Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist

Ed's POV

"Nii-san, hurry up," Alphonse called to me as I was still tying my shoes and he was hurrying outside. "We can explore the capital today!"

"Okay. Coming, Al." I answered, smiling again. I will only show this smile in front of Alphonse. I reminded myself of that so many times.

While we were shopping, Alphonse stared at everything in amazement. "Woah! Nii-san, these things are awesome! Did you know that these things really existed?!"

"No. Could I see it for a sec?"

"Sure."

"Al, is there anything that you want?

"What can I get?"

"Anything you want. I earned a lot of money working and my job is really easy and fun so to celebrate our coming here to the Capital, I will by you anything you want."

"Yay!" then can se have a cake to celebrate, too?"

"Of course."

That day, we bought many things for Alphonse. Alphonse was happy. That was good.

"Is this really okay, Nii-san? We bought a lot of things," Alphonse asked.

"Yes. I still have a lot of money left."

"When I grow up, I will be just like Nii-san and work hard for the both of us, okay?" After he said that, I panicked. No. No, he cannot become like me. Not me. I will make sure of that.

"Thank you, Al, but I am horrible at housework chores so could you do that instead of getting a job?"

"Sure."

Just then, a large dog crashed into me. "Ah!" I screamed.

"Do not do that, Alexander!" a squeaky voice cried. I was sprawled on the ground.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you are not hurt?" said a large man with a little bit of brown hair and round glasses. "Now, Nina, hold on tight to Alexander's leash." The girl called Nina nodded.

"Ah, I am fine," I answered.

"As an apology, would you like to come over to our mansion to eat dinner?" the man asked.

"Really, can we?" Alphonse said, hopefully.

I was doubtful. Can we trust this man? What does he want with us? These thoughts were flying around in my head. However, Alphonse wanted to go, so I agreed. "Thank you for your offer."

When we got to his house, something unexpected happened. As we walked through the gate of the man's property, the man called Mustang was walking out.

"I left a notice about the yearly test at your doorstep, Shou Tucker" said Colonel Mustang.

"Oh, thank you, Colonel," replied the man, who I then knew was called Shou Tucker.

As I walked past Colonel Mustang, I kept my head down, hoping he would not see me. I was too late. He recognized me. "Hey, you, I need to talk to you for a second," he barked at me.

I kept my smile plastered on my face and turned to Alphonse, "Go inside with Mr. Tucker first, okay? I will go in a bit."

Alphonse nodded. Then I turned around and faced Colonel Mustang.

"I did not know that facial expressions could change so fast," he laughed. "What happened to your smile?"

"How can I help you?" I answered. This man got in the way. He made me leave Alphonse alone with Shou Tucker. That was the only thought on my mind at that time.

Colonel Mustang's face straightened and he walked outside the gate, signalling me to follow him. "I would like an explanation. The day that you, someone I have never seen during my many years of working at the Capital, turns up at Central, beating up two guards, there was a murder case in the neighbourhood with four victims. All their money has been stolen and no evidence was left behind. A steal-and-kill case like that has not happened in years. Do you not find that funny? My co-workers have also told me that they saw a short blond kid walking into some stray store that no one dares go into."

"Is that a question?"

"No matter how I look at it, you are suspicious."

"I am not the culprit."

"A stupid brat like you could not pull that off. Murder is not accomplishable by a kid about a decade of age. I am simply asking if you have any connection to it."

If my research was correct, then I could run away from this quickly. I needed to get back to Alphonse. I smirked, trying out my farce. "I did a small bit of research before coming here, Colonel Mustang. I heard that you participated in the Ishbal Civil War. I also heard that two doctors were murdered by a certain man because they were curing the injuries both their enemies and friends."

"Get to the point."

"Did you kill them?"

Mustang's expression changed from disgust to guilt. "Were the doctors called Rockbell?"

It was my turn to be surprised. I could not keep the terror off of my face. Rockbell. Winry's parents. Did this man kill them? That was not good. I was getting off track. I thought to myself again, Protect Alphonse, protect Alphonse. I asked again, out of desperate curiosity, "Did you kill them?"

"Do you know them?"

Mustang will not answer my question. By then, I already knew that he killed them but I could not move. I needed to hear a definite answer. "They were my childhood friend's parents. Did you kill them?" I asked one more time, putting a little more force into my voice.

"Y-yes." I barely heard his answer. His voice sounded lower than a whisper, I understood clearly what he said. Following his answer, he straightened his back, "I will speak to you another day, boy. I expect a complete answer by then. Good day."

I glared at him. He left.

When I knocked on the door of the Tucker estate, Alphonse answered the door. "Nii-san, what did he want?"

I smiled, "He was talking to me about a message my superior wanted to pass to me about a job. Remember Al, my job is a secret."

"Okay, Nii-san."

