Dublith

After two weeks of constant re-training, Bailey looked forward the train ride to Dublith. Between the recovering with Ed and mock fights with Danni, Bailey was ready for a change in scenery.

"Bailey, are you ok?" Danni pulled on her coat sleeve.

"Yeah, Danni, I'm fine." Bailey looked up at her, "I just can't stop thinking about how they knew who I was. I've never met them."

"Are you still on those homunculi?" Danni sighed, "Bailey, they aren't human. They may not be worth our time."

"Danielle, they took my leg." Bailey glared at her. "I'm not going to forgive them for that, and they will pay."

"Bailey, Pinako and Winry didn't make you that leg so that you can go off and avenge it. They made it for you because you needed it." Danielle shook her head. "We still have a mission from Mustang that we need to get done, unless you want to hear him yell at you."

"No," Bailey sighed and looked down at her knee. "I guess it's a good thing Hawkeye gave me a second uniform. I really don't want to hear what the colonel would say if I told him I ruined my only uniform."

"Bailey, he would probably ask why you didn't just fix it." Ed replied with a laugh. "We are alchemists."

Bailey nodded and pulled out the ruined uniform. She smiled as she started to draw the transmutation circles where the clothes had ripped. "This will actually be fun." She told them before getting to work on them.

"See, good as the day he gave them to you." Danielle smiled when Bailey finished. "We just have to wash all of the blood out."

"That's not hard to do." Bailey smiled at her as she put the uniform back in her bag.

"Looks like we're here," Ed sighed as the train started to slow down.

"Ed, what's up?" Bailey looked out the window. "If you didn't want to come to Dublith, you didn't have to."

"It's nothing." Ed smiled at her, "I just don't want to run into someone."

"Brother, you didn't tell Teacher we were coming, did you?" Al asked as Ed's smiled started to vanish. "You didn't!"

"Well, with everything I was doing, it kind of slipped my mind." Ed replied as they stood to get off.

"Ed, we're dead men if she finds us." Al picked up Ed and started to shake him. "Why would you do that, why?"

"Al, put your brother down." Bailey told him, placing a hand on Al's arm. "I'm sure your teacher would understand."

"Plus, she may know something about Masked." Danni said as they made their way off the train.

"If we don't find any leads, we'll go to her." Ed growled.

""Very well, let's get going." Bailey started for the door. The first house they stopped at was small, and the father answered quickly.

"Sir, we are trying to find a person named Masked, have you," Bailey started before the father slammed the door in her face. "Well, that was rude."

"You're probably going to get that a lot." A tall, skinny woman stood behind them. "Ed, Alphonse."

"Teacher," Ed and Al looked at each other before turning around to face her.

"Wait," Danni looked from the boys to Teacher. "You are their teacher?"

"Does that surprise you?" Izumi smiled before turning toward Teacher's house. "Come on, I'll let you in on why they slammed the door on your face."

"So, you know where Masked might be?" Bailey caught up with Teacher quickly, "Do you remember where she was last?"

"Child, I will tell you when we get inside." Teacher looked down at Bailey, "You have much to learn about her."

Bailey stopped walking, "Who are you calling a 'child'?" She yelled after Izumi.

"Blood, I've heard much about you, now come on." Izumi opened her door and beckoned them inside. "The Blood Ribbon Alchemist, you have a reputation in this town, just like your mother does."

"What, but I've never been here!" Bailey closed the door behind her as they walked in.

"What do you know about Masked?" Danielle glared at Bailey as they sat down in Izumi's living room.

"This used to be a peaceful happy town before Masked came through. She and two other alchemists said they were looking for somewhere to stay for the night. Everyone was kind enough to offer their place, and they stayed just down the street with the Chase family."

"If they only stayed the night, what did they do that would cause such a change?" Ed looked out the window to the empty street.

