Hey guys, I'm back! holds up shield to ward off attacks Sorry it's taken me so long to update but I've been so busy lately. Mum was running that damn program again, I've got a biv coming up in about two weeks and it's gonna take me about that long to pack, I had an English assignment due on Monday, (which I did most of on Sunday (evening)), and I haven't had time to type this chapter up. I told you guys it was gonna take some time to get chapters up as I ran out of pre-typed chapters quite some time ago. I was gonna update earlier today, but guess what! The internet decided to crash! My mum only recently got it back up. AHHHHH!

Anyway, I hope the length of this chapter will make up for the shortness (No Ed, I'm not talking to you) of the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. If I did, do you think I would've let Roy and Riza go so long without kissing and hooking up thus fulfilling Maes' wish for Roy to settle down?

Okay, I've also got another story I'm gonna start posting as soon as I get a title for it. Odds are, anyone who reads it will probably kill me before I get to the good part.

Simply Crisis: We must talk about this issue. I could try and give you a list of all who live in my head but, uh... they keep multiplying and I keep losing people in there. I mean, I know they're there, I see them from time to time but... yeah...

Anyone else who has the same problem as the one that was demonstrated in the Author's notes of last chappy, feel free to give me a buzz.

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Chapter 13

Complications

"So tell me once more: where are we going and why?"

"We're currently trying to get to the place marked out on your map without being noticed."

"Why?"

"We have to see if Lieutenant Hawkeye is being held there."

"Oh yeah."

Lita sighed. Edward's questions were beginning to bug her. Especially since he'd asked them about 10 times already.

"Wait," Edward said "Why am I here?"

The two were currently running along through the alleyways trying to find the meat place without being seen or heard.

"You are here as back up, a look out and someone to confirm whether or not we've found Lieutenant Hawkeye," Lita explained. She then thought 'And to get you out of the Lieutenant Colonel's hair probably. I can understand why.'

"Oh, right."

"Fullmetal, sir, this would be a lot easier if you'd be quiet and stop asking questions. You're gonna get us found."

"Sorry," he whispered "By the way, please don't call me Fullmetal or sir, it annoys me, I'm always getting called that. Usually with some sort of extra comment tacked on the end too," he grumbled. He brightened "Call me Edward. Or better yet, Ed."

"Well then, Ed, you can call me Lita or Li. Li is my nickname. I don't like being called Private or Cortez any more than is necessary."

"Right then. Li."

The two continued to run swiftly and silently along.

Lita was now wearing the 'male' (pant) uniform with the coat tails and Ed was wearing his normal stuff save his bright red coat which would stand out too much. It was left behind.

Ed's brother, Al, had had to stay behind because he made too much noise when he moved. Al had been upset about having to stay behind, but he understood.

They continued to run in absolute silence for 20 minutes. Ed was off in deep thought the entire time thinking about different things, including his latest lead which he'd been about to go investigate when he'd gotten caught up in this mess.

Li (Lita) was focused firstly on staying silent and hidden, and secondly on getting Ed and herself to the place the quickest way possible without being seen. She was taking them on a fairly long route but it was the one she felt was safest. She'd added a few turns here and there when she'd heard people coming. The turns had lengthened the track but they still hadn't been seen or heard, so that cancelled out the fact that they'd had to run farther.

Finally, Li came to a halt. Ed, who was too deeply immersed in thought to notice this, crashed into Li's back.

"Oof! Sorry, Li!" Ed started "What's go--"

"Shh!" Li cut him off "We're here."

Ed looked up at the building in front of them.

"Is that it?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she replied quietly. She looked around for a moment "Do you see a window anywhere, Ed?"

Both looked around.

"There's one," Ed said pointing up at a small window.

"Awwoh!" both griped.

The window was three feet above them.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" Ed complained quietly.

"Um…" Li looked around for some form of boost "There!" she pointed to a large stack of old plastic milk crates. "We'll use those."

For 10 minutes they worked to build the crates up into a milk crate staircase.

"Who thought that something with 'milk' in the name would come in handy," Ed said.

"I know," Li responded.

Both shuddered and quietly exclaimed "Blech! Milk!"

"You hate milk to, huh?" Li asked.

