Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Full Metal Alchemist. If I did, the movie would have ended differantly.

Chapter Four

It was a rainy day in the once prosperous Central City. Major Carth Johnson sighed as he walked through the streets of the Old District. It was here that the disaster of five years ago had struck the hardest. The area had been deemed too badly damaged to be rebuilt, and too unstable for new construction. For the most part it had been abandoned.

However, there were those factions that chose this sector as their haunt. Gangs, murderers, the list was seemingly endless. Because of this, Parliament had asked the military to take control of the area, sending out frequent patrols. Today, Carth had been the unlucky one to be chosen for this block.

A weary sigh issued from his mouth. He seemed to be having a streak of bad luck lately. He couldn't sleep, he was late for work, he lost his paperwork, and now he got sent on patrol. No, Carth was definitely not having a good day.

He turned the corner warily. This was the worst part of town. On the rooftops he could see scattered figures vanish as if into thin air at his arrival; harsh glares were directed at him from the remains of shattered windows.

The soldier dropped his hand to the loaded pistol at his side, drawing it gently from its holster. His heart raced. All he had to do was make it to the other end of the street; but suddenly that seemed a daunting task.

Almost at the end of the patrol, the Major heard the click of a safety being turned off from behind him.

"Drop the pistol and put your hands in the air."

The pistol clanked against the ground.

"Now turn around slowly."

Carth turned to find himself staring down the barrel of a rifle, confronted by a group of rough-looking boys in their teens. A thin sheen of nervous sweat appeared on his brow.

A sadistic grin appeared on Rifle Boy's face and he took a step forward, aiming the weapon at Carth's head. "We don't take kindly to the military here," he growled. "Goodnight, dog." A sneer formed on his face, but he never got the chance to pull the trigger.

A violent tremor shook the ground beneath them, sending cracks spiraling outward through the street. Seizing his chance, Carth grabbed his pistol and ran, but for some reason he stopped before reaching the end of the street. Turning back, he watched with growing horror as a pattern of blue light formed. As the configuration stabilized, his eyes grew wide. This circle, and the complex patterns within it, he had never seen their like before!

The ground shook again, and the light rose to a blinding level. The gang members, caught as they were in the middle of it all, vanished as the light reached its peak, and then the glow faded.

Carth rubbed the spots from his eyes as he stood, feeling a wet trickle coming from his brow. Then the carnage of the scene before him sunk in. The entire Old District, as far as he could see, had been decimated yet again. Cracks spider webbed through the earth, buildings had crumbled, and the road had undergone a massive upheaval.

With all of this destruction, the soldier almost missed the two young men lying where the transmutation circle had appeared. Battered and bloodied as they were, he almost passed them off as casualties when he did, but then one of them moved, pushing himself up on trembling arms.

"Please, sir," he croaked when he saw Carth, "Help us…" With that plea, the youth's strength ran out. He slumped forward, giving in to the welcome embrace of unconsciousness.

Carth ran forward, grabbing his radio from his side. Reaching the too still forms of the strangers, he pushed aside his squeamishness and checked their pulses. Both were alive, though in grave condition.

The soldier didn't hesitate. Clicking on his pocket radio, he dialed it to the military frequency. "Command, this is Major Carth Johnson reporting. We have a situation."

"Does it have anything to do with the earthquake just now?"

"Yes sir. We have two men in critical condition. I request permission for a medical team."

"Are they military?"

"No, Sir."

"Then why is there need for a medical team?"

Inwardly, Carth bristled at the uncaring officer. "Sir, I don't know if you'll believe me, but this is no lie. They appeared out of nowhere." There was silence on the other end for a moment.

"Where are you located?"

Carth gave his coordinates, and there was another short pause.

"A team is on the way."

Heavy lids cracked open to reveal gray eyes. At first they were unfocused, their owner not registering the significance of the scene before them. From the white walls to the IV in his arm, it all seemed like a dream of sorts.

Then sensation returned to his battered body. A slight hiss escaped from between his clenched teeth as the aftereffects of the attempt to save his brother's life kicked in.

Ed! The thought struck Al like a bolt of lightning. Where was his brother? He sat straight up in a panic, only to fall back again. His body could not yet handle such rigorous treatment. Still his eyes flashed wildly over the room. "Ed?" He called out.

"Your companion is still unconscious. My superiors thought it best to keep the two of you separated, given the seriousness of his condition."

Al found the speaker. He was a middle-ages man, dressed in the blue military uniform of Amestris. Still, he was uncertain. "Who are you?" he asked carefully. "Where am I?"

"I am Major Carth Johnson," the man replied, "And you are in Central City's military hospital. How are you feeling?"

Al barely heard the question. "So it worked," he said softly. "We made it back." The man's first statement kicked in. "Will my brother make it?" Concern filled his voice.

The man- Carth- hesitated before speaking. "I'm not a doctor-"

"How bad is he?"

Carth turned away and headed for the door. "I should tell my commanding officer that you're awake."

"Why won't you answer my question?"

The door shut.

Carth took a deep breath. It had been so hard not to tell him; to ignore the youth's frantic pleading.

"Major!"

The soldier snapped to attention. "Yes, Sir?"

Colonel Jean Havoc strode down the hallway. The past five years had not been entirely kind to him, leaving him with plenty of gray hairs. As usual, there was a cigarette in his mouth, and he had a very intent expression on his face. "I came down as soon as I heard. So they appeared out of nowhere?"

"Yes, Sir. The earthquake hit as soon as the circle appeared, and when it stopped they were lying in the middle of the street."

Havoc puzzled over this information for a moment, though a growing suspicion was forming in his mind with each piece of the puzzle he received. "Any idea who they are yet?"

Carth hesitated, "We don't really know their names yet, though a moment ago the younger referred to the older as 'Ed' and said that they were brothers."

Havoc gave a start at this, but beckoned Carth to continue.

"Their garb was foreign, and their injuries do not appear to be accidental."

The Colonel chewed his cigarette thoughtfully.

"Sir, about the older one…"

"What?"

"His left leg was once automail, though it has been severely damaged. Also, there is irrevocable evidence that his right arm was automail as well, though it has been removed."

The cigarette fell from Havoc's mouth, and his face paled. "Are you sure?"

"There is no doubt." Carth looked uncomfortably at the floor. "Sir, there's something else…"

"Yes, Major?"

"The doctors don't hold out much hope for him."

Well, until next chapter. Please reveiw. I need to know what I need to fix, if I need to fix anything, etc. Reveiws really are very helpful and I enjoy them.