Finally back! Got distracted writing some other stories, that I'll likely never release... well that and University restarted... anyway though enough of the excuses...

I'd like to thank everyone that's been kind enough to review, and strongly encourage you to continue doing so... The more the merrier... I would like to note that my intention is, starting next chapter to change my use of speech brackets and thought to the more standard " for speech and ' for thoughts. I agree that it will make things easier to understand.

Just as a quick note, I would like to make it clear that Mei is a bit older in this story, just to, you know make the whole AlXMei thing less... weird

Ed sighed and rubbed his eyes, once again he was coming home tired, it was starting to become the norm for him now. It was a week and a half after the incident with the chimaera, and he'd spent the whole time sorting through the information they'd gathered. Even with his alchemy enhanced reading methods it was a big job to pour through an entire library of information.

Most of the stuff had been biology texts and notes about transmuting animals and people, and that was the sort of stuff that Ed wanted to know nothing about. But if years of studying had taught him anything, it was that to get to the good information you had to wade through reams of rubbish. And, in the end, he had found a handful of gems; a clue here, an idle comment there, he noticed it all and filed it away in his mind to be considered later. He still didn't have a huge amount to go on, but at least now he was armed with slightly more knowledge.

He stumbled through the front door and into the lobby, calling out to see if anyone was home.

'Just me,' called back Winry, 'I'm in the lounge.'

Entering he found her curled up on the couch before the fire, her nose in another automail text.

'Where are Al and Mei?' asked Ed as he collapsed into the spot next to her on the couch.

'They said they were going to the Central Botanical Gardens, I figured that they were going to be making out so I decided not ask too much about it.'

'What? Why would they be? I mean since when have they been, you know.'

Winry gave him a long suffering look over the top of her book, 'you have got to be kidding me. Mei says they've been having these little walks of theirs for about a year now.'

'A year?' burst out Ed stunned, 'first he takes a job with the military and now this. Why didn't he tell me?'

'He probably assumed you knew. They've been fairly obvious about the whole thing.'

'Not to me they haven't!'

'Oh please. And what does it matter anyway, they like each other, they're happy, they can do whatever they want.'

'Yeah but why with her? She's so annoying.'

'Oh you don't mean that, Mei's kind and sweet, she's perfect for him and you know it.'

'Hmpf, I'm not so sure about that. Still think they could have said something.'

'Well maybe I suppose, it's not like Al to forget how dense you are.'

'I'm not dense. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all.'

'No, you're dense alright. You've crammed too much of that Alchemy rubbish in there, you can't fit anything else in there. Even when you're looking at signs obvious to an idiot.' For some reason she gave a small sigh at the end.

'Heh,' Ed laughed softly ignoring the sigh, he'd missed this banter, he didn't really get much time for it anymore, 'at least my head isn't full of automail. Heaven forbid if that ever happened, I couldn't imagine anything worse.'

Winry lowered her book and delivered a long and steady gaze. Ed noticed that her wrench was sitting on the floor next to the couch, conspicuously insider her reaching distance.

'Umm, ahh,' he stumbled trying to distract her, 'have we got any food?'

She sighed again and pointed at a covered tray on the coffee table, 'just take the lid off of that, I kept some for you.'

'Oh wow, thanks,' he replied falling on the food with a passion, 'so how was your day?'

'Busy, Al's got me making arms and legs for all the homeless he's started sheltering. There's just so many of them, I'm not sure I'll ever be finished. But that's fine with me, I'm getting paid on commission after all.'

Ed paused for a moment at a mention of the homeless, but then continued eating at an astonishing speed as if nothing had happened. Eventually he paused long enough to mutter, 'I dare say you'll be getting even more soon.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' she asked sharply.

'Nothing, just a hunch, the way things are now, things are going to get worse before they get better.'

'Why? What do you think is going to happen?' she asked worriedly, her book laying discarded next to her.

'I don't know. But who knows, maybe I'm just over thinking things,' he smiled, as he finished the last of his dinner, 'if nothing else, I've had this arm for nearly two weeks now, I'm sure I'll figure out a way to break it soon.'

'Yeah if you want a wrench for a face,' she glowered, straightening in her spot so that she could try and loom over him.

'Don't worry, I'm sure it's made of sturdier stuff than that, right? I mean it'd have to be pretty pathetic to break after two weeks. It's got to be stronger than that.'

'Damn straight it is. It's my masterpiece, so you better not damage it.'

'You say that about all the arms you build me.'

