Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait. I moved into college and everything. Had to get used to the feeling so I've been pretty busy recently. But here is chapter 14! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Again, as always, please read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Previously:

Mustang wasn't going to suffer like he wanted. Mustang's reign was going to be a short one. It was the only way that Ed would break out of the curse that was making him forget who he was.

It was time to pay a little visit to his successor. The wheels had begun to turn. It was time to awaken the Crimson Phantom once more…

The Terror of No Time

From the start, Ed really hadn't expected to make it back into the hospital without any one noticing that he had disappeared, but he definitely didn't think that his doctors would take such drastic measures to prevent him from escaping again. He never was a good patient, that much was true, but this time he left for a good reason! How could the doctors do this to him? He grumbled angrily as shook his left arm, making the handcuffs clink loudly against the bedrail. The stupid metal was chaffing against his wrist and it severely limited any movement. Not to mention, his arm was positioned awkwardly, which was highly, highly annoying.

Hughes just looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, Ed."

"It's not your fault, Hughes. Don't worry," Ed replied, trying to control his irritation. He really wanted to just use his alchemy to melt the moronic handcuffs, but if the doctors were willing to go this far already, who knows what else they would do?

"Brother, do you want me to go talk to the doctors? Maybe they'll be more lenient if I talk to them," Al suggested, "This hospital still owes me for the time I helped out in the ER."

Ed just shook his head, "No, it's fine. It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon anyway. Besides, if I'm a good little boy, there might be a reward in this for me."

Al laughed, "Right, as if that will ever happen."

"Don't burst my bubble, Al," Ed pouted. "I can dream, can't I?"

"Such high dreams…be careful or you might get burned, Brother."

"I'm fucking handcuffed to the hospital bed! I've already been burned!"

"Now, now…I thought you wanted to be a good little boy."

"Come closer, my dear brother, and I'll show you how good I can be," growled Ed, struggling with his restriction again.

"That's enough, Al. Tease him any further and Ed actually might get both his arms handcuffed," sighed Hughes.

Al grinned at the thought.

Ed leaned back against his pillows. "Fine, enjoy this while you can, Al, because I will guarantee you that you'll meet the same fate some time soon."

"Is that a threat, Brother?"

"It's a promise."

Al laughed lightly, enjoying the quibble that he had severely missed since Ed had disappeared, but he couldn't help notice how pale and sweaty Ed was. Or the occasional wince that was always quickly wiped off by a neutral smile…Not to mention the odd behavior that Ed had expressed twenty minutes ago. But Al didn't want to question his brother about that quite yet. Pain meds didn't even work on Ed. Al knew how high of a pain tolerance his brother had, but he was absolutely sure that the wound Adonai gave him was not something to take light of, no matter how much control Ed had over his emotions, and he wasn't about to pry answers from his brother when he was already in such an agonized condition. And what was worse was that Ed would not show any sign of weakness while he was there. There was no doubt about it, and it was not doing the alchemist any good at all, questions or no.

Al glanced at the wall, staring at the clock. Almost like subconsciously, he tapped his foot, continuously looking at time. He noticed that Hughes was doing the same, though slightly more subtly than himself.

Ed sighed, "If you guys want to go to the ball, just go already. Stop looking so impatient. Winry and Gracia are waiting, aren't they?"

The two stood up almost too quickly and Ed's eyes narrowed by a little, but he didn't comment on it.

"Well, we'll be back to see you later, Ed," Hughes said, smiling.

"Don't get in trouble now, Brother," Al waved as he started to leave. Both of them were almost out the door when Ed spoke up again.

"Thanks…" he said, quietly.

Al turned around, "What for?"

Ed settled deeper into his pillows, exhaling in relief, "You know the answer to that, Al…"

Al and Hughes chuckled.

"Have a good rest, Ed," Hughes responded, closing the door behind him.

