BIG GIANT HONKER NOTE! I have made some changes in Chapter 4. Major changes. You cannot read this chapter and understand it unless you look back at Chapter 4.

Disclaimers: I don't and shall never own Fullmetal Alchemist, no matter how many magic books I buy.

The room was big, because the Master didn't like small spaces. It was also cold, and very, very dark. But even with the room furnished to his liking, he still wasn't happy.

For years, he had searched for the Dragon's Stone. And for years it escaped his grasp. The goal seemed hopeless, and yet, he couldn't give up. Not yet. All the money he invested, all the time he spent… he couldn't let it go to waste. No, there had to be a way.

He told himself this repeatedly, yet the feeling of hopelessness still prevailed. It made him irritable.

A shift in the darkness of the doorway caught his eye. Stealthily a dark shadow flitted through the door and kneeled in front of the Master. It was hard to look at him, as it looked like the very darkness draped his form. Staring at him was like staring at a man-shaped void.

"My lord," whispered the shadow-man. "I have interesting news."

"Be quick about it," snapped the Master. "I'm in a foul mood today."

The shadow-man's throat bobbed. The Master was not a good person when like this. "My, my minions have discovered a Gateway, my lord," said the shadow-man.

The Master smiled at this news. The shadow-man only grew more nervous; the person before him was also known for acting without notice. He trembled.

"Is that all?" asked the Master, his pleasant tones masking the malevolence within.

"Yes, my lord," said the shadow-man.

"Hmmm… You are dismissed," said the Master. The shadow-man breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't die. Turning towards the door, though, the Master stopped him.

"Wait…" commanded the Master. Turning back to the shadow-man, the Master reached deep into his cloak, and- quick as lighting- slashed at the shadow-man's arm with a dagger. The arm dropped off cleanly. The shadow-man gasped, grabbing what was now a stump. Black blood pooled to the floor.

"Don't stutter," said the Master. "I won't stand for failure."

"Yes, my lord," panted the shadow. Gingerly he picked up his arm and flitted out the door.

The Master sat back down on the floor. A grin was still glued to his face, but this time it was genuine. A Gateway, an actual Space-Time Gateway. He could finally continue with his plans.

The pleasure of it all was too great. The Master let out a cackle, loud and deep, that sent chills through any one who heard.

Happy or not, the Master was not one to be trifled with.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The country of Black is a very unique place. For one thing, it has only one city. For another, the city's borders were the country's borders. The country Black, and the city Black, were one and the same. Black was so huge, and had such a large governing system, that the World Council let it become its own country. Nobody minded; long before the World Council had decided on the matter, people considered it to be a whole world of its own.

Another thing that made Black so unique was that it was the only place on Earth where magic worked. No one knew why, it just did. It was because of this that Black was so huge. People, greedy for the prosperity magic brought, rushed to join the wealthy numbers. The population jumped, people prospered, and the city/country of Black generally became the center of commerce.

Soon, though, the prosperity collapsed upon itself. Gangs were formed in the darkest of places, all dreaming of the same dream: to one day control the wealthy city. Crime wave rose, and the city that once shined in golden wealth crumbled into desolation.

And so we reenter the story…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Nii-san! Nii-san!"

A pearly-white suit of armor raced down the alleyway. Its clanking metal boots echoed on the narrow walls. A white tunic with a red cross on front clung tightly across its chest.

"Nii-san, where are you?" shouted the white armor.

"Up here, Alf." A pale figure wearing a black cloak looked down at his brother from the rooftop. His hair was blonde, cut short to bristle behind his ears. Sunglasses hid his eyes from view. "Come on," he yelled down to his brother.

"Nii-san," answered Alf from the ground. "How am I supposed to get up there without my magic?"

"You could leave the armor," he suggested.

Alf sighed. He couldn't argue; time was pressed. Taking in a deep breath, he relaxed his body, letting all the joints hang loose. Gradually a light mist rose from the helmet. It assembled and compressed itself into a cloud, and then a shape, until the cloud formed a ghostly version of a young boy- only, without legs.

Alf floated up to his brother. Behind him sat the white armor, immobile. "Nii-san," he asked, "why do you have to be so impatient?"

"Who ever said I was impatient?" asked the brother. "Now hurry up. We have a bounty to catch." Turning away from his ghostly brother, the boy leaped away to the next rooftop. The ghost-boy sighed.

