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Trackers

Chapter 1

"What was I doing? Where am I?"

"Yo-hoo! Over here!"

"Who are you?"

"Oh! I'm so glad you asked. I am known by many names. I am "World". I am "Universe". I am "God". I am "Truth". I am "All". I am "One". And I am also "You"! You have dared to knock on the door and now the door has opened."

"AHHHH!"

"Quiet child. This is what you wanted. I will show you…the Truth!"

It felt like all the knowledge of the world was being crammed into my head at once.

"STOP IT! IT'S TOO MUCH! MY HEAD IS GOING TO EXPLODE! IT'S TOO MUCH! STOP IT!...Mom, please."

"How was it?"

"I see. My theory of human transmutation wasn't wrong. It can be done. It's still just missing something. Please, you have to show it to me again."

"I can't do that. I've already shown you all that I can for the toll you paid."

"Toll? What toll?"

"This. Surely you knew…..It's the law of equivalent exchange, right, foolish alchemist?"

"AHHHHH!"

"BROTHER!"

Edward shot up into a sitting position, looking around. He was sitting on the couch with a blanket lying on his legs. Sweat was running down his face. Books lay opened on the floor and coffee table. The window was opened letting a nice breeze come in. On a nearby clock he saw it was nine in the morning.

Seeing that nothing was out of place in the living room Edward swung his legs over the couch, tossing the blanket aside as he did. He stretched his arms above his head, causing his back to crack. As he stood up the sound of metal hitting wood floors was heard. He looked at his left leg. It was automail from the knee down. He twisted his ankle to make sure it was working all right.

"Okay Al, what is wrong?" Edward asked as he walked out of the living room and into the hall.

Al shifted on his feet nervously. He wore black boots that went up to just a little above his ankle, blue shorts, and a light blue t-shirt with white strips going down on the sleeves. Around his neck were his dog tags. "Get dressed first, brother." He said.

"You're being weird, Al." Ed replied, but went to the room he and Al shared anyway. He pulled on light brown cargo pants to hide his automail, black combat boots, and a green t-shirt. He pulled his silver chain with his dog tags on it over his neck.

"So, what's wrong?" Edward asked as he came out of the bedroom.

"Nothing is wrong per say." Al said slowly.

The elder Elric raised a brow. "Al."

Al shook his head with a smile. "I think we have another job offer."

"You would think after ignoring all job offers for eleven months that they would stop calling." Edward replied with a sigh. "Just hang up."

"I think you'll want to take this one, brother. The operator said it was a Colonel Roy Mustang calling." Al said.

Ed paused on his way to the kitchen. "Military?"

Al nodded his head as he pushed passed his brother to get into the kitchen. He moved to the counter where dishes lay like they were being prepared for breakfast. Next to them was a bowl of pancake batter and glasses with orange juice in them. The phone lay on the table.

"Patch him through." Edward's voice ordered.

The younger boy looked over his shoulder to see Ed sitting at the table with papers all over the table and the phone in his hand. A pen was in his free hand. "Colonel Roy Mustang, what does the military want with the Trackers? We are doing nothing wrong." Edward said when Mustang was patched through.

"No, you aren't. The military needs the help of the Trackers." Mustang replied.

"That's really sad." Edward mockingly said.

SLAM!

Edward chuckled at the sound of Mustang slamming a fist on a desk.

"Listen, this wasn't my idea. I don't want the help of a group of freelance defense teams." Mustang growled. "But the Fuhrer thinks you will be good help to us. This line isn't secure. We have to talk in person."

"I don't know. I'm not sure if we want this job. You see, we don't like the military." Edward said suggestively.

"I know about you Trackers. You hardly ever take a job unless it pays well." Mustang growled.

Ed smirked. "So you've been doing your research."

"This is the military. We can pay you really well." Mustang said annoyed.

The elder Elric smirked. "That's good. But see it all depends on the job. We don't take more than what the job entails. But I must say that I am curious. Where do we go?"

"Central Headquarters in Central City." Mustang said. "What is your name? I need to give the soldiers at the gate a name to let you in."

"Fullmetal is my work name and the only name you will get." Edward replied, nodding at his brother in thanks for the pancakes and orange juice. He wrote some information down on his papers. "Now if you don't mind, I want to have breakfast. Good day to you, Mustang."

Al started picking up the papers as his brother hung the phone up. "So?"

Edward sat back down in his seat, grabbing one of the papers off the table. "We have a possible new job."

"I'm surprised you said you'd meet him. We haven't taken a job in almost a year. Are you sure you are ready to get back to work?" Al replied.

Shrugging, Ed started to figure out the numbers on the paper. "We're running out of money. And besides, I'm all better now. I can use my leg perfectly now. There is no reason to deny jobs anymore. Anyway, we'll head to Central on the next train. From what I can tell we have enough money for a few more months. Hopefully this job pays well."

"We're going to have to talk to Winry and Granny Pinako before we leave." Al said.

Groaning, Ed let his head drop to the table. "Do we have to? You know how Winry gets when we tell her that we are leaving for a job."

"She just worries for us. She knows that being Trackers is dangerous." Al scolded his brother.

"Yeah, yeah." Ed said bored as he sat back up and started eating his pancakes. "We'll pack after breakfast then head to Winry's and leave after." He added around his chewing.

Al wrinkled his nose. "Don't talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting. Have you forgotten all the manners that Teacher taught us already?"

Ed swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking for his brother. "Nope. But Teacher isn't here."

Sighing, Al rested his head in his upturned palm. "That's horrible, brother. Think about the people around you."

*Trackers*

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?"

