The chase was now on to find Al as Rose, Russell, and Lust started running in the direction of Al's screams as they seemed to echo off the walls through the streets of the city as they rang fresh through the city as Al continued to be tortured by Envy as they ran through the streets, but there were moments when Lust lead them in another direction as she sensed Envy's presence.

"He's been here and he's not far from here either about two or four blocks from here," Lust said as they pressed on towards Al's screams and Envy's presence.

"Lead the way Lust," Russell said as he and Rose tried to keep up with Lust as the chase began to become more intense as the seconds seemed to pass by slowly as time was creeping by as the friends rushed head long into trouble.

Armstrong and the teacher had been walking when Armstrong heard the voices of Rick and Leo amongst the scuffling of their feet and he could tell where they were headed and it was bound to be trouble.

"Come on Rick, we've got to get to him before the Master or the one torturing does or else kills him," Leo said as he charged through the alley with Rick trying to keep up with his brother.

"I know, I know, but my legs won't run as fast yours," Rick said as he leaned against the wall as he tried to catch his breath.

"We've got to move now before Master finds out that we snuck out of the house to find Al."
"We never should have left the house," Rick said as he slowly picked up his speed as his brother continued on ahead.

"I know, but we can't let someone die as we decide whether or not to help him….remember what happened to mom…we didn't try to help her as she ran for our room as our lives were destroyed….I won't let that happen again!" Leo said as he hid his face from his face as tears welled in his eyes.

Rick could tell how his brother felt about wanting to help people and the guilt that he had withheld from the time of their mom's death, but he knew that Al was a friend and the time they spent standing around….Al could be facing death at the hands of evil.

"Let's go Leo, time waits for no man," Rick said as he ran on ahead of his brother with Leo catching up slowly, but surely.

"What's wrong Major?" the teacher asked as he watched Armstrong stop in tracks.

"I heard voices coming from the block over and they sounded like Rick and Leo and I fear that they may be trying to find Alphonse!" Armstrong said as he started to run towards the direction of Rick and Leo's voices.

"Oh no, I told them to stay home," the teacher said as the two men started to run towards the direction of Rick and Leo.

"They might be walking into a trap," Armstrong said as they rounded a corner.

"Let's get moving!" the teacher said as he caught up with Armstrong.

Envy continued to watch Al squirm through the restraints as he struggled to get off the post and attack Envy where he stood, but no matter how he squirmed and struggled, he couldn't' get out of his restraints and Envy was enjoying the show that Al was putting on for him as he prepared the next set of torture.

"That's right, old daddy had a son, but sadly he didn't survive, he came down with a case of Mercury poisoning and no matter how hard daddy tried to save the him, the boy died and even after death he tried to bring the boy back, but it was a lost cause," Envy said in a sarcastic tone as he circled Al and slam a piece of wood into his hand as he prepared to hit Al again.

"What does this have to do with me!" Al shouted, but Envy struck him in the stomach with the butt end of the piece of wood that knocked the wind out of him.

"Do you know who that child was! Think Alphonse and think hard to figure out this riddle and believe me….the answer is going to blow your mind!"

Al started to put together the pieces of the puzzle back together as he started to sift through the mountains of lies and riddle style conversations that Envy had talked to him about, but it all came to him as he pieces the puzzle pieces together.

"No, it can't be true…" Al said as he put the pieces together.

"Yes….BROTHER!" Envy said as he laughed in Al's face.

"NO, IT CAN'T BE TRUE!" Al shouted through Envy's laughter of accomplishment, but no matter what he did, he couldn't get loose of his restraints to attack his enemy.

"SAD TO IT'S TRUE!" Envy said as he hit Al again in the stomach and then into his right arm and left arm.

Armstrong and the teacher had to stop to catch their breath from the exhausting run to find Rick and Leo as they continued to press on to find Al as well, but no far away Armstrong heard the screams of Al once again, but this time the screams that they heard sounded more like screams of anger and fear as they echoed throughout the city.

"What's the matter Major Armstrong?" the teacher asked as the two men stopped as they heard the sounds of Al's screams as they spread throughout the city.

"ALPHONSE!" Armstrong shouted as he ran in the direction of the cries for help.

