Sorry that I got this up this late but I've been shopping... and I still had to write this. Actually I thought that I wouldn't manage to update today... be happy that I managed!

Chapter 25
Not quite working bait

He hasn't eaten since then. He doesn't come out of his room when I'm home. He doesn't talk to me, if you don't count yelling when he gets really pissed off with me trying to talk to him. God, now he's being a lot more difficult than he should. I didn't ask for this.

"Something wrong, sir?" Riza asked as she laid a new pile of paperwork on his table. Roy sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Troubles at home, as you know. And more paperwork, just what I need", he whined.

Riza sat on the chair in front of his desk. "He still won't talk to you? Should I come and try to calm him down?" she asked hesitantly. Roy shook his head.

"Somehow I have a feeling that that would just make things worse. He trusted me and I failed again. This is my mistake to correct so I'm going to do it. He's just pissed of right now, it'll go away with time." He started browsing the papers. "It would be easier if I would have a way to get his thoughts in something else."

Riza got up. "I hope you'll find a way. I feel pretty bad about this."

"Mnnh", Roy mumbled and let his eyes wander on the papers. One hit his eyes. Not literally of course.

A new mission to someone… Someone had been alchemizing kids together… but god, that was impossible! No one had ever succeeded in human transmutation like that… The victims were like… human chimeras. In a way, but still not quite. Though this "murderer" hadn't succeeded making a living one… corpses had been found all around the city which was terrified. The only thing that could explain that transmutation was…

THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE.

"Wait, Riza… What do you say about this?" he asked.

Roy knocked Ed's wall, because the door was gone once again.

"Ed, I have something you want in here. Come out."

"Go away you fat-head. I'm not interested", he heard Ed snarling. He sighed.

"Yes you are, Ed, but I'm not letting you go before talking to you and making you understand how big deal this is."

"What is it about?"

"The philosopher's stone."

Al's room's door opened and Ed's room's door reappeared. Ed staggered out.

"Did you say something about the stone?" Alphonse asked excitedly. Roy lifted the papers up so the smaller, though older brother couldn't grab them away from his hand.

"Now, be good boys and I'll give them to you."

"What do you want, you bastard!?" Ed bellowed, jumping furiously trying to reach the papers.

"Stop it Edward. First you're going to eat. Proper food. Then I want to talk to you, no yelling, no swearing. This isn't something you should take lightly. I'm actually really thinking to give this case to an adult. Go."

"You-!"

"NOW EDWARD", Roy said loudly but calmly. The boy narrowed his eyes and walked to the kitchen, his little brother right after him.

I really wouldn't want to give them something this dangerous, but they'll kill me if they ever find out that I had a lead and I never gave it to them.

"It's nine o'clock and nobody has cooked, so what the- …I mean what am I supposed to eat!" he heard Ed complaining loudly in the kitchen. He took his bag and threw take-out food on the table in front of Ed. "Oh."

"Alright, now I want you to eat. I'm not giving you any information about this before you've eaten the whole thing. And then I want to talk to you about this seriously without revealing the location so if we disagree in some points you can't run off."

He wasn't sure if Ed even listened while stuffing all the food in his mouth with an incredible speed.

"Ed, slow down or you're going be chocked", he sighed. Ed slowed down a little, glowering him angrily. Alphonse was motioning nervously on the chair next to Ed. When Ed finally finished Roy led the kids to the lounge. Ed crashed down on the couch, Al sitting down next to him gentler.

"Alright. Now act mature while we're discussing about this. I can still back off and give the case to someone else."

Ed straightened up. "You wouldn't do that. You wouldn't want us to be even more pissed off."

Roy waved his finger. "That's better than having to put up your funerals. This is really serious Edward." He looked in the kids eyes before continuing.

"There's this town, which's name I'm not revealing yet, where children are disappearing. The youngest so far has been 8 years old and oldest 12. But that won't say that you'll be safe. Especially while Ed's looking and acting like a ten year old-"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT EVEN A KIDNAPPER WOULD MESS HIM UP WITH A TEN YEAR OLD BRAT!"