"You're not even out of rehabilitation yet and you are already leaving." Winry growled, picking up her wrench off the floor. "You two have been coming and going with this job for three years. I thought that since you haven't left for any jobs this year that you were done with this. You've been doing this since you were eight, Ed. It's ridiculous and highly dangerous."

Rubbing his head, Ed leaned back against the couch. His brother was sitting on the couch, drinking milk from a glass and watching the scene with evident amusement. "Win, you know that we like to travel. We've been declining jobs for eleven months because of my injury. But now that I can get around again, we have to get back to work. We are running low on money. And we'll need more money soon with you and Granny Pinako taking all our money for that automail surgery. I'll need more money for repairs if I need any."

"Are you planning on breaking my automail?" Winry asked darkly. "The automail I slaved over for you?"

Ed held his hand out in front of him in frantic defense. "No! No! I would never break my automail on purpose, Win. You can't plan for those kinds of things. Accidents happen! Your automail is a work of art. I would never want to destroy it."

"Nice save." Al whispered in Ed's ear as Winry smiled at the compliment and began to talk excitedly about her automail.

"Thanks for nothing, little brother." Ed growled.

Al smirked in a way that was so un-Al like. "I'm smart, big brother. I know not to get involved when it is you and Winry."

"Who is your client now anyway?" Winry asked.

Ed groaned. "The military."

Winry stared at Ed then at Al. "The military?" She asked in slow skepticism. "I thought you two hated the military and would never take a job from them."

Al shrugged. "We needed a job and fast. They are going to pay us well hopefully."

"And plus I'm curious as to why the military needs help from freelance protectors." Ed said thoughtfully. He rubbed his head where a bump was forming. "I wish you would stop hitting me with your wrench."

"Well if you would stop being an idiot." Winry suggested lightly, tapping her wrench in her hand menacingly.

Al chuckled.

"And you!" Winry pointed her wrench at Al. "You stay out of trouble as well. We don't need both of you needing automail. And keep your reckless brother out of trouble. This is the military you are dealing with now. Anything could happen. And besides," She glared dangerously at Al and Ed. "Edward is not done with rehabilitation anyway. He is being stupid and taking a job before he is ready. Keep an eye on the idiot. I would tell you to decline the job, but I know you two are stubborn and would leave anyway."

"Yes ma'am!"

"I'm not reckless!"

Al and Winry stared at Ed in disbelief. "Do you really believe that?" The younger boy asked.

"Do you really believe I am reckless?" Ed retorted offended.

Winry and Al looked away from Ed. Al was whistling innocently while Winry was trying to hide her giggling.

"Traitors." Ed grumbled.

*Trackers*

"Do you think they'll take us seriously? None of our clients have ever taken us seriously when they realize that we're kids." Al asked as he stared out the window to watch the scenery flashing pass as the train rattled down the track. He wore his steel blue cargo shorts, a pair of black boots that went to just a little above his ankles, a steel blue sleeveless shirt, a charcoal gray jacket with blue lining on the edges and a blue clip at the top that was left undone, and his dog tags that he kept under his shirt so no one would accidentally see his name. No one was allowed to know his or Ed's real name, except for Winry and Granny Pinako of course. It was a safety precaution when they first started this job. But after a few missions the boys realized that not giving their names left a fear in their targets. The targets didn't know who was chasing them so it created a type of fear that always hung in the air.

Looking away from the window, Ed raised a brow at his little brother. He wore his black and red combat boots, his black cargo pants to hide his automail, a black sleeveless shirt, his black jacket with silver lining that was clipped shut at the top with a silver clipping, a wide brown belt, black gloves, and his dog tags were hidden under his shirt. If it wasn't for his automail leg he would be wearing shorts like his brother. On his right arm were steel bracelets that Winry made him a few months ago that he could use as weapons. She only just gave them to him before he left for this mission. His and Al's outfits were the outfits that they wore when they were on missions. "We'll just have to prove to them that we are who we say we are."

"How? We're running out of tricks." Al replied, turning his face to his brother.

Ed shrugged. "I'll just wing it."

A groan sounded in Al's throat as he slid off his seat to his knees on the floor. He buried his face in his hands. "I hate when you say that."

"Have some faith in your older brother, little brother." Ed said offended.

"Do you remember the last time you winged it, big brother?" Al asked.

Narrowing his eyes in thought with a frown, Ed felt a violent surge of panic pass through his body. "We said we would never speak of that day again."

Al pushed himself back up and sat back on his seat with a smirk. "Just proving a point."

"I hate it when you prove points." Ed grumbled.

Al gave his brother a huge impish grin. "You make it too easy."

Silence fell over the boys as they went back to what they were doing before. Al looked back out the window to stare at the scenery flashing by while Ed picked his book off the floor. It had fallen off his lap and onto the floor when Al started talking to him. He had been so shocked out of the silence that had lapsed over them since they left Resembool. He flipped through the pages until he found his page.

The ride to Central took three days. The time on the train was spent sleeping, talking, reading, staring out the window at the scenery, or going over some paperwork for the Trackers. They kept record of everyone who hired them, who they tracked down, financial papers of who had paid them, everything they owe and of the ones who are still paying off their bill, contact information, and if it was a criminal they tracked they made sure to keep track of them in case something else happened with them.

"Back in Central!" Al cheered as he and his brother walked off the train, suitcases in hand. "How long has it been since we've been here, brother?"

Ed looked over his shoulder at his brother with a grin. "I don't know. I think about two years. We only had one job in this city. With the military's headquarters here there aren't a lot of jobs for us."

"I wonder who we are supposed to track." Al spoke out lot thoughtfully.

"We'll find out soon enough." Ed replied.

A/N: Please Review!