Seems the awful writer's block is gone. It's amazing what writing a pointless one-shot can do for you. Anyway, I know the last two chapters haven't been that great so to make it up to you, I give you some action and a hopefully longer chapter. I say hopefully because I haven't actually written yet. Yes, I do write the author's note before I write the chapter, usually. Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. Hiccup. (sorry, that's from the pointless one-shot I was talking about)

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Edward and Alphonse were sitting on their beds in the nicest inn they could find. Not to say that it was a nice inn, but given their choices, it was the nicest. All thoughts of the strange man were pushed into the back of their minds as they dove into the case files.

"Fourteen missing people," Ed sighed, "and not one witness. What do we have to go on?"

"They were all found on the shores of that river," Al said pointing outside to the river that ran behind the inn.

"Right, so if we check upstream, we might find something."

"What about a motive?" Al asked as Ed pulled out the pictures taken from earlier investigations.

"There isn't one that I can see, at least not from a physical perspective."

"Do the victims have any acquaintances in common?"

"None that the report mentions. They seem to just be a random assortment of people that were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They disappear, and a few days later, they turn up on the river with their hearts missing. But fourteen people and not a single witness? Either we're dealing with some very ignorant townspeople or a very crafty murderer. Either way, it's not a good thing for us."

"You should get some sleep, Brother. Worry about it in the morning."

"Yeah," Ed sighed putting the case files aside. He looked out the window at the night sky. Clouds were beginning to cover the moon signaling the possibility of rain. "Guess you're right."

The brothers settled down for a peaceful night before the chaos of the investigation started. Ed was asleep in seconds.

888

"The murders, you ask?" the owner of the local bar asked.

"Yeah, can you tell us anything about them?" Edward asked laying his State Alchemist watch on the counter so the man would take him seriously. "Anything at all."

"Can't say that I can. Just seems that people round here randomly go missing. Either they come back dead or they don't come back at all."

"Can you think of anyone who might be behind it?" Ed prodded.

The man looked thoughtful. "Maybe…Nah, can't say I can think of anyone."

"Right…" Ed said, disappointed. After picking up his watch, he walked over to the other side of the bar where Al had been questioning the customers. "Any luck?"

"No, no one seems to know anything."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ed said as they walked outside. He brought his hand to his chin, a sign that most had come to recognize as him being in deep thought. "Unless, we're not just dealing with one person here."

"What do you mean?" Al asked, confusion in his voice.

"We could be dealing with something on a much larger scale here. What if the entire town is in on it?"

"But that doesn't make any sense either. Why would they have called in the military if the whole town was in on it? Wouldn't they rather just be left alone?"

"How else can you explain it? Fourteen people, Al! Someone had to have seen something, but they're trying to cover it up for some reason!"

"I don't think they are, Brother. I think they really don't know anything about it."

Ed sighed angrily. "Right, well, I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground."

Without waiting for a response, Ed started walking away. Al didn't want to be split up while in such close proximity to a serial killer, but, like always, he did as he was told and walked the opposite direction.

Edward talked to many people in an hour's time, but no one was able to provide him with any information that he didn't already know. His train of thought slowly started shifting to the Philosopher's Stone. Mustang had said there were rumors of a stone here, and the strange man from yesterday had confirmed that at least one person here knew what a Philosopher's Stone was…but Mustang had also said that the investigation came first. The stone was for free time, but it didn't seem as though they would be getting much free time on this case.

"Al can handle it," Ed said to himself. Just as he said this, in the corner of his eye, he saw the man. "Hey!" he called over to the man. The man turned around, startled at first, but after recognizing who had called him, the same toothy grin came over his face.

"Ah, the young pup what wanted to know about the stone, correct?" the man said as Ed walked up to him.

"Yes, sir," Ed answered, trying to be polite. This man could be his ticket to the stone, and he wasn't about to blow it.

"Didn't I tell you not to stick your nose in where it don't belong?" the man asked trying to tap Ed's nose again. Ed quickly took a step back.

"I need to find that stone," Ed said forcefully.

"For the empty armor man?"

"H-how did you?"

The man merely laughed.

"Alright," Ed said trying not to let the man intimidate him, "so you know about Al. Then you know why I need that stone so if you know anything about it, tell me!"

"And what would I get in return?" the man asked seeming more threatening with every passing second.

"I don't have to give you anything in return!"

"That's not how equivalent exchange works, boy."

'Damn it,' Ed thought. 'He's an alchemist. Wait, then does that mean?'

"You have the stone!" Ed shouted. The man laughed equally as loud. "Where is it?"

"What would I get in return?" the man asked again.

Ed sighed. He wasn't going to get anywhere like this. "What do you want?"

"What I want isn't something you can give me," the man said taking a step closer to Ed who immediately took a step back. He was suddenly aware of the fact of how close he was to the river behind him.

"Then why did you ask for something?"

