I seriously need to stop having a life, because this chapter has been delayed yet again TT (tear, tear). I had a convention out of town for a while for my drug free club at school, and the make up work for missing school has been HELL! But anywhoo, the point is, this chapter is finally up! w00ties! Thank you reviewers who kept me going! I heart you all!

Mustang motioned Ed and Riza towards him, narrowing his eyes. "Alright, as general I it's my mission to see to it that we stay together, I'll take charge of our little search party," he stated. "Now, as for our plan, I think-"

"Hey, hold up!" Ed barked. "Just who do you think you are taking charge like that! We've got just as much a say in this as you no matter what branch of the military you are!"

"Cool it, Fullmetal, if we want any hope of finding our friends, we need a leader," Mustang retorted, giving a serious, but arrogant smile.

"Oh, and I presume you're this 'leader'" Ed snapped, ready to slice Mustang's smug face in half. "C'mon Hawkeye, back me up here!"

Riza cocked an eyebrow and sighed. "Just hurry up and get your childish rivalry settled so we can actually start this wild goose chase."

"See, she wants this search done and over with, and with me in charge. And with me leading, we can't go wrong!" said Mustang, smiling again.

Ed's jaw dropped. "But-"

"Alright, then, it's settled! As the soon-to-be Fuhrer, I'm taking command of this search party, or wild goose chase, or whatever we are," Mustang announced, as Ed sat back down, gritting his teeth.

Mustang cleared his throat, achieving a more serious and deeper tone. "As for our first missionary conduct, I've devised a plan that will find our friends in no time." He reached into his jacket and pulled a long roll of paper from his pocket laying it out along the carpet where they were sitting. The paper was a map of the mansion, containing sketchy blueprints of hallways, doors, rooms, closets, and secret passages all carefully marked in Mustang's handwriting. Mustang took out a black pen and marked two points in the hallway labeling them 'H' and 'A'. "These are the points where our friends were kidnapped, and our first area of search," Mustang ordered. "And if we-"

"Hey! Where did you get a map?" Ed pointed out, confused.

"I picked it out of the library," Mustang answered, coolly.

Ed scratched the back of head. "But when'd you have the time for-"

"Did you really think could sleep that whole time Hughes was snoring?" Mustang replied, then diverting his attention back to his mapped coordinates.

"Now as I was saying, these points are our best bet, and where we should begin our search first," he continued. "We'll take this passage marked behind the fireplace back in the library." He motioned toward a colored-in route connecting the library to an unknown, nearby room. Ed examined the passage, and nodded. "It's quick, discrete, and might reveal itself as a possible place where they could be being held captive," he added, finally agreeing with Mustang's plan. "Alright, then, let's take the passage!"

The three made their way back into the library. The furniture still remained cloaked under stained white sheets, and dusty cobwebs, casting shadows along the walls which had begun to peel. As they opened the door, its creaks echoed through the large empty aisles of books. Staring for a moment, they heard footsteps leave the room, and a dark figure dash into the shadows. Mustang gulped and stood his ground in the front, as Ed nudged him in the arm. "Sure is creepy."

"You gonna go first, leader?" Ed taunted, hoping to scare the conceded general into letting him take command. Mustang forced a fearless smirk as he stepped aside reaching his arm out. "After you, Fullmetal Alchemist," he teased, patting Ed over the head. "If that alchemy of yours doesn't give that ghost a scare, I'm sure your chibi face would."

Ed gritted his teeth and whacked Mustang's hand off of his head.

"Or are you just too scared"

"I'll show you who the scared one is!" Ed yelled, ready to dash through the door.

"Oh no you don't!" roared Mustang, beginning his sprint. The two took off to run through the door, ready to show the other one up. Ready to prove who was the real leader, and the better fearless commander. But at the instant they took off, they stopped. Confused, they looked at each other as they stood shoulder to shoulder, lodged in the threshold of the door. A lightning bolt shot from they eyes into the other's (anime style!)

