I sighed heavily as I took out my ponytail and shuffled my hair through my fingers. I reran through the plan in my head a thousand times in my head before this day and it seems nothing will calm my nerves. Though I never show it. I refused to show the slightest weakness in thoughts that Maes would cancel the whole operation. This needed to happen. There was a sick fuck out there after women and I wanted to be the one to stop him. I was the bait after all.

I ran my fingers through my side-swept bangs as it connected to the rest of my hair. This guy liked blondes. Maes waited a bit before giving the order. This was after his latest victim, an innocent college student on her way to class in broad daylight. They found her between two buildings and the scene was far from neat. And to think he thought Barry the Chopper was bad. This guy seemed worse. I looked in the mirror as I sighed. I hardly recognized myself. My hair fell in soft waves, something new about my hair apart from the straight lock it once was. Now it's gaining wave and curl. It cascaded down to my shoulders and some of my hair framed around my face. It helped some that my hair was layered and made it look curlier and wispier.

I glanced at the time. I had an hour before the meeting time in Hughes's office. Jen was going to be there. Roy was in charge of keeping Ed and Al occupied and away from where we were going to be. I wanted Al in on it and quickly found out he was told. His reasoning for being with Ed tonight was that Edward would think it was odd that Al wouldn't be with him. Even though Al would have been my protection if things got out of hand, he had a point.

I licked my lips before biting down on my bottom lip, letting it spring back in place at it's will. My heart pounded and my stomach lurched. I hadn't eaten for most of the day because every time I thought I would try to eat, my stomach would do flips and threaten to toss back what I ate.

I soon heard a knock on the door, followed by Riza walking in holding a bag. She eyed me over with a smile, but I could see the worry in her eyes. I was like a kid sister to these military officers. Of course they'd be worried.

"Maes said for you to wear this. No pants. Apparently, Blondie likes them in skirts," she said as she handed me the bag, which I promptly took.

"I know. It was in the file. He likes any blonde in a skirt. They were all found in either a skirt or a dress."

I walked into the bathroom as Riza sat in the desk chair with it facing the bathroom door. She was going to try to ease my nerves. As much as the guys think she's hard, she's about as soft as Ed is about Al. It's the gun and her empty threats (she'd never tell the guys they were) of shooting them were the intimidating features. Well, and the memory of her shooting toward Black Hayate when she first got him always seemed present in their minds.

I stripped out of my pants and stepped into the black, rather short skirt, zipping it on the side and tying the red ribbon meant for a belt. A decorative belt. I looked into the bag and pulled out the matching white and black top. The top was collared with the white boardering it. It vaguely reminded me of something Ed would wear, just girlier. I put it on over my white spaghetti strap I was previously wearing and pulled it down so it made the pleats and the flowing seem less. Stupid school-girl looking skirt.

"You won't be alone, you know," Riza said as I finished adjusting my clothes so it would attract Blondie.

"I know," I called from the bathroom, sliding on my heeled boots that had decorative buckles over the top of my foot and clasped near my ankle.

I stepped out and looked to Riza, my bangs falling in front of my right eye. She smiled. I knew she was thinking about me wearing something like this more often. If Roy ever becomes Fuhrer, mini skirts will be all I'll be in, unless I have something to say about it.

She nodded to me. "I can see you're nervous."

"Who wouldn't be? I am bait. Granted, I volunteered, but still."

"Come on, let's show you to the others."

We walked out of the room, ready for the run down of what was going to happen so all were on the same page who was involved. Everyone except for Roy, who was currently babysitting Ed. He was already aware of everything before I left.

"Mick, Maes wants to see you. He says it's going to take a while," Roy said as he walked into Ed's office, ignoring Ed's rant about how rude it was to just waltz into his office and demand his bodyguard.

"Brother, please, Colonel wouldn't have done it unless it was important," Al said as he looked toward his brother, being the voice of reason yet again.

I stood up, pretending not to know what it was as Ed stared at me. "Sounds important, I better go now."

"What? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Ed," I said in a soft, yet stern voice I hear Riza and Jen use all the time. "It's fine. I'll be back. Until then, since Roy's done with his paperwork, he's going to sit in as me."

Ed's protest went from how he couldn't believe people would trust Roy to how Roy would quite possibly roast him where he stood. It made Al and me chuckle. Roy looked annoyed.

