Disclaimer; I unfortunately do not own anything from Fullmetal Alchemist. Just the psychotic, kidnapping scientist.

A/N; I swear I do have an excuse! See, I was so busy with university work (and so stressed over it too) that everything that I've been working on was pushed to the back burner before I'd realized it. I just hadn't had the time to write anything. Now that I'm off university for the year, however, I'm hoping to get much more done! I'm so sort for the wait everyone, but I hope this chapter makes up for it, and I'll definitely have the next one up soon too.

Warning; Spoilers for the end of Fullmetal Alchemist; Brotherhood and the manga. Last time I say this because the only spoiler is the one I've mentioned over and over again over these four chapters; everything else is completely AU.

Chapter Four;

Edward came to slowly.

At first he wasn't aware of anything except the fact that, strangely enough, he was lying awkwardly on his side on a very hard floor. Frowning inwardly he lay still, trying to make sense of this odd situation. The last thing he remembered was being at the hospital, helping Alphonse walk down to the cafeteria.

Wait! No, he did remember more than that. They had met Lieutenant Hawkeye down there and she had joined them for lunch, if what they had been served could be called food. And she had told him that Mustang had wanted to see him, hadn't she? The man was worried about the file on the Tucker case having been stolen and Edward had left immediately, hoping to find out what was going on.

And then? Well, Edward couldn't remember just now, but whatever had happened had ended up with him lying semi-conscious on a cold, stone floor. 'And bound,' he added drowsily as he tried to move his arms and became aware of the scratchy rope tying his wrists together.

For a moment he gazed dazedly at the opposite wall. Then full conscious slammed back into him with the force of a brick, along with the memory of being ambushed in the alleyway. He tried to move his arms again, this time more fiercely, only to find that they had been bound very tightly, almost cutting off circulation. His feet, his boots gone, had been treated in a similar manner.

'Idiots,' he thought contemptuously. 'Obviously they've forgotten who I am.'

Twisting his wrists slightly he clapped awkwardly. It was only then, when nothing happened, that the realisation that he had been without alchemy since the final battle with Father came back to him; whoever had done this hadn't forgotten who he was after all. And it looked like he wasn't going to be able to untie himself so easily.

'Damn it, now what?'

Frowning he pulled on the ropes, trying to find a weak point that he could break or a knot that he could pull apart. But whoever had tied them had left nothing to chance; the rope was strong and his fumbling fingers could not find a knot. Edward cursed the loss of his automail arm then, because with it he could have broken these ropes in a cinch.

But then... he still had a metal leg, didn't he? Triumphantly he tried to move it, only to find that instead of moving smoothly it was only responding jerkily to his neural commands, and it kept going limp every few seconds. Had someone messed with the wiring? Winry would kill them if they had, and then kill him for allowing it.

With a frustrated growl he pulled himself into a sitting position and finally opened his eyes so he could take a good look at his surroundings. What he saw did nothing to enthuse him to his current situation.

The place he was imprisoned in was nothing more than a dank, dimly lit cave, a heavily barred door guarding the entrance, a flickering flame the only source of light or heat available. Edward could definitely not feel any warmth if it was here and as this thought occurred to him he shivered, drawing his knees uncomfortably to his chest, his hands scraping against the hard, rocky wall he was leaning slightly on.

Apart from the sound of his own movements Edward could hear nothing else but the ringing sound of silence. He began to wonder where his captor was; had he been left here while whoever it was went about their daily life? As awful as this was, he would have felt a little better if he knew exactly who they were.

Still, the silence told him that he had nothing to do but sit and wait until they got back and decided what to do with him. What that was he didn't know... he didn't even know why he was here.

It wasn't that hard to guess, though, and Edward knew his guesses were usually spot on for the most part. After all, it was too coincidental that he had been kidnapped right after he found out the file had been stolen.

It was more than likely the person that had stolen it that had ambushed him and left him here, and Edward hated to think what they wanted. Were they going to blackmail him with information that very few knew about? Or were they as psychotically crazy as Tucker and were looking for a guinea pig?

Uneasily Edward glanced at the door, ignoring the shiver that went down his spine at the very thought. He was no one's guinea pig; if they wanted to experiment on him then they'd have to knock him out.