Within minutes of them leaving, Ed had fallen asleep. What all of them didn't know was that Ed was not alone. No, he was plagued by his nightmares and something much more sinister in the shadows…

The night was cold and damp, offering no condolences to the deaths that had just occurred moments before during the rainstorm. The remainder of the rain washed away the blood from the arena, but no matter how hard it poured, the crimson nightmare would not disappear from Ed's hands. Twenty-eight bodies of youths were strewn across the entire span of the dirtied sand; their expressions were frozen in an instant of terror before their lives were taken away in the span of a second. They didn't suffer – just a clean stroke to their vital points and the light faded away from their eyes. But that didn't mean that they couldn't see, and Ed couldn't brush off the accusing glares. A hollowness opened within Ed and nothing filled the void except darkness and coldness. He stayed on his knees, waiting for his humanity to be sucked into that black hole. Yet the ache in his heart would not, could not, vanish.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. The stench of iron filled his nostrils and his stomach turned horribly at it.

"Take deep breaths...deep breaths. You can handle this," came a reassuring voice. The tenor tone sent a warmth through his body, like he just drank hot chocolate on a freezing winter day.

"W-why…" Ed managed to choke out, "Why did we have to kill each other?"

"We told you from the beginning. Only one could be chosen, Edward, and you are the one."

Ed swirled around, tears falling from his eyes unchecked. "Why did it have to be me?" he screamed.

Long, black hair framed the kind, handsome face of his mentor whom Ed had leaned on to get himself through the gruesome training. His mentor had worked with him one on one to pull him forward past his peers. It was because of him that Ed could survive until now and Ed did feel grateful to him. But perhaps his mind was still numbed from killing everyone that he spent the last year with…Those black eyes, once sparkling with pride and anticipation, were now filled with disappointment and anger.

"You won, Edward. Be proud of what you have done. You are now the strongest assassin in all of Europe. You are now worthy of the title, Crimson Phantom."

"I didn't ask for any of this! I don't want to be some stupid phantom!"

The black orbs flashed once and Ed suddenly found himself dangling a foot from the ground with an iron grip around his neck. The air thinned and his vision flickered momentarily, but his training wasn't in vain. His survival instincts kicked in and immediately, Ed retaliated. His knee flew up and connected to his teacher's chin. The hand released him, and the next second, Ed fought for his life once more. Punches sped towards him, kicks forcing him to the ground. Before Ed realized what happened, he was on the ground, panting and silently begging for mercy. A knife came out of nowhere and hovered above his heart.

"Edward Elric, I don't want to do this, but I have to if you don't accept who you have become."

"Then let me go. I have people waiting for me. I want to stay human…Please…" Ed hated the pleading in his voice, but he felt like he could reach this man – to convince him to let him escape with his sanity. The one person left in this world that he trusted with his life would listen to him. He would…

"Do you trust me, Edward?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes, you're the only one here that is keeping me sane."

A moment of silence. "Then what would happen if mentor that you trusted so deeply was to kill you? Would you remain sane then?"

"What are you talking about?"

There was no time to talk. The knife gleamed in the falling dusk and was suddenly forced downwards towards Ed's chest. Ed closed his eyes in hopes that everything would just end – that this nightmare would end, but a fading memory of Al and Roy popped into his mind. His eyelids snapped open, revealing an odd silver glint. With lightning speed, Ed flipped the knife around to slash it deeply across his mentor's face, disfiguring his features.

Not even a scream escaped the man, and Ed felt fresh fear run through his body. The black eyes stared at him, dancing with amusement, while blood dripped down at an increasing rate. A distorted laugh erupted from his teacher.

"Kill me now, Edward Elric, or I shall hunt you to your grave. You know more than anyone what I am capable of. Do it now, or you will suffer slowly."

"I don't want to…You're just being forced to do this. Escape with me. With our skills, we can go anywhere we want with no fears."

His mentor was kind…he was gentle…That was what Ed remembered! Why was this happening now? Why?

Strong hands gripped his arm that held the knife and pulled it closer to the injured man's neck.

"W-what are you doing?" gasped Ed, trying to pull away.

The man just grinned and jerked towards himself once. Blood spurted all over Ed's horrified face.

"C-continue…my legacy…or I'll…c-come back…to kill you…"

Then everything was over. No breathing, no death rattle. Just utter silence.

Disillusionment took control for a moment and when Ed came to, the body was maimed so badly that he couldn't even recognize who was in front of him. He murdered the one man he trusted in cold blood. And he brutalized the body…that wasn't him…that wasn't the action of any human being. It was a monster…there was a monster growing within him, trying to take control each and every second. But along with that, there was a feeling of emptiness and Ed welcomed it with each throb of his human heart.

