A/N: Second chapter, shorter than the first. I don't own these characters...'cept for Shade, Shigumo, and the other random thugs. That trash is mine.

Found Broken

Newspapers the next morning had alarming headlines, on the missing-and-found Major Edward Elric. It was the subject of much gossip. The military hospital refused to give out any information on the nature of the alchemist's wounds, only that he was comatose and not expected to awaken any time soon. Rumors ran rampant. Some said Scar had returned, others insisted that it was an uprising of Ishvarites. Several, however, whispered that the Major had been attacked by the military he served, as punishment for crimes committed.

It was well known that Alphonse, the younger Elric brother, was at the Major's side by night and day. A young woman, rumored to be the Major's ladylove, had come in from Liesenburgh, a small town several miles out of Central. When asked, it was discovered that this Liesenburgh was a backwater town of nothing of interest, save only that it was the Elric brothers' town of birth.

Another very interesting fact was that the Colonel Roy Mustang was seen dropping by the military hospital frequently. The reasons for this were not well-known and rather hush-hush. It was assumed that he, as the Major's superior officer, had taken much offense to the direct attack of one of his men. Subsequently, it was also assumed that his visits were as much for reassurance upon the Major's condition as they were investigations for apprehending the culprit...or culprits.

Two days after the attack upon Edward Elric, Colonel Roy Mustang stood impatiently in the hospital hallway outside of Edward's room. "And why am I not allowed to view Fullmetal's files? I am his superior officer."

The doctor shook his head. "I told First Lieutenant Hawkeye why the first time you asked, sir. Major Elric himself woke up several minutes after we received him, and asked specifically that we not reveal the details of his injuries. Patient confidentiality requires that we abide by his requests."

Roy swore colourfully. "He causes problems for me even when he's out cold."

Winry Rockbell, Edward's mechanic, opened the door of Edward's room. "Colonel Mustang, sir? Could you come in here a moment?"

Roy waved a gloved hand at the doctor, dismissing him. He walked into the room, to find the previously-indisposed Edward to be propped up by several pillows. A drug-bleared stare sized up the Colonel and the First Lieutenant behind him. With careful deliberation, Edward lifted his right hand and saluted.

"At ease," Roy murmured, more from habit than any concern. "Well, Fullmetal, you've got a lot of explaining to do!"

Edward smiled a little at that. "Don't I always?" he asked, the biting sarcasm toned down by the slight slur in his voice. Alphonse, rather anxiously, reached over to put a hand on his older brother's forehead. Edward swore and flinched away. "That's cold!"

"You've got a fever," Alphonse informed him.

"I'll go get the doctor," Winry volunteered. She left before Edward could do more than open his mouth in protest. He scowled after her.

Riza came and leaned over the bedside in place of Winry. "You gave us quite the fright, Edward," she reprimanded. She, too, laid the back of her hand against Edward's forehead. Once again he flinched.

"Ow! Dammit, that's cold, and it hurts! So cut it out." He frowned petulantly.

Roy strode to the foot of Edward's bed. "Fullmetal, you'd better start talking. It takes a lot to get you flat on your back, and I'd like to know what trouble you've found this time." Roy had spent years interrogating prisoners of war. He was attuned to small changes of body-language, and was startled to see Edward flinch perceptibly at the phrase "flat on your back."

"Nothing I couldn't handle without a stupid hood catching on everything," Edward replied, slightly fuzzily.

Roy gave him a look that said I-am-not-going-to-deal-with-this. "Where did you go right after you left our headquarters?"

Edward gave him the stubborn glare of I-am-going-to-be-as-difficult-as-I-can. "Out the door and down to the coffee shop by the library, as usual."

"You didn't stay there, now did you?" Roy continued, starting to get angry.

"Hell no, does it look like I did?" Edward licked his scabbed lips.

"Unless the coffee shop by the library has sprouted thugs, then no," the doctor answered, striding in, followed by Winry. He held a clipboard in one hand, and a thermometer in the other. "I'm sorry, Colonel, but I'm going to interrupt your interrogation session."

Riza stepped back to allow the doctor access to the bedside. The doctor smiled at Edward, reassuringly. "I'm Dr. Nick, in case you don't remember me. The young lady here tells me you have a fever?"

"I remember you," Edward slurred, eyeing the doctor. "Are your hands cold again?"

"I'm afraid so," the man laughed. "Here, put this in your mouth, and I'll see if you really do have a fever. It could be that one of your injuries has a slight infection. I'd bet on the laceration to your scalp. Did you do that on a nail?"

"A wire," Edward mumbled around the thermometer. "Probably filthy, just my luck."

"Mmm, probably." Dr. Nick surveyed the top of Edward's head. "Lean your head forward and I'll look at it. With a longsuffering sigh, Edward obeyed. Dr. Nick parted Edward's hair and examined the shallow, though long, scratch. "Well, it doesn't look too irritated, but we'll put you on some antibiotics just in case."

"Joys, more happy pills," Edward managed.

Dr. Nick reached over and removed the thermometer. "Yes, probably more pills." He frowned at the small device in his hand. "Goodness, you do have quite a fever. I'll send a nurse by with those antibiotics promptly." He marked something down on the clipboard, which he had successfully concealed from Roy's prying eyes, and left again.

