Ch. 20- The Stairs from Nowhere.

"Roy, what do you mean we have a huge problem" Ed turned to face Roy.

:"My damn dad is gone, what else do we have to worry about besides the homunculus?"

"Don't you remember what that little girl said to you?"

Eds eyes pulled back a little as he remembered holding the dieing girl in his arms.

"No...I don't, what did she..."

"I'm sorry Ed I know that it was hard for you, but she said something about a 'yellow man' and that 'they were looking for a shiny' , at first I thought it was just babbling but now that I think about it, she said that this 'yellow man' looked like you..."

Ed looked at Roy and stared.

"You don't think that..."

"I don't know for sure, but the evidence we have does seem to point that direction..."

"Roy we need to find where Lust is hiding."

"Yeah...we need to find out if this theory is correct, and if it is I have no idea what we're going to do."

"Lets go, we'll see if she's hiding in this town, and if not then we'll move on and try to find her and the other homunculus some other way."

"Right." Roy nodded.

They both got themselves together and ran outside the door.

"Roy where do you think they could possibly be that we haven't checked already?"

"I have no idea, they could be hiding somewhere out of site, or...ugh I have no clue" Roy scratched his head, obviously bothered with the fact that he hadn't a clue where the homunculus could be hiding.

"Well, I guess the best place to check first would be the center of town again, there has to be something there"

"Yeah considering that's where they dumped all the bodies." Roy saw Ed flinch a little at the mention of the bodies. "Sorry...Ed I didn't mean too.."

"No it's fine" He smiled and ran ahead of Roy

"Lets go!"

"Alright, I'm coming"

It was still pretty dark out, and the sun was just starting to come up.

They both were able to find their way to the center of town pretty easily.

When they got there, nothing had changed, there were still pools of dried blood, and a mess of objects scattered as evidence of a struggle to get away.

"Nothings changed...Roy, should be look around for something...or.." Ed gave Roy a hopeless stare.

"It's alright Ed, we will find something,if not here, somewhere, lets search around the perimeter first then we can look under all this." He waved his hand gesturing to all the debris.

They'd been searching for a while, the sun was now above their heads, blazing.

"Ugh...Roy you find anything yet.?" Ed shouted.

"No, not yet anyway" Roy yelled back.

They were at opposite ends of the circular center.

"Hey Ed, lets take a break, It's getting pretty hot!"

Roy wiped his arm across his forehead, removing some of the sweat.

"Yeah, Alright" Ed agreed right away, his automail was frying.

"My right arm is starting to get way to hot."

"That's not good, we should get some water."

"Yeah from where exactly."

Roy looked around and noticed that there was a well on the side of a building.

"There" He pointed. "That well looks like it will have water in it."

"Oh...I didn't notice it before."

They walked over to the well and pulled the bucket up.

It wasn't the cleanest water they had ever seen but it was good enough to drink and for Ed to use to cool down his automail.

Ed removed his shirt and brought his right arm up so that he could poor some water on it.

"Here Ed let me help" Roy grabbed the bucket and poured the cool water onto the metal.

"Ah, much better, thanks Roy." Ed smiled gratefully.

Roy blushed. "Um...yeah your welcomes." He knew now wasn't the time for the thoughts he was having.

Ed saw Roy's reaction to his thanks and smirked.

"Sorry Colonel but not now" He put his shirt back on and began to walk away from the well to return to his searching area.

The colonel caught his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Ed."

"Roy, we have too..."

Roy pulled Ed into his arms and looked at him gently.

"I know...but I haven't been able to hold you like this in a while...or tell you that...I love..."

"Well what do we have here?" Roy was cut off by another voice.

Ed was still wrapped in Roy's arms.

They simultaneously turned their heads towards the voice.

"Did I interrupt a moment? I am so sorry." The voice had a mocking tone.

"Who are you!" Ed yelled, unable to see anyone.

"Aw, Dear Edward you've forgotten me already, I'm disappointed."

A dark figure came into view from behind a building.

"I should have known it was you!" Ed yelled. Face twisted with anger, and sight fear as he remembered the last time he'd encountered her.

"Lust." Roy muttered.

She took a step forward.

"Well I'm happy that the colonel remembers me" She gave a smirk and winked in Roy's direction.

"You! What the hell are you even doing here! Why did you and Envy kidnap me in Leore! and worst of all WHY DID YOU KILL ALL THOSE PEOPLE!"

"Well...you'll find out the answers to all your questions soon enough little boy."

"Don't call me little!" Ed roared. "What the hell makes you think that We'll even go with you? There is nothing you can do to..."

"Oh really?"

Before Ed had even realized it, Lust had stretched two of her long black fingers so that they were a hairs length away from his neck.

"How about now?"

Ed was still to close too Roy to be able to attack.

He pulled his head back, trying to create a little distance between the black fingers and his neck.

His head hit Roy's chest.

"Roy, do you think you could back up slowly?"

"I think I could, but Ed we can take her together..."

'Just do it, I'll take care of her, alone."

Roy quickly released Ed and backed away.

Ed clapped his hands and ran his left hand over his metallic right. Transmuting into his signature sword.

He swiped quickly at the black fingers.

Lust screamed at the sudden pain, and then started to laugh.

"You think that can stop me? Your such a child" She laughed again. She ran directly at Ed, her hands extended in front of her, crossed as if they were a shield.

"Well don't be disappointed when this child kicks your ass!" Ed retorted, running towards her as well.

Lust came at him with such speed, twisting her bod behind his back and kicking him into a wall.

"What was that about me being disappointed?" She mused.

"I'm not done yet." Ed got up, removing the ruble from on top of him.

"Ed! Let me help you!" Roy had already put his flint gloves on and was ready to fight along side Ed.

