"Can I stay in bed?" the teen groaned, nestling deeper into the bed sheets.

"Come on, sister. It's not that bad," Alphonse sighed. Edeline had been in a reluctant mood since the siblings returned from the library the night before.

"...Okay." Edeline slowly pulled herself into a sitting position.

"I'm just going to skip breakfest today, alright?" Edeline had not slept much, the black crescents under her eyes were proof enough.

Alphonse left to give the girl some privacy to change for the day.

Soon enough, Edeline had come out dressed per usual.

She slipped her boots on, then before leaving, Edeline called a 'see you later' behind her.

Alphonse reflected back on his and his sister's walk the night before. She had told him of her growing fondness of the Colonel. Though, Alphonse had read something else on her face and in her words. Whatever it was, time would tell.

(Line Break)

Edeline made decent time to the office that morning, walking at a brisk pace. She was eager, and yet she wasn't. The girl was ready for Havoc's poking and presistant fun. He wasn't the type to let these thing go, especially after catching her at Mustangs home.

Much too soon did Edeline reach the massive building in which she knew hell was waiting for her. She walked through the front doors of Central, and sighed.

"Here goes anything," Edeline sighed again, mumbling to herself.

Weaving her way through the many twist and turns and the many floors of the military structure, Edeline hesitantly approached the door she knew she would have to open sooner than later. Turning the doorknob, Edeline was welcomed by many a voice; a certain one in particular standing out the most.

"You're here early, eh Chief?" Havoc said, a grin on his face. He moved to grab his cigarettes, but not before Riza shot him a glare.

"I've told you already, Havoc. Outside or not at all," she said firmly. Riza's tone voiced her aggervation at having to repeat herself. Havoc smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Won't happen again." They all knew better, however. Edeline sat down in her usual spot. She knew Mustang was briefing the group of their upcoming mission.

She was interested and almost couldn't help from bouncing in her seat a little bit. She could really use the distraction to busy herself. Mustang soon arrived.

"Good, everyone's here. I can start right away then," Roy announced, sitting at his desk.

"The investigative department asked us to help them with a problem their having. We're looking to apprehend an individual known by the name of Matt Ackerman. He has been reported to have and most likey still is, stealing from a company warehouse," Mustang explained, reading the information from a file.

"He is wanted as well for two counts of murder."

"Do you have any leads for us to go off of, sir?" Falman asked.

"The warehouse is located in downtown Central," Mustang answered.

"Is there any reason to believe the individual is working with others?" Fuery questioned.

"As far as we know, Matt Ackerman is working alone. Keep alert, however. There my infact be more than one culprit," Riza interjected.

"Alright. That's about it than. I don't think I need to tell you the target could be armed, so be careful and don't get shot," Mustang added with a grin.

"Let's head out."

(Line Break)

They drove two vehicles, as there were more people than there were seats in one car. Riza drove one while Roy drove the other.

They parked car far enough away that they wouldn't give themselfs noticed. The rest would be done on foot. It had been decided that they would split up into pairs. Fuery was to pair with Falman; Riza paired with Breda; Roy was solo; and as luck would have it, Edeline had been paired with Havoc.

Each group made their way on foot in separate directions, down different allys.

Edeline eyed Havoc's expression.

"What is it? I know you what to say it, so spit it out already," Edeline snapped.

"Oh," Havoc hesitated, "I guess I'm just curious why you were at the Colonel's house the other night is all."

"You heard yourself. You were there. I locked myself out of mine and Alphonse's dorm, and since Al was out of town, I figured I would take advantage of the idiot. Simple as that," Edeline answered, her voice tight. She was trying to stay aware of her surroundings along with covering her ass.

"I got that. The only thing I don't understand is why you didn't leave in your usual choice of wordrobe, if you locked yourself out."

'Damnit. Maybe he is brighter than he looks,' Edeline cursed to herself mentaly.

"Last time I checked, it's not a crime to change your clothes," her voice spilled with sarcasim.

"Sure, it just kinda leaves one to wonder with what you were wearing I guess," Havoc shrugged his shoulders.

"What the he'll do you think happened?!" Edeline whirled around, now facing the older of the two.

"Wow, that is not what-" Edeline felt her anger fade as she saw something move at the end of the ally behind Havoc; the way they had just come.

"Come on," she motioned with a hand and Havoc followed. They hurried after the figure, rounding the corner. It was a person, they knew for sure, as all either of the two saw before the individual disappeared down another allyway was a leg.

Edeline looked at her partner, he nodded in understanding and turned back down the ally. She ran to the head of the path the person in question turned down, raising the hand pistol she had been given before leaving the office.

Standing at the head of the ally, Edeline could could see Havoc at the other side. Both smiled as they had successfully deployed their own version of monkey in the middle.

It was a man. He looked to be about thirty, maybe late twenties. He held both hands to his side, one hand discretely inching towards his bulging pocket.

"Take your hand out of your pocket, now," Havoc yelled, his gun pointed at the man's head. He slowly did as instructed, raising both hands, open-palmed and somewhat above his head.

"Who are you? What's your name?" Havoc asked firmly.

The man only grinned.

"I think you already know."

"Matt Ackerman than, I assume. This areas restricted for civilians as of right now, so I suppose it would have to be scum like you," Edeline scoffed. The way the man smiled bothered her. He seemed too confident for someone who was cornered with two guns pointed at them.