'That's because it's true of all the arms I build you, but then you just go and get into a fight and destroy it,' she sighed, shifting closer and tiredly resting the side of her head on his shoulder, 'you better not destroy this one. You better not get into any fights.'

Ed froze at the feeling of her resting on his shoulder. It was a surprisingly nice feeling, it wasn't a great deal of contact but for some reason he suddenly became very aware of her. That simple little contact of her head on his shoulder was a nice feeling, it made him feel reliable, strong even.

'You know I can't do that Winry. I have to do what I have to do. And that could well mean getting into a fight here and there.' Or bloody well everywhere at the rate its going.

Not moving her head from his shoulder, she casually entwined her arm through his and took rested her hand on his. Ed couldn't help but smile despite the serious tone; she was so cute when she was like this.

'I know, but at least promise me you'll be careful.'

'Of course I'll be careful, and besides, I've got the entire military to back me up.'

'It only takes one bullet Ed. Be careful.'

There really wasn't much he could say to that, and so instead he just sat in silence and enjoyed the feeling of sitting so close together. It wasn't long before he heard the faint sound of snoring form his shoulder. Making sure to support her, he stood up and picked her up, ignoring the half-asleep sounds of protest and carried her to her room. He walked in and immediately felt his face heat at the memory of the last time he'd been in here. Placing her on the bed, he put the covers over her, turned out the light and returned to the lounge room and waited for Al and Mei to return.

It was late when Al and Mei returned, trundling through the front door arm in arm. They mingled for a while in the hallway, giggling softly between them mired deep in the enchantment of young love. They would say goodnight, kiss and part ways, only to find themselves in the other's arms again almost immediately afterwards.

Eventually though Mei succeeded in disentangling both her mind and body from the gently smiling Al, and pushed through into her room, bidding him a goodnight as she did so. Walking to his own room, Al noticed that Ed's door was open, and his room empty. Suddenly suspicious (and hopeful) of his brothers whereabouts, he cast out his senses to locate his brother. Much to his disappointment he located him in the library, and not in Winry's room as he'd been hoping. Despite the hour, Al decided to check in on him.

'Oh hey Al, I didn't hear you come in,' Ed muttered from around a pile of books as Al entered.

'Yeah, Mei and I just got back a little while ago, why are you still up?'

'I wanted to talk to you about the Chimaera situation, and see how you've been going with that vial.'

'Oh, yeah I've been studying it whenever I get a minute. But it's been fairly hectic so I haven't really been able to give it the time it deserves.'

'Have you found out anything yet?'

'Sort of. From what I can tell it seems to be some sort of alchemic aid.'

'Like a philospher's stone?' Ed replied sharply, alert intensity suddenly filling his gaze.

'Well yes and no. Like the stone it seems to have some catalysing effect, improving the strength of alchemy and so on, but it seems more than that. There's some weird interference whenever I look into it or try and use it. Like there's energy within it that is cancelling mine out, or confusing it. What's more the actual structure of the liquid makes it dangerous. Its unstable, it strengthens alchemy but it does so erratically, and there seems to be some sort of weird feedback to the user, not all of the power is channelled to the alchemy, some of the energy acts on the alchemist.'

'Really? How dangerous would you say it is?'

'It's hard to say really. I'm not very experienced with it, and I don't understand this interference in the liquid so that might be making it harder for me, but it seems really quite dangerous. To both the user and anyone subject to the alchemy. I just tried alchemising a glass of water into gas with it, and just as I thought it was working the whole thing exploded.'

'Oh. Maybe you just lost control?'

'Yeah, I suppose that's possible,' said Al, knowing that he'd never make such a fundamental mistake, and knowing that Ed knew it too, 'but it really felt like it was something extra from the liquid. There was just a sudden surge of power, and bam, it exploded.'

'Weird. Be careful with it, if it's really that volatile who knows what might happen.'

'How about you? How has your research been going? Any closer to finding anything else out?'

'Well I've discovered that that alchemist we met in the chimaera den went by the code name King of Spades, and that he was probably telling the truth about having other labs. There was just too much information in his notes about them for it to be otherwise. Annoyingly though I wasn't able to find out where they are, or about what they were planning. I did find out a lot about what he was doing there, or rather how he was doing it. He writes a lot about that liquid, frankly most of what you said seemed to fit with the impression of it I got from his notes.'

'Oh yeah? What does he say? Can we trust it?'

'Not completely no, he writes in code like all alchemists, and seems to have been inserting mistakes into his notes on purpose besides.'

'So it's useless then?'

