Warning! There will be descriptions of violence, and mild torture in this chapter. Don't read if you're squeamish. I will try to keep it as mild as possible, as to not mess with the current rating.

Sorry for the long delay between posts. The plot bunnies abandoned me, I'm afraid to say. I will try to lure them back as much as I can, though it will mostly be to the benefit of Moving Forward, since this story is just about done. One to two more chapters left, and then I might look into doing a sequel. Anyway, Enjoy!

Edward sat on the steps of the cottage as she watched Roy and Hughes head into town, their silhouettes shrinking in the distance. Havoc stood against the wall, his lit cigarette hanging on his lips as it always did. The breeze was cold, making her pull her jacket tighter around her. It would probably snow soon, which filled her with a sense of dread. Auto-mail did not fare well with snow, and if she was taken when it was snowing, and they put her in a similar basement, she would undoubtedly get frostbite around her ports.

She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been thinking about when she'd be taken again. There was no doubt in her mind that that mad man was going to take her again, and soon. The only thing she was concerned about was keeping Roy out of the line of fire. She wasn't going to just lie down and let them kill her without putting up a fight, but she would let them take her. It was their best chance, their only chance, of finding their new base of operations, and she knew Roy wouldn't let her. For her plan to work, she needed him to not be captured with her. How was he going to find her and kill the bastards with him being tied up next to her? It wouldn't work at all.

That's why she was sat watching the distance, with no-one but Havoc around. When Hughes had showed up with news of another victim, Ed was the first one to suggest that Roy go investigate the scene with Hughes. Ed glanced at Havoc out of the corner of her eye, biting her lip as she racked her mind for a way to get away from him. A thought crossed her mind, and with a deep breath, she followed through with it, hoping it worked as well as she needed it to. With an exaggerated shiver, she started getting up, making as much of an effort out of the movement that she could, hoping it didn't look nearly as fake as it felt. To her relief, Havoc moved, his hands pressing down on her shoulders.

"What's wrong Chief? You shouldn't move around…"

"I was just going to go get a blanket. It's bloody cold out here."

"Stay put, I'll go get it…"

"No way, I can get my own damn blanket!"

"General Brigadier Mustang ordered me to take care of you Chief, so that's what I'm going to do. Now stay put."

"Fine." Ed grumbled, though mentally she was fist pumping. "I want the red one, it's the warmest."

With a nod, Havoc disappeared into the cottage, though Ed knew he would be gone quite a while. She'd be shocked if he found the red blanket, seeing as it didn't exist. Ed hobbled into the surrounding woods as fast as she could, trying to make as little noise as she moved. Even though it had been two days since she had told Roy about her past, and even longer since she had been injured, the wound on her calf was stubbornly refusing to heal properly like the rest of them.

After what felt like an eternity of hobbling through the darkening woods, Ed leaned against a tree, her mind racing. Perhaps she was wrong about being watched? Ed had thought that they would be watching her every movement, so they would snatch her up the moment she was alone. Yet, here she stood, no-one even knowing where she was, until Roy found the letter on his bed, that was, and they still haven't taken her. A growl made its way onto her lips, the mere thought of being made a fool out of pissing her right off.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little girl?!" She snapped into the forest, at no-one in particular. She stood there, listening to the birds singing in the treetops, her heart sinking slightly until a familiar laugh echoed through her being, sending a wave of fear through her bones, her head snapping in its direction.

"Well, what do we have here? A little princess with a death wish, it seems to me."

Ed growled at the man as he moved into sight, the same sadistic smile he had had that night, plastered across his face. "I'm not here to be your victim again; I'm here to make you my victim."

"Bold words coming from a cripple." He sneered. "What are you going to do, hop me to death, little princess?"

"I'm not your little princess." Ed moved until she was in her usual fighting stance, the man in front of her laughing as she moved.

"You are, or at least, you will be very soon." Licking his lips, he moved closer to her, his every muscle rippling in the light, making it clear to Ed that he was probably a lot stronger than she had initially thought. That didn't matter anymore now, anyway. All she had to do was put up a good fight, injure him as much as possible, while trying to avoid being injured too much herself.

As he moved into her range, she pushed her weight forward, her Auto-mail arm stretched out in front of her, connecting with the large man's jaw. Bringing her leg up, she kicked him in his chest, the force pushing her backwards as she landed on her hands, flipping back to a standing position. The pure force of the landing brought her to her knees, the pain in her wound making her hiss as she glared up at the man in front of her. To her dismay, he seemed amused at her attacks, making it painfully clear that she had done little to no damage to him at all.

"What were you saying about making me your victim? Are you planning on tickling me into submission?"

"Shut up!" She hissed, pushing her body forward again. Her fist was caught in his this time, as he blocked her attack. His first tightened around hers, before he swung his arm, flinging her backwards until her back connected with a tree, the pain of the contact making her groan.

"Are we done yet, princess?"

Ed pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the searing pain as she forced her body to stand as tall as she could. This fight would be over soon, and she was certain that she would lose, like she intended to do in the first place, but she wouldn't lose her pride at the same time. She growled as he moved closer, until his breath could be felt on her face, when she smiled, a thought occurring to her. Without a second thought, she lifted her auto-mail leg up as fast and hard as she could, eliciting a pained growl from the hulk in front of her as it connected with his balls. Her leg pressed against his shoulder as he huddled, his precious privates cupped in his hands, before she pushed her leg out, forcing him to the ground.

"Really, you lose to a little girl by getting kicked in the nuts?"

Ed flung around, her eyes searching the trees for the woman. The sun was barely casting any rays of light through the trees any more, making it hard to see anything but the silhouette of a woman.