Then we walked into the large mansion. It was probably slightly larger than the houses that I stole from during the past two days. In the dining room, Nina and Shou Tucker were sitting at one end of the long table. Alphonse sat down across from Nina and I sat down beside him.

"Please enjoy your meal," Shou Tucker said, pointing to the breat and soup with vegetables and steak on the table.

"Thank you for the food," Nina, Alphonse and I answered.

"We have a cake. We should eat it together after this," Alphonse suggested. "Is that okay, Nii-san?"

"Sure," I answered.

During the meal, we talked about many things. Shou Tucker called himself an Alchemist that specialized in human transmutation. "I made a chimera that understood human speech once," he continued. "She died not long after I finished her, though."

At that time, I thought that it was amazing. I was fascinated in his detailed descriptions. Alphonse started playing with his tissu with Nina, though. After dinner, I spoke with Shou Tucker for a while. We talked about ways to improve transmutation circles and many other things. After, when it was getting late, he promised me something, "If I ever finish another chimera that understood human speech, you will be the first one that I show it to."

After that, we left.

"Can we go there again, Nii-san? It was really fun!" Alphonse asked me.

Thank God that Alphonse enjoyed that. "We will see." I answered. Even though Alphonse had a lot of fun and Shou Tucker explained so many things about Alchemy, there was something wrong with that household. It seemed to me that Shou Tucker was slightly crazy, yet it might be my imagination. However, no matter what is there as an exchange, if Shou Tucker hurts Alphonse, he will have to pay very dearly. On the other hand, I will never, until my last breath, allow Shou Tucker to do anything to him.

When we reached home, Alphonse went to sleep almost immediately. I did not leave the house that night. It was too risky is Mustang was keeping an eye on me as he said. Instead, I wanted to test something out. I left the window and sat on the apartment roof. Then I threw one of the shiny objects that Samuel gave me in the air. Less than half a minute later, Samuel appeared in front of me.

"Samuel," I said.

"How can I help you?" he asked.

"Cause some trouble at one of the middle size mansions."

"How?"

I gave him a bomb that I bought while shopping with Alphonse. "Throw it in at two AM."

"Alright. By the way, just Sam is fine."

"Good night."

Then, Samuel disappeared.

That night, I could not sleep again. Whenever I tried, I simply woke up one minute later covered in sweat. There was nothing for me to do so I began sorting out the things that are under my mattress. When the sun came up at five in the morning, I was able to sleep again. I woke up at noon.

"You woke up earlier than usual, Nii-san," Alphonse greeted me.

"I did not have a night shift yesterday." I replied.

"Oh, that is true."

"I have work tonight though. Same time. Do not wait for me." I was speaking selfishly again. Alphonse would not wait for me anyway. That was all right. It was for Alphonse's sake. Alphonse's sake.

"Okay."

That day, I had nothing to do during the eight hours until my shift. I would have gone out shopping, but I would be unable to go to INTO-DARKNES or to a trading shop with a gold watch. If possible, Colonel Mustang's underlings might be hanging around this area because of the bomb. Out of boredom, I returned to my room and tried to get the last bit of the dried blood out of my shirt. I noticed that my room started smelling like blood again and sprayed air freshener all over again. I also used the air freshener for the couch and bathroom so Alphonse would not think that there was something strange about the way I smell. I counted a few bills, putting them into my pocket, and bringing along with me the last of the pocket watches to trade in. Then, I helped Alphonse a little with his laundry, still pretending that I did not know how to wash shirts properly. Then Alphonse asked me the question that I knew would be inevitably asked.

"Nii-san, did anything fun happen while you were at work two days ago?"

Thanks to Winry's previous obsession over acting, when her parents where still alive, I learned a lot about how to keep my worry and facial expressions under control while, at the same time, elaborate and lie without having to think for a long time. "Um, there was not anything exceptionally strange but I think one small black dog got past the surveillance guards and one of my superiors went crazy. He was screaming and shouting as if he saw a mountain lion. I later learned that he was simply afraid of dogs, though."

Alphonse laughed, "Tell me these stories more often, Nii-san."

"Okay, I will, but I doubt that everyday would be as fun."

After that, we talked and laughed until it was seven at night. Then, Alphonse said something that made me panic.

"Nii-san, can I go over to Mr. Tucker's place again? He invited me."

I stared at him for a moment, forgetting that my fake smile was still upon my face. "Alphonse, is it alright if you wait until next time when I am free? I want to know them better before imposing on them again." What was Shou Tucker planning? What does he want? There was something wrong with Shou Tucker. I knew that since the second that I met him, but he was kind to Alphonse and I, so I could not pinpoint what was wrong with him.

Alphonse looked disappointed, "Oh, um, okay then."