"Don't get me started," Ed replied huffily, crossing his arms over his chest.

The two stared at their creation for a few seconds.

"That doesn't look too stable. Or safe, for that matter," Ed said, eyeing the milk crate stairway.

"It should be fine. We both have really small, light frames. I mean, I'm only 5'1"and you're no taller," Li reasoned.

Ed was able to control his rant seeing as the 'small' comment wasn't directed at his height but rather his body frame and weight. Plus, it was coming from someone about the same height as him and he could see that she hated calling herself short and small too.

"I guess you're right," Ed finally answered. He eyed the stack warily.

"Look," Li said "I'll go up first and see if anyone's even in there. You stay down here and keep and eye and ear out for people."

"Okay."

Ed watched as Li carefully climbed the milk crates. When she reached the top and began to look in, he turned around and started to do his job as look out.

Li carefully peeked through the window and counted her blessings that the crates hadn't broken. Not even she had believed what she'd said.

She wiped some frost off of the window so that she could see in better. She gasped at what she saw.

"Edward!" Li hissed at the boy "Edward, get up here!"

Ed spun around and looked at Li who was beckoning him up. He began to climb the crates. 'Wow,' he thought as he climbed 'Li was right about these crates. They feel a lot more stable than they look.'

Ed got up to where Li was at after about 30 seconds of careful climbing.

"Have a look," Li pointed to the window.

Both peered in and looked at the woman hanging by her wrists in the room. She looked unconscious.

"Is that her?" Li asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Ed replied "You're probably gonna hate me for doing this, but this'll also show us if she's conscious."

Before Li could respond, Ed knocked on the window with his right arm.

"Automail?" Li asked.

"How'd ya know?"

"The sound your hand made when it hit the glass was very distinctive."

"How do you know about Automail?"

"Half of my left arm is Automail. I'll show you and tell you about it later. Knock again. I think I saw her move."

Ed knocked again and this time he too saw the woman stir.

The woman looked up at the window. Ed and Li waved at her. She looked confused and said something, but neither Ed nor Li could make it out. She had a feverish tinge to her cheeks. They noticed this just before her head fell forward again. Either she'd passed out, or was too weak to keep her head up.

"Well?" Li asked.

"Yeah," Ed nodded "It's her."

The door on the other side of the room they could see through the window opened and both of them ducked down.

After a few seconds, they carefully peeked back up over the window ledge.

A man had entered the room and was speaking. Neither of them could make out his face as it was the only thing hidden in shadow. Luckily, his back was mostly to them. They knew for certain that he wasn't looking at the window.

After a few more seconds, he turned sideways and stepped into the light. They could now clearly see his face.

Ed tensed. The memories came flooding back. 'Not him,' he thought 'Why him? Why Barry the Chopper?'

Li felt Ed tense beside her. She turned to look at him and saw a look of complete and utter terror on his face. His pupils were mere dots and no light seemed to reflet off of his eyes. His teeth were gritted. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he screamed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man stiffen.

Before he could turn around and see them, Li put a hand over Ed's mouth to muffle his screams and pushed him down, throwing herself down too. She held him to her with his back to her stomach as they fell and when they landed. She thought maybe the sounds they'd made would be ignored, but then the milk crate staircase fell down on top of them with a loud echoing 'CRASH'.

She continued to hold a hand to Ed's mouth and hold him to her to keep him still. She held her breath and held perfectly still.

A few seconds passed of nothing except Ed's muffled screams to break the silence. Then, Li heard a door open and close and footsteps coming their way.

How were they going to get out of this?

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Dun dun dun...

Okay, I realise Ed is probably a bit OOC in this chappy but bear with me. He has to be, otherwise it doesn't work. Also, Li is a bit of a tomboy. Thus, the boyish nickname. No offence to anyone out there whose nickname is Li and are not a tomboy! Her hatred of milk is based off of two people. Me and my bestie. We both hate milk!

Ed: So do I!

Me + everyone in my head: We know!

Ed: Oh...

Me: Just... go upstairs and play video games with Al.

Ed: Yippee! runs quickly upstairs

Me: Ooookaaay...

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I make no promises about when the next chapter will be up, but uh... I will promise to update as soon as I possibly can! thumps chest

Laters!