"MAJOR!" the teacher shouted as he ran after the Major in a mad dash.

Back at the inn, Mustang watched over Hawkeye as she seemed to be slowly recovering from her attack with Envy, but the sounds of Al's cries soon reached his ears as he awoke from a short nap that he had been sleeping while watching over Lt. Hawkeye. Mustang laid Hawkeye back down on the bed as he made his way down to the inn's pub and walked towards the front door and found himself outside in the cold air and as he stood listening to the wind, he soon heard the sound of Al's cries for help.

"Alphonse….where are you?" Mustang asked to the wind as he heard the piercing sound of Al's screams pierce the wind.

"Mustang…was that Alphonse screaming?" Hawkeye asked weakly as she stood in the doorway of the pub.

"Lt. Hawkeye, what are you doing up!" Mustang shouted as he made his way back towards the doorway as he helped her back to the room.

"I heard you leave the room and you left the door ajar when you left and I heard the screams for help," Hawkeye said as she sat on the bed with Mustang at her side.

"You need to save your strength, but I'm sure that it was him, but we need to leave to the others to find him now," Mustang said as he looked to door in hopes of seeing the others walk through any second.

Envy was enjoying toying with Al's emotions and playing with the pain he was suffering from the blows he had received from the moments of torture as he lay pinned to the post as his captor played with him like a cat playing with a dead mouse before it tired with no longer willing victim. He enjoyed watching Al struggle as he watched Al trying to wrap his mind around the lies that seemed to spread from Envy's mouth like evil serpents that seemed to wrap in a web of lies and deception as he seemed to circle him like a vulture.

"There's no use denying it….brother," Envy said as he seemed to poke fun at the pain and suffering of the young alchemist.

"Stop it! Stop all the lies!" Al shouted as Envy struck Al once more in the jaw.

"Do you see the cavalry coming to your rescue? There's no Knight in shining armor or any great hero to save you!" Envy said as he held a dagger to Al's throat and started to slowly move the dagger down towards his shoulder and down to his right hand and then pulled it away as he put back in its holder on his hip.

"I'm almost done with you and one more good punch in the right spot should about do it," Envy said as he got ready to deliver the final blow.

Envy was enjoying toying with his victims mind and his pain that he was unaware of Fletcher as he sat in the corner in the shadows as he made his way slowly over to a pile of broken stained glass that lay shattered on the ground. He crawled on his side to the pile and it took most of his strength to get back up off the ground as he tried to wrap his hands around a piece of stained glass and started to work across the bindings on this wrist. The glass tended to snap and break and with each break, Fletcher feared that Envy would hear the sound of the glass, but he looked over through the sweat on his face and noticed that Envy didn't.

Fletcher tried to quickly worked the glass pieces on his bondages, but he had to continuously change the pieces of glass as they seemed to break and no matter how many times he tried to cut them….time seemed to be working against him as he worked as fast his numb fingers would allow him to cut the ropes until he finally got a break and managed to cut the ropes. He rubbed his hands to circulate the blood flow in his hands as he worked to untie his feet and as he got up to sneak towards the pews he realized the moment he stood up and tried to walk he realized that his feet were sore and numb as well. He had to crawl to the pews and as he made his way toward the pew, he managed to grab a piece of glass and hide it from Envy as he looked over and saw Envy leaning over Al as Al was hung over trying to catch his breath as Envy took Al's face in his hands.

"Say good night little brother," Envy said as he prepared to strike Al.

Time was ticking away for Al as he waited for the end at the end of Envy's fist as his breathing was becoming shallow as he watched Envy circle him through his blackened eye and his jaw felt like a rock as it was numb with pain as he looked down and saw a small trickle of blood starting to form a small pool on the floor. His shoulders felt like someone had pinned his shoulders to wall with a railroad spike and his stomach felt like he had been used as a punching bag and most of the stuffing had fallen out of the bag.

"Brother, help me….don't let me die in this city….I need to stop Envy before he hurts more people," Al said as he looked up into the eyes of his captor.

Love is the strongest power and time is running out for our young character! Will the others get to him in time or will Al die in a city of haunted memories for the two Military figures in our story, but nothing can be said for what lies ahead. Keep reading to find out the fate of our young alchemist.