breath all too palpable and suffocating all on its own.

"What?" His voice was a little too breathy for his liking.

"Well I guess I can't blame you for not knowing. Don't think of it as something I am doing to you, but rather, think of it as helping me help you out." The words made no sense to Ed; and had he asked his question out loud? He didn't even notice. That didn't bode well.

"What are you talking about?" the Fake Ed gave a short laugh, moving away from Ed, easing pressure off his legs. Ed wasn't sure which was better, having the boot cut into his skin, or have the wound open to the cold air. Thoughts of the cold air caused him to shiver. It was definitely getting colder cold in the room. Damn that open window Ed cursed silently and damn that fake wannabe for leaving it that way.

The fake Edward sat on the bed, stroking his non-scruffed chin in thought.

"Ed, can I talk frankly with you?" Ed glared at the crazy man,

"You can do whatever the hell you damn well please, now can't you," was his strained reply. Seriously, what kind of drug was the guy on, anyway? Fake Edward smirked then threw his head back to laugh. Angered with nausea bubbling within his stomach, Ed's automail hand balled up, scraping the already ruined transmutation circle. It was eerie, to watch someone who looked and dressed like him act in a completely different manner.

Collecting himself once again, fake Edward watched him with his disturbing grin, "all jokes aside, what I need to ask you is quite serious." He leaned back on his hands casually, the emotion on his face erased.

"I've watched you, Edward Elric-"

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all,"

"Always one to retort, aren't you?" Fake Edward rose an eyebrow. Though his hair was blonde, he'd forgotten to dye his eyebrows and their color did not quite match the ensemble, "as I was saying. I've watched you for some time now, Edward Elric, and I must say… I am utterly astonished at the work they make you do." Now his eyes shone with a glimmer that Ed couldn't place,

"you got into the military because you can use alchemy without a transmutation circle. At the very least, you don't have to draw it out. However," his eyes found at Ed's automail, an animalistic look briefly crossing his features, "I have to wonder where it's placed… and if it has been done, how can I obtain that same power…" those last words he murmured, biting his lip delicately. "Your arm and leg do present a problem, though..."

Ed's stomach twisted with revulsion. Had he not already been feeling sick from hunger (which he wasn't sure was a good thing. Wasn't the nausea supposed to stem off after a while?) the look on the man's face would have done it for him. It was disgusting, watching him eye Ed's automail like he wanted to eat it. Sure, he'd seen Winry give the same look, especially when they had first made their way to Dublith. But the way she had looked at automail, and the way this wannabe looked at his were something else entirely. It was like the guy was on the prowl, like an animal. If he started drooling, Ed wouldn't be surprised.

"Hey, Edward, tell me. What's the secret to your alchemy?" More than a little irked by this developing curiosity, Ed growled back,

"Hard work and dedication, idiot. How else?" His tone left no secrets that he thought the guy stupid. Fake Edward pointed a lazy finger his way, shaking it as he spoke,

"No… it's more than just that. I just know it. I have to know it." He stood up, stretching. The red coat rustling about loudly to Ed's ears. He watched the poser cautiously. Not that he couldn't take it, but he really didn't want to have his skin ripped open more than it already had been.

"I've seen you with our brother, Edward Elric, and I just can't figure it out. How did your brother - who is younger, mind you - grow to be so tall?" He tapped his chin, pacing, "and why is it that he's always in a rather bulky suit of armor? Strange if you ask me." His pacing brought him too close to Ed. He habitually brought his legs in close, favoring his wounded ankle, pressing back against the wall to try and stay as far away from the legit poser as possible.

Who the hell is he calling our? Ed glowered, watching the guy. How could someone be so crazy and yet be so young?

"Don't you dare bring my brother into this, you asshole!" The impostor lowered himself the short distances to be eye level with Ed, his red coat encircling the bastard as he did so.

"You don't want me to know about our brother? But it's necessary." He brought his hand to Ed's cheek, caressing the gashes tenderly. Ed winced, yanking his head out of his captors snake-like touch, "you see… in order for me to become you, I need to know you." He grabbed Ed's chin again, forcing Ed to look into his eyes, albeit with little success, "I need to know how you react to certain situations. I need to know about your most personal, intimate details. Watching you from a distance can only do so much."

