Chapter 8! I've had someone tell me my fanfic isn't logical because Hughes is supposed to be dead. Well, I'm well aware of
that, as I bought the fansubs and finished the series months ago, I just happen to like Hughes a whole lot and wanted him in myfic. Just thought I'd clear that up. Other than that, not much to say, I've just been in Kentucky for Spring Break, so there was asmall delay getting this typed. So now I present, after yet another short delay, CHAPTER 8!

Al shot up, at the echo of Hughes' scream. "What was that?" he asked Riza, sounding worried. Riza sat up, peeling the thick blankets off of her legs, and stepped out from her bed. "Sounded like Hughes," she answered. "He could be in trouble."

"But Hughes is in the military like you, isn't he able handle tough situations himself?"

Riza's eyes narrowed, "That's true, but we should check him just in case."

"We?" Al asked, standing up, holding a pillow from his couch.

"I need you cover me," Riza answered, pinning her up in her usual hair clip.

Al's steel, armor face chibified, as he dropped his pillow. "Uh, um, Right!"

Then he nodded, stretching his arms in front of him, taking his fighter stance.

"It's time we over came our fear," Riza demanded standing tall.

"Right!" Al agreed. "Let's go!"

Al marched in the direction of the door, ready to conquer anything in his way. Nothing was about to scare him this time! As he reached his steel arm to doorknob, he paused to look behind him. "Ready?" he asked. He noticed Riza still standing by her bed. "C'mon!" Al motioned towards the door. Riza stood still, with her blonde bangs veiling her eyes. "My gun," she whispered.

"Pardon?" Al asked, taking a step towards her. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

"That good-for-nothing Colonel has my jacket!" Riza exclaimed.

"Your military jacket?" Al repeated, getting confused.

"My gun was in the pocket!" she yelled, dashing out the door.

Al gasped and darted after her. "Wait up!" he called, grabbing their only lit candle from an end table. "Hey!" he yelled, sprinting after her.

"You can't-" He stopped in the middle of the hallway, and looked down. He noticed what appeared to be a small slip of paper stuck in the boot of his armor. He kneeled down and gently slipped the crumpled paper from under his steel foot, with the feeling that it looked familiar. He flipped the slip over and let out a soft gasp. He held the card in front of him, and stammered. "This-this is. . ." He shined his dim candle across the surface of the paper to reveal the tender face of young girl in pigtails. "Alicia."

Roy rubbed his black eye as he hung upside down from a metal coil growing out of the ceiling. At the same time Ed patted a flame that had burned through his black jacket, and began wiping the dusky soot from his forehead. "It seems we're evenly matched, Mustang," Ed grumbled. "Shall we call a truce?"

Mustang, still hanging upside down, looked around the room, which was now half burnt and had sprouted blocks and arms. "Truce," he agreed. Ed sighed in relief, as he collapsed onto his bed (or at least what was left of it). "Wait!" Mustang continued. "On one condition."

Ed rolled over panting. "Alright, shoot."

Mustang folded his arms, as a vein bulge appeared on his forehead. "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"

Ed groaned, as he sat up and limped toward the coil hanging Mustang from his foot. "I'm gonna regret doing this later, but-"

He sighed, clapping his hands together and jolting them into metal constricted around Mustang's left foot. The coil unraveled, and morphed back up into the ceiling, as Mustang fell to floor, moaning. Ed sunk down next him in exhaustion, his forehead and eyes still shadowed from soot.

Just then, their door flew open, denting a block sticking out of the wall opposite it. Riza stepped through the threshold looking around at the disaster that was once a room. "Another alchemy duel?" she asked dully, as a beam of wood fell from the ceiling landing behind the two alchemists, who were now collapsed on the floor. They nodded groggily. Riza sighed, stepping around the piles of the debris, making her way over to Mustang. "Well, well," Mustang teased. "Back for more?"

Riza gritted her teeth, grasping Mustang's collar, and pulling his head up to her eye level.

"I came for my gun," she answered, as her fist bonked the top of his head. "Calm down, I was only joking," Mustang smiled pointing to her jacket, which was hanging from a single bedpost. She dropped Mustang and strolled to her jacket. She pulled her gun out, loaded it, than ran back out the door.

"Oh yeah, she wants you," Ed added sarcastically.

Al stomped down the corridor to meet Riza. "Miss Hawkeye!" he yelled. "I found something!" He continued to clank down the long hall waving the picture of Alicia in the air. Riza, coming around a corner, gun in hand, caught sight of him, and ran to meet him halfway. "What is it? And where's Hughes?" Al stopped in front of her, holding the picture of Alicia. "Hughes is missing! But-"

"Missing?" Riza asked.

"Yes, but-"

"How could he be missing? He was in front of our room wasn't he?

"Yes, yes, he was! But I found a clue to his disappearance." Al handed the picture of Alicia to Riza. She took the candle out of Al's hand and studied it. "I can see it too clearly," she said turning around. She turned her back to Al, struggling chip away the wax at the top of the candle to make it brighter. But as Al leaned over her to watch, a hand from behind him grabbed his head. "Eh!" Al gasped, waving his hands around the empty void where his head was missing. "This gets so irritating," he grumbled kneeling down on bended knee to search for his head. He moved away from Riza, maneuvering his steel hands along the carpet. As he patted the ground in search of his head, his hand bumped something. Before he could speak, another hand met his, and with a short gasp, he was jerked into the shadows in front him.

"There, that's a better light," Riza said, turning around to show the candle. "Alphonse?"

"You mean that receptionist at Central Headquarters, the second Lieutenant's secretary AND the nurse in the hospital wing?" Ed announced, with wide eyes.

Roy nodded.

"That makes like-" Ed stopped and counted his fingers. "That's close to 42 girls!"

Roy nodded again, smugly. "Well, I guess you could say I'm quite the stud."

"But 42 girls confessed love for you!"

"Sure, that's an average for me. So how do you with the ladies, Fullmetal?"

Ed blushed and looked down. He wasn't really ready to admit that he was shorter than most of the girls at Headquarters. It's not like he had time for love anyway.

Suddenly, Riza busted in again. "Ah! Just in the nick of time!" Ed praised.

He glanced back over to Mustang. "I-I mean," he coughed. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

Riza stopped to catch her breath. "It's. . .Hughes, and-"

"Hughes?" Roy asked. "He left about 20 minutes ago."

"But he's. . .missing," Riza panted. "And Ed," she continued. "Al is. . .Al is gone, too!"

Ed shot up, and ran over to Riza. "What happened!" he asked impatiently.

Riza lowered her head, taking a deep breath. "I'm not sure. It's like he vanished into thin air!"

Ed ran back over to his bed and grabbed his red jacket. "C'mon Mustang, we've got to go look for them!"

Mustang stood up, and slipped his gloves on. "Right."

The three of them left the room, closing the door behind them. Riza held her gun close, ready to take aim, Ed pulled his sleeve back, clapping to form a keen, edged blade along his automail, and Roy pulled his hand from his pocket, his fingers bent into the start of a snap. They were ready to get serious and the hunt for their friends had begun.

FIN. It might be a little shorter than the others, but I was in a hurry to get it typed up. Not a lot to add, so I hope you stay tuned for Chapter 9!

(Quick note about my disclaimer: So far my story has been illegal. (oops) But not anymore! I don't own Full Metal Alchemist nor any of its characters! Just an Ed plushie! (hugs Ed plushie) Yay! Now I can't be sued! Thank you to all the readers who didn't squeal on me!)