'Yes and no. I know that he was using the liquid to make chimaera, and that that's how he managed it so fast. But it seems he got the liquid from someone, so the chances are he has more available to him. Though in saying that he did say it was precious, so I'd keep an eye out if I were you. The real surprise though was that its name is Amrita, seems the group is named after this liquid, or maybe the other way around. Either way I think it's a pretty clear sign that the stuff is important.'

'Was there anything about the other members?'

'Just a few unhelpful comments about the leader. And my initial hypothesis that there was a member for each of the royalty cards has been confirmed. I guess knowing how many there are out there is useful, if worrying.'

'Nothing about their abilities?'

'Nothing at all. I got the impression that he didn't know.'

'Shame. Anyway though, it is past midnight, and I really should get some sleep tonight.'

'Yeah, I'm going to stay up for a while though, I have to think about what to do next. Night Al.'

'Goodnight Ed.'

Ed closed his book and leaned back in his chair, listening to the fading sounds of Al's footsteps. Soft light formed shadows across his face, deepened by the furrow in his brow. Tomorrow was not going to be an easy day. He couldn't just sit around and wait for them to act. He had to figure out a way to take the fight to them, with so many of them, anything else would be suicide.

'Sir!' saluted the pair of soldiers as Mustang approached them.

'At ease,' he replied, 'now where is he? What's he done now?'

'Sir we found him sneaking around in the prison cells sir. He was near where we're keeping the chimaera.'

'Really, right well I'll take care of him from here, just give him to me.'

'Sir.' Replied one of the soldiers with another smart salute. Pivoting on the spot the soldier disappeared into a nearby room, appearing again moments later holding Mustang's charge James by the scruff of the neck. Depositing him in a chair, the soldiers saluted once more and left.

'Well then James, care to explain what you were doing down here?'

'I was exploring,' replied the boy sullenly from beneath a heavy glare.

'Ahuh, and why did you chose down here exactly?'

This caused the kid to glare all the harder, 'everyone was coming down here, so I wanted to see what was happening.'

'Right, and how did you get passed Havok?'

'He was busy talking to that big guy's secretary,' smirked Vane, clearly showing that he didn't have that high of an opinion of Havok.

'Hmm, well I'll have to do something about that. You're not to come down here again, do you understand? If I catch you down here again, I might have to punish you in a way that will be a bit more permanent than your liking,' said Mustang dryly, meeting the boys stare and flexing his fingers menacingly.

Mustang was looking right at him as he said this so he was sure that he didn't imagine it. For the briefest of moments the kid's glare turned into something much deeper and darker. A look of utter fury contorted the young man's features, his fists suddenly clenched, and his teeth barred in a vicious snarl. But most incredibly of all, and what Mustang later convinced himself had to be a trick of the light, his eyes suddenly glinted a sickly malevolent yellow. But then just as quickly as the expression appeared it was replaced by his comparatively friendly glare.

'Fine,' he replied, as if nothing had happened.

'Good,' murmured Mustang, slightly disconcerted and doubting his vision, 'now go find Havok again, I'm going to give him a call in 20 minutes, and if you're not with him then there'll be hell to pay.'

He sat and watched him run off, I couldn't have just imagined it could I? He thought to himself, I must be tired, yellow eyes, how ridiculous. But why was he down here at all?

'Sir,' saluted one of Ed's aides as he walked into his office.

'Good morning Corporal,' muttered Ed vaguely as he slumped into his chair.

'If I may sir, you look quite tired this morning,'

'Yes, late night thinking. Anyway, what do you have to report today?'

'The papers have been growing increasingly, umm, creative in their descriptions of the military and yourself sir.'

'What do you mean.'

'Well sir, as you know much of gossip is focused around your ahhh friend, Ms Rockbell.'

'Yes, yes I know about that, what about it?'

'Well it's grown a bit less subtle and polite sir.'

Ed felt a vein pulse in his head, 'fantastic, are they doing any actual reporting?'

'Well they seem to be very well informed about recent situation with the chimaeras sir.'

'Yes I suspected that they might be, well what way have they taken it.'

'Well there seem to have been two main responses, the first is a general attack against the administration of the state, the other seems to be aimed primarily at yourself sir. Accusing you of being both sadistic and incompetent, they've somehow managed to work it so that you seem to be the one who's caused all this.'

'That's ridiculous, I wasn't even in the country when all this started.'

'Yes well, they're doing their best to gloss over that. Not to worry though sir, you're stance as a hero of Amestris makes the vast majority of people ignore the allegations. However, we have been receiving increasing number of complaints about soldiers causing a ruckus in town. And the media have also seized on this and are using it to drive home their point.'