Ed wrenched his jaw out of the poser's grasp once more, hardly feeling the pain in his cheek. His eyes went dark as he glared at his captor, "you stay away from my brother, you got that?" The deep tone to his voice caused the fakes eyebrows to shoot up, an 'oh' not quite making sound on his lips. Then, the smile. That same, animalist, hungry smile that the guy couldn't seem to shake. If he really wanted to be Ed, he was doing a poor job of it.

"So this is what it looks like when you don't want people talking about your brother." Fake Edward laughed at the new revelation, "I promise you, I will become the best Fullmetal Alchemist this country has ever known. Your brother will see it, too!" Infuriated, Ed tried to break the chain holding down his automail arm. He should be stronger than it, right? At the very least, he should be able to pull up the floorboards. When that didn't work, he growled in frustration before kicking the sick bastard in the gut, forcing him backwards into the bed.

"Stay away from my brother, or you'll regret it." Ed warned, unafraid of the consequences this may have caused. Fake Edward hunched forward, grasping his stomach, making small, shuttered breathing noises..

"That automail's a bitch, isn't it?" He gasped out, talking down at the floor rather than at Edward, "...think I'm gonna get that tattooed. That's probably the best option." With another groan, he pulled out a pair of gloves with a transmutation circle stitched onto them. Clapping his hands, he placed them on the floor, and suddenly Ed found his legs being pulled and bound to the wooden floor. He grunted angrily, unable to suppress the yelp the force caused when it touched his wounded ankle.

Damn Ed cursed, trying to pull his legs free. He was officially in the most uncomfortable position he could possibly be in. Though he was still in a sitting position, he could already feel the affects it was going to have on his butt. The impostor sat back against the bed frame, wiping his forehead.

"Those muscle relaxants must be losing their effects, if you're able to put that much effort in." He look at Ed, still gently holding an arm over his stomach, "this should hold you down until I give you another dose. I think it's time we stuck some more mydriatics into your eyes as well."

Sighing, the poser stood up slowly, heading towards the door. Ed could briefly make out Macabé watching as what Ed assumed to be his boss limp out of the room, hunched over.

"Do whatever you like until I get back," He stated. The look on Macabé's face was not one Edward liked. Before the door closed, the fake Ed turned to look at Edward. "Oh, and one other thing. I, myself, am not a virgin. While it's feasible that you are not a virgin either, all evidence points to that unlikelihood. In order to become you, I feel it important that we share the same experiences. So I'm going to do you a favor and help you out in that regard." He glanced away and began walking once again, "be grateful I'm giving you this experience now, while you can enjoy it." Then he was gone. Out of sight and out of sound range. Macabé, who now held the door open, roamed his eyes over Ed's captured form.

That was no implication or threat. That was a promise. It didn't take long for Ed to realize this as he watched Macabé roam his greedy eyes over his body, all too unabashed. Ed's heart pounded at an unnatural pace which shone through not only his widened eyes, but the now uncontrollable shaking of his body. How could this day have turned out to be so much worse than it had started? What a fool he'd been, to get angry over such a petty thing as his brother worrying about him.

Ed then heard sounds of heels approaching the doorway. He knew exactly who it was, yet until he saw her face, he was in denial. Weren't women supposed to be kind-hearted and loving? Weren't they supposed to care about kids? Didn't they have those instincts that said when a situation was appropriate and inappropriate? Shouldn't all women care about a kid who was being held hostage, instead of hosting sick, twisted ideas about what they could do to that kids body? Shouldn't they all feel the same as his mom?

He nearly gasped at the thought. For the love of- of all the times that he had to be thinking about her, it had to be at a time like this. He forced thoughts of his mom from his mind. There was no way in hell he was going to let her memory be tainted by this woman. Karly entered the room, slowly followed by Macabé.

