"Still no luck, huh?"
Brass shook his head as he entered the station. "Nope, he's disappeared. Again."
Grissom walked alongside Brass as they made their way to the offices. "Have you thought about luring him out with something?"
"Briefly, but the only thing he'd come out of hiding for is to get his hands on the kid."
"Ed came to that same conclusion today."
"He did, did he? What did he think of it?"
Grissom shrugged. "Well, he's the one who thought of it. I guess being in the military has taught him a few things."
"Right. Why did he decide on that again?"
Grissom paused. Ed hadn't outright asked him to keep what he'd done a secret, but Grissom could tell that Ed had placed his trust in him, so the CSI wouldn't ever tell. "He has his reasons," he said to Brass.
"Which means you're never going to tell anyone what he did," Brass interpreted.
"There's no real need to," Grissom stated. "He's accepted the consequences of his actions, and there's absolutely no way he'd repeat his mistake."
"What makes you so sure of that?"
"Most people tend to avoid anything that could cost them part of their bodies. The only reason he did what he did in the first place was because nobody told him what the consequences would be."
"And that's why he gets to spend the rest of his life with a metal arm and leg." Brass shook his head. "You'd think people would explain these things to kids. So, do you think Ed would know the best way to lure this guy into a trap?"
Grissom shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did."
--------------
"Is this really necessary?"
Grissom looked down at the small alchemist lying on one of the morgue tables. "Sorry, but there isn't really anywhere else."
Ed glared at Grissom with all his might. "Yeah, right. You're getting a kick out of this, aren't you?"
"Hey, it could be worse," Robbins said. "At least you're on the one that hasn't been used before."
Ed rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that makes it so much better."
"Hey, you could have said no," Grissom said.
Ed opened his mouth to retort, didn't come up with anything good, and shut his mouth again. He was currently wearing his boxers, his right arm stretched out to his side and resting on something; Ed didn't bother asking what it was.
"And you can do anything with this arm that you could before you lost it?" Robbins asked, poking at the metal hand.
"Except for writing and stuff," Ed answered. "I can't really grab anything small with it."
"Not even yourself?" Grissom asked teasingly.
"Do you really have to make nonsensical jokes about my height?" Ed growled.
"Unless you'd rather have the eerie silence of the morgue instead."
"It's not eerie," Robbins countered. "It's rather comforting at times."
Ed looked nervously at Robbins, unsure if the man was kidding or serious. After a minute, he gave up and went back to glaring at Grissom.
"What's with all the evil death glares?" Grissom asked.
"You didn't tell me it would be like this."
Grissom shrugged apologetically. "Fair enough."
Ed's arm twitched as Robbins purposefully hit a nerve that would cause that sort of reaction in a normal arm. Robbins looked even more fascinated than before. "That's really thorough work right there. Whoever made this is a genius."
"No, she's not," Ed muttered. "She's evil."
"An evil genius?" Grissom asked.
Ed rolled his eyes. "No, my friend."
"Winry, right? She made this?"
Ed nodded.
"So she's going into the medical field like her parents?"
Ed's eyes darkened at the mention of Winry's parents. "Yeah. It's been that way for generations."
"Well, I'd say she's off to a very good start if she can make something like this," Robbins commented, walking around the table to look at Ed's leg. "How long did it take for you to adjust to it?"
"It takes three years on average for someone to be able to move properly," Ed answered. "I did it in one."
Grissom looked surprised for a moment. "That can't be healthy," Robbins remarked. Ed's leg twitched.
"I spent most of that year coughing up blood," Ed remarked.
There was a semi-awkward silence as Robbins continued to look at Ed's leg. After a while, he stopped, giving Ed a gentle pat on the back as Ed sat up. "Thanks for letting me look at it."
Ed grunted and pulled on his clothes as quickly as his injured body would allow him. Once he was dressed, Ed followed Grissom out of the room.
"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Grissom asked.
"There was a dead guy on the other side of the room, wasn't there?" Ed asked.
"Like I said, there wasn't anywhere else we could have gone," Grissom repeated. "Besides, you can say you've been examined by a coroner now. I'm sure you could use that in a conversation."
As David Phillips approached the two, moving a corpse along, Grissom saw a small smile flash across Ed's face. It disappeared when David got closer, however.