Ed could feel a headache coming on, he would have to do something about this whole media situation, it was becoming increasingly apparent that they were eating out of the hand of someone, he just couldn't prove it. And without proof he couldn't just march in and shut down the voice of the so-called liberal media, especially when they'd been reporting on him so much lately. All he could do for the time being was wait.

'Okay then, that's fine there's nothing we can do about that for now,' replied Ed after a few moments, 'but the moment we receive any solid evidence of shady business going down I want you to inform me. Or if I'm unavailable the next person in charge, this is our best lead for the time being and so it takes precedence over everything, understood?'

'Yes sir.'

'Good, as for the sudden spike in unruly behaviour in the ranks, I want you to make it known that anyone found to be acting in a dangerous or disrespectful manner will be punished swiftly and harshly. Make examples of people if you have to, just make sure they all know that I'm putting my foot down on it.'

'Yes sir.'

'Excellent, was there anything else?'

'Mr Elric sir!' answered a different soldier as he careened into Ed's office, 'we have a situation sir! There's been an attack at the new homeless centre. Some sort of alchemic attack, 7 civilians dead 10 more injured sir.'

'Suspected Amrita involvement?'

'Yes sir, it seems so, a very overt attack.'

'What kind of alchemy?'

'Plant based, it's as if the entire first floor has become a jungle sir.'

'Understood, arrange for transport for myself to the scene. Also organise for any injured to be taken to the hospital, and for Winry to meet them there if there are any who will require automail. Further, there are two alchemists I want located and brought to the scene. Their names are Russell and Fletcher Tringham, they are to be treated with respect but they're potential suspects so be wary of what they're told.'

'Sir, yes sir!' saluted the two soldiers in his office before bustling out.

As much as Ed hated to admit it, if he was really honest with himself, he was starting to enjoy ordering people around.

20 minutes later and Ed was pulling up to a 3 storey building that had been converted into a temporary homeless centre. On the outside the building seemed almost perfectly normal, with the exception of a hive of military personnel swarming around it. On the inside it was a completely different matter. Stepping into the building, Ed was faced with hallways and rooms lined with plants. Trees, shrubs, ivies, weeds the covered the building's interior like a plague. Infesting every corner and seeping into every crack in the walls.

'Just how much of the building is covered liked this?' Ed asked a nearby soldier.

'It's just the first floor sir.'

'And how exactly did this injure people, they seem fairly harmless.'

'They said that when they first grew here, the plants were attacking wildly and viciously, sir. We had to cut free one poor man from an arm of Ivy that had choked him to death,' replied the soldier nervously, as his eyes darted across the room and his hands visibly tightened on his likely redundant rifle. 'We're keeping the witnesses in observation just outside if you wanted to question them sir.'

'Hmmm, yes that might be the best thing, take me to them.'

A hastily erected tent, guarded by a pair of soldiers, served as a medical bay and observation area. Inside Ed was shown to the oldest of the witnesses. A 50-odd year old man with wide, slightly crazed eyes, and wearing the shabby garb of a man who had long been on the streets, he didn't seem like the most reliable of witnesses. But of all of them he seemed to be in the best shape, so Ed didn't really have much of a choice.

'Hello there, I'm Edward Elrich, the Fullmetal Alchemist, I was just wondering if I could have a few words.'

'I've all ready said all there is to say to you darn army folk,' spat back the man, literally spraying saliva on each word.

'Well yes, but I'd like to hear it directly from you, if you're willing.'

'Bah, like it'll make a difference. But fine if you be so keen. I'd just gotten here today see, and I was starting to settle in, getting meself all nice and comfy, when it all went down. I was in the common room talking to the chef about what 'e was making us for lunch, when bam, flash of light and I hear screaming. Was a wee little girl, and right there in front of her was a tree. Small and runty, but it was a tree, standing there as if it'd been there for years. People were pointing and whispering, but that all changed when a second tree did go and appear, and a third. A whole jungle of the blighters suddenly grew, poof, they just sprung out from them floorboards. And then they started to move, swinging them branches and trying to catch or hit anything they could. Everything turned to hell, people were screaming and shoving and trying to get out the door as quickly as possible while dodging the plants. Them trees reached out and grabbed mitch, haven't seen him since. Asked the guards but they wouldn't say anything.'

'Did you see anyone suspicious looking before the incident?'

'Not really, was more interested in getting something to eat, which I still haven't done.'

'Are you sure, there wasn't anyone out of place, might have been drawing a circle on the ground?'

'No nothing like that. Sorry I can't tell you more mate.'

'That's alright, if you think of anything make sure one of the soldiers.'

