Hey peoples...I know I haven't updated in a real long time, but I"ve been going through a bit of a writer's block, and almost lost interest completely with this story. And I'm sorry about leaving you all at that cliffhanger, truly, I am. ;; Please forgive me.

Chapter Seven: Theft

The sun was already in its afternoon position in the sky when Roy finally arrived back at the town where he and Ed split up, tired and disappointed. What if Ed didn't find the killer? Was this mission just going to drag on forever? He took a look around town. No sign of the shrimp.

He shrugged. Oh well, perhaps his destination was just further away.

Roy had a big dinner at a restaurant and left for a hotel; a different one this time.

"Also, Miss, if you don't mind, if a short boy with blonde hair comes asking for a 'Roy Mustang', please direct him to my room. Thanks." And with that he left.

It was already nightfall, and Ed still hadn't returned. The Colonel decided to stay awake and wait for him, though he had no idea why. Perhaps he was just curious as to whether Ed had been successful or not. Well, whatever the cause, Roy propped himself up against his bed and took out a book he had brought along.

Hours passed, and still no Edward. Roy was beginning to get awfully worried; the killer did target alchemists, after all.

What would happen if Ed died? the Colonel asked himself absentmindedly. He closed his book, placed it at his side, and stared up at the ceiling. The story he was reading was nearing its climax, but suddenly he had lost all interest in it as he thought about this question.

Would I care?

Roy tried to imagine it; wouldn't he be happier without the little walking headache he had to deal with almost daily? Or at least less stressed? No...as Roy pictured it, he felt nothing but regret about how he had treated Ed. As much as he hated to admit it, he would miss him terribly...almost as much as he did Hughes.

It would be quieter at work, he knew that for sure. No mascot amongst his co-workers to lighten the mood. And the younger Elric would have no one; he would be all alone. Edward had made a big impact on a lot of people's lives, he realized. Including the Colonel's.

"Why am I stressing out about this?" Roy thought aloud. "I just know he'll turn up tomorrow morning, annoying as usual, and I'll feel like a total dumbass about my sentimental feelings the previous night." And with that thought, Roy lay his head down on one of the flat pillows and closed his eyes.

Ed opened his eyes slowly. Morning had taken its sweet time getting here, that's for sure. He stirred in the sheets that were given to him to cover him on the hard floor. When had he fallen asleep...? He thought he was going to be up all night for sure, with the uncomfortable conditions. He looked up at the bed to the right of him. The sounds of loud snoring coming from Keith echoed throughout the small hotel room. Another factor that kept him awake.

Suddenly, the snoring ceased, followed by a gruff, "You awake, kid?"

"Yeah...didn't get much slee--"

"Good. Go ahead and get ready, and we'll be off," Keith interrupted, as if Ed wasn't even trying to say something.

Ed cringed at the pain in his back as he sat up, but obeyed his captor. He did have a nice shiny pistol, after all. He pulled on his socks and boots and stood up. Keith was already in the bathroom shaving, so Ed took the opportunity and fell back down on Keith's bed. Ah...he had forgotten how nice a bed had felt. And that was only after one night.

"What the hell're you doin' kid?" Ed shot up instantly at the sound of the big man's voice. He sure didn't waste any time getting ready.

"I dunno...just...relaxing," came Edward's meek reply.

"Well don't get used to it. You won't be doin' much o' that." He walked over to the door and gestured for Ed to follow. Ed was obedient, too afraid to do anything else.

It was easy to defy the Colonel. Fun, too. But Keith...Keith was dangerous. So he quickly learned to drop his defiant nature as he worked along side the man.

Today was their first heist. In the same city they had stayed in, they were going to rob a big bank, using Edward's alchemy to break an entry. The man was quite resourceful.

They arrived at the bank shortly, Ed practically dragging his sore leg with his artificial one behind Keith. Keith was busy looking around, observing every aspect of the building, as if he had done this a million times before. And Ed guessed that he did.

"Alright, kid. t-...what's that 'T' word?"

"Transmute?"

"Yeah, yeah that's it. Transmute through this wall..." he indicated one of the sides of the large building. "...when I give the signal. Follow me inside, and be prepared to do alchemy when I need it and call for it. Stay close behind me too, cause I don' want you gettin' caught by the police or nothin'. I need you too much." Ed nodded.

Keith looked around quickly, seeing that the coast was clear, then shouted, "NOW!" Ed jumped when Keith hollered and ran over to the side of the building. He clapped his hands together and transmuted a hole in the wall. Screams could be heard from inside the building.

Keith ran in through the hole, and Ed followed behind as closely as he could, not wanting to anger the criminal. Keith waved his gun in every direction, hollering threats and demanding all the money he could carry. He looked out through the hole, and saw that the police were heading right for it.

"Kid! Close up the wall! NOW!" Ed ran quickly over to the open wall and sealed it perfectly, and it looked as though nothing had touched it. Shouts of frustration could be heard from the police from outside the wall.

Once he collected a rather large sum of money, Keith pointed over to the opposite wall and told Ed to transmute through that one. And he had just finished when a policeman who had managed to make his way through the front door shot him in the real leg.

Ed screamed, and Keith grabbed him by the automail arm and dragged him as far away from the scene as possible. He turned into an alleyway and propped Ed up against a wall. "You okay, kid?"

"Does it look like I'm okay!" Ed cried, almost hysteric. Blood was pumping freely from his wounded leg.

"Once we get outta town, I'll fix you up." He dragged Ed out of the alleyway and picked him up so that he was riding piggy-back. It was the only way they could get away fast enough.

After a long dash out of the city, Keith finally managed to lose the police by dodging down a different road. He then sat Ed down and looked over his wound. "Don' look too bad."

Ed didn't even have the energy to respond to this statement. He had lost a dangerous amount of blood, and was almost at the point of passing out. Keith took some bandages out of his pack and began dressing Ed's wound over his pants. Ed winced and cringed and even whined, but did not cry.

"There. All better."

"I...still can't walk." Keith let out a long sigh and mumbled, "Fine. I'll carry you. But don't expect me to do this ever again."

Luckily for the two, a town appeared in the distance before nightfall. They ignored all the stares they were getting from the passerby about Ed's leg, which was bleeding through the bandages.

They rented a room in a small inn, and Keith once again claimed the only bed in the room. Ed, too exhausted to argue, sat down against the wall and passed out cold.

Roy was a bit anxious when Ed didn't show up for the entirety of the next whole day. But he wasn't dead. He couldn't be. The stupid kid probably just got himself into some sort of trouble in the town he was in.

"Guess it's up to me to find the shrimp," Roy said, and then sighed. It was getting too boring waiting around the hotel room anyway. He set off in the direction that Ed left in, hoping for a miracle.

Well, hope this chapter was worth the wait. I'll try to be better about it in the future.