"Move it!" barked Ed, trying to wiggle out by elbowing Mustang in the side. "I will when you quit shoving me!" Mustang argued, struggling as he and Ed remained sandwiched in the door. Riza watched in silence as her two superiors continued to squirm, wedged in a doorway. Her eye twitched in annoyance. This is why she hated it when men tried to show off. She approached the two alchemists, a vein bulging on her forehead, as they continued to bicker. She sighed. Fed up with their rivalry, she grabbed both alchemists from behind with both hands, and before they even had time to turn around and see what was happening, she yanked them both out from the door and flat on their backs. As they sat up, rubbing their sore shoulders, Riza preceded to stroll through the now free and open doorway. The boy's jaws dropped, as they looked up to see the reserved Riza Hawkeye surpass them both in their own competition. She pulled her gun out and loaded in another round of bullets. As she strutted into the room, she swung her head back behind her and gave them a wink. "Ladies first."

Mustang stood up, brushing dirt and dust from his military uniform. Ed still sat on the ground, losing the collar of his coat, Mustang reached a hand out toward him. "Let's get a move on Fullmetal. We'll have to settle our differences from here on out."

Ed's eye's widened in shock at the sight of his longtime rival offering him his trust. "Is this a trick?" Ed thought to himself. He knew that Mustang liked to get on his case a lot, but Hughes life was on the line. "There's no way he could be trying to trick me," Ed thought again, beginning to give in to adversary's suggestion. Ed nodded his head and took Mustang's hand. "Fine," he agreed. "We'll be a team. . .for now."

Mustang nodded as the two shook hands in approval. "Hurry up you two!" Riza called from the room. "I need some light in here!" She wandered into the back, as Mustang and Ed walked in after her. As they all entered, the door shut behind them, putting them in pitch black. "Hawkeye, where'd you go?" Ed called out, unable to make out Riza, in the blend of shadows. "I'm in the back!" she called out. Listening to her voice, Mustang began to run to the back, holding his arm across his face to shield himself from the oncoming cobwebs. Ed followed close behind him, using the blade on his automail to slash away the webs and sheets in his path. It was too hard to find her a room as big as that library.

Meanwhile, Riza felt a breeze flowing around her, as the whole area around her seemed to get even darker. Knowing that something was up, she turned her back to the wall, with her gun pointed and loaded, as a bead of sweat drizzled across her cheek. "I am not afraid," she told herself sternly. "I have to keep fighting." As the wall behind her cracked, and shadow flew by her head, she began to breath heavily, not able to see anything around her. Out of nowhere, she gasped as an arm grabbed hold of her leg from behind her. She froze. Gritting her teeth, she tried to pull her leg free, still calling out to Mustang and Ed. Looking down, she swallowed hard, trying to shake away her fear. Then, narrowing her eyes, she pointed her gun down at her leg. She took a deep breath, because in the darkness she was in, she could not distinguish her own leg from the arm grabbing it. Closing her eyes, she set her hand on trigger, hoping she could trust her own judgment.

With one pull of the trigger a loud blast was heard from the corner of the room. "She's over there!" Ed yelled, running to the corner of the library, pulling Mustang along with him. "I heard a gun shot back here!" Mustang broke free of Ed's grip, and stopped. "What are you doing!" Ed called out. "Lieutenant Hawkeye needs our help!" Mustang got on hands and knees and fumbled across the dark floor. "I found it!" he exclaimed, as Ed watched in confusion. Suddenly, after a large blast of light and heat, a candle sat illuminated in Mustang's hand. "Now that I found a candle and we have a source of light, it'll be much easier to find her."

Ed nodded as they continued all the way into the back wall. Riza was nowhere to be found. "You don't she was-" Ed began. Mustang crouched on the floor and shook his head. Ed crouched net to him and caught eye at the sight before them. "No," Ed sighed under his breath. Sure enough, on the floor in front of them lay Rica's gun, still smoking in the dark. Now only two remained.

WAAH! Done at long last! HALLELUIAH! (angel choir) I've been so lazy about my updates, but thank you to the reviews to sent reviews telling me to keep going! You motivated me to finish this up! I'll be sure to keep up with chapter 10 next update. Once again, ARIGATOU:3