'Any chance of getting something to eat sir?'

'Yes of course,' replied Ed before turning to a nearby guard, 'corporal see to it that these people get something warm to eat.'

'Yes sir,' saluted the man before marching out of the tent.

Maybe the trees can tell me something, Ed thought without too much hope, plant alchemy wasn't an area he'd ever given much investigation. Stepping out of the tent, he shaded his eyes from the sudden glare of the sun and sighed before heading back into the building. Spying a group of military scientists investigating one of the trees, he stepped over to them hoping they'd discovered something.

'Have you found anything yet?'

'Oh! Sir, I didn't see you arrive,' murmured a particularly flustered looking scientist, 'hum, no sir nothing really yet. This is the first time we've ever seen plant alchemy sir, I didn't even think it was possible.'

'No, no, it's quite possible, just very rare. One of the witnesses said that they all sprung from under the floorboards, meaning that's likely where the circle was drawn, perhaps you should start there.'

'Oh, yes of course. Hum, maybe if we see the circle we'll be able to understand it a bit better.'

'Don't stress on that too much, I'm bringing in some experts. Make sure you also see if you can learn anything from the injured before they're shipped to central hospital.'

'Hum, I'm afraid that they've already been sent sir.'

'No matter, I'll visit them myself then.'

'What were you saying about experts sir?'

'Hmmm? Oh yes, I've sent for a pair of plant alchemists, in fact I see them coming through the door now, excuse me.'

It took only a cursory glance over to Russell and Fletcher Tringham to piss Ed off to no end. It wasn't so much Fletcher, but Russell that annoyed him. The bastard had always been a tall git, but had someone managed to gain another couple of inches since Ed had last seen him. He'd been hoping that his recent growth spurt would put them on par, but that dream got brutally crushed. Fletcher was taller than him as well, but he at least wasn't one to rub it in Ed's face; so he wasn't as bothered.

'Edward,' called out Fletcher joyously as soon as he noticed him. The uncomplicatedly happy look he gave him, made Ed re-realise how similar Fletcher was to Alphonse.

'Fletcher, a pleasure to see you again,' smiled Ed, before straightening up and taking on a more serious look, 'Russell.'

'Hello pipsqueak. I heard you managed to weasel your way up a few notches,' replied Russell, taking on the aloof demeanour that Ed was usually known for.

'Yes, I hear you two have been studying abroad for a while,' smiled Ed in what he hoped was a pleasant way. Inside he was boiling with rage, but he knew he had to swallow it for now, 'I also heard that you applied to take the state alchemist exam next month.'

'Yup, we want to get access to the state library, there's bound to be plenty about plants in there,' sang out Flecther.

'Really? Well that is interesting,' smiled Ed, knowing he now definitely had a bargaining chip.

'And we're very busy at the moment, so if you could just make your offer we'll get to it,' said Russell bluntly.

'I see you're still as sharp as ever,' muttered Ed, rather happily abandoning his politeness, 'ok fine. I think you know why I want you here. I assume that the men I sent to bring you here questioned you about you're whereabouts in the last day or so?'

'Yes, they were very thorough.'

'Good, even though I know you have a bit of a penchant for deceit, I think I'm safe to go ahead and assume you're all clear. Now then, what do you think of all this,' said Ed gesturing about him.

'It's very interesting, fairly high-level alche-' started Fletcher only to be cut off by his brother.

'What we think of this depends on what you want to give us for the information.'

Ed couldn't help but smile, he could say what he would about Russell, but talking to him was certainly refreshing, 'you do this for me, and I might see my way to putting in a good word for you at the state alchemist selection board.'

'Oh that would be gre-' chirped Fletcher only to be cut short again.

'No dice Fullmetal, we both know you're on that board and that you're going to be accepting the best, and we both know that that's going to be us.' He was right, Ed couldn't deny it, alchemists of their level didn't come along very often.

'Well then what do you propose?'

'We want to skip the exam, get instated as state alchemists and get all the benefits that entails, including access to the state libraries. We also want your word that you'll do what you can to keep us from engaging in any of the wars. And one more thing.'

The demands were surprisingly reasonable, if he was honest he'd be getting benefits from having them registered with the state, and their skills were more research based in nature besides. It was just that last one which troubled him, 'and what's that?'

'That depends on whether I'm right about my initial analysis of this alchemy.'

'And what's that?'

'A bargaining chip that I'm not going to just give up.'

'I can't agree to your terms if I don't know them.'