Edward stuck his tongue out. "Those things always taste so nasty."

"Pills or thermometers?" Winry asked, smiling. "I brought some water. I thought you'd be thirsty, Ed."

Edward smiled a little at her. "Thanks, Winry."

Alphonse sighed. "You're such a high maintenance brother, niisan."

"Sorry, Al." Edward leaned around the cup of water and offered a crooked smile.

"I'll return tomorrow, Fullmetal, and I expect the full details from you," Roy snapped. "Good day, Alphonse, Winry."

"Good-bye," Riza called as she followed the Colonel out the door.

Colonel Roy Mustang did not make it back to the hospital the next day. He and several of his men, not to mention a small group of soldiers, were called out to help the local law enforcements. The criminal Shigumo had struck, leaving behind his signature; a bruised body strangled to death. The unfortunate victim was a young male, hardly older than fifteen. Aside from marks of beatings and strangulation, the boy had been violently raped. Roy barely hid his disgust as he ordered his men to scour the scene, looking for clues. They found little; this was apparently the drop site, and it was a place frequented by much traffic, pedestrian and otherwise.

The day after that, as Roy fumed and fussed over reports, he received an entirely unexpected visitor. He looked up sharply, an acid comment on his lips for whoever dared disturb him, and stopped in surprise as none other than Edward Elric limped carefully in. His brother, Alphonse, loomed anxiously behind him. Edward hobbled to the seat in front of Roy's desk, then impatiently shooed Alphonse back out of the room. Edward watched until Alphonse shut the door, then reached up and rubbed at his bandaged throat, pain flitting across his pallid features.

"Should you even be out of bed?" Roy asked, letting a challenging note slip into his voice. He propped his chin on folded hands, and let an arrogant smirk slid over his handsome features.

Edward dropped the hand from his neck. "I heard about the murder," he snapped, going straight to the point. There was a distinct rasp to his voice, now free of any drugged slur, and his posture was more defensive than usual. "And I think I know where that bastard is. His name is Shigumo, correct?"

Roy leaned back in his chair. "That is classified military information." He smirked.

"Cut the crap, Mustang," Ed snarled. He paused, pain darkening his eyes in his pale face, and one hand reached up again to his throat. "I think...I think he was one of those bastards that attacked me," he continued, voice hoarse. Roy frowned in consternation at the heavy rasp in Edward's breathing, but more at the way the blonde boy's posture shifted into a more defensive position. The teenager was not lying, but there was something he was very uncomfortable with, something he was concealing.

"Edward," Roy began, more carefully than before, "what did happen to you?"

Again the defensive shift, and the flicker of pain-dark eyes to meet Roy's and dart away. "There's a shortcut to the military barracks. You can cut down two alleys, cross the end of the cul-de-sac on Tramp's Hole, get through a third alley, and come out on the lot behind the barracks." Edward spoke to the edge of Roy's desk rather than the man behind it. "I'd done it before, without any trouble. I just had to keep my hood up. But...last time..." His voice faltered, and he coughed. Pain ran hard across his face.

Roy stood, and walked quietly to the door. He returned a moment later, bearing a cup of water. He set this down in front of Edward, then returned to his seat and waited, with more patience than many people had seen him display.

Edward gratefully sipped the water, and licked his scabbed lips. He dropped his gloved hand from his throat, took a careful breath, and haltingly resumed his narration to the front of Roy's desk. "Last time...my hood tore, and...several...several thugs..." Here the pause was long. "Assaulted...raped me. One was a woman...and one...several called him Shigumo." Edward swallowed harshly, and took another sip of water. Roy noticed the slight tremor in those gloved fingers. "It was in the cul-de-sac on Tramp's Hole. I have a feeling that's where he's hiding."

The silence stretched long. Roy shut his eyes and recalled the young victim of yesterday. He opened his eyes to find Edward watching him from beneath ragged bangs. The boy's gaze flicked away again, intensely defensive and uncomfortable. Roy frowned again, then pushed his chair back and stood. He spoke with a professional snap in his tone. "Thank you for this information, Fullmetal. I'll take my men to that location and see if we can't smoke out this criminal." The last was spoken with his wry humor, and an insolent flick of his gloved hand.

To his surprise, it got a pale imitation of Edward's maniac scimitar smile from the boy. "Thank you, sir. Am I dismissed?"

"You are. If you see Hawkeye, please send her in. Hughes, too, if you can catch him. That is all."

Edward saluted, then quietly left. He was quickly replaced by Riza and Maes, who had, apparently, been standing outside the office door, along with Alphonse. As the Elric brothers left, Roy dispensed this new information to his troops, and prepared his battle-plan. He found it thoughtfully countered by Riza, and another offered in its place. After some deliberation and much contact, permission was granted from all quarters. The attack was set for the next day.

A/N: There ya go. Next week, we see what this brilliant plan is.

Roy: (Staring at shredded gloves) That was unnessecary, you know.

Inez: Oh? Funny, I prefer not to be a cripsy critter.

Edward: (Pale in his corner) Just be glad she doesn't like you as much as she likes me. (Shudders)

Roy: (Looking ahead) ...hmmm, looking better.

Inez: Review, love, hate, flame me, read on.