The apathy consumed him and Ed no longer was who he once was. All fond memories of his human nature had been sealed within his mind. There was nothing – just an empty shell that was meant to be commanded to kill. It was only then when Ed realized the true, terrifying nature of his mentor – for he had become the same as him: the same bloodthirsty beast who cared for nothing except power and strength.

The Crimson Phantom stood up from his knees, walking away from the corpse that had once meant something to him. He paused for a second before deciding to move on once more. His mentor had completed his task – his humanity was no more. All feelings of gratefulness had been replaced with a feeling of loathing and hate. Ed knew he had lost himself because of his teacher's actions, but there was no way back. There was no way that Ed could deal with the lives that he had and would take, and it was all because of that fucking man's fault.

"Goodbye, Heino. Hope to never see you again, you damn murderer."

And the Crimson Phantom disappeared, never to look back again.

Ed's instincts jerked him awake to utter darkness within the small hospital room. For a moment, he thought that it was just the memory that was throwing him off balance, but there was something that sent his nerves on fire, more so than anything that his recollections would cause. Even in the past, when he had flashbacks, there was never any lingering smell of blood for long – especially not such a strong aroma. The bloodlust definitely wasn't coming from him either. No one that he knew would have such an aura walking into his room, unless it was someone else who snuck in. Yet, there was something familiar about this presence. Something about the silent anger and excitement tugged at Ed's memory.

His mouth suddenly felt dry. There was no way…this man was dead. His threat was only an empty one. There wasn't much one could do from the grave after all.

He heard a whistling noise, and immediately, he moved his head quickly. A small knife, illuminated by the moonlight from the room, buried itself in the pillow where Ed's head was a moment ago.

"Fuck!" he hissed, trying to tumble out of bed, but the handcuff kept him in place. All he could do was try to desperately ignore the jabs of pain from his stomach and try to use his alchemy without the assassin knowing.

"Who the hell are you and what the fuck do you want with me?" he yelled, his golden eyes sweeping the room. He had good night vision, but whoever he was dealing with knew how to hide and blend into the shadows.

"Hello, Edward. Long time no see," came the same voice from his nightmare.

Ed almost froze to his spot. His brain went into hyper drive, thinking of a means to escape with his limbs intact. This man was dangerous – even more so than himself when he was at the peak of his assassination reign.

"I thought I told you that I never wanted to see you again, you damn murderer," Ed snarled.

Heino stepped into the moonlight, his scarred face sending shivers down Ed's spine. "I could say the same to you, Crimson Phantom. From what I heard, you have accomplished much more than I ever could have."

"That name is behind me. I'm Ed Elric again," Ed growled, subtly inching closer towards his left arm, his right hand barely brushing against his other.

"I think not, otherwise you would have been dead by now. But I must admit. I am disappointed in you. You have gotten soft. In the past, you would have thrown the knife back at the original attacker and taken his life. This is unacceptable, Crimson Phantom. You have fallen from grace."

Heino's pitch-black eyes glinted queerly in the moonlight as he took a step forward. "Do not fear, my beautiful angel of death, for I shall bring you back to your entire glory."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Fuck angels of death! I'm nothing like you and I refuse to ever go back being someone's puppet!" Ed shouted. His heart thumped loudly for a minute again. He strained his ears to hear any footsteps, but there was nothing. Why the hell weren't the nurses and doctors coming at the sound of his yells? Heino must have done something…Fuck. He was injured and on his own with the most insane man in both worlds. He was so screwed…