He seemed to think it over for a few minutes, eventually coming to a conclusion, 'fine. As I'm sure you know there are only so many alchemists who could do something like this, and even less who would. I'll have to do some tests, but if I'm right about who did this, well I want your word that I'll be the one to bring them down.'

'Brother, no –' cried Fletcher.

'Those are you terms?'

'Yes,' replied Russell ignoring his brother's pleas, 'and we won't take anything less.'

Ed knew that look, it was one that he'd worn when he'd decided to become a state alchemist, a mixture of determination and resignation. He couldn't help but feel a moments doubt. He knew that he needed them, but deep down he didn't really want to sucker them into the military like Mustang had done to him. Even if the older one was a bastard. But at the end of the day he didn't really have a choice.

'If I agree to this, you're aware that being a state alchemist makes you a dog of the military? That you'll have to do what as you're ordered? As I order you?' Now there's a nice thought, maybe this won't be so bad, 'that if there's a war, I might be overruled and you might have to be sent to the lines? That every year you'll have to produce results or lose your position and privileges? And you're ok with all that?'

Fletcher visibly paled and gulped, Russell's jaw tightened slightly but otherwise gave no outward sign of doubt.

'Yes, we know the drawbacks.'

'Hmmmm, well that's a big ask, especially letting you take down whoever did this. If, and only if, you can tell me something useful about all this, then I will grant you both state alchemists status. And if the opportunity to find this person comes, I will let you accompany me or some other battle trained alchemist, to take them down.'

'Those weren't my terms.'

'Well there the best you're going to get, and don't forget that as you said I am on the board for deciding who will become a state alchemist from the next set of exams. And I can control who gets granted admission to the test.'

The ultimatum was clear, and a vein began to pulse in Russell's head, he clearly wasn't used to not getting his own way.

'That's not good en-' this time it was Russell's turn to be cut off, as his brother jabbed him sharply in the ribs.

'We accept,' Fletcher smiled, 'hunting them down is a stupid idea anyway, right brother?'

'Fine,' he muttered after a pause.

'Excellent,' smirked Ed with a hint of triumph as he shook the hands of both the Tringhams. He waited for a moment for the import of their deal to sink in before turning back to the business at hand, 'so what can you tell me about all this?'

Russell reached into his pocket and brought out an adjustable microscope that he attached to one eye of his glasses. Pulling the nearest branch towards him he began a closer examination of a leaf. Fletcher meanwhile walked over to the trunk of a tree and drew a quick circle on it. Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead to the circle.

Fascinated Ed watched him. At first he couldn't tell if anything was happening, but then suddenly he felt that door in the back of his mind burst open once again and plunge him into the extra-sensory world, just like when he'd fought the Jack of Diamonds. The sudden intenseness of the world washed over him, exhilarating yet oppressive. He could feel the force and energy of Fletchers mind, extending out from the tree to the other pants, infusing every branch and inhabiting every leaf. Once more Ed could sense the connections in the world the strings of energy and life force that naturally bound everything together. But overlaid on top of it there was a different lattice, a spider-web thin weave of energy created by Fletcher's will. It wove from tree to tree, connecting and binding them all together in a secondary system. When it had spread to every tree it suddenly grew taut, constricting as it began to search and delve for the plants' origin. The energy poured down the trees, following down their trunks to the roots beneath, winding its way down to a dusty corner of the room where, hidden under the floorboards, was the source of all the alchemy. Ed could sense it clearly, as it pulsed with alchemic power and sent waves of energy rippling through the lattice. And just as suddenly it was gone, the door clicked shut and Ed was plunged back into the plain and lacklustre drudgery of his normal senses. Disappointment at his loss seethed in him even as he felt excitement at their discovery.

Fletcher, let out a breath long and slow, pulled away from the tree and opened his eyes.

'I located the origin,' he told Ed.

'Yes I saw,' replied Ed causing Fletcher to stare at him in shock, even Russell looked up from his examination a look of incredulity in his eyes, 'the far corner, under the floor. Go get some soldiers at the door and tell them I want them to rip up the floor, we'll get to the bottom of this.'

'Okay,' chirped Fletcher, before running off.

'He's too good to be in the military,' murmured Ed as he watched him run off, 'you should have stopped him.'

'I would have if I could have,' replied Russell, 'I hear that Al's gone and been stupid too. He's just like Fletch.'

'Yeah, you're right there,' agreed Ed, sharing a knowing look with Russell before he realised who he was talking to.

'I think I've found something,' murmured Russell to get over the sudden awkwardness.

'Oh?'