A small, unwanted voice in the back of his mind whispered that that probably wouldn't be much of a problem. He pushed it away angrily, giving the ropes another tug; he felt helpless, a feeling that he detested. He couldn't believe that he had allowed himself to be captured so easily,

Whoever it was, though, had planned it all out fairly well. They had obviously known the full details about what had happened beforehand, they knew where the file was since they had stolen it, which made it likely that it was someone who either was, or had been, in the military. Possibly even someone who had been involved in the investigation in the first place, as much as Edward hated to think about the possibility of such a betrayal.

On top of that they had waited until now to strike. Edward was almost defenceless right now; alchemy was still one of his first choices for combat and he lost precious seconds when he remembered that he didn't have it anymore. He was also trying to get used to the fact that his arm wasn't metal anymore; annoyed at his hovering Alphonse had thrown a plate at him a week ago and, instead of ducking, Edward had gone to block it with his arm, forgetting that it was flesh. The result had been that he needed bandages and having to comfort a guilty Alphonse.

But, he couldn't really blame either of them for the incident. Both Edward and Alphonse needed to adjust to their new lives. Alphonse had been a suit of armour for over three years and alchemy had been Edward's entire life since he was little. They weren't going to simply forget the lessons those things had taught them any time soon.

Someone knew all this, and that was why they had waited until now. Which was good, in a way, because it meant that they didn't try this (with the remotest possibility of succeeding) when Edward was needed for the Promised Day. But it was also bad because they had tried this (with a far higher chance of success) right when he was at his most vulnerable.

He supposed he could be grateful that everyone would notice straight away. When he didn't turn up at Headquarters Mustang would probably ask Hawkeye and Alphonse where he was and, upon realising that he was missing, would send out a search. He would be found in no time!

Right?

This was supposing, naturally, that Mustang and his men were competent enough to find him. The derisive thought made him feel better, though that didn't stop the lingering, tiny doubt that he could be found... how well hidden was he, anyway?

No, he couldn't think that, he had to believe that Mustang or Hawkeye or Alphonse would find him. And if they couldn't find him then he would punch the bastards that thought they could keep him imprisoned and make his escape.

'But what if...?'

The sudden sound of a clang startled Edward from his thoughts and he sat up straight. There was silence and then the sound of careful footsteps coming closer.

Had he not moved around as much Edward possibly could have lay back down and pretended that he was still unconscious. But he couldn't be sure of exactly where he had been laying, nor in exactly what position so he didn't bother.

It wasn't in his nature to hide, anyway. Edward would not pretend his was asleep like some coward, he would face this person head on and demand answers. Just because he was the one tied up didn't mean he was completely helpless, and he wasn't afraid to show that.

The footsteps moved agonisingly slowly as though the person making them was straining to hear any sound before they proceeded. Edward wouldn't give them that satisfaction. He waited silently, half hidden in the shadows of his corner.

Finally there was the sound of keys and, with a click, the door swung inwards. Without intending to Edward tensed as a man strode into the room.

He was tall and the light of the candle sent shadows flickering across his sharp features. The smallest niggling sense of familiarity made Edward frown; he had seen this man before, perhaps even met him, but where? A moment later the thought became unimportant; he could get his answers in a moment.

A small smirk played on thin lips as the man looked down at Edward in the way a predator might look at their captive prey. Edward tried to draw himself up slightly, but he could admit, somewhat reluctantly, that even standing he would still be shorter against the tall man.

"So," said the man, his voice breaking the silence that had hung between them. "You're finally awake."

"Yeah, what of it?" Edward asked rudely. "And who the hell are you, anyway?"

"I have great plans for you, Edward Elric," the man said with a dark chuckle, ignoring his prisoner. "You'll be the success I have so far failed to achieve."

As Edward looked into maniacal eyes he felt, though he would never admit it, a very small stab of fear.

FMAFMAFMA

Alphonse found himself alone, staring at the ceiling of his room.

It hadn't been that long ago that Hawkeye and Mustang had left him, anxious about Edward's disappearance and the lack of news the longer the search went on. Eventually they had decided to join the search themselves and, after reminding him that Edward would kill him if he pushed himself before he was ready, dashed out with the knowledge that he was under the watchful eyes of the doctors.

Which was all very well and good; Alphonse trusted Mustang and his crew very much with just about anything. When it came to Edward's safety, however? Well, Edward wasn't the only overprotective one in the family and it was almost killing Alphonse to be lying here and doing nothing when his last remaining family member was who knew where.

