"I'm at the police station, we've been searching for hours, but we haven't found him." Charles explained in a rather drained, concerned voice through the phone to Mustang. His cheeks were mildly wind burned, his nose a bright cherry red as a dangerous winter storm was once again on its way, the violent winds already picking up around the city. "Yes, they've tried using the dogs, but because of the weather they have to go in intervals. Its cold Roy, damn cold."

After another few moments of fretful speech the two gave their goodbyes, and the doctor gently hung the phone back on its block. He stood for a moment within the building, looking out the window at the darkening sky. Things were looking bleak as the night would fall over the world they knew in only and hour or so. Leaving somewhere within its freezing shadows, a young hybrid boy. Charles was cursing himself to hell and back for telling Edward what had happened to Alphonse. He knew that if anything should happen to him, and he were to succumb to the frozen night, he would never be able to forgive himself. Deciding he'd warmed up enough to be able to trail back out into the evening, he opened the door and promptly shuffled out. His breath met the frigid air and left his body in hot, steamy puffs.

Seeing a group of officers return with a set of dogs, he made his way towards them and awaited, hopefully, for good news.

"Any sign of him?" He asked in a semi pleading voice.

The officer before him, a man of middle age and rather gruff looking, sighed. "The dogs are tired Charles."

The veterinarian glanced down at the poor beasts and noticed how they whimpered and laid in the snow, panting and looking around, still on alert. He knew, and could tell just by looking that they needed to get inside and warm up. Though he couldn't bring himself to give up, he would stay out all night if he needed to, even if he was the only one still searching.

"The dogs seemed to pick something up on the north east end of town, near the schoolhouse. I've got a troop up there now looking, but I'm not sure how much longer their dogs can handle the weather either. I'm sorry. If they don't find anything, then I think we may have to wait till morning. The storms blowing in, just gotta hope and pray to God that the kid found shelter somewhere." The officer elucidated as he shook Hophstens hand in respect and apology, then left towards the building to get himself and the dogs indoors, his fellow men following along. The doctor watched as the boys potentially only saving grace walked away.

"Where are you kid?" He uttered under his breath, then lifted the collar of his jacket higher to block more of the wind, and began his search once more, climbing into his borrowed vehicle to head to the eastern side of the city.

...

Edward was a raw, snow ridden mess. His fingers swollen and red, his knees and everything below were just about numb. He hadn't had a coat when his journey had begun earlier that morning, but he'd found one hanging just inside the doors of a local tavern and found it being one of those times where God would forgive him for stealing it. His toes were numb as well though, which made it difficult for him to walk in a steady fashion, but he managed somehow. At least he couldn't feel the still healing blisters that coated his feet and legs. Another problem he found himself in though was the fact that he couldn't feel his ears nor his tail, despite being covered with thick, golden fur. The wind ripped around his ears and seemed to penetrate straight to his skull. It was all but crippling.

He was sure he was close to the train station by now, it ran all hours surprisingly, and he was ready to board. Charles was against him, he would stop him if he found him, Colonel Mustang was definitely against him as it had been his idea to keep it a secret in the first place. In short, he couldn't trust anyone. Just like always. It was him and him alone, and he wasn't about to let anyone stand between him and his little brother. Screw the stupid evaluations, he was fine. Yeah a bit of a freak these days, but he was fine, and he didn't have time to play doctor with some psycho-babble expert. He had to find that damn demon, and figure out what in the hell was going on with their hearts. Speaking of which, after his mad dash earlier, he had been having episodes of chest pain and hard palpitations. Of course he was a bit spooked by it, but he was in the middle of a winter laden city, on the front porch of night fall, dressed for spring, and looking for a train in which he didn't have money for. So obviously there were more pressing matters at hand.

Suddenly though he heard the unmistakable howl of a hound, then a few more right after. He knew that sound, those were dogs bread especially for tracking down wanted people. Realizing they couldn't be too far away with how loud their billowing calls were in the silent night, he took off. Dashing here and there, looking for anywhere he could get his scent away from those beasts. His trail was sure to be snuffed out all the way to the toes on his feet if he didn't find a solution. Then suddenly as he kept up his newly adept way of sprinting, he caught sight of a large metal pole that was pinned securely every so many inches to a brick wall with thick metal brackets and inch wide bolts. Perhaps, just maybe he could get enough traction against the icy metal to finesse his way to the top of the building. Once up that high, he could make his way from roof top to roof top until he was well hidden. The dogs wet, misty snouts wouldn't be able to find him up there.