"At first, there wasn't a thing wrong with them. A few people were cautious because of the military uniform Masked wore, but Masked was a hit with the kids. They stayed at the Chase's until a little past midnight, where they snuck out and started to attack every family that held a fellow alchemist." Izumi looked at the ground as she spoke.

"But, why? They had no reason to attack them." Bailey stood up, only to be held back by Dani.

"Bailey, think about it. Masked does what Lord Baylor wants before the military. Lord Baylor wants a war with the military, what is easier than attacking civilians in military uniforms?" Danielle moved in between Izumi and Bailey. "Izumi, what happened after the attacks started?"

"Do you really want to know, child?" Izumi looked right at Bailey.

"Yes, I may not like what Masked has done, but I want to know." Bailey pulled Danni's hand off her shoulder before sitting back down.

"Blood, Masked almost destroyed the town looking for alchemists. Everyone ran out of their houses and rushed the three of them away. They left town, taking a train toward South City. Whoever the young girl was that was with her walked away with some bad injuries. It didn't seem to even phase Masked that she was hurt."

"What did the girl look like?" Bailey was sitting on the edge of her seat, ready to jump out the door.

"A lot like you, but with red hair and brown eyes," Izumi's husband walked in from the kitchen with a tray of food. "Izumi, Dakota is here and wants to know if you need anything."

"Dakota, as in Dakota Chase?" Ed turned to Izumi.

"Would you have Dakota come in here, please, he may be useful to Blood and Ed." Izumi asked as she nodded to Ed. "Dakota has been doing odd jobs for me since the attack."

"Teacher, Is there something you needed?" Dakota stood at the doorway, looking at Bailey.

"Dakota, this is Edward and Alphonse Elric, Danielle Himmler, and Blood Ribbon. They have some questions about Masked." Izumi smiled as she introduced everyone. "Since you were the first home attacked, you may have some useful information for them."

"Dakota, I'm sorry that your home was attacked by Masked." Alphonse's voice was low and saddened.

"I don't remember much about that night, but I will help you as much as I can." Dakota replied with a small smile. "What do you want to know?"

"Let's start from the beginning. When Masked arrived she wasn't alone, do you remember who was with her?" Danni started as she fished through her bag for a notebook.

"Two other officers and a young girl were with her. The officers stayed with the Ebonite's and the young girl stayed with Masked at our house." Dakota sat down in a nearby chair as he spoke. "Masked never called the girl by a full name, just Sissy, and she never said her real name either."

"Sissy, are you sure?" Bailey sat on the verge of falling off her chair. "Did Masked use any other name?"

"Well, she kept saying something about a Lord Baylor and a daughter, Lady Amaya. I don't think she said anything else though." Dakota sat back in his chair before continuing, "The only other thing I heard was the young girl saying that she had to get back to Ookani and make sure Bailey was alright."

Bailey sighed and leaned back into her chair, "Dakota, what happened that night?"

"Well, let's see, mom and dad went to bed early that night and I stayed up reading for a bit. I got carried away with the reading, but sometime during the night the girls tried to sneak out. When I heard the commotion, I went out to find out what it was and they were drawing different circles on the floor of our kitchen.

"I asked what they were attempting and Masked just laughed, saying that I'd soon find out. I told them to tell me what they were planning, and they both just laughed saying they were following orders." Dakota looked down at the floor as he spoke, avoiding everyone. "There was a flash of alchemy and the house lit on fire around them. I tried to run and alert my parents, but I just couldn't get to the door with the fire in the way."

"Dakota, I'm so sorry." Danni wiped a tear from her eyes before turning to Bailey, "I think Masked has a lot of explaining to do."

"I know she does, Danni, but we need to find her first." Bailey stood up slowly and grabbed her bag. "Excuse me, but I need to get some fresh air."

"Of course, child, just do not be out too late." Izumi nodded to her as Bailey walked out the door. "Edward, how much do you know about Blood?"

"Teacher?" Ed's face was full of surprise as he looked back at Izumi.