"Why do I do these things?" he asked himself as he zoomed off to catch up with his brother.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Moments later Alf caught up with his brother, who was standing silently on the roof. The wind ruffled his cloak, making it snap with impatience. His sunglasses hung loosely on his ears, revealing to the world a set of golden eyes.

Alf floated next to his brother. "Nii-san, could you run slower-"

His brother shushed him. "He's almost here."

Alf nodded in understanding. The bounty they were tailing had a large reward on his head. They couldn't slip-up now and let that kind of money pass by.

It didn't take long for him to come. Before long, a squat, balding man with a crooked nose and thin dry lips walked by. He would have looked as innocent as any other passerby if it weren't for his beady eyes flickering left and right, searching cautiously for something. The brother grinned. He knew what the man was looking for. Him.

Slowly, so as not to bring the criminal's attention on him, the bounty hunter pulled out a single dart. It was sleek and needle-like, with only a grip at the end of the shaft to decorate it. With lightning speed he flicked it at the man's direction.

The dart hit a pipe near his head. A sharp ring resonated, startling the bounty. He jumped away from the sound, then turned sharply from his path to a nearby alley way. The bounty hunter smirked. Trapped like a mouse.

Lightly leaping downfrom the rooftop, the bounty hunter stepped casually across the street and into the alley the criminal had escaped to. It was dark and dank and coated with grime. He could hear the bounty head's footsteps echo in the still air.

He quietly followed the man, making sure to step lightly in the debris and keep to the shadows. The footsteps quickened. He ran faster. Suddenly, a cat screeched from a trash can; its yowl turned into a monstrous rumble from the echoes. The cautious footsteps broke into a run.

And now the chase begins, the bounty hunter thought. Throwing caution to the wind he sprinted after the man, quickly shortening the distance. Soon he could hear the criminal's ragged breathe. He could see his cloak fluttering in the wind. It grew closer, and closer, until he was almost on him. A sharp turn came up; the man stumbled around it. The bounty hunter grinned. Just a little more until I-

But as he turned 'round the corner, he saw no one there. The man was gone. No where at all, as if he'd vanished from the face of the earth. But the bounty hunter knew better. His prey had cast an Invisibility spell, nothing more. He could easily take care of that. Taking out his sun glasses, he gently slipped them on. A cloud of white mist came to view, with the now visible man standing within it. He stood to the side, sweat cascading down in rivers on his brow.

"I can see you," said the bounty hunter, smiley not-so sweetly at the criminal as he turned to him.

"No, no," stuttered the man. "This can't be real!" He wiped furiously at his brow. "Only mages who gained their Mastery can see through invisibility spells!"

"That doesn't matter now," replied the bounty hunter. "You're finished."

"NO!" Reaching into his cloak, the man brought out a gun and pulled the trigger. There was a bang, followed by a curse.

"Crap!" muttered the bounty hunter, holding his ear. Blood trickled slowly through his fingers. His sun glasses lay on the ground, knocked down by the bullet. Slowly he faced the criminal with venom in his eyes, who stood there looking stunned.

"You're going to pay for that," he whispered. The man just stood there, shaking. The golden eyes that stared at him so angrily were mesmerizing. He couldn't break away. He couldn't...

Before the man knew it, the person who had chased him bit his neck. With sounds of delight (AN: Eww, don't go there...) he sucked greedily at the blood. All his anger ebbed away as the luscious liquid poured down his throat. Blood, delicious blood...

The man felt light-headed. His mind grew blank. Thoughts swirled around his brain in a slow mesh. Who was this person? he thought through his hazy mind. Finally, the bounty hunter was done. With a smack of his lips he stepped away from the criminal, examining his work.

"Thanks for the meal," he said, smirking. "It was delicious."

"Who... who are you?" asked the man, weak from the loss of blood. As the man fell to the ground unconscious, he answered him.

"I am Vedrick Gouhl. Magician, bounty hunter, and... vampire."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

(fangirl scream) I GOT THE 5TH CHAPTER OUT! Seriously, I thought I would never get it done. I'm so much of a potato, it's not even scary.

Anyways, I thought it was really hard, deciding on a name for Alter!Ed and Alter!Al. Even now it seems a bit… titchy. And writing the chase scene wasn't that fun either. Oh well. It is with highest hopes that you liked this chapter. Keep your fingers crossed for the next!

-fishy