But he could barely walk down to the cafeteria by himself let alone walk the streets of Central, so he would only be a liability. He was starting to fully appreciate how Havoc had felt when he couldn't walk anymore.

But at least Havoc had still managed to find a way to make himself useful, and Alphonse had heard that he was undergoing physical therapy which was working wonders. He was moving forward, and he probably could do even more to help Edward then Alphonse could right now.

'Useless. Utterly useless.'

When was the last time Alphonse had felt like this? It had been a long time. The last memory of this feeling of helplessness had been when Scar had been about to kill Edward, who had all but laid his life down to save his little brother. And before that? It had been directly after the transmutation when he had been forced to watch Edward degenerate into depression until Mustang had arrived.

Now that they were back to normal (for the most part; Edward was still missing a leg and now his alchemy) Alphonse had thought he wouldn't have to feel like this anymore. Edward couldn't be part of the military anymore and they had been excitedly planning a trip back to Risembool to surprise Winry and Granny Pinako.

So much for that; with Edward missing it would likely be awhile before they would be able to return back to Risembool. Not that Alphonse could bring himself to care right now. Finding Edward was first on the agenda.

The thought of Risembool reminded him, however, that not only did the Rockbells not yet know Alphonse was back in his body, but he doubted anyone would have thought to tell them that Edward, who was as good as family to them, was missing. They did deserve to know, it would only be right to tell them.

As Alphonse reached for the button that would call a nurse he ignored the voice that was telling him that they had never bothered to call them before when Edward was injured, and he was only bothering now because he wanted – needed - someone to be here with him.

The nurse came rushing in almost instantly, as though she was sitting beside the alarm waiting for him to press it. When she saw that he was still lying there calmly she pulled up short.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked.

"I need to get to the phone," Alphonse said firmly.

"I'm not sure..."

"I'll be fine if you use a wheelchair to take me," Alphonse pointed out. Then he pulled out the puppy dog eyes. "Please? My big brother's missing and I need to phone someone about it."

The nurse instantly melted and it didn't take long before Alphonse was sitting in the highly uncomfortable wheelchair (how had Edward sat in one of these things and never complained?) and being pushed out into the hallway. No one looked around as they made their way to the public phone; Alphonse was simply another patient here.

"Here we are," said the nurse, pulling him to a stop beside the phone. "Would you like me to leave you to your phone call for a moment?"

"Yes, please," said Alphonse, grateful that she was willing to leave him alone for a few minutes.

As his fingers dialled the familiar number Alphonse wondered what he was going to say. By the time the phone was ringing he still hadn't come up with anything.

"Rockbell residence," came a feminine voice.

"Winry?" Alphonse asked cautiously. "It's Alphonse."

There was a pause. And then... "Al! Are you alright? I'm so glad to hear from you!"

"Sorry, Winry, we should have called sooner," Alphonse said with a sheepish laugh.

"Is everything alright? Are you coming down soon?"

"Well, we were, but something came up," Alphonse said, hesitating. Was it alright to tell her this news over the phone?

"Oh, the promised day stuff, right? I heard that rogue soldiers attempted to take over Central headquarters and Fuhrer Bradley died during the fight. I bet Edward was fighting, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was, but..."

"Of course he was. And I bet he needs his automail fixed and was too chicken to tell me himself, right? Well, I'm coming up there right now, and he'll be sorry when I see him! You tell him that for me, Al. See you soon!"

"Wait, Winry...!"

But it was too late, the girl had already hung up the phone, too caught up in thoughts about Edward having broken his automail again. Normally this actually would be the case, but today it couldn't be further from the truth.

Alphonse sighed and hung up the phone, unable to help rolling his eyes. Well, she would just have to find out for herself when she got here, then.

"Are you done?" asked the nurse, turning the corner.

"Yeah," Alphonse said with a small smile.

"I hope your friend wasn't too upset," the nurse said as she began to wheel Alphonse away. "It's always sad when you don't know what's happened to someone you care about."

"I'm sure nii-san will be just fine," Alphonse said with more conviction than he actually felt.

"I'm sure he will be too," said the nurse unconvincingly. "The military will find him; after all, it wouldn't look good for the hero of the people to have been taken right under their noses."

Alphonse remembered one of my Mustang's men saying something similar, and realised that it definitely wouldn't look good for the military if anyone found that out. Someone currently under the full protection of the military had gone missing, and it wasn't just anyone. It was Edward Elric, former Fullmetal Alchemist and the one the people still looked up to and admired. If news of his disappearance hit the streets there would be an uproar.