"Who's this?" Grissom asked, gesturing to the uncovered corpse.
"It was a domestic dispute turned insanely violent," David answered. "The husband's talking to Brass right now. Um… what's with the kid?"
"Oh, you haven't met him yet?" Grissom asked, looking down at Ed, only to make an unpleasant discovery. Ed seemed to be frozen in place, his face pale, and when Grissom looked more closely into Ed's eyes, all he could see was terror.
-------------
Despite the situation, Ed was beginning to appreciate Grissom's sense of humor as he lay on the morgue table. Not only that, ever since Ed had admitted to attempting human transmutation, he'd felt more and more like Grissom was the one person he could trust the most, so he'd been fine with agreeing to letting someone look at his arm and leg. Not only that, but he was happy that he'd been able to help by coming up with the idea of luring that bastard out using himself as bait. He felt like things were beginning to look up, and he finally felt relaxed enough to be able to smile naturally.
When he saw what was being carted down the hall, however, Ed lost any of the good feelings he'd been experiencing. The corpse looked an awful lot like…
"Al. Al! Alphonse! Damn. Damn! He's been taken away! Someone… please help… mom…"
The woman's insides had been displaced nearly as much as his mother's had been, and the general appearance brought back the memories he despised the most. It was like seeing his mother dead for the third time.
"Ed? Ed!"
Ed heard his name being called, but at the moment he couldn't react. He was seeing the dead face of his mother, he was reliving the night that had destroyed his and Al's lives…
He was vaguely aware of someone pulling him away from that hallway and sitting him down on a bench. Even though he couldn't see it anymore, the image of that woman wouldn't leave his head, and he couldn't help but think about his mother. Her corpse…
"Ed!"
Ed finally managed to snap out of it and looked up at Grissom. The CSI looked afraid, and if Ed looked as bad as he felt, then it was no wonder. Ed took a few shaky breaths, trying to calm himself down. It was nothing, just a coincidence. He didn't need to think about the result of that fatal transmutation…
"Ed, what's wrong? Was that too much for you?"
Ed took another shaky breath. "I…" Despite himself, Ed let out a small sob. Grissom pulled him to his feet and began leading him down the hall. After a while, he was sitting on his bed, a blanket draped around his shoulders.
"Ed, I really am sorry about that. I should have made you cover your eyes," Grissom began as he sat next to Ed. "You shouldn't have had to see that."
Ed shook his head. "I already have."
Grissom gave Ed a funny look. "Before today?"
Ed nodded. "That's how… that's how mom looked when… when we tried to bring her back…" he whispered, trying once again to rid his mind of those memories. "It wouldn't have been such a big deal otherwise," he somehow managed to add, trying for some unknown reason to make Grissom stop apologizing. It was Ed's fault he'd seen something like that in the first place, after all…
Grissom seemed speechless. The room was silent for what felt like an eternity, other than the occasional sniffles coming from Ed. He didn't really like that he was crying openly in front of Grissom, but there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment. He hated having to remember that night, and right now it felt like he'd never get that image out of his head.
----------------
It was hard to see Ed so broken down. Ever since he'd first met the kid, Grissom had had the impression that it would be next to impossible to break his spirit entirely, but here he was, holding his head in his hands and not even bothering to try and hide the fact that he was crying. It caught Grissom off guard, and after Ed had spoken about the results of that failed transmutation, he didn't know what to say. This was completely different from any case he'd ever worked, and Ed was different from anyone he'd ever met.
Not knowing what else to do, Grissom wrapped his arms around the small, injured body and pulled Ed toward him. Ed relaxed in his arms, and he continued to cry, but it began to slow, and after a while, Ed was still, breathing deeply and evenly. Grissom was about to let go when the door opened and Catherine entered the room.
"Hey, I heard there was a problem down by the morgue. What happened?"
Grissom let Catherine take over and watched as she laid Ed down on the bed. "He saw a woman's corpse, and it brought back some pretty bad memories, and… he broke down."
Catherine wiped the tears from Ed's face and began pulling off his shoes with a natural efficiency that came from being a mother. "Well, with what he's been through, it was more a question of when it would happen than if." She pulled the blanket over Ed's body and sat down on the bed, facing Grissom. "It looks like you handled it pretty well." Ed nearly rolled over onto his left side, but Catherine gently grabbed his metal arm and pulled him back.