Roy…If Ed knew Roy at all, Roy would find some way to sneak out of the ball to visit him. After all, Roy hated dancing and acting in front of those gold-digger women. It was only a matter of time. Ed just had to hold out until Roy could come, even though he hated to have to count on someone to save him. There just simply wasn't anything that Ed could do against Heino in his state and Roy had alchemy. No matter how fast or skilled Heino was in the shadows, Roy could easily eliminate the darkness with the flick of his fingers, and Ed was banking on that. Ed simply couldn't fight against this man again. Not if he wanted to keep his humanity. He knew, deep inside his heart, that Heino only acted so kindly to him when he needed it most because of his capabilities to turn into another highly skilled assassin like himself – Heino was only using him and was nothing short of a demon. He knew all that, yet, he still couldn't forget the good memories he had of Heino. His mentor was like a father to Ed, placing warm towels on his aching muscles after the terrible exercises and consoling him whenever he felt overwhelmed. Heino was someone he trusted deeply who had turned too quickly for Ed to accept anything – that all the limited pleasant memories he had of the camp were all fake. It was just impossible for Ed even though he completely comprehended Heino's true nature. The thorn in his side was ever present and kept his scar from scabbing over. It was stupid, but Ed just couldn't let go.

Nonetheless, no matter what Ed's conflicted feelings about Heino were, the fact was, Ed was in danger, especially with the injuries he had, and he had to get out somehow.

"What do you want from me, Heino?" Ed asked through his gritted teeth, stalling for time while distracting Heino from his slight movements to free himself from the stupid handcuffs.

"Ah, you seem to have it wrong, my dear Edward. I do not want anything from you. You are worthless, numbed by the useless emotions of love and warmth. However, the Crimson Phantom is a different story. It seems as though this world is much more corrupted than Germany. My skills will have people lining at my feet and I will need someone like him to aid me in spreading the darkness across this land. You may deny your true self as much as you please, but I will bring you back, by any means necessary."

"And if agree to join you, what do you plan to do?"

Heino stepped forward, leaning closer to Ed with a wicked smirk on his face. "This world can only fall if its hope has been destroyed. I will make sure that the man who is called Roy Mustang is erased from history and that the Crimson Phantom takes his place."

With his blinding speed, Ed reached up to grab Heino's shirt and pulled him down so that Ed's blazing silver-tinted eyes seemed to take over his entire world.

"Touch Roy and you will regret resurrecting, Heino," Ed snarled, his cold voice raising goose bumps on Heino's arm.

"Good morning, my Crimson Phantom," laughed Heino, his excitement clearly dancing in his black eyes. "It seems that I was correct. Killing Roy Mustang is the only way to awaken you."

"Why not just kill me then? Because I refuse to live without him. You murder him and I will commit suicide. Immediately. There won't be any time for him to come out."

"Then, if I let Roy Mustang live, does that mean you will try to stay alive by any means necessary?"

Ed felt his mouth go drier if that was even possible. Even though his mask was in place, the dread grew exponentially within his stomach at what he knew Heino was going to say.

"See, the problem with wanting to live is that your survival instincts will kick in the instant your mind senses death upon you. Once that happens, your body will do whatever it can to survive, which includes calling out to the side that you have taken such precautions to bury within yourself. You will have no control over it. That is what happened years ago, isn't it? The reason why you suddenly retaliated and accepted who you were was because you wanted to see your lover and little brother once again, wasn't it? The present is not so much different than the past, Edward Elric, or should I say, Crimson Phantom?"

Ed had a split second of reaction time before Heino pulled a knife from his sleeve. He flinched, the blade burying into his pillow a centimeter away from his ear. Immediately, his feet kicked upwards, shoving Heino upwards over him to slam against the wall with his head sliding downwards to the floor. Ed didn't hesitate and blasted the idiotic handcuffs off while tumbling off the bed at the same time. A roar of fury sent Ed scrambling, clapping his hands and pressing them against the floor as quickly as his newfound speed would allow him. The cement melted underneath him and he sank into the bottom floor, but not before he twisted his body around to let the tips of his fingers brush against the ceiling. Before his eyes, a three-foot thick barrier formed rapidly, not giving Heino enough room to follow him down. Like a cat, Ed landed on all fours, almost screaming out loud with the sudden fire that spread from his wound, but he didn't stop. There was no time. Knowing Heino, Ed only had moment or two head start before all hell would break loose.

Ignoring the excruciating agony, he pushed himself up onto his feet, making it unsteadily towards the edge of the hallway where he had fallen. He leaned heavily against the wall, urging his disobedient feet to keep on moving. Breaths were coming harder and harder as his body cried with the abuse. In his paranoia, he thought he heard Heino's glib voice whispering in his ear, but there was nothing of the sort – only the sounds of light footsteps. Whoever was coming nearer and nearer to the blonde had the stride of a confident man who didn't find the need to hide his presence. Was Heino losing his touch? No matter how proud that man was, that murderer would never let his guard down and let himself be seen or heard unless he chose to which was usually during his victim's last moments.