"Ed, listen, I am still in charge of your safety, remember? So, that means I get to choose who gets to watch over you while I am not present." He gave me a hard, pissed off stare. "Besides, regardless of what you think, I trust him."

Roy beamed as I got the words out of my mouth. Al looked to the fuming Ed. I may still think I like him the way he likes me, but that temper is something I could do without. If it's not about his height, which I am shorter than him, it's about Roy or some homunculi. I think I've heard nearly everything he bitches about.

I walked to him and gave him a hug, hoping it would calm him down like it was for me and knowing what I just did was in front of Roy. Yeah, I was going to hear about it later, along with what really happened in his closet, which he wanted to burn but Jen told him not to saying it would be him that would rebuild it if he burned it.

"Don't do anything stupid, Ed," I whispered into his shoulder as I hugged him a little tighter, the memory of the plan running through my head as my mind realized this was really going to happen.

Ed hugged me back, and before we knew it, I was already halfway down the hall already hearing Roy and Ed bicker with Alphonse trying to stop the verbal fight.

"Now, usually Blondie takes the girls within a mile's radius of the location he took them from. He likes crowded places such as parties and bars. Whereas before was the red light district. Group A, you will be stationed at the front of the building, waiting for him to walk through and leave. Any male is a suspect at this point. That's excluding workers and bouncers," Maes said. Since Blondie had announced his location, much like Psyren in Aquroya, we'd been able to do some recon and background checks on all the workers we were to be at. "Group B, you will be on the roof, if Blondie has men near by, we'll know. Group C, since you are the largest group, will be within the mile's radius. If he eludes the two groups with Mick, you'll catch him. Group D, you're in both undercover in the place as well as the back."

When I heard Maes say my name, I tightened my grip on Jen's hand. Hearing that made it seem all too real. There was a chance I could leave that place with him taking me hostage and the rest of the team would have no knowledge of it. I took in a shallow breath and let out a deep exhale.

Maes turned to me. "Now, Mick, you will play our bait. Your job is to somehow get him to you. Do whatever you need to."

"That includes grinding on other men, or women, dancing, and singing. Anything to get him to want to take you instead of some other blonde," Jen said.

Now I was afraid of losing what I knew about sparring and protecting myself. Maybe a kick to the kidneys would be enough to slow him down, but would it be enough for Maes and the rest to move in?

I nodded my head to Jen. "Got it, get his attention."

Maes smiled. "Get prepared, men!"

I still sat there. I was prepared. I had to give my gun to Maes for safe keeping and strapped a knife to my thigh under my skirt. I've hideen that knife under shorts that hardly covered my ass in the dead heat of summer when I was catching a criminal for the Fuhrer. That knife wasn't going to show unless it was time.

I didn't know I was repeating the same line, "Get his attention," until Jen sat next to me. She placed her hand on my knee, knocking me out of my trance.

"You know, you could undo those stressed buttons and show off your boobs. That would make him look," she said with a smile, slightly easing my bundled nerves that felt like they would snap at any moment.

I gave her a smile. "Yeah, I guess it would," I said as I undid two buttons and feeling the relief flood to me as I looked down. I either looked desperate or easy, which is what I was supposed to go for since he was in the red light district at one point. Maybe those other girls looked the same. I never bothered to look further into it since he announced where he was going to be next.

"Mick, you have to remember, do not use your real name in that slight, off-chance he escapes. The last thing we need is for him to go after you with your name on his mind. Also remember, you won't be alone and we won't be far behind. I promise," Maes said as he placed a hand on my shoulder as we stood next to the cab that would take me to the location alone. Maes and a couple of the groups would follow in their own cars a minute after me to advert attention.

"Yes, sir," I said.

Maes smiled, giving me a reassuring hug. "Alright, kid, good luck to ya."

When we parted, and he left to tell the rest of the groups something specific about their job, I looked to my feet and back up to see Jen. She looked worried. It showed through the smile she was giving me. She jumped into a hug, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Be careful and use your God damn head, okay?" she said into my shoulder as I felt her tears drip onto my shoulder.

"I promise," I said as I hugged her just as tight as she was hugging me. It felt like I had signed my death sentence and I was saying my final good byes. All I was missing was my last meal, which was last night because I've been feeling uneasy all day.