"I just hope he doesn't have a problem tomorrow," Grissom said.
"What's happening tomorrow?" Catherine asked before it dawned on her. "Oh, yeah, they're trying to lure him out. Think he'll be okay?"
"Well, he's the one who came up with the plan, so he knows what he's getting into."
"You've got a point there. Anyway, I have to go pick up Lindsey now. I'll see you later."
Grissom continued to observe Ed, a vague concern entering his mind. "See you."
-------------
Ed woke up to someone gently shaking him by the shoulder. He blinked a few times and looked up to see Nick standing next to the bed, a bundle in his arms. "Hey, it's time to get ready," the CSI said, gesturing to the bundle.
Ed sat up and looked curiously at the bundle. "What is that?" he asked as he absentmindedly fingered the cast on his hand.
"Well," Nick began, sitting down next to Ed and pulling off the top layer of cloth. "This is all for you. Can you take your shirt off for a minute?"
Ed nodded and slowly pulled off the shirt, wincing slightly at the pain in his shoulder. He set it down next to him on the bed and looked expectantly at Nick. Nick, however, was looking at Ed's shoulder, where the automail connected.
"What?" Ed growled, noticing where Nick was looking.
"Oh, sorry. I just forgot about your arm for a minute."
Ed rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. He waited patiently as Nick pulled some sort of vest from the pile. "What's this?" Ed asked as Nick handed it to him.
"It's in case he has a gun," Nick answered. "It'll slow any bullet considerably before it hits your body, if it even gets that far."
Ed nodded his understanding and pulled it on. "And it won't be noticeable under my shirt?"
"Nah, not unless he pays really good attention," Nick responded as he pulled some sort of technology out of the pile. "Now, this is a special kind of radio that'll pick up most noise within a certain distance of it. That way, if there's a problem and for some reason you end up out of our sight, you can tell us where you are."
"Isn't this a bit much?" Ed asked.
"Ed, we don't want to take any chances. We need to find this guy, and we need to make sure you're safe. We don't want you to end up in his hands again."
"You know, he wouldn't have gotten me the second time if I had been awake," Ed muttered.
"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Nick commented. "How exactly do you manage to stay in such good shape? Except for, you know, everything that guy did to you."
Ed shrugged. "After we got home last time, Al and I met someone who ended up teaching us more about alchemy, and she had us do a lot of sparring."
"What does sparring have to do with alchemy?" Nick asked as he strapped the radio thingy around Ed's right arm, just below the shoulder.
"To train the mind, you must first train the body," Ed replied. "That's what she always said, and we learned more from her in six months than we ever could have on our own."
"Think you could beat me?" Nick asked jokingly.
Ed shrugged. "Not right now, obviously, but maybe… You spar too?"
"I know how to defend myself."
Ed raised an eyebrow at this vague answer, but didn't comment. "Then I guess we'll find out."
Nick let Ed braid his hair before putting a hat on Ed's head and pulling it down over his eyes. "There, now there's less of a chance of him grabbing you by the hair. Why'd you grow it out, anyway?"
Ed pulled the hat up and glared at Nick. "Because I felt like it."
"Okay, fair enough. Come on, Brass wants to go over the plan with you."
------------
"Okay, you ready for this?" Brass asked as he led Ed through the station to the front door.
"Yeah."
"Remember, you don't want to look like you're waiting for him. Just act like you're upset about something."
"Yeah."
"And stay within three blocks of the station. We can trap him more easily if he's close."
"Got it."
"And stay on the main streets. Don't go into any alleys, because we'll assume he's found you and we'll come after you."
"Okay."
"Are you sure you'll remember all this?"
Ed's face was dead serious, and his eyes contained a determined glint. "I'm sure."
"Okay, just remember that we have every available officer watching out for you. If something goes wrong and someone doesn't come right away, then just use the radio to call for help."
"Right."
"So you know what you're doing first, right?"
Ed nodded. "We go outside, head for the car, and I run off like I'm pissed about something."
"Hey, watch your language."
"Sorry." Ed took a deep breath as they approached the front door. "So I just hide from you and stay on the main streets, right?"
"Exactly. How's your ankle?"
"It's pretty much healed."
"Can you run?"
The look in Ed's eyes was somewhat disconcerting. "Oh, don't worry. You won't be seeing me for a while."