'Yeah here, take a look through this microscope,' he muttered, pulling another microscope from his pocket and handing it to Ed. 'You see the cells in the leaf? Usually they'd look like a set of bricks in a wall, rigid and solid. These however are a completely different story. They're moving about at a rapid rate, being pushed aside as new cells form at the stem. When they reach the end of the leaf they die. Rapid cell growth, it's how we usually make the plants grow so quickly, but it usually stops after it's stopped growing, stabilises you could say. Without this stabilization the plant continues to burn through its energy, and genetic limits and will eventually die. At this rate the plant will use all its energy and die within the next few hours. Nothing can keep up this kind of growth and re-growth without losing something.'

'For something to be gained, something of equal value must be lost. Doesn't that mean that they must also be drawing energy from somewhere? And the plants supposedly attacked people, any explanation on how?'

'Really? Now that is interesting, it would explain that I suppose. Usually it would be impossible to make a plant do something like that, they grow, seek sustenance from the ground and sun, spread their seeds, and then die, that's all there is to them. There's no real way to control them much beyond that, at least not without the specific guidance of the alchemist and with this many that's impossible. What I'm trying to say is that in order to instil a command into a plant, you need combine it with something capable of understanding the orders you give it. Usually some sort of small animal like a rat, the more complicated the animal the more complicated or intelligent the drive you can instil. It's a foul science that we chose to stay away from, but we understand the theory at least.'

'And are there signs of it in here?'

'Yes, look at the stem. You'll notice that the wall-like cells are broken up by rounder less rigid cells, moving through them like free radicals. Those are the cells of some animal, that have been infused with the plant on the cellular level, and then spread out. But they're dieing now. That's why they no longer attack.'

'That's an involved piece of alchemy.'

'Yes, on this scale it would be difficult to say the least, there's no way a normal person could do it without red water or some other amplifier.'

'Consider that a possibility,' replied Ed, deciding not to reveal too much about the amber liquid, 'is there anything else you can tell me for now.'

'Maybe, the cells look different to any I've seen used like this before. If I didn't know any better I'd say that they were.. .oh dear god.'

Ed simultaneously came to the same conclusion as Russell, 'I agree, they are. I should have warned you that it wouldn't be pretty.'

'No, no, I'm fine. In fact if we're right, then I know who did this, there's only one person who would use these, ahhh, specimens.'

'Oh and who is tha-' Ed started before being interrupted by a heavy crashing sound, followed by a round of cheering. They'd managed to get the floor boards up.

Ed and Russell exchanged another glance, they both knew what they'd find down there. Then another thought occurred to them.

'Fletcher, get away from there,' yelled Russell sprinting forward to pull his brother away from the hole.

But he was too late, he'd already seen the ghastly sight that was before him. His face had drained of colour and his body stiffened like a board. He barely even responded as his brother forcibly pulled him away from the hole. Even the soldiers, most of whom were long veterans, shied away in disgust, some of them going so far as to throw up. And Ed couldn't blame them.

At the bottom of the hole lay five very gaunt but clearly human bodies. They lay at each point of an alchemic pentagon, their arms spread wide to each other to create a circle. From each of their chests sprouted a series of thick pulsing vines, reaching out to the floor above and then dispersing out across the floorboards. Russel had been right; the bodies appeared to have been used as nutrients for the plants, leaving behind only bone and loose dried skin. Not a single ounce of flesh or drop of blood could be seen, not a single drop had been spared.

Taking a deep fortifying breath, Ed transmuted his arm into a blade and jumped into the hole. Someone had to cut the poor people loose and get them out of there for a proper funeral, and for the life of him he couldn't order anyone else to perform the gruesome task. Clenching his jaw, he set about his tasks, desperately thinking about Winry and what she was doing in an effort to take his mind off what his hands were doing.

'Who does he think he is,' fumed Winry as she stomped through the halls of Central hospital, 'tell me to drop everything and just attend to whoever he wants. I already have more patients than I have metal and time for. What does he expect me to do, just ignore everyone else just so that his get precedence. Well no sir, it does not work that way. Where the hell am I going anyway?'

'Ah Ms Rockbell we passed it already,' replied the one of the two soldiers guarding her, but that she'd quickly outpaced, 'here let me show you.'

'Fine, let's get this done so I can get back to my other patients.'

Turning the corner she spied a frantic looking Nurse Allan. She was flickering through a group of new admittee's, quickly assessing each one and assigning them different doctors. Winry guessed that this was the group that she was here for.

'You've got your hands cut out for you,' said Winry, friendly as she could be.

