6 months later.

"Down here!" Allen jumps down the small flight of stairs and into the narrow alley way.

"Wait up!" Edward quickly follows, shouting over the gunfire behind them.
"This is all your fault, by the way!" Allen calls behind him.
"My fault!? You're the one who started the game!"
"And you ruined it!" Allen defends. "Everything was going fine until you butted in!"

"No, that way!" Ed heads down an alley, opposite to Allen.
"Hey!" Allen quickly changes direction to head after him.

"We're so dead." Ed groans, leaping up a stairway.

"They'll probably be madder if we're caught." Allen adds.

"What did you-"

"Or when they notice their wallets gone…"
"Allen!" Ed calls. "Are you serious!?"
"Of course." Allen grins, pulling Ed into a side-alley, out of sight.

"Well?" Ed catches his breath.

"Well what?"
"How much?"
"Haven't counted." Allen smirks. "My guess is: plenty."
"Then, I think it's time we skipped town." Ed says, watching their attackers run past their hiding place.

"I think that's a splendid idea."

—

"That was crazy!" Ed flops onto the park bench, swatting at the pigeons swarmed at his feet.

"And rewarding." Allen sits next to him.

"Yes, very rewarding."

"We're lucky we finished the mission beforehand." Allen muses. "Or we'd be so dead."
"But we did." Ed smirks. "And we're not."

—

"What's next, then?" Allen wonders, watching Ed return from the phone booth.

"Apparently I'm headed back to Central." Ed shrugs. "Have to give my report."

"Maybe you should leave out a few things." Allen laughs. "So, you know, neither of us get arrested."

—

"…I've never been to Central." Allen realises.

"Really?" Ed raises an eyebrow. "And I thought you'd been everywhere."
"I avoid capital cities." Allen shrugs. "Too much security."
"You have no idea." Ed nods. "Still, it's where most shit goes down."
"Usually I try to avoid 'shit going down'." Allen adds.
"Is that why you're following me around?"
"…Shut up."

—

22 hours later.

"I'm tired." Ed complains, sinking into his seat and staring absentmindedly at his notebook.

"I think we're almost there." Allen says, looking outside. "We've started slowing down."
"Really?" Ed sits up on his seat, peering through the window. "Damn."

"And here I thought you'd be excited." Allen queries.
"Meh." Ed shrugs. "I was just getting used to… this."
"This?" Allen raises an eyebrow.

"Forget it." Ed dismisses, stretching out his arms.

"If you say so."

—

1 hour later.

"Let's see…" Ed quickly sweeps the platform as the two step off the train.

"Looking for someone?" Allen asks, unconsciously doing the same.

"Yeah-"

"Edward Elric!"
Ed flinches as a very large man promenades towards the two, his very large muscles threatening to burst through his blue military uniform.

"That him?" Allen wonders.

"…Yeah." Ed sighs, letting the man come to them.

"I am delighted for your return, my young friend." The man poses dramatically, the implied glow almost blinding Allen.
"You have weird friends." Allen whispers to a scowling Ed.

"Yeah, well," Ed steps towards the man. "Allen, this is Major…no, you're a Lieutenant Colonel now, right?"
"Correct, Edward Elric!" The man happily answers.

"Well, anyway." Ed turns back to Allen. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong."

"It is a pleasure, to meet you!" Armstrong declares, holding out his hand to Allen.
"Likewise." Allen hesitantly takes the hand. "My name is Allen Walker."

—

Ten minutes later.

"Are all your friends like this?" Allen wonders, eyes fixed on Armstrong, who's driving the car.

"Nah." Ed shakes his head. "I mean, most of them are nuts, but in different ways."
"I guess I understand." Allen says quietly, almost to himself.

Ed decides to leave him alone.

—

"Brother!" A teen barrels into Ed the moment he steps out of the car, toppling them both sideways.

"Ed?" Allen watches his companion quickly recover from shock and embrace his attacker.

"Al!"

"Uh…" Allen watches the two slowly stand, 'Al' laughing sheepishly.

"How have you been!?" Al asks excitedly. "Where did you go? What happened?"
"Let's save all that for when we're inside." A strict looking woman appears, a faint smile on her face.
"Ah, sure thing." Al smiles, pulling Ed towards the large building in front of them. "You have to tell me everything."

