Chapter One:

Taken

"Al! Alphonse! Darn it, Al, where are you?" Ed fumbled around in the darkness. 'Blast it. One minute we're moments away from killing Scar the next...' The power had blown, it was the middle of the night, and there was almost no way of finding Al, had he been in another room. "Nii-san?" Ed continued feeling around after the direction of the voice before hearing a loud hollow 'thump' and falling back on the floor.

"Al, please tell me that was you and that you have a bottle of Advil." Ed moaned while rubbing his forehead in slight agony. "It's me Nii-san. I can't say much about the Advil though."

"Any sign of Scar?" Ed stood up, a little more mindful to keep his defenses up this time. "Nii-san, its pitch black in here…" Alphonse sighed with a bit of disrespect in his tone. "Uhh… right. Let's get some light in here, huh Al?"

They made their way to a hallway when the lights finally flickered back on. "Nii-san! Behind you!" But Al's warning was a bit too late, and Scar got hold of Edward his arm around his neck in a choke hold.

"Finally, you're mine FullMetal." Ed grimaced as the hold on the neck grew tighter and tighter. "Nii-san-" Al started for Scar, but before he could even get a chance at him, there was a… technical difficulty as Scars neck was cut in half.

Blood spurted everywhere, all over Ed, his red jacket, and some on Al. (not that he really cared.) Ed quickly turned around to see Scars assassin. "Who-" Lust pulled back. "You really don't know when to keep out of other peoples business, do you little Alchemist?"

"I'M NOT LITTLE!" Ed thrust forward ready to smack down anyone who questioned his abnormally small stature.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into." Came Envy's voice came from behind Al. This time Al would defiantly be able to get a punch or two in…

COLONAL ROY MUSTANG'S OFFICE 11:03 P.M.

"Colonel" Liza sighed as she finished another stack of papers. "Do you really like working over time? Because I truly hate Colonel and I have a gun ready to be pointed either your or my head, your pick." Roy's head fell on his desk. "My head please, Hawkeye."

The phone rang out in the newly fallen silence between Roy, who was wondering if he should take back that request, and Liza, who was seriously considering fulfilling it. "Are you going to answer the phone, Colonel?" Liza raised an eyebrow. "Why bother? It's probably just Hughes calling about Alicia or Grecia, or both of them." The phone annoyingly continued to ring, so Liza trudged over and impatiently picked it up.

"Colonel Mustang's office, this is Liza, how may I help you?" she sighed in an annoyed tone. "Liza?" Liza was surprised to hear Major Armstrong's voice on the other end of the phone. "Armstrong? What's going on?" "Well Liza, there seems to have been a break in at the old warehouse on the corner of baker street and west boulevard."

Liza cocked an eyebrow. "A break in? That's all?" Armstrong cleared their voice. "Not just that. It seems the Elric brothers were seen entering the warehouse; we have reason to believe that Scar and the three antagonists are in the warehouse as well."

"….WHAT….?" Liza froze. "I don't know what those boys are getting themselves into… again but we'd better make sure they get killed this time." He sighed. "Right. You get Hughes and everyone and I'll drag Mustang there." She moaned. "It's a date." He gave a hallow laugh. "Alright, see you there funny guy." She muttered sarcastically.

She hung up the phone and turned back to Roy who was no asleep among the pile of papers that were piled on his desk. Liza had waited for this moment for years. She took the gun she had concealed in her military jacket and pointed towards the ceiling. BANG Roy snapped awake just in time for fragments of the ceiling and roof to fall on top of his head. "What was that for?" he moaned, rubbing his temples. "Well, we're switching you back to caf for your coffee, and we have to go after the Elric brothers… again." "The Elric brothers!"

"Yep. Put on your coat it's gonna be a long night." She yawned. "It was already a long night." He grumbled, reaching for his military jacket. "Well a longer night than it was before. We're going. Now." She pushed him out the door and started toward the warehouse.

DURHAM WAREHOUSE ON BAKER AND WEST 11:58 P.M.

"Nii-san, we have to get out of here!" Al rushed toward Edward whose chest had blood steadily flowing out of it, onto his shirt. "It's fine… we just have to take care of these three…" Ed slapped his hands together and formed a cage around Lust, Gluttony, and Envy. "Is that the best you can do?" Envy smirked before ripping the earthen bars of the Alchemical cage open.

"Really, we expected more from a state alchemist. Especially one that entered the national alchemy division at the age of 12." Lust sneered. "Then again, you are still a child."

"Lust, I wan' eats 'em c'n I eat 'em yet?" Gluttony tugged at Lust's arm. "You can't eat them, Gluttony." Lust shot a look at the two brothers. "We have to break them. First mentally, then physically, and then…" it was almost as if all three of them had the same idea in their head, and all had a disgusting and sick look in their eyes. "And then we give them to father."

