Wow! You guys are starting to actually get into this story, judging by your reviews, hehe. Thanks so much for the reviews, we really appreciate it! It made me want to update sooner!

Heh, yeah, some of you leave longer reviews and ask a bunch of questions. Let me just say this now for the benefit of all...It's perfectly alright to do so! It actually helps us come up with ideas when you do that! Hehe...yeah, some of the questions you've asked in your reviews have actually been inspirations for part of the plot...if you can call this a plot, since we haven't the slightest idea where this is going. Heh. Please, if you're inclined to leave long reviews, or ask questions, offer comments or suggestions, please continue to do so. They are very helpful.

Well, hope that you enjoy this chapter. I have no idea how good it is. Sakura-chan threw me a curve ball with that last chapter, but I'm always up for a challenge. Hope this is a good enough response. Maybe you can let me know whether it is or isn't.

Disclaimer: We cannot, andwill not own FullMetal Alchemist. Hmmm...somehow, that doesn't sound right unless you say "recant" after saying "cannot and will not". Heh. I'm no Martin Luther. Hehe.

"Colonel Mustang!" shouted Ed as he saw Roy standing in the doorway.

"That's General Mustang to you, Fullmetal!"

"You-You've been promoted?" said Edward.

"That's not half as surprising as you still being alive, Fullmetal," said General Mustang. "We thought you were dead. Everyone says you're dead. Even your own family was acting like you were dead, so how is it that you're still alive?"

"I-I'm supposed to be dead," said Edward, "It's a long story, I'll explain it to you later."

"I want to hear it NOW," said General Mustang. Ed's lip quivered, like he wanted to cry, but of course, he couldn't. What was he to say? How could he get out of this situation?

"Dinner's ready!" hollered Pinako. Saved by the yell.

Roy stared at Edward a moment longer, and said, "Looks like you got out of telling me the story for now, Fullmetal, but that doesn't get you out of telling me later. Understand that?" Ed just nodded without saying anything. He was so glad just to be able to get out of it for now.

"Well?" said Roy, "Are you coming, Fullmetal?"

Ed shook his head. "I'm...not really hungry right now." Roy raised an eyebrow. He'd never known Ed to turn down food.

"Suit yourself," he said, then he turned to leave.

Edward sighed. He needed to get out of here, and fast. He pried open the window of their room and climbed out, carefully making his way down to the ground. If he could just get out without making a sound, maybe nobody would notice. Maybe nobody would suspect. Fat chance, but he'd try.

He had only walked a few steps when he suddenly heard a loud, booming voice shout, "EDWARD ELRIC! YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!" followed by large, muscular arms being wrapped around him and squeezing him to death.

Apparently, Major Armstrong had stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air, and well, yeah, you get the picture. "Please, Major, let me go, you're gonna hurt me!" pleaded Edward. The big man just cried and sniffed and tightened his grip even harder.

Edward started worrying. Some of the doors on some of his hatches were about to pop open. Any tighter and...POP! There went the first hatch. Pop! Pop! Pop! Great, that was just great.

What made it even worse was that all the noise Major Armstrong was making had attracted the attention of some of the other military personnel that were still in the house. It didn't take long for them to notice the open hatches.

"What the heck is going on here?" said Roy Mustang. "Is this some new form of auto-mail?"

"Of course it is!" said Edward, trying to pull away from everybody's prying hands.

"Yeah, but on your LEFT arm?" said Colonel Mustang, noticing one of the open hatches being right where he had mentioned.

Edward pressed his eyes tightly shut. He really wanted to be able to cry right then. He was so frustrated and upset. "Just leave me alone, will you?" he yelled to all those within hearing range.

"I don't think so, Fullmetal," said Roy Mustang, "Not until we get to the truth of the situation."

"What kind of truth do you need?" shouted Edward, "I've got auto-mail. You've always known I had auto-mail. Why should it be so surprising that I've got an upgrade?"

Roy Mustang reached his hand over to Edward to feel him. "I don't think that's auto-mail," he said. He started poking and prodding around Ed's body. "Your entire body feels different than it should. I don't think that this is even a human body. What is this, another example of a soul transmutation?"

Edward gasped. How could Roy jump to such a conclusion so quickly? Roy chuckled. "Now I see why you didn't want to eat and why you were trying to hide. Don't forget, I have strong instincts. You can't hide something like this from me for very long, you know."

Ed sighed and dropped his head. He tried to cry once again, but couldn't. This frustrated him so much that he lifted his head and tried to punch somebody, whoever was nearest. But Roy caught his arm. "Now, now, Ed, we mustn't be going ballistic just because your secret was discovered."

