Back again! So, am I confusing you all yet? =P I plan on having this story completed by this weekend along with 'Gate of Promises' so I can finally have them out of my head so I can work on my other stories.

I would also like to remind you that I am leaving subtle hints in this story for you all to put together. You may have to hunt for them, since some are extremely subtle, but some may even be revealed with similar things the characters say. With that, have fun piecing this together! =P

Hope you're enjoying this. ;)

Epic Counterpoints of Win

Chapter 4

Central Times

IRON AND FLAME: MUSICAL DUEL ENDS IN TIE

I smirked at the headline along with the picture in the paper. It did look pretty cool at least and at least my future dates would find another quality they liked.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Fullmetal finally made an appearance as he stormed into the room. His eyebrow raised at the newspaper headline but just glared at me.

"Why are you mad at me?" I asked, holding back a smirk, "I'm not the one who was 'at work' for the past couple days somehow wasn't seen anywhere near HQ for the past few months."

He was nearing gaping before he glared at me, "Well, I have to get extra money somewhere. It's not like my research fund can pay for everything."

"So, what's this other job Fullmetal? It sounds pretty interesting and sounds like it pays a lot." I asked as I casually leaned back in my chair and held back a smirk as the blonde paled slightly.

"It's not like I would tell you." He huffed and my curiosity only grew more as he refused to speak more.

"Fullmetal, you're supposed to report your other employments with me and the military. It's policy and even you can't get out of it." I said bitterly. I needed to know where he was going, and if it wasn't legal then I'd charcoal the brat's ass.

"Well Mustang I-" He was cut off by Riza in the other room. We both paused as we heard Riza getting up.

"I'm sorry, but you both are not authorized to go in there." She said icily and by now we could hear footsteps.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we need to get in there." A deep voice boomed and I saw Fullmetal sigh and however his face turn paler. What was going on?

The door swung open and two largely built men, pretty similar to Major Armstrong however without sparkles, walked in wearing black suits and sunglasses.

"Mr. Elric, we will need you to come with us." One of them asked.

"Why do you need him?" I growled and they looked over at me.

"This is none of your concern Colonel Mustang." The other one said and my anger flared up.

"It is of my concern." I spat, "You're coming in here demanding something of MY subordinate. I'd say it does concern me."

"Colonel." I looked over to Fullmetal who sat with his eyes closed as he released a sigh, "I know I'm supposed to be giving a report, but if these guys want me to go with them then I'm not going to just not go and make them resort to violence. I'll just go with them and get whatever they want done over with." How the hell is he being so calm about this? The one time I actually start loosing my temper, this little shrimp is all calm!

"Why are you going with them so calmly?" I growled as I glared at the two men before looking over at Fullmetal who stood up.

"One thing I've learned is that you never pick a fight with someone in a suit and sunglasses." He said vaguely before smirking at me. He turned to the two men. "Let's go. Steve, Jim?" With that, the three vanished and I was staring at the door.

"Sir?" Hawkeye appeared next to me as I fell back into my chair.

"Yes Lieutenant?" I groaned as I put a gloved hand over my face. Great, now I'm getting a migraine.

"Did those men ever mention their names?" I lifted the fingers over my eyes and gave her a skeptical look.

"No, they didn't have anything on them that had them either. Why?"

"Sir, Edward knew their names." Wait a minute…..

"Let's go. Steve, Jim?"

Damn that little brat! What the hell is that kid getting into?

"I'm going to skin him alive." I growled as I slammed forward in my chair. "I'm going to figure out what the hell that shrimp is doing if it kills me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Winry's POV XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was at least sure Edward had gone to HQ since Al and I had dropped him off and I refused to leave until he went in. However, as we were going back to the hotel, I was talking to Al and not looking where I was going and ran into someone and I fell onto my butt.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss!" A man in a suit said as he pulled off his sunglasses and revealed worried brown eyes. He was about as tall as his friend sanding next to him in the same style of suit and sunglasses and they were both as tall as Al. He held his hand out for me and I gladly obliged and smiled.

"Thank you, and it was my fault!" I said as he pulled me up to my feet, "I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"It's fine Ms…"

"Winry."

"Okay Ms. Winry." He said with a grin. It seemed that despite his large appearance he wasn't as serious as I thought. "If we can do anything for you in a future, it would be my pleasure for a young lady such as yourself."

"Oh, it's no problem!" I said, flustered, "I'm fine!"

"Well, if you need anything from us in the future." He handed me a business card

Steve Eriks

Bodyguard

It had a phone number on the bottom of the card and a small symbol that looked familiar….. I just couldn't remember where I had saw it…. It had a snake weaved around a music note.

"Thank you." I said as I pocketed the card.

"Come on Steve, we have to go get that person the boss wanted to see so they could go to that appointment." The other man said and Steve stuck his tongue out at him. He leaned down to me with a grin.

"My partner Jim is such a stick in the mud." He whispered and I laughed while Jim pulled his sunglasses down to his nose and glared at Steve with blue eyes. "Either way, we have to go pick someone up from HQ who our employer needs."

"You're not going to do anything to them, will you?" I exclaimed. I couldn't see them being in one of those gangs that killed people because their boss told them to!

However, Steve only laughed. "No, no! We're just there to pick someone up so the boss can talk to them. Why would we kill someone! We're just body guards for the boss, not assassins!"

"Well, why does your boss need to talk to this guy?" I asked.

"He wants to talk to the guy because he did something but we don't know what. Apparently it has to do about selling stuff as his other job. We're not kept in the loop though." Steve said and Jim grunted in response and they both put on their sunglasses while Steve gave me a grin.

"Well, we must be going. Ms. Rockbell, Mr. Elric." Steve and Jim walked past us and walked north towards the way we just came and Al and I headed south near Central Square but one thought lingered.

How did they know Al, if he didn't say anything?

And there is chapter 4! =D