"No! Let me handle this Roy!" Ed looked tired, but Roy knew he wanted to fight alone, and although he didn't like it, he knew Ed could hold his own in a fight.

He lowered his hands, and watched.

"Good...I don't want him to get involved." Ed murmured to himself. He didn't want Roy to get involved in this, he knew he wouldn't get hurt or anything, he just wanted to prove he wasn't weak.

"Lust, I'll kill you!" He bolted forward, swiping his right arm at Lusts neck, slicing her and drawing blood. But the wound quickly healed.

"Sorry FullMetal, but did you forget I heal quickly?" She caught Ed off guard and sliced his left shoulder with her claw.

Ed slid back and flinched at the wound. It wasn't deep but she had hit a vital point on his shoulder.

"Damn..."

"Now shall you re-consider your decision, I'm getting rather bored." She crossed her arms over her chest and stood there as if nothing were happening.

"You...bitch, I will never go with you...' He opened one of his eyes, giving her a wincing glare.

"Well this fight is boring me, so I guess I'll resort to this..." She sighed...and extended her hand out to her side.

Ed prepared for another attack on him.

When he saw her claws turn, towards Roy.

"Roy! Move!"

Roy tried to avoid her long nails, but they came too fast, the were under his chin, pressing against the soft tissue within seconds.

"Damn it..." He muttered."

"Now, Now, FullMetal if you don't want your precious colonel to wind up loosing his head I suggest you listen to my instructions carefully."

Ed's face went from being angry, to a submissive frown.

"That's a good boy, Now first things first, lower your arms and get rid of that weapon"

Ed clapped his hands together and un-transmuted his arm, he then placed his arms at his side.

"Good...now come to me."

"NO! Edward! Don't listen to her! Leave me here and Run away! I'll be fine!" Roy shouted frantically trying to warn Ed.

"No Roy. I refuse to leave you behind, you didn't abandon me, no fucking way am I abandoning you."

Lust raised her claws closer to Roy's neck, "One more outburst like that and I'll..."

"No! Don't you fucking touch him! If you put one fucking scratch on him, I won't fucking do a thing fo you!" Ed warned her.

Lust backed off.

"Your lucky your little pet is so loyal, Mustang." She grinned.

Roy growled, wanting to burn her right there. Ed was not his pet.

"Now come here FullMetal."

Ed walked over to her and stood in front of here.

"That's right. Now that we've gotten this settled..."

She suddenly lowered her hand from Roy's neck.

Ed thought this could be his chance to get them both away until...

"Gluttony!" Lust shouted.

Ed shifted his eyes, as he heard the shuffles of rubble.

'Shit, one homunculus was bad enough, but two...' There was no way he and Roy could escape now.

"Yes Lust?" Gluttony's voice rasped, filled with unsatisfied hunger.

"Be a dear, and look after the colonel."

"Can I eat him? Pleasssse" He rasped putting his finger to his over-sized lip.

"No!" Ed yelped.

"Quiet you, No gluttony, you may not eat him, we need him still." She smiled.

"Now you and the colonel stay here while I take the kid to see Master."

"But Lust..." Gluttony looked at Lust as if he were her humbled dog begging for food.

"No Gluttony, I said stay here."

"ohhh...Ok" He pouted.

"Now let's go kid." She kicked Ed in the shin, trying to push him forward.

"No." He stoped himself from being moved

"What did you just say? I will have Gluttony kill the Colonel if you don't cooperate."

"How do i know you won't just kill Roy when we're gone, he comes with us or I don't move a muscle." Ed stiffened, hoping his threat would convince her to let Roy follow, and not to just kill him there.

She rolled her eyes.

"Gluttony, looks like your coming with me after all" She turned around and extended her fingers to Roy's neck once again.

"You make one foul move, or noise and I'll kill your pet instantly, understand."

Roy grunted.

"Now lets move, we've kept Master waiting for too long."

She turned once again to face Ed and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Now move!"

They all began walking down the main road of town.

Ed was first, followed closely by Lust, then came Roy further back, and then Gluttony.

They walked in a straight line for about ten minutes, until they came by the pier that Roy and Ed had passed when they first entered the town.

"Turn here, now." Lust commanded, leading Ed down a small dirt path in between two small buildings.

'Roy and I already looked around here there is no way we wouldn't have noticed them' he thought, aggravated at the idea of missing something so obvious.

"In there!" She pointed to a tiny shack between the buildings.

Ed took a step towards the door, and placed his hand on the handle.

He tried to stall for as long as he could, knowing hat something bad was going to happen very soon.

"Open it already!" Lust commanded.

He opened the door and walked in.

There was nothing. Just a dirt floor and four walls.

"What the hell is this? You brought us all the way here just to bring us to a damn shack?"

He saw Gluttony enter the shack first, followed by Roy.

Gluttony stood beside Lust, while Roy was pushed onto the ground, he leaned against the wall.

Ed moved next to him, and sat beside him slowly, he looked up and it didn't seem that their captors had noticed.

"Roy are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine, you?"

"Yes! I'll be damned if these two idiots could hurt me!" He said proudly,

Roy could see that Ed was scared and frankly so was he. What the hell were they going to do with them, and who exactly was this 'Master' that Lust kept referring too.

*Click*

Ed looked at the wall that the two Homunculus were standing near, and saw Lust had pushed in a part of the wall with her hand.

The wall rose up, revealing a staircase.

"Alright you two get up!" She began to walk down the stairs, and Gluttony grabbed Roy and Ed by the arms, pulling them from behind.

"Roy..." Ed looked at Roy with worried eyes.

"Ed, it'll be ok, We will be ok." He took Ed's hand into his and held it tightly.