So this is a sort of filler chapter that explains what everyone is doing. I own nothing.

Derick

We had to wait outside the room Kimblee and Ed were in as the door was guarded by three strange bodyguards and a fourth inside with Winry.

I tried to talk to them but they just glared at me or smirked in contempt. I heard Eds muffled yell from inside the room but I couldn't make out what he said.

A few minutes later he came out with Winry and Kimblee. We walked to the automail workshop so Winry could replace his arm and leg.

"So what was that about?" I whispered.

"I'll tell you later." He mumbled eyeing Kimblee and his bodyguards.

When we reached the workshop I ran into Buccaneer.

"Hey Captain!" I said acting like a new soldier.

"Hmm. Oh you to have automail right?" He asked Ed and I.

"Yeah why?" We asked.

"Check this out!" He said revealing an automail arm with claws.

"Oooh! Let me get that!" I said.

"Sorry officer use only." He said smiling.

He left and Ed laid on the table in the middle of the room while Winry worked on his arm. I left a few minutes later and headed back to Rai's room.

Alistair caught up with me about halfway back.

"Did you feel the strange feeling those guards were giving off?" He asked.

"Yeah but I don't know what it is." I said.

"It feels weird not evil like Kimblee just weird." He said.

"Yeah. Kimblee feels almost as bad as Pride." I told him.

"Your joking right?"

"Nope."

We arrived at Rai's room and knocked. She said come in and we opened the door. She had my arm on the desk and she was finishing replacing the parts.

"I'm almost done I just need to replace the outside and you'll be all set." She said.

I sat down in the extra chair and waited. Alistair left to go find Elsye.

"Rai?" I asked.

"Yeah?" She said without looking up.

"We seem to be drifting apart. Mike's down in the south with Andrew. Angela and Emily are in Rush Valley on some kind of training regime. Kevyn and Kayla are in Central watching for any sign of movement by Father. Finally the four of us are up here in the utmost northern area of Amestris." I said.

"We are far apart. But we'll meet up again and beat that old guy, Right?" She said laughing.

"Yeah." I said.

While I had been talking she had snuck over and positioned my arm without me noticing. She connected the nerves and I held in a scream.

"Warn me first!" I said testing the movement.

"You should've been able to notice me." She said.

"Ow." I said still testing out the arm.

Kevyn, Mustangs office

"Any movement?" Mustang asked me.

"No not yet." I said from the open window.

"Make sure you tell me if you notice anything. Where's your girlfriend?" He asked.

"Umm she had to leave for a few months. She'll be back in a while." I said my face growing red.

"Well make sure you've got a weapon at all times. They're likely to come after you." He said finishing the stack of papers on his desk.

"I think that's the first time you've ever completed your paperwork." I said.

"Shut up." He said slamming the window shut.

I leapt off the window and into the cool night. Central was quiet right now but how long would that last?

Angela

"Angela, Emily! Could you help me?" Mr. Garfield called from the shop below.

I sighed already knowing the problem. A gang had started in Rush Valley and had been shaking down shopkeepers for money.

I walked down the steps and into the store. I had been right a group of about seven guys was standing outside the shop.

"Leave now or I'll throw you into Marcus' shop." I said naming the shopkeeper across the street.

"Ha like you could beat us girly!" The lead guy said picking up a lead pipe.

I walked up to him and was surprised when I was as tall as him. He smirked and I grabbed his arm. His expression changed as he felt my grip tighten then he went flying across the street into the shop.

The others charged at me but Emmy jumped from the roof landing on one guys head and smacking him in the neck causing him to black out.

We dispatched all but one of the group. I dragged him into the store while Emmy tied the rest up.

"Now tell me where's your leader?" I asked.

"Why would I tell you?" He asked angrily.

"Because if you don't I'll break your arm and if you still don't ill break a leg. I'll keep doing this until I can't find anything else to break so go ahead." I said with a smile.

That scared him enough to tell me everything he knew. I left him there and Emmy and I started towards the area he had told us about.

On the way Bunny followed us and I ran into some familiar people.

"Lan Fan!" I cried giving her a hug.

She pushed me away weakly and I saw that she was missing an arm. I looked at Fuu but he didn't meet my gaze.

"What happened?" I asked forgetting about the gang for a minute.

She told me the whole story and I sat seething. Mike knew this when he had picked up Andrew and he didn't tell me! I was going to have to talk to him later...

"Well I know a mechanic who isn't associated with Ed and Al so he could help you." I said.

"Really? Thank you Angela." Lan Fan said.

"No problem." I said.

The five of us walked back to Garfield's and I begged him to give Lan Fan a discount.

He agreed and said that he just needed to get a few pieces before the surgery.

"Well while we're waiting wanna help us stop a gang?" I asked.

"Sure I've been wanting something to do." She said.

We walked to the gangs headquarters and I kicked in the door.

"Who the hell are you?" One of the maybe thirty guys inside yelled.