I was scared, terrified, that Alphonse would leave me and choose Shou Tucker. What if he went to Shou Tucker's house? I had saddened Alphonse, so now he might leave me. I could only look at him and "smile." "Sorry, Al, but could you promise me that you will not go to Mr. Tucker's house today? Maybe we can go another time or invite them over to our place next time? Does that sound good?"

Alphonse's face brightened, "Okay, promise, Nii-san!"

That night, I went to go shopping and trading during the time of my "night time shift." Food and another pot for the stove, while pickpocketing a few unlucky people. Afterwards, I visited INTO-DARKNES to see if I could meet Samuel and make sure that he was still alive. When I arrived, I saw Samuel walking out, slightly bruised and battered.

"Hi, Ed," he said.

"Edward," I corrected.

"Did you come to check out my products or did you come t-?"

"To see if you are still alive."

"I am, without a doubt, alive and kicking."

"What happened," I said glancing at his bruised arm.

"What? This? I made a public announcement about the successor who will be taking my place as owner of this store. It seems like some people were not too happy, though."

I lowered my eyes and grumbled, "If you, a grown man, cannot beat them, how do you expect me to when you die?"

"Take this from a foolish grown man: If you listen to too many foolish grown men, you will think just as foolishly as they do. You will do fine as owner."

I stared at him confused.

"You will understand eventually," he concluded. "Bye Ed."

"Edward."

Then he left. I, too, left quickly after that. It was midnight.

After arriving home, the first thing I did was check on Alphonse. He was sleeping soundly in his bed. Once again, I reached out to tuck him in and to touch him, confirming that he was still alive, but caught myself. I needed to stop doing that. After exiting Alphonse's room, I went to my room and got prepared for "work." I put on my combat shirt, brought my two knives, mask and bag, then, I made my automail into a blade. Then, like the two other nights, I left out the window.

Today was slightly different from the others. I searched around for a house, finding one with slightly more security than the other two. Then I went to that house and walked towards the gate quietly. I walked forward and like always, just before reaching the tall gate, clapped my hands together and used the ground to boost me up, allowing me to get into the fence, making sure to return the gate to its original state. However, this time, I made a mistake. As soon as I jumped over the gate, I heard a whistle being blown two times.

Almost immediately, forty military guards who, I guessed to be, hiding in the bushes prior to my "visit" to the mansion. They caught me off guard. They surprised me. I swore and then attacked one of them. This was bad. If they caught me now, I would be unable to protect Alphonse, anymore. That was the only thing on my mind, so I killed the guard. I heard the guard groan as he fell, signalling to his comrades, even though it is the last thing that he will do. Then, with a loud splatter and thud, he fell to the ground, blood bursting from his side. The other guards began attacking, too. Some of them started shooting their guns and rifles. I erected a barrier around myself by changing the sonics of the sound of the bullets with Alchemy and reflected the bullets back towards the guards. The bullets entered the weapons and they exploded, bringing the soldiers with them to a painful death. As other people charged, I killed them by throwing knives, trying to make sure that their blood does not stain my clothes. If the blood of a member of the military was found on my clothes, things could prove to become troublesome. As the last of the guards fell, they signaled a white blast of smoke into the air. Following that, a red spark of flame lightninged towards me with remarkable speed. I knew that I would not be able to dodge that, but there was no helping it. I stood there, waiting and staring, but a dark figure darted in the way of the blazing stream of fire and I was saved. The person fell onto the ground, bleeding and dying.

"I got you!" screamed Colonel Mustang, running over to the bleeding man and I. I ignored him, staring at the dying man.

"Samuel," I whispered to him.

"Sam," he replied weakly.

"It is you!" yelled Colonel Mustang. "I knew it, you had something to do with the steal-and-kill cases." Then his eyes widened as they fell upon his fallen comrades. "Did you kill them?" he asked me.

"It was me," Samuel answered. "This boy has nothing to do with it. I asked him to come do an errand for me. He did not know what I was planning. I threatened him." Then he looked towards me. "I am sorry." The light in his eyes began fading, slowly disappearing.

I stared at him, amazed. How could he lie and die for someone that he had so recently met? I did not know or understand even the slightest bit. "Sam," I murmured.

"You finally... called... me," Samuel said, before he died, probably because of blood loss and a few other causes. Then, I stared at Colonel Mustang reminding myself: Protect Alphonse, for Alphonse's sake.

"Is he telling the truth?" Colonel Mustang asked.

"Did you forget what you told me yesterday? "There is no way a damn brat like you could do such a thing,"" I answered.

"Well, that is true," he paused, "but you will have to tell me what you do know. Come with me to Central."

I needed to get back to Alphonse, but I could not tell hime that, so I followed him.

When we arrived at Central, Colonel Mustang flashed a card at the guards and they let us in. After arriving at his office, he sat at his desk and invited me to sit in the chair in front of it. I accepted his offer. "Begin your story," he commanded.

Chapter 4 - Meeting

Thank you for reading! Please review if possible.

~Ren0Zia