"So, you pissed off the boss, eh?" She said, her arms folded matter-of-factly. She then sighed, swiping a hand through her hair. She then smiled, looking him directly in the eyes. "Not that it matters to me. After all," she walked over to him, gently touching his face, her long, painted fingernails tickling him uncomfortably, "you are an adorable creature."

Fear stopped him from being able to move or speak up as Karly directed her hand from his face then slowly down his neck, unbuttoning the jacket and moving it out of the way as much as his chained form would allow. She then slowly glided her fingers over the top of his shirt, moving her hand down his chest to its edge, before reaching underneath. Edward clenched his eyes closed, more scared than he ever had been. In fact, the last time he remembered being this scared was the day he committed the taboo.

"Stop!" He deplored, turning his face away, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. Karly didn't listen though, as she continued her exploration.

"Watch us, Edward." Karly commanded, using her other hand to force his face forwards. Ed briefly opened his eyes, appalled when he his vision beheld Macabé smacking kisses against her neck, nibbling her ears, and fondling her now naked breasts.

"Get away from me!" He yelled, tearing his head out of her grasp and looked away once more, trying desperately to free his arms from their chains, panic and bile welling within him. What was it with these people and grabbing his face? He didn't have long to dwell on the matter though.

"Macabé," Karly moaned, pleasurably, unconcerned with Ed's 'tantrum'. She snaked a hand up his chest to grip his shoulder, holding him in place. Her grip was strong enough that he couldn't shake her off. Macabé made a noise to acknowledge he'd heard her. "Something needs to be done with his clothes. They're in the way." There was a pause in the repulsive noises, and Ed peaked out of the corner of his eye to see what was happening. To his horror, Macabé literally tore his clothing off his body, exposing him to the cold air and prowling eyes and fingers. What happened next, well… Edward wished it was something he could forget.


Dear Colonel Mustang,

Sorry for inconveniencing you, but I'm going to take a leave of absence for a while. A month or so just to clear my head. Don't worry, I'll be safe. I'm a dog of the military, remember?

Sincerely, Edward

The note claiming to be Edward Elric screamed 'look at me, I'm pretending to be the Fullmetal Alchemist!' It was the most asinine note Alphonse had ever come across. Which was saying something considering his brother had been kidnapped on more than one occasion. Except, this was different. Mustang and his men, and even himself, were just assuming that his Ed was kidnapped.

Alphonse had paced in his room all day, fretting over his brother's well-being. Was Ed really so mad that he didn't want to come home? What if Alphonse had driven him away, no longer wishing to have a brother who pressed such sensitive issues? Not that Alphonse thought he was in the wrong or anything; but with Edward missing, even when it came to his team, kidnapping was all they could assume.

It was by the time the night had fallen, and the rain had dissipated to a large degree, that Alphonse felt it safe to venture into its depth, and demand answers from the Colonel. Well, he hadn't initially intended to demand answers, but looking at a note which had been given to them hours earlier, he felt a little short fused.

Mustang sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. He currently sat in the chair behind his desk, watching Alphonse carefully as he read the note. When Alphonse made no sound for more than a minute, it must have triggered his defeat, and Alphonse could visibly see Mustang droop. Oh. That's right. Alphonse wasn't the only one who cared about what happened to his brother. He let his arm drop to its side, the note still clutched in his hollow glove.

"Some of my men are searching for clues, but not much has popped up." The information he gave seemed like something he'd been rehearsing for a while.

"I see.." was what Al could convey aloud. Maybe they were wrong. Maybe Ed really did take a leave of absence.

"I'm sorry, Alphonse. We know this must be hard for you to hear." Hawkeye spoke up from her corner of the room, wishing she could give Al a better answer as to his missing brother.

"Yeah," he acknowledged, giving a quick nod. He wished he could feel exhausted, so that he could pass out and not have to think. Even so, his soul ached, fiercely weighing him down. Was there such a thing as being emotionally distraught for a soul with no body? If anyone were to tell him no, Alphonse would outright laugh in their face. How could anyone, never having experienced the horrors of living - but literally not breathing, ever truly know the answer to that question?

Well, Alphonse did. Perhaps he should write a book.