"Now, now, I never said you couldn't help me with it." The man took another step closer and started laughing. It was at this moment that Ed began to realize that there was something seriously wrong in this man's mind.

"And if I choose not to?" Ed asked appearing more calm than he felt.

"I never said you had a choice." The man reached out to grab Ed, but Ed pushed his hand away. However, when the man lifted his automail arm, the arm that Ed thought was no longer in working order, he was caught off guard long enough to have the hand find its way to his neck. He gasped for air and tried to fight off the hand, but the man was stronger than his appearance let on. "You see, I need that stone, too," the man said smiling at Ed's pain. "And you're going to help me make it."

Ed tried to call for help, tried to get away, but with no luck. The man held him there until he blacked out. Even as he slipped into the dark world of unconsciousness, he could hear the man's laughter ringing in his ears.

888

On the other side of town, Al was having only slightly better luck than Ed in his investigations. He had stopped to talk to two men who were working on their boats. They traveled on the river more than anyone else in the town and knew the town inside out.

"Excuse me," Al said. The men looked up at him.

"Need something?" the older man asked.

"I'm here with my brother investigating the recent murders and disappearances. I was wondering if you knew anything about them."

"'Bout time someone was sent to help us," the old man said angrily.

"Dad," the younger man scolded. "Sorry about him."

"You ask around the bar?" the old man asked angrily already deciding he didn't like Al.

"Yes, sir, but no one there was able to help."

"Then what makes you think I could? That's were all the news goes, not here."

"Dad…You should try upriver. The bodies were all found on the river shore so I figure they must have come from there. Course, Kael's the only one the lives up above where the bodies were found."

"Shut it!" the older man yelled. "Don't you go trying to blame Kael now!"

"I never said Kael did it!" the younger shouted back. "All I'm saying is that he lives up there. Besides, everyone knows he's not all there anymore. I don't have any doubts that it is him!"

"I said shut it! Kael's the only reason we even still have this town! You should show respect to him like everyone else!"

"Excuse me," Al piped in quietly. Both men turned to him, the older glaring. "Where can I find this Kael?"

"You stay away from Kael! He ain't done nothing!" the older barked.

"Just follow the river," the younger said ignoring the glare from his father. "It's the only house next to the river up past the book store. There's not much else around it. You can't miss it."

"Thanks," Al said with a slight bow.

"No problem, but be careful. The guy hasn't been sane since he lost his daughter."

"Thanks, I'll remember that."

He started the trip upriver ignoring the yelling of the old man behind him.

888

"Time to wake up now, boy."

Ed's mind started to slowly wake up, but his body refused to work along with his mind. He could feel a wooden floor beneath him. He was cold, and his hands were tied tightly behind his back. He tried to shift to his side so he wasn't lying on them, but his body wouldn't cooperate. He tried to open his eyes, but he was even too weak to do that simple task.

"I know you're awake," the man said extremely close to Ed's ear. He was so close that Ed could smell his rancid breath. Ed fought against his body and forced his eyes to open. The man was bent down right next to his face. "There now, see, I knew you were awake."

"Go to hell," Ed spit out. The man only smiled.

"I'm already there." He started laughing. His raspy laughter was such an awful sound. "But you're going to help me out of it, and then you can be on your merry way. I only need one thing. Never hurt anyone to help people, though I wouldn't expect you to know that."

Ed growled at the man. He really wished he could hold his nose as well. The man's breath was awful. He concentrated his mind and forced his leg to work. Thankful that the man hadn't tied his legs, he brought his foot around and kicked the man in the leg, the only place he could reach. The man stumbled, and his smile faded…but only for a moment.

"Yes, yes, you'll be able to help me greatly," the man said. It was almost as though he'd already forgotten about the kick. "Yes, yes, yes."

The man wandered around the dimly lit room. What he was doing, Ed couldn't tell, but he was sure whatever it was wasn't a good thing.

"Just what are you planning?" Ed asked. The man walked out of his view. He strained his neck to see but couldn't, and the man offered no answers.

Edward took the moment to take in his surroundings. He was in a small room. It seemed to be a living room. One wall was lined with books, and there was a couch and chairs a few feet away from where he was on the floor. On the other side of the room, there seemed to be a small lab. A desk was covered in papers, and the shelves around it were covered in beakers and chemicals. A horrible smell seemed to come from one of the shelves. Ed squinted into the darkness to identify the objects that caused the stench.

He wished he hadn't.

On the shelf, were fourteen hearts.

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Sorry! I told myself when I started this chapter that I would not end on a cliffhanger, but I just couldn't do it! It begged to stop there! Eh, I don't know what else to say. I'd meant for it to be longer (though according to word count, it is my longest chapter I've ever written on any story so far), but my train of thought de-railed. If I'd made it as long as I'd intended, the next chapter would have been too short. Equivalent exchange, I guess. Hehe, poor excuse. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! If you'd like some comic relief, try out my new pointless one-shot Hiccups!

Equivalent Exchange: I write, you review.