Ed wasn't taking any chances. His automail had already been changed into a weapon and he brought himself to his full height, despite the painful stretching of his stitches. It didn't seem like whoever was walking towards Ed was in any hurry, the sounds of his feet staying at a constant speed, but as soon as he neared the corner, the steps suddenly stopped. Ed's mind reeled. He was sure that he had hidden his presence. Perhaps his wound had dulled his skills…whatever the case was, Ed knew he had to act. Hopefully, he would have the element of surprise on his side, though he highly doubted it with Heino.

In a flash, Ed swung around, his right arm raised to strike down whoever was in front of him. Shocked onyx eyes froze him to his spot. A long, quiet pause echoed within the empty hall, both men taken aback by the sight of one another.

Then, a most welcome voice broke the silence. "Why the hell aren't you in bed, Ed?" demanded the one and only Roy Mustang.

In the midst of the money-grubbers and power-hungry women, Roy somehow managed to slip out of the ballroom without Riza noticing. Granted, Roy had cleverly pushed Jean onto her to let him escape, but he still liked to think that he could still sneak away from the sniper without a bullet being sent in his direction. The arrival of Hughes and Al had warned him that Ed had been left to his own devices. There were only so many reasons why those two would leave Ed alone when he was wounded. For one, Hughes really, really wanted to dance with Gracia and the same with Al and Winry. That was probably something that they both wanted, but it was unlikely that that would be the reason, which only left the possibility that Ed wouldn't let himself be seen as "weak" in front of his little brother. That would only put more stress on the alchemist and the two came to the ball in consideration of their precious family member.

And that gave Roy an opportunity to be alone with his lover on such an emotional night. He sure as hell wasn't letting it go.

The Fuhrer had run to the hospital, and if anyone had seen him, they would think that Hawkeye was chasing him down with a loaded gun. But Roy was just desperate to see Ed. Somewhere along the road, Roy had a gut feeling that it was necessary to hurry. He didn't know why, but knowing Ed, he was getting himself into trouble…again.

When he stepped into the hospital, he could feel that something was off. The abnormal darkness of the place and the lack of people and noises were unnerving. Ed couldn't have blown something up and created a blackout, at least Roy hoped so. Ed never did like the hospital, but even that seemed a little in the outfield…maybe.

Quietly, Roy walked down the hallway of the eleventh floor, his senses on alert. Ed was on the top floor, but his gut told him that something stood between him and the stairs. As he neared the corner, he stopped. There was a queer emptiness around the edge of the wall, masking unspoken terror.

A sudden movement startled him and he found himself lost in a pool of gold. He could quite decide who was more terrified at that moment – him or Ed, but they were obviously freaked out by completely different things. Then, concern settled in and exasperation consumed him.

"Why the hell aren't you in bed, Ed?" he asked, his voice harsher than he had meant.

At the sound of his voice, Ed tense muscles visibly relaxed. Instantly, similar to a string being cut, Ed sagged like a broken doll and would have fallen to the ground if Roy hadn't caught him. Ed was practically panting, sweat covering his brow. Exhaustion was written plainly all over his face and movements.

Alarm spread through Roy. "Are you alright, Ed?"

"You're late," came the simple reply.

"What are you talking about?"

Ed struggled feebly in his arms, trying to stand on his own feet. "There's no time. We have to get out of here."

"What's going on, Ed?" Roy refused to let Ed go and instead, supported the terribly weak alchemist.

Ed's golden eyes stared into the darkness, catching something that Roy had clearly missed. "Fuck, there's not enough time to get out. Roy, listen to me carefully and do exactly as I say."

The unusual seriousness of Ed's tone had Roy's complete attention.

"Find a dead end and keep our backs pressed again the wall so that no one can slip behind us. If you can find one with a window, that's even better."