"Your doom." I said cracking my knuckles.

We took care of them pretty easily and I was turning to leave when a big guy with twin automail arms walked in.

"What have you done to my men?" He yelled.

I noticed the arms were combat not civilian. They had claw tipped fingers and an extra motor for extra strength.

I motioned the others to get back so I could fight him one on one. He charged at me and I grabbed the hands so that he couldn't cut me.

I flipped him over my shoulder and he landed with a thud. He got back up and warily circled me. I rushed at him and kicked his legs out from under him.

While he was falling I shot forward and found the switch that detached the nerves. His arms fell off and I kicked him into the wall.

The five of us left and headed back to Garfield's carrying the arms like a trophy.

"That was easy." I said laughing.

"Yeah." Lan Fan said actually smiling.

We arrived at the store and Mr. Garfield said he had everything set up for the surgery.

I looked at Lan Fan to make sure she was ready for this. She had a look of utter focus and Determination. I escorted her into the operating room while Fuu Bunny and Emmy stood outside.

Izumi

I was enjoying a new book and some tea when the door bell rang. I got up and walked over thankful that Hohenheim had fixed my stomach.

I opened the door to see two teenagers one was a bit shorter than me with black hair and the other was a bit taller than me and he wore an eye patch.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Are you Izumi Curtis?" The shorter boy asked.

"Yes why?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm a friend of Ed and Al I'd like you to train me in alchemy." He said bowing.

"No way. I'm not taking anymore students." I said.

"Please ill do anything!" He said.

"Anything?" I asked forming an idea.

"Yes!" He said firmly.

"Alright. Wait until this evening then come back and you'll have a test." I said shutting the door.

The test I had in mind was for the black haired boy to fight Stig and Maison. There was no way that he would go through with it.

When evening approached the two boys came back. Stig and Maison stood in the yard while I watched from the window.

"Fight them and if you win I will train you in alchemy. No weapons or help from your friend there." I said.

He nodded and put up his fists. Maison ran up to him and threw a punch but the boy ducked and kicked Maison in the legs.

Maison staggered a bit but stayed on his feet. The boy then delivered an uppercut to his jaw and Maison fell back in a daze.

Stig now joined the fight and bounded up to the young man. He tried grabbing the boy but the smaller figure was very agile.

The boy jumped up and grabbed Stig's shoulder. He flipped over onto Stigs back and hit him with his knee. Stig went forward a few steps and rubbed his back but turned to face the young man.

The boy raised his fists defensively and I could see that he was guarding all of his vital areas without leaving anywhere exposed.

Stig charged and threw a ham sized fist at the boy. The boy held out his arms and pushed back against the fist. He slid back on the ground but he held the fist away from his body.

He jumped onto Stig's arm and tapped the pressure points in it causing it to limply hang useless for a few minutes. He ran over Stig's shoulders and did the same thing to the other arm.

Stig fell onto his butt and shrugged. I hopped through the window.

"Well boy I have to ask, who taught you to fight like that?" I asked.

"Well the class that I excelled in back at the DWMA was P.E. with Pattee Blackstar and Stein so we learned how to fight." He said.

"Alright you passed show up here tomorrow at dawn and we'll start your training." I said.

"Alright."

After they left I helped Stig and Maison up.

"Boys get the spare bedroom ready." I said.

"Yes Ma'am!" They said.

Angela

"How do you feel Lan Fan?" I asked.

"It hurts but I can get up." She said.

It had been two days since her surgery and she was showing an amazing recovery rate.

"I really want to go outside. Can you help me down the steps?" She asked.

"Sure." I said holding her arm to keep her falling.

We walked outside and she sat down in one of the chairs.

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

"No, thank you though." She said.

I walked over to Fuu's unofficial lookout post and hopped up.

"She's fine but her recovery is going to take a few months." I told him.

"Very well. I shall wait." He said.

"If you want to do something for Ling you could go help Kevyn and Kayla in Central." I told him.

He perked up at this information.

"But who would watch Lan Fan?" He asked.

"I can do that. She just needs help so I can watch her for you." I said.

"If you are sure about this I will go join your friends in Central." He said.

He said goodbye to Garfield and Lan Fan then left for the train station.

I wandered around town with a shopping list from Mr. Garfield. He had me get him groceries and parts from other shopkeepers around town in exchange for letting us stay with him.

After I got everything I headed back towards the store. On the way I noticed a man in a black cloak following me. I turned and stopped him.

"Who are you?" I asked feeling for the knife at my waist.

"I have a message for a girl named Lan Fan. The prince of Xing asked me to deliver it." The man said.

He held out a letter and I took it. He turned away without letting me see his face.

I hurried back to the store and dropped off the groceries then hurried up to Lan Fans room.

She read the letter but wouldn't tell me what it said but it must have been important because she started crying when she read it.

I left her there to be alone and headed downstairs.