"No yelling Edward. Let me go on. But these kids disappear and their corpses has been found, bound together in a same way as chimeras, though this isn't that easy considering that they're made of two humans. I don't find anything else that could explain such a difficult and impossible transmutation except for the philosopher's stone. The city is all messed up, polices wandering around it, parents keeping their children in or moving away of the town for a while."

"So this mission would be going in there and capturing this weirdo. And we could take the philosopher's stone if he had it?" Alphonse asked.

"Yes and no. If he has the philosopher's stone, you can't just take it like that with the military knowing. You have to get it so no one knows you have it. Nobody will listen to the murderer so don't care about him but make sure no one else knows. No one. And please… be careful. I don't want to lose you now."

"You're going to have a kid of your own, it wouldn't be that horrible", Ed mumbled. Roy slammed his hands on the table, making both of the teens jump slightly.

"You just don't get it Ed? Of course in a way I'm really happy getting a new child, but that child is not going to make me forget you two! You're my sons as much as that one is going to be!"

Ed stared. Roy could see a glimpse of shame but also still some jealousy. The boy's pride wasn't letting him let it go just now. But that was one of the reasons he was so attached to the kid.

"Edward… please. Forgive me."

"I can't forgive you just like that. You know it."

"Well at least believe me. You're still going to be my son. You still have a place in here, just as much as the new one is going to have." He placed his hand on his heart. God, he looked like an emotional freak.

"You're embarrassing me Roy. Put that hand down", Ed muttered while blushing. "So, are you going to give us the location?"

"Promise me not to do it hastily. Take it seriously… even more seriously than any other mission you've had so far. This one is dangerous, if something happens I'll never forgive myself."

Ed sulked on the couch for a while. Then he got up and hugged Roy.

"Don't be upset. It makes me feel horrible…" he muttered. Roy smiled.

"Promise me to come back unharmed, OK? Promise to return alive."

"We promise. Just give the damn location."

"Darx… What a weird name", Ed stated as they jumped off the train, taking the first look at the not so big city. The streets weren't extremely grounded, only a few kids with their parents was to be seen. The buildings were high and mostly made of wood. They walked through the streets.

"We should find some place to stay and call Roy", Al said.

"Al, we never call Roy during our missions?" Ed stared at his brother. "Anyway, I hope this isn't just another dead end. I really want to return you normal again."

"I want you to have your limbs back again."

"Al, how can you worry about two limbs of mine when you have nothing left? You're being ridiculous", Ed shook his head. Then he spotted an inn and pointed at it. "There's one. Come on."

Fifteen minutes later they opened their room's door and peeped in. Ed smiled.

"It's not that bad, you know." He caressed the old looking, but in good shape being furniture. "I like old stuff. Remind me about mum. She was always into it."

"Yeah. Remember all those plates she showed to every adult visitor?"

"The white ones with flower pictures? Roses and such… a little line of gold at the edge of the plate."

"Just those."

They smiled at the memory when Ed threw his suitcase on the corner and crashed down on the bed.

"OK, but to the mission. We have to find this… should we call him kidnapper or murderer?" Ed asked.

"Hmm… well he does kill them so I guess the murderer would fit him. So… he's after kids? I wonder if he'll change the city, I haven't seen any unguarded kids in here and there haven't been any witnesses."

"I don't know. If we use me as a bait, do you think he'll attack? I mean… I'm fifteen… am I too old?"

Al smirked. "But as the colonel said you can look a lot younger with your grumpy attitude and short appearance."

"ALPHONSE, DEAR BROTHER OF MINE, ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOUR BROTHER IS SHORT!?"

"Hey, it isn't always a negative thing! Especially in this situation. If I'll hide and follow you and you'll wander around 'alone' wouldn't this person come out?"

"… I guess. But My clothes aren't really childish."

"Get them off."

"WHAT!? ARE YOU TELLING ME TO WALK ON THE STREETS NAKED!?"

"No, you dumb! Strip to your underwear and I'll show you."

"Alphonse, you better have a good plan in your mind or…"

"Hey, there's no one else except for me in this room and I've seen you in your underwear more than once. Now, throw me your clothes."

Ed sulked while getting his clothes off and throwing them to Alphonse who was drawing a transmutation circle.