Without another word, Roy swept Ed up into his arms, carrying him as he ran to comply with Ed's commands. It scared Roy to realize that Ed didn't even complain about being held, which only meant three things: Ed's injury had gotten worse; he was completely and utterly terrified about whatever was going on; or in the worst case scenario, both.

"Roy, do you have your gloves with you?" breathed Ed, his right hand clutching Roy's chest, either in fright or pain.

"Of course," Roy responded, rounding another turn to find the end of a hallway with a window on the wall facing them.

"Good. I need you to put them on as soon as you put me down."

"What's going on, Ed? You need to tell me!"

"There's no time!" Ed said again. "Just listen to me and we'll be fine. I can't fight him so you'll have to do it for me. But his movements are too quick for normal human eyes to catch. I'll direct you. You just have to use your alchemy at the exact time and place where I tell you to. Do you understand?"

Roy gently lowered Ed to the ground, pushing him so that his back was against the corner. Moonlight shone through the window to Ed's right, Roy's left, and allowed Roy to truly see the look on Ed's face. For once, that mischievous mask wasn't in place and Ed had become an open book once more. Roy could easily read the pain, but he wasn't used to seeing fear or uncertainty on the handsome man.

"Ed…"

Ed just shook his head, "No time. Put on your gloves, Roy, now."

Roy felt Ed stiffen the minute his gloves were in place. He whirled around and readied his hands.

"Twelve o'clock, now!" shouted Ed.

A loud snap reverberated against the wall and flames directly in front of Roy illuminated the scars upon Heino's face before he suddenly disappeared again, completely dodging the heat.

"Below, nine o'clock."

Roy could see bits and pieces of the assassin's grinning expression and it pissed him off. The fires became brighter and hotter, but the damn snake seemed to worm his way out of everything, even with Ed's instructions.

"Is this all you have, Roy Mustang?" came the man's drawling voice. Suddenly, Roy found himself face to face with an ugly, deformed, and amused man who bared his sharp, yellow teeth at him. "It seems that it will be much easier than I thought to draw out the Crimson Phantom."

"I was waiting for this…" Ed snarled, grabbing Heino's shirt with both hands. Ed had snuck out from behind Roy and anticipated this chance to rid the hospital of Heino. A quick right knee jab sent the murderer doubling over and Ed used all the strength in his body to heave Heino through the window, shattering the glass everywhere. Without wasting time, Ed leaned out, peering into the darkness, lifting his left hand that now had one of Roy's gloves on it. He snapped quickly and he was rewarded with a loud scream that didn't seem to fade.

Roy didn't wait for the loud confirming thud of a body hitting the ground and swiftly reached out to pull Ed back from the broken shards lest he hurt himself more. Questions bombarded Roy's mind. How did Ed steal a glove off his hand without him realizing it? How did Ed even know how to use flame alchemy? Who was that man? What the hell was going on? Roy didn't even know where to start.

"Ed, are you alright?" he asked first.

Ed nodded, his hand pressed forcibly against his aching side. It was weird. Why did his hand feel wet?

He pulled away and stared at the crimson liquid. "S-shit…"

Roy saw Ed's eyes roll back into his head and the blonde lurched, falling unconscious from the exertion. He didn't even feel Roy catch him again before blackness completely overtook him.

A cold touch roused Ed from his blissful oblivion. Blinking slowly, Ed took in his familiar surroundings. His intelligent mind let him know that he was currently lying on the couch in Roy's new office – and he was not alone. Roy, Al, Hughes, Riza, and Havoc sat around him, in various positions. Roy was closest to him, probably putting a wet towel onto his forehead. Al sat at the end of the couch, his warm hand never leaving Ed's foot. The other three were furiously debating about something in the far corner of the room.

He let his eyes close again, fatigue completely overtaking his body, but then he felt Roy squeeze his hand and he just couldn't lie still anymore.

Turning his head, he took in Roy's tired face with confusion. "How long have I been out?" he croaked out, his voice rough from sleep. His sudden words ended the argument between Hughes, Riza, and Havoc and everyone crowded around him with Al coming around near Ed's head.

Roy's face lightened up at the sight of Ed waking up. "Several hours. You're in…"

"Your office, I know," Ed sighed, mindlessly rubbing his free hand against the newly bandaged wound. From all the vigorous movement, Ed assumed that he tore his stitches, which would explain the unusual throbbing.