Soon after Jen left to go back into HQ for radio relay with Fury, and to also make sure Roy's got a good handle on Ed, I got into the cab and sighed, trying to pin point what moves to make if Blondie Slayer decides on certain moves. It was all a big, easy game to him and I was going to give him a challenge.

The cab stopped in front of Blondie Slayer's next place: Chris's Bar and Club. I looked at the entrance looked around, seeing some of the men in the room. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I had to know who Blondie was and take him down. Pulling down my black shirt, I walked to the entrance, nodding to the bouncer as I walked in.

The place poured with music and people. Most of them were drunk and the stench of the alcohol hung heavy in the air. I tried not to gag on it as I looked to my chest, seeing my boobs hang out more than I liked, and my hair ending near them. I sighed. This had better work.

I looked around the place, taking in the sights and all possible. The people who look drunker than hell. The horny ones. The ones who are two inches from screwing each other on the dancefloor. I walked to the bar, intending on making friends with the bartender like in the plan Maes was talking about. The bartender was a medium height man with short dark hair. He had a warm smile as he served the drinks.

After ordering a shot of whiskey, I took the swig, letting it burn slightly as the warm liquid soothed down my throat. It was against protocol but I needed it. I looked down the bar, leaning on it so my chest stuck out. If this guy wants anything in a skirt, why hasn't he found me?

Remembering what we said at the meeting, I started for the dancefloor, prepared to grind on anyone I could to get Blondie's attention, if he was here. I could hardly hear the music now against the cacauphony of noises coming from the other people on the dancefloor. I swayed my hips a little, trying to catch the attention of some guy.

My body was soon pressed against the other bodies of the dancers as they pushed me closer and closer to the middle. All of them seemed drunk. Perhaps they all were. The place was crawling with drunks when I got to the bar. I felt someone's hands ride their way around me, teasing the edge of my skirt, which they somehow found. Their body pressed against mine as he leaned to my hear, making sure I could hear him as he directed the rhythm in which my hips swayed.

"You, my angel, are a sight," he slurred. He was drunk.

It took all it had in me not to take one of his hands, that seemed to separate as one rode their hands up and the other down, and throw him over my shoulder. I had to restrain myself or jepordize the entire mission.

I smiled lustfully. "Why thank you," I said, trying not to listen to what my mind was screaming for me to do.

Whatever the fuck you do, do not blow this mission. Think of something other than where his hands are going.

I felt my hands press over his, sliding them back up to where they were in the first place. He growled slightly. Something about him didn't seem right. I turned my head to look at him, my hips still swaying and grinding into his hips. I suppressed the shudder when I realized it.

Mick, I thought, just keep going on. For all you know, this could be Blondie. Think of something else. Like...What would Ed do?

Where the fuck did that thought come from?

I suppressed a laugh as I thought about Ed in a skirt. It did get my mind off of what I was doing for a while. By then, the guy had his face buried in my neck. I was almost thankful I had that shot, otherwise I would have just about lost it. The alcohol was starting to take effect, I felt it. But wait, I can hold my liquor, how can I feel it already?

I shook my head a little, trying to clear my head as the guy still directed the rhythm and now direction of my swaying hips. Taking control of me.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

I felt him smirk. "A pretty, young thing like you in a place like this? Must be my lucky day to have found you. Let's go somewhere a little quieter."

My mind was slowly piecing it all together. When it came to the conclusion that I was close to Blondie, I nodded. Maybe he was an accomplice. With a smirk, the guy, who was a red-haired man with piercing eyes, lead me to the back of the bar, nodding to the bartender as he left. I looked at the bartender funny wondering how he pieced into this.

When we reached the back door, he opened it, looking around for any sign of trouble. After feeling satisfied, his grip went to my wrist and he pulled me out, my legs almost coming out from under me. He spun me to face him.

"Are you really seventeen?"

I nodded. "Yes."

He smirked, using the back of his fingers to gently rub my cheek. "You are a pretty one. Prettier than all the other girls."

My heart pounded, realizing he looked at me with blood-covered eyes. He was a killer. A cold-blooded killer. I widened my eyes, feeling my breath depleate into small, heavy, gasps. Chills went down my spine.

"You're a..." I started unable to finish.

He smirked. "You look surprised. How can you be? A pretty thing like you should know the dangers of coming to a place like this alone and not expecting to lure people in like me." Now he sounded cocky, no longer drunk.