"They move quite quickly, don't they?"
"Hm?" Allen looks up at the woman as Armstrong chases after the two teens.
"You get used to it though."
"Oh, right. Yeah." Allen nods.

"You must be Allen." She says, starting towards the building will Allen following.
"Yes, that's right." Allen says. "And you are…?"
"Captain Riza Hawkeye." She answers with a slight smile at her title.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Allen says politely, holding out his hand, which Riza grips.

"And you."

—

"Oh, Allen!" Ed speaks up as Allen and Riza enter the office. "I thought you'd gotten lost."
"Thanks." Allen mutters, heading towards him.
"You're Allen?" Al, who's sitting on a couch next to his brother, stands up.
"That's right." Allen nods. "You're Alphonse."

"Ah, yeah." Alphonse says, heading towards him. "Thanks for taking care of my brother."
"No problem." Allen smiles.
"Don't go thanking him yet, Al." Ed calls over, drawing everyone's attention.
"And why's that?" Al wonders.
"Allen's gotten into as much trouble as me." Ed grins. "Combined with that front he puts up, he's probably worse."
"And you finally admit it." Allen laughs.
"It's the truth." Ed shrugs.

"Did I hear 'trouble'?" The door behind Allen and Riza swings open, revealing a tired looking, dark-haired man.

"No." Ed immediately says. "You need your ears checked, old man."
"Old?" The man growls, stalking over to Ed. "Now that can't be right."
"Oh, it seems those old ears of yours do work a little." Ed smirks.

"Hey, Ed…" Al tries.
"That's 'Colonel Bastard' I assume." Allen whispers.

"…Yeah." Al sighs. "They can never get along."

"Do you have your report?" Mustang leans back on his large chair, eyes fixed on the golden-haired teen.

"Yeah, yeah." Ed reaches into his bag and throws a small stack of paper onto the desk in front of them.

"I hope you didn't cause as much trouble this time." Mustang says warningly. "Dealing with your messes is something you need to start doing yourself."
"Try and make me." Ed dismisses, flopping back onto the couch.

"Hmph." Mustang flips through the report before pushing it aside. "Anyway, there are some pressing matters I need to discuss with you."
"Whatever you say, General." Ed condescends.

Mustang just replies in a similar tone. "Regarding your alchemy."

—

Half an hour later.

"This sucks." Allen decides, eyes fixed on the small door in front of him.

"Allen?" Al says warily. "What are you doing?"
"I thought I'd listen in." Allen admits casually.

"You can't!" Al immediately protests.
"Why not?" Allen turns to him. "Nothing stopping me."
"There's a reason Mustang took Ed into that room." Al argues. "It's probably something confidential! You could get in a lot of trouble."
"I'm always in trouble." Allen shrugs, turning back to the side room. "Now, let's see…"

—

Ed only half listens to Mustang as he recounts everything he already knows.

"You should have returned straight away." Mustang says suddenly.
"Huh?" Ed refocuses.

"I said," Mustang lets out a deep sigh. "After you regained your alchemy, you should have returned straight away."
"I had other things to do." Ed shrugs. "Besides, there were some leads I couldn't let go cold."
"Such as?"
"The Akuma."

—

"If someone sees you…" Al watches Allen worriedly. The silver-haired teen is lying flat on the ground, ear next to the gap near the bottom of the door.

"No one's going to see." Allen reassures. "Besides, I'm just looking for this." Allen holds up a playing card; the ace of diamonds. "Which I dropped while showing you a card trick."
"Huh?"

—

"And this kid you dragged back with you?" Mustang presses. "'Allen Walker' if I recall."
"It was his idea." Ed says. "He's the one that decided he needed to follow me around."
"I see." Mustang isn't convinced.

"Anyway," Ed sits up. "He knows more than he lets on."
"Oh?"
"About the Akuma, about what's really going on."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Just ask him."

—

"Uh oh." Allen jumps up, stepping away from the door seconds before it opens again.
Mustang and Ed emerge, giving Allen a small glimpse of the almost completely empty room, sans the two chairs and desk.