In almost incredible speed the kitten shot through the thick lumps of pearly snow that had accumulated in the alley where he was. Huge plumes of icy white powder illuminated his figure as he ran, finally meeting up with the shaft that would hopefully facilitate his way up. He couldn't help but panic a little as the ear piercing cries of the dogs hot on his trail became ever more daunting. Finding that this pole was nothing but ice clear to the fourth floor of the building it was attached to, he yelped under his frozen breath as he again had no choice but to rush off in a different direction. Now he could hear the chants and shouts of men mingled in among the yaps and howls of their fellow hunters.

"Shit!" He whimpered out while he dipped around corner after corner, searching for an unlocked door, or something. Though it wouldn't have hidden his scent. He was panicking, his lungs once again pulling in way more oxygen than they seemed to be able to process, he violently shook his head to try to erase the dots that were beginning to find seats right in the span of his vision. Rounding yet another turn, as the snow began to fall at an angle with the wind, he found himself face to face with a set of rust colored hound dogs. He yipped as they howled excitedly and yanked on their leashes to be set free, to lock their prey within their clutches.

"Kid! Wait!" A voice called, Ed didn't recognize it, and didn't wish to in the future. Instead he pushed his body to it's maximum capability and ran so fast that even he grew nervous that he may trip or get seriously hurt.

"Edward!" Another voice called, and as he ran until his blood seemed to boil and his head felt fit to bursting, he heard more dogs. The sounds were all infiltrating his ears and he was slowly but surely growing dizzy. Too much of a sensory overload on his still newborn feline ears. Dashing around yet another corner he was shocked to be met by headlights, driven by more officers looking to haul him away. Spinning on his heel so fast he fell, he jumped right back up to his bitter cold feet and ran. He ran until he hacked and coughed so hard he felt that fainting was within his reach. There were officers and dogs everywhere, lights everywhere, flashing lights, voices. It was all just too much, one more corner around a very tall building built of newly painted brick, and he found himself meeting his worst enemy and fear of the night. A dead end.

Too out of breath to utter a word, Edward spun around in hopes that he had enough time to get out of the trap he'd apparently laid for himself, though as he did, he realized that officials with vehicles, dogs and footmen were already pouring in. At the sight and sound of so many overexcited dogs Edward nearly caved in on himself and collapsed with fear. However, when he felt his knees beginning to buckle beneath him, he thought of Alphonse. At this rate he wasn't going to get to see him at all. They would keep him well supervised and probably confined to quarters somewhere. He simply couldn't allow it. Despite being plunged head first into a massive, painful coughing fit, he gathered himself enough to be able to stand firm. With his frosted ears laying back on his snow covered head, and his tail swishing around violently, he hissed. It sounded strange to him, but was nearly involuntary, such immense frustration seemed to have brought it on. As the group blocked off any exit they slowed down, and gave their dogs the command to quiet down. Despite him being all but caught, the lack of the dogs heart stopping volumes eased his poor, battered ears.

Edward was just five feet or so from the wall, and his plots demise, when he gazed out at an officer who made his way quietly out of the crowd and drew himself closer. Edward hissed once again, this time growling even. His own voice sounding foreign to him but feeling so natural that he didn't falter.

"Back off!" The kitten demanded in furious tones. Slapping a pink, and partially numbed hand to the wall they watched as a blue and white light danced about and the boy drew a long, dangerous looking spear out of the bricks. Still learning to use alchemy once again with the loss of his automail, it was the only resource he was able to conjure up. At seeing that the boy now had a weapon, the officer stopped and placed a hand on his gun, though he didn't draw it out.

"Gonna shoot me, boss?" Edward taunted, he was too riled up to care whether or not he was digging himself into an even deeper hole.

The officer seemed concerned at first but then just removed his hand and placed it instead on his hip, chuckling quietly. "Honestly boy, we're here to help you. Not hurt you. But ya did give me a bit of a start pulling that thing out of the wall." He hummed with an amused simpering smile.

"Yeah go to hell. I'm getting back to central right now and you're not gonna get in my way." The child snarled, his black pupils sharper than ever, like a wild animal ready to attack. Though he wouldn't admit he was having a hard time breathing, his chest still expanded painfully so and he coughed and winced under the pressure of his body's demands.