These thoughts carried Alphonse all the way back to his room. He was so deep in his thoughts, however, that it wasn't until the nurse stopped that he realised that his room was no longer empty.

Mustang had returned from him search, looking tired and frustrated. Just that alone was enough to tell Alphonse that he hadn't had any luck.

"Colonel," he greeted heavily. "You didn't find my brother."

"I'm afraid not," said Mustang grimly as the nurse helped Alphonse back into bed and left. "The search is still going; but we are resigned to the fact that there is no sign of your brother anyway."

"Sir, I know nii-san," Alphonse said. "I wish he had just wandered off somewhere, but that just isn't like him. He would have at least visited you and got a message sent to me before he did so."

"Believe me, I know," Mustang assured him. "Which leads me back to my first conclusion."

"He's been kidnapped."

"Yes."

For a moment the two sat in silence, Mustang slumped slightly in the chair beside Alphonse's bed. He looked wearier than Alphonse had ever seen him, and very distressed.

Of course he was, though. Mustang and Edward would deny it forever, but the two of them were actually friends. It was a very strange sort of friendship, based on petty insults and trying to get one over the other, but beneath all that there was mutual respect and concern over each other's lives. Many people wouldn't be able to understand it – Alphonse barely understood it himself sometimes – but that was just the way they worked.

"What's his name?" Alphonse asked after a long pause.

"Sorry?" Mustang asked, confused.

"The man you think kidnapped nii-san," Alphonse clarified. "What is his name?"

"Ryan Cooper," Mustang replied. "He was a lieutenant in the military, but has since been listed as a deserter... not long after what happened with Tucker, in fact. He had been part of Hughes' team, and I believe it had been his job to keep the records and file them. He would have known exactly where everything was."

"Do you think he filed the report, went back to steal it later and then fled?"

"It seems like the most likely plan. There hadn't been much of a report on Cooper; he had been a model soldier, respectful to his superiors, helping those of lower rank... there had been absolutely nothing to say that he would turn into a madmen that would steal a file about Tucker's case and then months later kidnap the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Alphonse said, lips twitching slightly.

"I'm sure we know that better than anyone, Alphonse," Mustang said, the smallest tinge of humour creeping into his voice.

"Well, I suppose if it's almost a sure bet that Cooper has nii-san, then you just need to figure out where they would be," Alphonse said.

"Ah, here is where I might need your help."

Alphonse instantly straightened. He had spent the entire time that he was alone thinking about how useless he currently was, but Mustang wanted his help with something? Maybe he could be of help in finding his brother after all.

"What can I do?" he asked eagerly.

"Currently we have decided that any place Cooper would take Fullmetal would be out of the way and unknown to the general populace," Mustang explained. "As soldiers it would also be rare for us to compile a large list of such places, but you and Fullmetal travelled all around Amestris, and most definitely know the ins and outs of Central."

"You want me to make a list of places that it might be good places to search?" Alphonse guessed.

"Not just list them, I want you to mark them on this map," Mustang corrected, pulling a folded bit of paper from his pocket and opening it to reveal a large map of Central. "Any place that seems even the slightest bit likely, no matter how remote the chance of Fullmetal actually being there. It could decrease our search time significantly."

"I'll do what I can, sir," Alphonse said determinedly.

As he took the pen Mustang offered him and set to work, wracking his mind for the memories of the seedier underground hideouts he and his brother and crept in and out of over the years, Alphonse decided that he still felt useless sitting in bed while everyone else was out there. But every little bit helped, and if he could help find his brother quicker than Mustang had anticipated then he would push those feelings aside and focus on the task at hand.

'Hang on, nii-san,' he thought fiercely, carefully marking a likely spot. 'We won't be long in finding you.'

Next Chapter; Chapter Five – Winry arrives in Central to find that a lot more has changed after the Promised Day then she had realized.

Reviewers;

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. I know I'd told most of you the next chapter would be out soon, and I hope you forgive me for accidently lying. Thanks for your amazing words;

jazflower, Yiriiyu, AnimexoverCartoons, a writer of fics, Lady Gaga, RenofAmestris, manga-animelove, Joker Oak, WainGuy, Kame-tan, forgot fanfiction password, Anime Tenshi-Chan

I just have to edit the next chapter and I'm hoping to have it out definitely by next week!