"Ed, I know you're tired, but we need you to answer some questions," said Hughes.

Ed nodded understandably. "Al, help me up, will you? Otherwise, I'm just going to fall back asleep."

Everyone reached out a helping hand to ease Ed into a sitting position without hurting himself further. Ed graciously waved the hands away once he was comfortable. "I'm fine, guys. Thanks."

"You're running a fever, Boss. Don't overwork yourself," warned Havoc.

"I'm sure that I won't even need to lift a finger by myself at the rate you guys are going."

"Ed," Hughes started in a disapproving voice.

"Not that I would anyway…" Ed quickly amended, "Too fucking tired to do anything."

"Answer our questions, and we'll let you rest, okay, Ed?" Riza said. "We need to know what happened so we can work out a protection detail. Roy only told us bits and he seems to be as clueless as the rest of us."

"Ask away."

"First of all, who the hell was it that attacked you? And why did he?" asked Roy.

"His name is Heino. He was a well known assassin before my time. I have no idea why he decided to kill me, but it may have something to do with the fact that I was the one who killed him in the first place."

"He's from Germany then. How did he get over here?"

Ed was grateful that Roy just skipped over the part where he had murdered Heino. "I have no idea. He had been dead for several years before I managed to come back here. Maybe returning Adonai opened a chasm for him to escape to. No doubt he found someone to hire him and used this opportunity to find me. I don't think he has the ability to use alchemy, but he is still a huge threat. After all, he was the one who trained me."

"Does that mean he is stronger than you, Brother?" gasped Al.

"He was stronger than me physically, but my speed gave me a slight advantage. Obviously, I'm not completely healed yet, so that proves to be a problem. This man lives and breathes in the shadows. There isn't one place where he can't break in and there isn't a single person that he is not afraid to kill. Our little scuffle in the hospital will buy us some time to figure out a way to counter him. He only has one goal which leaves openings. We just have to find them."

"What goal is this Heino trying to accomplish?" questioned Hughes.

Ed hesitated.

"Ed, don't tell me he's trying to kill you," Roy said, anger clearly visible in his tone.

"If that was his goal, I would be long dead by now," Ed whispered.

"Then what does he want? Does it have something to do with the 'Crimson Phantom' that he mentioned?"

"It has everything to do with the Crimson Phantom. He's trying to awaken him so that he will join Heino in destroying this world, starting from the top – meaning you, Roy."

"We'll just have to stop the Crimson Phantom from waking up then," declared Havoc, "Do you know who he is, Boss?"

"Oh, I know him very, very well," Ed muttered. "And I truly wish I didn't. He is the most ruthless, cold, and emotionless assassin I have ever met. No matter who stands in front of him for more than a few minutes and survives. Women, children…They will die within seconds of meeting him. And what's worse is that he does not have a conscience. At all. He does everything that he is told to do – and I mean everything. Heino wants the Crimson Phantom to wake up because he knows that the Phantom will listen to whatever he says and be the perfect puppet. He plans for the Phantom to take Roy's position and rule over the country with a bloody-iron hand with him as the puppeteer."

"What do you mean by 'wake up'?" frowned Riza. "Is he dead and Heino wants you to resurrect him?"

"I wish, with each second that I am alive, that the Crimson Phantom was dead, but Heino does want me to resurrect him – that much is true."

"Now, I'm confused," Al started.

"Boss, do you know who or where the Crimson Phantom is? If we know who he is, maybe we can take preventative action," suggested Havoc.

"Yeah…I do…" Ed's voice trailed off and most assumed that his exhaustion had taken its toll, but the intelligence officer was not fooled. Hughes took in the tightness of the veins around Ed's neck and the glances downwards – signs of fear and shame. Why would Ed show such emotions about the Crimson Phantom unless…

"Oh, no…don't tell me, Ed…"

Ed laughed mirthlessly, "It's as you thought, Hughes." Sad, golden eyes threatened to swallow the people there whole.

"I am the Crimson Phantom."

Here we go! Chapter 14 is done and hopefully chapter 15 will be up soon. I hope you enjoyed it! Again, please read and review! :)

~ Kanae Yuna