"You're transmuting them?" he asked curiously. Al nodded and laid his hands on the circle, unleashing a blue glow. Ed didn't close his eyes.

"Here. What do you say?" Al asked throwing them back to him. Ed studied them. A red-black striped T-shirt, black leather kneepants and a red loose wais length jacket. Ed sighed.

"I think it's the best we can do with these clothes. Though I'm going to shiver to death."

"Stop complaining and put them off. Let's go." Ed dressed up again. The clothes felt weird.

"I think I've gotten too used to my usual clothing."

"A little change is good for you. And you don't look that bad. A little kid."

"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!" Ed punched his brother's helmet off.

"Ouch!"

Ed was sitting in an empty area on a bench. He was bored to death. All day he had been wandering around the city 'alone' but no sing of a kidnapper. Only people staring at him weirdly and worryingly. It was irritating. He felt someone tapping his shoulder and he jumped on his feet.

"Where are your parents? It's not safe for you to walk alone in here. There's a murderer on loose", a middle-aged man stated worryingly. Ed sighed.

"I can take care of myself, thanks for your concern."

"I'm not letting you just wander in here alone. Where are your parents?"

"Death. Happy? No one looking after me right now. You can go."

"Then you should come to my place so we can call to the police. It's not good to be just wandering in here alone."

"Jeez, leave me alone old man." Ed turned and started walking away. He felt air flowing familiarly behind him. Yes, this was just what he needed. He jumped on his hands and bounced back on his feet just when the man was trying to grab his hands and cover his mouth.

"Missed it!" he smirked and kicked the man on his stomach. "Al!"

Al ran from behind the corner and pinched the man against a wall. Ed clapped his hands and transmuted the wall to prison the man.

"Hey! You got totally wrong idea!" the man yelled.

"Oh, right? Then tell me, why were you trying to kidnap me?"

"Kids like you shouldn't be walking alone in the streets! I was trying to take you home and call the police. Orphans usually avoid the police to the very last state and I can't let you die because of that!" The man yelled. Ed blinked. The man's eyes told them he was telling the truth. Ed trembled.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN ATTACK ME! I'm here to catch the murderer and all you people do is kidnap me to get me to the hands of a police! Damn it!"

"Brother… I don't think we got the right guy. Let's let him go."

"Please… I have a family at home…"

"Hey, that's the line of someone who's almost getting killed! Do I look like a murderer to you!?" Ed screamed. Al sighed.

"Calm down Ed and release the man."

"Fine…" Ed clapped his hands and transmuted the wall back to the way it was. The man straightened up.

"I still don't think it's a good idea letting you kids run around in here."

"We're not just kids. Do not underestimate us." Ed snarled as he turned away. "Al, it's late. I'm sleepy, let's try again tomorrow."

"Yeah… bye!"

"Do not say 'bye' to a guy who just tried to kidnap me!"

"Sorry brother…"

Roy was drinking. He couldn't help it, just knowing where he had sent the kids made him worry to death. A little alcohol wouldn't hurt. He knew the kids wouldn't like it, but it didn't mean that he couldn't drink. He didn't like the kids' dangerous missions either, but it didn't mean that the kids didn't go on them anymore.

It was already morning, six o'clock to be exact. God, he hadn't been able to sleep tonight either. Riza wasn't going to like this. But he was just so worried. So fucking worried. The kids had called when they had arrived and Roy had made them promise to call every day. But no call so far again. Well, it wasn't a surprise actually, it was early. Ed was probably sleeping. And Al wasn't going to leave his brother alone in a place where they were. God, Roy would be surprised if the younger brother wasn't even trying to follow him to the bathroom, at least knocking the door after every five seconds. Ed must've been having a nightmarish time.

The newsletter fell in from the shutter on his door. He picked it up and read the headlines on the front page.

"ANOTHER KIDNAP IN DARX. A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL GONE MISSING LAST EVENING"

Roy quickly flipped to the right page and read the article. God, she had been seen last time near to the boys' inn.

Call… please boys, call me and tell you're alright again.

Poor Roy, worrying to hell. Review! And AGAIN I'm thanking the ones that are reviewed so far... THANK YOU!

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