Before much else could be said, the door to the office opened, with Havoc and Falman walking in with a rush.

"Tell me what you found, Havoc. Falman. It better be good." Mustang growled, impatient that it had already taken hours for them to come up with answers.

"Sir, we think that your assumptions were correct. There is evidence near a small shop several blocks from here of a skirmish. We were unable to find any indication that there was blood loss, what with the rain and all, but there's a definitive dent in the brick. Not to mention, the shop owner confessed to having seen some people fighting in front. The bonehead didn't even think to do anything about it." All this was said quickly, leaving Havoc slightly out of breath.

The room was tense as everyone took in his words. Falman then cleared his throat, and all eyes were on him.

"We were able to track down some civilians who witnessed a young blonde boy using alchemy earlier today. Their description fits the description of the Fullmetal Alchemist through and through."

Throughout the looks in the room, Alphonse could see the worried creases of everyone's brow as they processed the information. Alphonse, himself, was unsure what to think or feel at that moment. His brother had gotten himself in many skirmishes, several of which ended in his kidnapping. So, when they thought about it, they really shouldn't be that worried, right? However, there was that one detail 'there's a definitive dent in the brick' that had Alphonse on edge. Edward never went down that easily. Except he was usually more destructive in a fight.

Worry in Alphonse's mind went from a low level to high alert. Something was wrong this time. Yet, what more could he do? Alphonse looked out the window, at the sea of blackness that the day had now become. How much time had passed since Ed was taken? Moreover, why did his kidnappers not even notify the military of his absence? Why leave a note pretending to be him? What could they possibly want from his brother?

Alphonse wanted to collapse in on himself. He could feel the darkness spreading, and his vision darkening at his thoughts went inward. He briefly wondered if this is what a panic attack felt like. Even though he didn't have a body, the pressure on his soul seemed almost overwhelming. He barely heard the sound of his own armor shaking from the sheer fright he felt.

"Alphonse!" A voice phazed through the haze of his thoughts, "Alphonse! Are you alright?" Alphonse gasped, suddenly realizing that all eyes were on him.

"Uh, yeah. I'm... I'm fine." He heard a hand tenderly grab his shoulder.

"It's okay to be worried, Alphonse. We all are." Hawkeye's voice was soft, her eyes filled with a warmth Alphonse remembered only vaguely. A gaze he was sure his mother had for him once upon a time.

"I just hope that we find Brother before anything bad happens to him." As worried as he was, Alphonse felt this innate desire to make sure everyone around him felt better about the situation. He had to laugh at himself, as he was sure this feeling only existed due to his brother always shouldering the guilt.

"We'll find your brother, Alphonse. You can count on it." Mustang assured him. When Mustang gave his word, you knew that he was going to fulfill it. Though his worry never subsided, Alphonse was gratified with the knowledge that they would find his brother and bring him home. Just please be okay, Brother. Why was it that whenever it came to incredibly important parts in his life, Alphonse was always at the mercy of others?

First, being at the mercy of truth. Second, at the mercy of Ed sacrificing a part of himself in order to save him. Third, always at the mercy of the military. Especially when it came to matters dealing with the Fullmetal Alchemist. His big brother. His only family. Times like this, he felt just as useless as Mustang in the rain. But it was an oxymoron, really, when at the same time he was filled with joy to see so many people who cared about his brother.

Who could have predicted this outcome of their lives? What would have become of them had they never performed human transmutation? Would they still have this network of people who would do anything to make sure he and Edward were safe and sound? Despite the relationship between Ed and Mustang, Alphonse knew without a doubt that the mutual respect between the two existed.

"Thank you," Alphonse whispered to the chattering group. Even though the hour was late, Mustang was giving orders, and everyone hustled to follow them.


Yeah... heart breaking right? But it was necessary! Don't hate me! xD Anyway R&R because that always makes me want to write more :D and btw...

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I truly hope everyone enjoys a good christmas! And if you aren't someone who enjoys christmas, I hope that whatever you do celebrate, it fills you with joy. :D

Ja'ne