"Edward." Another voice came, this one was concerned and disappointed all in one. At this voice, Edward did lose his resolve just a little. He watched as none other than Charles Hophsten came stepping out from behind a vehicle and a group of officers. Covered in freshly fallen snow and obviously cold. "Edward. It's okay, just breathe. You're hyperventilating." He coaxed in as gentle a voice as possible. "All of these people? They're not here to hurt you kid. I called them out because I was worried." He stopped as his eyes teared over just a little though he hid his emotion well. "I was terrified."

The Elric child seemed to look down solemnly. It hadn't been his desire to worry so many people, but he didn't have a choice, he had to get back to his little brother. He had to find Ruel, no matter what. He had to figure out just what the hell was going on, before one of them died.

"I'm sorry. But I have to go." Edward quipped as he suddenly threw the spear towards the squad car in front and took out one of it's headlights, cutting the overall light on him by at least half. In the instant after he launched his weapon, he'd spun around on his feet with devilish speed and lept up with all of his might to grasp onto the pipe that was attached to the wall behind him. Just like the one before, but this one had been better blocked from the wind, and so didn't have any ice build up. With almost expert precision he clambered his way, feeling more agile every step he took.

"Ed stop! Damn it!" Charles shouted as he himself ran to the pole to begin to shimmy his own way up if it was at all possible. Though as he did, an ear shattering, head throbbing, blast of a voice barked through the dark night's atmosphere.

"Edward Elric!" The voice called again. Even Ed jolted and due to this he almost fell from his hold. Spinning his head around so far it hurt, he peered down with a kind of shock in his eyes that one would have thought he'd seen a ghost. Hophsten too stopped mid step, just one foot up and gazed back at the source of that powerful voice. Within the depths of the police officers, dogs, vehicles and darkness, a tall man with a strong step made his way forward. Nothing but pure fury written on his features. Edward's ears fell flat against his head and his cheshire tail seemed to tuck itself somewhere between his frozen legs.

"Edward." The man warned in a tone that gave zero room for argument. "Get down here, now."

The boy's heart skipped a beat as he shivered at the tone of voice he used. Anxiously glancing down once again, his golden sunset eyes met the black steely ones of none other than Roy Mustang. The man's royal blue jacket blowing ever so slightly in the wintry gusts. It took all of his might to not immediately slink back down to ground level, and face the wrath of his superior officer.

"Tch..No way!" The boy called back with agitation, though inside he was trembling. If he'd ever had a replacement father figure, Roy was it, and though he hated to admit it, he was afraid of that man the way any kid feared their parents after a particularly bad churn of trouble they'd landed themselves into.

The man raised a brow and smirked. "Come on kid, it's alright. I know you're afraid for Alphonse. I'm telling you right now that he is alright. What you're doing though is stupid and reckless, you're gonna get yourself hurt. Now I'll ask one more time, please, come down from there." He ordered but with a somewhat more compassionate side, a side that almost lead Ed to believe that he wouldn't get smacked upside the head once within arms reach.

"You're gonna keep me from Al! I can't! I have to go to him!" Edward protested vigorously. "Screw your damned procedures and shit, thats my little brother! You can't keep me from him you've got no right!"

Roy's smirk faded as he pondered how else to try and convince the feline. Though as he thought, he watched as Ed spun back around and continued climbing.

"Don't do it Edward!" Roy ordered with all the severity of an authority figure. "You'll regret it." He warned once again when the chimera-like boy blatantly disobeyed his commands. With this he sighed and seemed unhappy about what he knew he had to do, with a sense of duty, the man looked to Hophsten, then to Edward, and spoke. "Alright Fullmetal, I'm sorry about this. But it was your choice."