My mind went blank of all other thoughts except for one. "You're the Blondie Slayer."

He smiled. "So that's the name the military gave. Has a nice ring to it."

I stepped back, hitting the door. His grip still on my wrist as he pulled me into his arms. I looked up, wondering where the hell Maes's men were. He did mention taking the back in the meeting and no one was around to be found. I started getting panicked. I tried to pull away from him.

"I don't think so, little angel. You're coming with me. An angel like you can't be shared with others." He may have sounded half-drunk before. Now he sounded deadly. He wrapped an arm around me. "We're heading out and don't even think about screaming for help from your military friends. I had an associate of mine, distract them a little."

I widened my eyes, realizing this was the day I was going to die. He scooped me in his arms, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist. I let out a sound in protest. He merely laughed, shaking his head. "I said you're coming with me, and there is nothing you can do about it. Now, unless you'd like all of your blood spilled right here, I suggest you look like you're sucking my neck."

I let out a shaky breath, placing my face near his neck. There was no way in hell I was going to touch his neck or any part of him. Now I regretted not having my gun on me. He placed his hands on my ass. The feeling wasn't like when Ed did it in Roy's closet. This was far more dangerous and lustful. I gasped when I felt him squeeze. I dug my nails into his skin, hoping to slow him down enough so I could attempt to get away.

Blondie didn't faulter, however. He kept walking down the bleak alleyway, away from the bar. When the last light was a starting to fade, I took my chance. Hoping the darkness would be on my side this time. I lifted my head to him, looking for that right place to headbutt him. When I did headbutt him, it was right in the nose, I slammed my head into his and fell to the ground as he pushed back and off me. I heard the large, hallow crack. I broke it. I didn't get time to watch what happened. I just wanted to be in the light. I had to see my opponent.

"You little bitch!" he said, his noise giving him the sound of having a head cold. His nose gushed blood. He grabbed my arm and gripped it tighter than before. I felt the bruise forming. "You're going to pay for marring my face."

I pulled my arm from his grip, feeling his nails dig into the soft, sensitive flesh of my forearm. I fought back the groan of pain, shutting my eyes tightly for a second. I kicked him near the kidneys. I turned around, starting toward the next light through the narrow alleyway. I heard something click and his hurried footsteps get closer. I turned around, narrowly dodging the pocket knife he thrust at me.

Now I was desperately pleading Maes had caught on and was coming. At this point, I didn't care if it was Ed. I just wanted someone there. He wasn't some petty criminal anymore. He was already attempting to murder someone in the military, and it was me. He wasn't like the rest of the criminals. He's more like Barry the Chopper, totally ruthless until their victims blood his spilled and their heart had stopped beating.

I turned around, spinning and hitting the wall on the other side. I felt the impact in my ribs and it wasn't the best idea to wear heeled boots to a knife fight. I kicked him again, which seemed not to do much. I tried to look for a weak spot on him. There weren't any. Everything I tried didn't work. When he thrust the knife toward me again, it cut through the side of my shirt, just under my ribs, tearing into flesh. I let out a dulled scream, gripping my side. That one felt worse than my forearm. Now I knew all hope was dashed of me surviving this fight.

I dropped to my knees, as he thrusted the knife toward me again, and rolled to the wall, hoping to forget about the shooting pain long enough to see if there was someone coming after me. As I stood, my hands now bloody from my side, he sauntered to me, the knife gleaming in the fading light of the alleyway.

"You little bitch. Do you honestly think you can survive this?"

No, I thought immediately. Then thought, Riza, you can shoot him now. Jen, come kick his ass.

I was frozen. The dangerous, murderous fire in his eyes were blazing. There was no fucking way I was going to survive this if he had anything to say about it. He came closer to me, knife at the ready.

"Say your prayers, little angel, you're about to go home," he said. I closed my eyes, tightening and cringing, preparing myself for the impact of the blade.

He was getting ready to plummet the knife into me, but stopped suddenly. I opened my eyes and saw the blade sticking out from his body from his ribs, near his heart. He dropped to his knees, pulling the long blade from his side. I stared at the bloody blade, trying to get my mind to think of who it could be.

I looked toward the direction of the person who through the blade. Worry filled my eyes as I thought: I could be next.