"Is everything okay?" Al asks, watching the two.
"Yeah." Ed nods, turning to Allen. "You're up."
"I'm- what?" Allen looks up at Mustang.
"I need to talk to you." Mustang explains. "Since Fullmetal here won't give me any answers."
"Good luck." Ed adds, walking away.

"Huh?" Allen looks confused.
"Not you." Ed glances back at Mustang. "Good luck, bastard."

—

"So." Mustang sits across from Allen while the latter takes in the small room. It's less fancy than the office, with a drab floor, wallpaper and ceiling. The furniture is dull while and a pathetic light hangs form the ceiling.
"Allen Walker." Mustang warily watches the boy, who seems completely distracted, staring at a spot a little to Mustang's right.

"Hm?" Allen answers with a small mutter, slowly turning to the man. "Yes?"
"That is you right?" Mustang sighs.
"Who?"
"Allen Walker."
"Yes, that's me." Allen nods, putting on a quick smile as his eyes continue to wander.

"Fullmetal tells me you met about six months ago?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Could you tell me why you decided to go along with him?"
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
"…" Allen looks down with a thoughtful expression. "I was curious."
"Curious?"
"About what he could find." Allen meets Mustang's eyes with a passive expression. But nothing could hide the spark of determination in his eyes.

"I see." Mustang lets out a breath. "He also tells me you're quite knowledgable."
"Depends what you're asking about." Allen says.
"And if I'm asking about the 'Akuma'?"
"Then there's not much I could tell you." Allen shrugs.
"That's different, then, from how much you know."
"It is."
"Then, what are you willing to tell us?"
"What do you already know?"
"hmph." Mustang leans back, aware of the boy's control over the conversation. "They're a product of human transmutation, a new form, it seems."
"Yes?"
"They're being controlled." Mustang continues. "By someone, likely their creator."
"Not really." Allen adds.

"'Not really'?"
"It's not one person." Allen says, breaking eyes contact. "There's about twelve of them."
"Twelve." Mustang repeats.

"But there's only one person who makes them." Allen adds quietly.

"I see."
"…They're half machine." Allen breathes. "But you've already figured that out."
"Yes, well." Mustang sits up. "We know little else. They're obviously one person…combined with-"

"Two." Allen whispers.

"Excuse me?"
"Each one." Allen explains, not raising his voice. "In each one, there's two people."

—

"I wonder what they're talking about…" Al wonders.

"Me too." Ed agrees, standing up and heading to the door.
"Brother…"
"What?" Ed crouches down, reaching out with his hands.

"Allen did almost the same thing." Al sighs. "He was listening through the bottom of the door.

"It's Mustang's own fault for not getting soundproof ones." Ed shrugs, letting his alchemy slowly rot away the bottom if the door. In under a second, Ed can hear the conversation perfectly.

"How do you know all this?"
"It's more widely known than you'd think."
"It is?"

"Think about it."

"Brother…"
"Quiet Al, I can't hear."

"Every case involved with them…there's always an odd number of disappearances."

"That's it."

"And I assume you and Fullmetal have discovered more?"
"Read the report."
"…Fine. We're done for today. Thank you for your cooperation."
"No problem."

"Back up." Ed jumps away from the door just as it swings open, revealing a tired looking Mustang.

"Hi." Allen appears behind him, giving Ed a quick wave. "I'm sorry it wasn't very interesting."
"What?" Mustang turns to look at Allen, who's smiling widely at Ed.

"I couldn't say anything that I hadn't told you." Allen finishes, slipping past Mustang. "It was a little pointless to listen.
"Well, I got bored." Ed shrugs.
"Really, Fullmetal? Listening through my door?" Mustang sighs.

Ed just shrugs again, eliciting a groan from the man.

So i know it's been a while but i was really sick all week, so I'm really sorry. I've started writing again, but it'll be a few more days until I get back into posting a lot more.

Thanks for being patient with me and thanks for reading.
this story was a huge trek, there's about 2000 of deleted stuff because I didn't like it. Mostly plot changing stuff that i needed to change, so that's why it's taken a while.

please say if it's a little weird, just because it was written over a little while it might be a little dodgy. please say, I just want the best for you without taking ages to upload.

thanks for again for reading, I hope to see u soon! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

-Cheese Wizzard ("⌒∇⌒")