"First, I'd like to congratulate you on guessing correctly," the starnger spoke, "and second, I'm sorry to tell you that your about to lose."

"What-" Edeline froze as Havoc was grabbed from behind.

"Shit," Edeline cursed under her breath.

"I will shoot," Edeline threatened, tightening her grip on the trigger.

"What's stopping you? Go on, shoot me." Matt turned around, stepping closer to Edeline.

"I'm not stupid. I know your friend their is bound to be armed and ready to kill that officer any second if I shoot. What do you take me for, some kind of idot?" Edeline tried her best to sound confident and firm.

"Smart girl," he took a few steps more, his hands still in the air. "You're the Fullmetal Alchemist, right? Why don't you just use that alchemy of yours, and, I don't know, kill me maybe?" The man sneered.

"Oh, or maybe free your friend perhaps."

Edeline had considered using alchemy, but she knew that any thing she did would not be fast enough a reaction to reach Havoc's imprsioner. Edeline turned on the safety before dropping the gun.

"What the hell are you doing Ed-" Havoc yelled before his mouth was covered by a gloved hand.

"Ok. You win. Let him go," Edeline ordered.

"This is a first. The military, surrendering?" Matt dropped his left arm, snnaping with his right hand. The figure covered from head to toe restraing Hovoc released his wrists and mouth. The man's alias held a knife. Edeline had guessed right. The whole time Havoc had had a knife to his back.

"You must have some plan up your sleeve," the man taunted, now standing in front of Edeline. He towered over her by a large difference. He looked much heavier than she first had thought.

"So then, what's in your pocket?" Edeline asked. For a brief secod, the man looked at his pocket, creating an opening. Edeline brought her left leg up for a solid hit to the chest. Matt looked back up, but She was too fast. Automail met Matt's chest, sending him doubling over and leaving him winded. Before he could bounce back, she clapped her hands together and placed them on the ground. Using the hard ground beneath their feet, Matt was now encased within five metal triangular upward plates that came to a point, surounding his body in a circle. The alchemical lighting created from the alchemy faded.

Edeline could hear another approaching behind her; she stood and turned, moving to meet their chest with her left leg again. They had managed to grab her leg this time, however, throwing Edeline off balance, causing her to fall. Edeline stifled her want to voice the pain of her impact with the ground, coming out in labored breathing.

"It's about time you showed, Avery," Matt scowled. He was not impressed with the man's tardiness. Avery let go of Edeline's leg, and before she could make any movement to get up, he was already pinning her to the ground by her arms.

"Interesting, the right ones metal, is it?" he seemed fascinated by this. Havoc's hands by this time had been bound together and his mouth gaged. He watched on with agony of not being able to help. He lened back, something in his back pocket was sitting uncomfortably under his rear.

'That's right!' Hovac remembered. Mustang had given each pair a flare contraception. It was more convenient than a regular flare however. All one needed to light it was friction. Luckily he was able to push the flare up and out of his back pants pocket far enough to poke out the top. With a small, rocking motion, back and forth (so as to not draw attention) Havoc leaned further into the concrete building that lined the ally.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Avery asked Edeline. She stayed quiet.

"That's alright. I don't need to know your name to do this," he slowly traced his hand, starting at her neck, down her chest. Edeline's heart beat faster.

All she could get out was a simple 'stop,' as Edeline began to panic. She tried to bring her leg up to knee the man in his back, and had Edeline legs not felt so weak at the moment, she might have,found the strength to do so despite Avery's weight sitting on her.

His hand now cupped Edeline's breast, and he smiled at this.

She gave up. Edelines let herself cry. Havoc watched on in disbelief.

'That son of a bitch is going to-" Hovac thought to himself, furious at their captors as well as himself. Just then, he smelt smoke. The flare was lit.

Before the man who tied him up could do anything, Havoc stopped rubbing the flare against the wall and turned himself around as best he could. With the angle he was at and his restricted movement, he aimed as best he could out of the ally.

Hovac had considered aiming straight up, but reconsidered at the thougt of misfiring and not clearing the high walls of the ally.

The flare, with a push fired from his back pocket as he entered a fetal position to give the flare height and to to avoid hitting his own head. He could feel the fire barely burning through his uniform pants, though by the second it was becoming harder not to show the feeling of burned skin on his face.

The flare shot two more times and was done.

"What the he'll was that?!" Avery stood up, but not before giving Edeline a good fist to the stomach. "Stay," he barked, knowing she wasn't going far. Edeline wrapped her arms around herself. She could feel it, she was going to lose her non-exsistant breakfast. Rolling onto her side as best she could, she vomited. Edeline tryed to breath regulary, however the air had been knocked out of her.

Avery walked up and decked the cloaked man.

"You moron! What were you doing while this idiot here was lighting a fucking flare?!" Avery yelled into the others face.

The last thing Havoc saw was Avery's boot meeting his face, while Avery swung at his 'partner.'

He fell to the ground, holding his face.

"Now their other dogs are on the way I'm sure! Get off your ass and let's go."

"Wait! Avery, help me out," Matt yelled to Avery. He just laughed.

"Sure, whatever you say there 'boss," Avery mock soluted. Then Avery and the other man were gone, leaving Hovac just barely conscious, Matt Ackerman frozen and going no where, and Edeline to suffer in silence.

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