Ed couldn't take it anymore he couldn't listen to their pointless babble. "Shut up already! I'll kill you before that happens!" Ed sprang forward, performing alchemy on his automail arm so it was sharpened to a point. Perfect for stabbing annoying little pests such as this…. "Not so fast FullMetal." Envy blocked the attack. Al lunged forward in an attempt to catch them off guard. "We're a step ahead of you. Do us a favor FullMetal and get yourself together before we meet again." Lust gave him a bone-chilling smile, much worse than before. The lights went off one more time.

"N-nii-san, what's-"

"Al! Alphonse, stay put, all right?"

"Nii-san, I can't they're - Nii-san!"

Edward could feel his heart sinking in his chest as he heard heavy footprints exiting the warehouse.

"AL!"

No answer.

"ALPHONSE! ALPHONSE, DARN IT, ANSWER ME AL!" there was again no answer, but a heavy blow to the head. Along with the blood he'd lost from the chest wound and the battle with Scar form earlier.

He couldn't take it anymore. He submitted to the exhaustion and nausea and passed out on the hard, concrete floor.

(OUTSIDE) DURHAM WAREHOUSE ON BAKER AND WEST 12:14 A.M

"Okay, who's going in first?" Roy stood among the hundreds of police officers and half a dozen colleges. "I'm not going in first." Shrugged Hughes. "Well, don't look at me!" Liza defended. "For those poor, brave souls, for the Elric brothers, I shall go!" Armstrong so boldly declared. that moment three black figures shot out of the warehouse and landed in front of the six. They were carrying something in pieces.

It was Alphonse.

"You'll get him back when you can figure out our whereabouts." Lust smirked while holding Alphonse's head. "If you can't find us in one month…" Lust beckoned Gluttony forward.

She pointed to the seal that kept his soul and body connected. "We'll be sure to smash this in real good." Envy continued. Liza started forward. "Now you just-" but they were too fast and began shooting off before human eyes could catch them. All that could be heard was Al crying out. "Nii-san! Is Nii-san alright, is he okay! Where's Nii-san!"

"Liza, Hughes, take as many officers as you can and follow them" Armstrong ordered. "Roy, get the medical officials, I'm going inside for Edward."

"YOU HEARD THE MAN!" Hughes shouted at the top of his lungs to the officials in all his traumatized glory. "LET'S GET GOING PEOPLE! START FOLLOWING THOSE THREE ATAGONISTS, NOW! TIME IS PRECIOUS HERE, WE CAN'T LOOSE THEM!"

Liza Rushed ahead, sure not to loose sight of the three – or rather four- before it was too late.

"I need all medics ready, front and center!" Roy hastily gathered all medical personnel on the site.

(INSIDE) DURHAM WAREHOUSE ON BAKER AND WEST 12:28 A.M

"Edward?" Armstrong was half-way through the warehouse. 'What all went on here?' he thought to himself. There were bloodstains all throughout the warehouse. Signs of Scar, but no body or sign of exit.

There was a sharp screech of pain. "GYAAAAAAHHH!" That was undoubtedly Ed. "Edward? Was that you?" Armstrong sprinted off in the direction of the scream.

He found Ed on the floor, clutching his head. "Blast them! BLAST THEM! Where's Al Major?" he looked up at Major Armstrong expectedly. The look on his face was anything than what he thought it would be.

Despair. "I'm sorry, Edward… they…." He swallowed hard. "They took him away."

Ed's world shattered. "What do you mean 'took him away'? H-he's huge! Massive! How could they have possibly just whisked him away like that!" this part would be even harder to say, let alone for Ed to swallow. "He was in pieces. The seal was still whole, but if we don't find out their whereabouts in a month they'll…"

"What?" Armstrong didn't answer. "Major…" Ed said slowly. "Tell me. What will they do to my little brother!" He forced himself to stand up, making the blood flow quicker than ever. "Edward, don't push yourself! You've lost too much blood as it is!" Edward started toward Armstrong. "Please, Major. Tell me what they'll do to Al."

Armstrong shook his head. Ed could feel his legs give out. 'How could this happen? He was already taken from me once how could I let it happen again?' he fell to the ground. "Edward! Sir Edward! Blast it! MUSTANG! GET THE MEDICS IN HERE! NOW!"

Ed could feel several people around him, but couldn't see or hear anything. 'Alphonse. Where is he? Was he scared? Is he wondering where his Nii-san is?' then like an echo he remembered the promise he'd made to Alphonse. No matter what I promise I'll get you back to normal, Al. No matter what.

No matter what.