"I NEVER SAID THAT WHAT YOU SAID WAS TRUE!" shouted Edward.

"But you never denied it either," said Mustang, "That pretty well convinces me that what I said was accurate."

Ed let out something that sounded kind of like a combination of a scream and a growl between his clenched teeth, and he turned to try and run, but he'd forgotten that Roy still had a grip on his arm, and so he was jerked back to where he had been.

"Oh, we can't let you go NOW," said Roy, "Imagine how valuable you are to us now that you are made entirely out of metal. Now you're REALLY the Fullmetal Alchemist!" he joked.

Ed jerked his hand out of Roy's grip. "Maybe the Fullmetal part is true," he said, "But I can no longer perform alchemy."

"You said WHAT?" said Roy, in shock.

"Just as I said, I can't do alchemy anymore," said Edward.

"But Al could still perform alchemy when he was in that suit of armor," said Roy. "Why would you not be able to do it in this...what is it...android body?"

"I don't know," said Ed, "But whatever the case is, I can't do alchemy. Sorry." He turned and left, leaving everyone there staring at each other.

"So, Fullmetal is an android now, is he?" said General Mustang to Winry and Al as they seated themselves back in the Rockbells' living room. Winry gasped and looked down at the floor. She clenched her hands and tried to fight back tears, unsuccessfully. "Why didn't you tell us?" Roy prodded.

"I...I was worried for Ed's safety," Winry sputtered out.

"Why were you so concerned?" asked General Mustang. "We kept your secret when it was Al who was in that state."

Winry buried her face in her hands and started sobbing. "Yes, but Ed was the Fullmetal Alchemist. He was too valuable to lose, so you couldn't allow anything to happen to his brother. Now that he can't do alchemy, I wasn't sure what to expect."

"That does pose a problem," said General Mustang. "If this should get out, he will be in real trouble."

"That's precisely why we didn't want anyone to know!" cried Winry.

"We'll do everything in our power to keep this from slipping out," said General Mustang. "We care about Ed just as much as you do."

Winry just continued to sob. Al sighed. Roy spoke up. "So, where do you think he went off to?"

"If I know Brother like I think I do," replied Al, "He probably went to Mom's grave. I think that's where he went earlier today too."

"Why would he have gone to your mother's grave?" asked General Mustang.

Al sighed. "I don't know, really. I think...I almost think that he was kind of looking forward to dying. But I...interrupted that...and now he's pretty bummed out. So I think that he keeps visiting Mom and talking to her."

"I see," said Roy, thoughtfully. "I'm really sorry to hear that. Why do you think Fullmetal would want to be dead?"

Al shook his head. "I don't actually know. Perhaps it was just his time...and...I interfered with that. Hence, his miserableness."

"So, tell me again why you interfered in the first place," said Mustang. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to pry into your personal affairs, but I would like to know."

"I understand, Colonel, uh, I mean, General," said Al, "I just wasn't ready to let Brother go. And so, we worked together. Winry built him an android body, and I bound his soul to it. I thought that he would prefer that over death, but now I'm starting to think otherwise. He's taking it really, really hard."

Roy said nothing for a moment, while he looked deep in thought. "So, why do you think he can't do alchemy in this body?" he finally said.

Winry clenched her fists even tighter. Al coughed. "I'm...just guessing here..." said Al, "But it might have something to do with all the electrical wires and stuff running through him. Maybe that interferes with it."

"So, couldn't you just remove all those wires and stuff and have him be able to perform alchemy like you were able to in your armor body?" said General Mustang.

"Perhaps," said Al, "But then he would lose a lot of the things that Winry managed to give him. I'm not sure if he'd be willing to give that up. He can feel and breathe and pretty much act like a normal human being, except for a few things. When I was in that suit of armor, I would have given up anything to get what he has, even my ability to do alchemy. I'm not so sure he would want to give those things up."

"Have you asked him what HE wants?" said General Mustang.

Al shook his head. "He hasn't even said anything about having the desire to perform alchemy in the least little bit. I honestly haven't a clue WHAT he wants these days."

Roy sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Well, just ask him as soon as you can. Try and see what he wants. We can try and provide some of it, at least."

Al nodded. "I'll try."

General Mustang stood up. "Good. Now let's go and try and find Ed."

Everyone in the house stood up and left the house with one mission in mind: to find Ed and bring him back before anything worse happened to him.

Hope you liked the chapter. Now review, and I'm sure that Sakura-chan will be happy to update. Pwetty pwease with sugar on top? (Look at what you've reduced me to! I'm begging like a widdo bitty kid! Hehehe.) Pwease weview!