Sorry for the delay; there was an incident involving a shovel and the main wifi cable...

Also, thank you so much for the supportive reviews; they are my inspiration to keep this story going.

Chapter 3: Apprehension

"Brother is missing."

Alphonse's distress was palpable from the moment he'd burst into the office. Ed's unpredictable nature meant that he was often was unaccounted for, but it was unusual for Alphonse to seem so concerned.

Mustang raised an eyebrow.

"For how long?"

"He left last night."

Mustang furrowed his brow; that wasn't long enough of an absence to send a search party. Alphonse sensed his skepticism and continued.

"I wouldn't worry you for nothing, it's just—he didn't even take his coat, he wore completely plain clothes, so he obviously wanted to be inconspicuous. That means he was doing something illegal or highly dangerous. On that note, he even shows off in highly dangerous situations, so he's probably doing something he isn't supposed to."

Mustang let out a frustrated breath. Ed's missing ego wasn't proof enough of imminent danger, but Alphonse seemed so distressed that he filed a missing report anyways, if only to make the boy feel better.

"We'll find him," Mustang promised. Al bowed his head and thanked the colonel. He felt bad about making a fuss, but something just felt very wrong. Better to make a fuss over nothing than to not pay enough attention to something that could be serious.

Ed was struggling against the haze that he had woken to. As his senses slowly returned, he wondered how long he had been unconscious. Taking a shaky breath, he tried to figure out what he could, despite the blackness of the room. The first thing he noticed greatly puzzled him: his automail was still attached. Any kidnapper with a sliver of decency would be quick to remove the limbs, as it was obvious they would be effective to fight back with. An explanation could be the fact that thick iron manacles kept each limb bound in place.

The door opened as a growing sliver of blinding light that forced Edward to turn his sensitive eyes away.

"Good morning," the man said cheerfully. "I'm sure you have questions. Well, unfortunately, I'm not going to waste precious time by giving you answers." With that abrupt introduction, he produced a fairly large case and set it on the floor. He popped the lid open, revealing two syringes with long needles. Ed immediately began to squirm, eyeing the needles that the man now held in his hand.

"Now, if you would direct your attention to these two syringes please," said the scientist. It was an unnecessary request, as Ed's eyes hadn't left the needles since they had been removed. The man smiled at the syringe in his left hand. It contained some sickly brown substance.

"This is my very own concoction. I'm quite proud." He then lifted the other syringe, which was a dull orange. "This, on the other hand, is the antidote. I'm sure you're wondering why I would need an antidote if I don't care about helping anyone I capture…perhaps you will come to realize why, soon. For now, let's begin." The scientist then approached Edward, who tried to shrink backwards but failed miserably, and before he could gasp there was a needle pressed into his shoulder. The familiar nausea seeped into him as he panicked, trying to get away from the needle, his life-long enemy. Soon it was over, and he was sweating slightly as the scientist placed the empty syringe back into its case. A new fear made its way through him: was had just been injected into him? Did the man want him dead, or did he want information? Would it kill him, or torture him, or turn him to stone?

The shackles opened, sending a startled Edward toppling forwards.

"That is all. You may go," said the scientist. Ed stared, the words not having fully registered in his head. He could leave?

"However," the scientist continued, "I assure you that you don't want to bring any of your military pals over here, and you certainly don't want to hurt me or damage this facility. I do, after all, have the antidote, and it will be very well hidden within this laboratory. Allow me to see you out."

Ed watched in a haze of confusion and the man opened a door, leading to a stairwell that spiraled up and back outside. Was it a trick? Would the stairs explode? Would he fall through them? No need for doubt. He was free, after all, and could now trap the unsuspecting man and make him hand over the antidote.

He clapped his hands together and focused on transmuting the walls into binding chains, but the light from the transmutation writhed and seeped into the floor, snaking away behind him. Ed spun around to see the scientist, one hand pressed to the floor, sleeve rolled up, and bright blue light illuminating transmutation patterns on his skin. He had…stolen Ed's alchemy? It was similar to the time when Ed had first attacked, and yet he felt that something more significant had happened this time.

"I said, goodbye," the man spoke icily, and the next thing Ed knew, the ground was transforming below him and he was being moved against his will… he struggled but could no longer tell where was up and where was down…and he landed in a heap on the grass outside the lab. The sky was dark, so It was most likely the next night. He was shaken but uninjured. The man really had let him leave; had even wanted him to leave…

His first step was to find Alphonse. Then he would see a doctor about whatever he had been injected with. No; first he would notify the military about the weirdo in the laboratory. No, no! To do that he would have to admit that he had trespassed on strictly forbidden property.

Shaking his head, he decided to first find Alphonse and leave the rest for later. He felt immensely tired, as if a heavy wet blanket had been draped over him. Unusual as it was, he passed it off as an after-effect of the sedative he had first been injected with. As he turned to head home, he felt a sharp pain in his side; a protesting in his ribs most likely resulting from being held by metal binds. The back of his mind tugged at his conscious, insisting that something was very wrong.

Just the sedatives, Edward told himself, and continued to walk home through a heavy haze of sleepiness.