Confused, Edwards brows furrowed but as he began climbing up even higher he heard the click of a gun being pulled back, suddenly fear slammed into his gut as he would know that sound anywhere. He'd looked down the barrel of a gun on more than once occasion. Grabbing onto the brackets even more diligently, he finally found himself hooking onto the snow covered ledge that granted him access to the roof top. Though as he plunged his hands over the side and into the accumulated snow, he yelped as he felt a very sharp shot go through the back of his upper thigh. Embarrassingly enough, it had hit just shy of his rear end. Plopping into the snow covered safety of the roof, he brought his hand shamefully back to cover the bleeding hole that had pierced through him. However, when he did so, he winced and yipped once again as his fingers rather roughly collided with some sort of foreign object that was protruding from his limb. Hesitantly, he took hold of the tiny, cylindrical item and yanked it out. Laying on his back, he was barely able to see what it was he'd been attacked with, and as he held it out, he began to feel a bit more dizzy than he had before. His breaths still screaming within the confines of his ribs. Realizing that what he held between his fingers was a small brassy dart he threw the thing off to the side and cursed under his breath. Soon though, he heard the muffled voices of men closing in. Apparently it didn't take long to get a ladder in this city. Edward forced himself to his feet, and shook the faint fog from his head as he backed up against a chimney top. He looked on as Mustang and Hophsten as well as a few other officers and medic looking individuals made their way onto the roof with him.

"Take it easy Ed, I'm sorry it had to be this way." Roy soothed genuinely as he stood in place as to not startle Edward even more and send him into another fit of panic. He turned to Hophsten casually and sighed. "How long will it take for that stuff to kick in?"

The veterinarian seemed to dislike having to discuss what they'd done, he felt guilty, but he replied nonetheless. "It depends, it was an intramuscular dart, so I can't be sure how long it will take to get to the bloodstream and then have an effect on his nervous system."

"You..You shot me...what the hell was in that?!" Edward hissed as he shivered from the flesh searing winds that seemed to attack so freely from this height. His skin felt hot around the site where he'd extracted the needle.

"Fullmetal, you're not in your right mind right now. It's time to settle down." Roy instructed gently, though as he did he noticed Edward doing his best to stay on his feet, he was beginning to feel the effects slowly, but surely. "Come on kid, why don't you come with me and we can get you down before that drug knocks you out."

Edward shook his head and couldn't help but fight the paralyzing feeling that was slowly seeping into his body. "No! No...I..." He stammered as he fought both the blistering cold and the tranquilizer. "I..I don't want to go-"

"Shh, it's alright. It's us, we're not going to hurt you." Hophsten comforted as Edward seemed to have no choice in shrinking down into the snow, his breathing becoming lighter as he relaxed against his will. Roy made his way quickly over to his young, stubborn alchemist. However, as he approached Edward somehow found the strength and the will to move away from him. The fellow medical staff stood by, equally concerned for the condition their patient was in.

"Edward, it's over now. You're just prolonging your suffering. Let us get you out of the wind." Roy once again continued to console, but as Ed found he didn't have the strength to evade his chosen enemies anymore, his tears began to fall. They fell profusely, purely, and were laced with all the shame, guilt, and sorrow he'd felt for the last several months and even years.

"I..I'm sorry. It's...It's all my..fault.." He cried innocently as the salty wetness coated his wind beaten cheeks and nearly froze on contact. Mustang was genuinely concerned for the kitten. He hadn't seen all of the changes until now, and he was sure that the stress the poor boy had been under was all pouring out. With the boy's breakdown, he felt nothing but compassion for him, and he longed to comfort him in any way he possibly could.

"Shh, no, it's not your fault Edward. Easy, shh, go to sleep." Roy hummed in low, soft tones as he picked the child up out of the snow and held him close, feeling just how frozen the boy really was only helped to fuel his worry. "Shh, it's okay, I'm here now. Go to sleep." He cooed again as the blizzard began to wash over them with unrelenting force.

Once on the ground again, Mustang carried the boy in his strong arms to an ambulance that had arrived and laid him down on the provided bed, Hophsten joining in with helping to secure him down. Edward, even as he fell into a drug induced stupor, seemed to recognize it though and began to struggle, though it was nothing more than a few pathetic, weak movements.

"...N..No..doctors.." The boy argued in a weak and tired voice, Roy was amazed that he even had the strength to speak still, regardless of how strained it sounded. Not moments later however, the kitten relaxed more so, and seemed to be finally on the brink of sleep.

"I'm so sorry Colonel. I shouldn't have told him." Hophsten apologized with so much shame that it almost hurt to hear. "I guess, when it comes to these boys, you really do know what's best." He admitted and laughed a bit sheepishly but had to reach out and brace himself as the vehicle tore out of its place and began racing down the road to get to the hospital. Roy didn't respond, though he did think about the doctors words. He watched as the vet did a quick fly over of the unconscious boy before them.

"Tch, he already has frostbite onset here." Charles noted as he took sight of the boy's swollen, furry ears. "He isn't going to be happy when he wakes up."

...

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