Up to this point, Brass had been worried whether Ed could handle himself, but that look of determination and smugness in Ed's eyes almost made him laugh. No, he didn't need to worry about Ed. He'd do just fine.
"Okay, then," Brass said as he opened the door. "Time to put on your act."
-------------
He'd been waiting for this moment. He'd been living on the streets for the past several days, buying food as he needed it and watching the station vigilantly with the help of some bums he'd bribed with food. If the boy left the station, he would know.
Several days had passed, and the boy had only left once. He'd been with two people this time, not the best situation for trying to get his hands on his prize. He'd had to go back to waiting, a dangerous game when the police were after him.
But today was his lucky day. The boy was currently walking out of the station with some old man, his face a mask of rage. They were walking to a car.
He watched as the boy stopped short of the car door, and then the boy turned and ran. This was his chance. The boy was much faster than the one who was chasing after him, and then would soon be out of sight of the station, lost in the large city that wouldn't protect him.
He began making his way through the streets to where the boy had run to. Luckily, the boy had headed toward his side of the street, so he could even avoid revealing himself to the police.
He hid out in an alley that the boy would soon walk by, watching his prize walk quietly down the street, keeping his head down and his eyes open, most likely keeping an eye out for anyone who tried to follow him. He found himself distracted by the beauty of those eyes, and once again, he let his eyes travel over the small body. Ruined as it was by those false limbs of that country, it was still everything he loved in his obsession. He watched as the boy came even closer to his hiding place, thinking about just how wonderful it would be to get his hands on the brother. That younger boy had more desirable traits than his brother, softer eyes, a gentler face…
The boy was right next to the alley now. This was his chance. He'd take what he wanted and then dump the kid back in that city, just like he'd done with the others. It was pathetically easy. He'd take an Amestrian child to his home country, do what he wanted, and then send the kid back. The Amestrian military wouldn't be able to look for him in Vegas, and the Vegas police were completely unaware of what he was doing.
That is, until this kid had come along.
He risked being seen for a moment to grab the kid off the sidewalk and pull him back into the alley. The boy struggled with strength that nearly caught him off guard, but the boy stopped when he pointed a gun into his face.
"You're mine now."
-------------
Ed's mind was racing as he was forced to walk further down the alley. He knew that there would be help arriving soon enough, but at the moment, he could barely think straight. There was a gun pointed at his head. The guy was practically dragging him down the alley, and once they passed a gigantic pile of garbage, the man shoved him against a wall, causing pain to shoot through his injured chest.
"You fucking little pain in the ass, you're gonna pay for all the shit you've put me through," the man said, punching Ed in the face and causing his head to smack against the brick wall behind him. Ed blinked back the tears of pain that sprang to his eyes and bared his teeth. His body refused to respond, but at least he could still get himself to speak.
"I've put you through shit?" Ed laughed, a cold laugh that he'd last used when Grissom had confronted him about joining the military. "What the hell is your problem? Do you get some sick kick out of other peoples' pain?"
The hat that Ed had been wearing was now discarded on the filthy ground, and the man had a painful grip on Ed's hair. "You want to know what turns me on? It's you. Your body, your hair, your eyes. I like seeing someone like you underneath me, I like the feel of your body…" The man was tracing a finger down Ed's chest, and Ed could tell where it was headed next. His arm finally responded, and a metal fist collided with that lust-filled face. The man staggered back, clutching his nose and staring with surprise at Ed. Ed was fairly surprised himself. He'd fought back in that man's apartment, but this time, any feeling of helplessness or fear was replaced by sheer rage.
"Las Vegas police! Put your hands up!" came a shout from the end of the alley. Ed spared a glance in that direction, and sure enough, there were several police pointing their guns at the man. Ed didn't feel much relief, though, because when he looked back, there was a gun inches away from his head.
"I'll kill him!" the man shouted. "Stay the hell away from me!"
Ed felt his body freeze again. This is it, I'm gonna die…
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And to think, I almost made this chapter not a cliffy. Nope, I felt like being evil. And making the next chapter not so short. Muahaha.
And now for a game, called the worst case scenario game. You tell me a situation, and I'll tell you everything that'll go wrong with it. Offer only valid until I get chapter ten up. After that, I'll probably have lost interest. XD;