'Yes and so do you,' came the brisk reply, 'I have those that are ready to see you waiting in room 12. There are 5 of them, somehow they each lost an arm, but by some miracle we were able to wrap up the bleeding quickly enough to prevent major bloodless. Darndest thing I ever saw, must've been something weird in the accident to stop the blood flow.'

'Ok,' smiled Winry, there was no reason in showing her annoyance to anyone but the one who deserved it after all, 'I'll do a quick check of them and leave some instructions to one of the nurses then.'

'Good, now here take this and get out of my hair,' muttered Ms Allan as she thrust a pile of clip boards into Winry's hand.

Ok so maybe he did have reason to prioritise this, thought Winry as she looked over the charts, wincing as she read the words 'arm ripped off by tree'.

She was still reading as she entered the examination room and began talking, 'ok then all of you, I'm Winry Rockbell your automail mechanic. This is all covered by the state so don't worry. Ok if you could take off your shirts and sit so that I can see your wounds.'

The patients started to shuffle around the room. At the sound of their movements Winry looked up from her clipboard and immediately froze. To the casual observer nothing was out of place, they were merely five injured men. But to her trained eye, their oddities may as well have been screaming at her. It wasn't so much what they looked like, because they looked perfectly normal. It was the way they moved. None of their limbs moved like a limb normally would, but rather moved with the ever so slight, but to her, unmistakable, unnaturalness of a prosthetic appendage. Even their necks and eyes shifted in a way vaguely mechanical.

But that's impossible, she thought, there's no metal on any of them, they're all flesh, then why do they move that way. And suddenly Ed's words of caution came back to her, and suddenly she realised that ordering her body guards to stay outside might not have been her brightest idea. Better safe than sorry, maybe that midget alchemist was right.

Not taking her eyes off them, Winry took a deliberate step backwards towards the door. As soon as she moved to leave, the atmosphere of the room immediately shifted. Misery and pain was suddenly replaced with rage and malice. The injured men, affected dark grins and simultaneously stood loom over her.

Her immediate response was to turn and run, screaming out for help as she did so.

'Ooooh she's gone and figured it out hasn't she. She's a clever one she is, took no more than a second. Well that's good this wouldn't be any fun otherwise,' giggled the oldest of them, as he placed his hand over her mouth. Keeping his hand tightly over her mouth he passed Winry over to one of the other men, so that he could step around into her line of sight.

He was an elderly man, whose tidy hair and manicured nails seemed quite at odds with his shoddy clothes and grubby appearance. A manic smile unpleasantly split his face, a wild look filling his eyes. And all about him that strange unnaturalness, that oddity of movement evident even in the way he talked. He was clearly the leader of the group.

'Well then, I've got plans for you lassy, yes I do,' he shrilly declared, his smile never faltering, 'I'm going to punish you for taking a title and position that does not belong to you. Amrita's automail expert, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, what a glorious joke that is. To think that someone like you could be hailed as the best. I must admit you noticed my creations for what they were straight away, but that does not an automail expert make. Yes, I'm definitely going to have to teach you a lesson or two.'

Winry could only stare back at him in horror, wondering just what he was planning.

'But don't worry, we'll keep you in one piece for now, we need you to get to him intact after all. In fact, on that note, I'd best leave the letter I prepared,' as he said this he pulled an envelope from his pocket and placed it on the bench. Winry managed to see the words 'Fullmetal Alchemist' emblazoned on the front before she was pulled away by her captors.

'Well then, I get the strangest feeling that you're not going to make this easy. Are you? You little minx. Well don't you worry your pretty little head about that one, I have the perfect solution for that, just you watch.'

And with that, he raised one hand up in front of him and waved it in her face. She heard a faint whirring sound and the soft shifting of gears, and suddenly his hand detached itself from its place on his wrist and slide up his arm, revealing an empty tube where his wrists bones should have been. The mechanic in her noted how elegant the design was, and wondered how he managed to make fake skin to cover it, but the rest of her was terrified of just what it was for.

'Goodnight m'dear, don't worry I'll most certainly be there when you wake up. Hahahahehehehaaa.' He laughed insanely as he released as a strange green gas billowed out of his arm and surrounded Winry's head.

The effect of the gas was immediate. It was a knockout drug, and it knocked her out as fast as a blow to the head. The last thing she saw before the darkness overtook her was his face gruesomely contorted in a look of pure ecstasy as he laughed at her weak struggles. Oddly though, of it all, what she later remembered more than anything, was that his eyes seemed to be glowing a unearthly yellow amber as he laughed.

Ok, sorry it was such a long chapter, but I had a lot of stuff to get done before the next one...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope that you feel the urge to review, negative or positive I don't mind...