"Come on, Frank. Get up and stop playing with her. Or do I have to do your work as usual?"

Without warning, a large hand wrapped around her neck, the fingers closing around her windpipe, making her grasp at them as she was lifted off of her feet, her lungs complaining of the sudden lack of oxygen.

"Do you want me to kill her now, or later?"

The woman moved closer, until she stood in one of the few rays of light left, making Ed's eyes widen in disbelief. "Later." The fingers tightened, until the darkness that surrounded her, claimed her mind, a single name on her lips as she was swept away.

"What do you mean, Edward's gone?" Roy exclaimed, as the flustered Havoc stood in front of him, a piece of paper crumpled between his fingers. "You had one job, Second Lieutenant Havoc, and that was to protect Fullmetal while I was gone."

"He asked me to get him a blanket, but when I returned, he had slipped away, Sir." Havoc said as he held out the paper, his other hand locked in a salute. Roy took the letter, his eyes scanning over it as a growl formed on his lips.

"Ed let them take him, didn't he?" Hughes asked as he stretched out his neck to try and read the note over Roy's shoulder.

"He says it's our best option to catch them. He says we're to track him down, and when we find him, we'll find the killers."

"If we couldn't find the killer's hideout before, what makes him think we'll find it now that he's been taken?" Havoc asked, his unlit cigarette moving with each word.

"Second Lieutenant, I want you to go find Hawkeye, tell her to organize the men into search parties. She's an expert at tracking, so have her come here when the men are sorted."

"Yes sir!" Havoc saluted before rushing out the door, leaving a rather distraught Roy to his thoughts, Hughes already moving to scan the surrounding forest for any sign of the missing alchemist.

Frank moved through the woods, the unconscious body over his shoulder, as he followed his sister-in-law, her black hair moving like waves with every step, reminding him of his beloved wife. His fingers tightened around the leg of the unconscious girl. Soon, they would finish what they started, and he would get his wife back.

"Frank, I need you to tie her up in the basement, and not kill her just yet. We might have the equipment, but it seems that one of the idiots you commissioned to get it moved here was less than careful with it. I have to re-calibrate it, and repair the damage they had done to the extraction points. Remember what I said, we can't kill her until after we have what we need, do you understand me?"

"I understand. I'll be as gentle as possible."

"Oh, you don't have to be gentle at all. You can break her until she's a hair's width from death; just don't let her die until I say so."

He licked his lips, the excitement of what he was going to do to her boiling up inside him, his speed picking up slightly.

"Edward's tracks end here, sir." Hawkeye said as she crouched next to a pile of ruffled up leaves. "From here, two sets of tracks head into that direction, the one much heavier than the other, probably carrying something."

"Or someone." Hughes mused.

"They're headed in the direction of Fenief." Roy said as he scanned the forest around them. "How many men do we have stationed there?"

"Only Major Armstrong, Sir. The Fuhrer recalled most of the men we had stationed there originally, only leaving those who work under your command, as well as the Major and Hughes, sir." Hawkeye responded, standing upright.

"We'll have to station some men here, in case something happens, and we'll need some more to come with us. They might have a trap set up for us in Fenief." Hughes mused, as he moved back towards the cottage, Roy following suite.

"You're right."

"You're very calm for someone who had a close subordinate taken." Hughes whispered, making Roy growl at him under his breath.

"Edward's life is in danger, Hughes. If we rush into this, or make stupid mistakes, we could force their hands and cause Ed's death. Don't take caution for calm. Make no mistake about this, when we find those bastards, I will burn them to dust."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Hughes shrugged.

Edward awoke slowly, her mind becoming aware of the pain in her back before her eyes even opened. She didn't have to wonder where she was, the last thing she remembered before darkness claimed her, still fresh in her mind. Her eyes opened slightly as she took in her surroundings. To her relief, it seemed like she was in a lit basement this time, the light handing above her head. The room was cold, the temperature intensifying the pain she could feel in her auto-mail port, though she didn't let herself worry about it long, her golden orbs focusing on the table next to her.

She didn't need to try to move to know she was tied down to the table, her arms on either side of her head, her legs spread out as well. The cold of the table on her bare skin told her that she was in nothing but her underwear and her eyes didn't have to focus on the table next to her for long to know what it had sprawled on top of it.

Ed knew she would be tied down, though she had hoped they would tie her arms together instead. That way she would have been able to slam her hands together, however awkwardly. Of course, the thought that they might not, had ensured that she prepared for the situation she was in now. She had originally planned on waiting for Roy to find her, had originally planned on using her trump card to surprise them with the flame alchemist to back her up. The tools next to her filled her with such a fear like she had never experienced, turning her well thought plan into a rushed mess, the need to get out of there almost suffocating her.

Focusing on her fingers, she moved her second and fourth auto-mail digits until they were pressed together, the faint scratches she had made in them forming a simple transmutation circle, one she had practiced using in the last few days. With her middle finger pressed against the circle, she closed her eyes and focused, turning her auto-mail arm into a sharp blade, cutting the ropes around it in the process. With swift movements, she cut the remainder of her restraints, wasting little time to get up off of the table. A glance around the room told her, her clothes were nowhere near. She would have to beat these mad men while half naked, a thought she really didn't relish.

The door slid open, as she shook her head in disbelief at their arrogance. They must have been so certain that she wouldn't be able to escape; they didn't bother locking the door. With swift yet quiet movements, she moved down the hallway, until she came to a set of stairs, the memory of the last time she tried to escape flashing to her mind. Ed stood at the bottom of the stairs, her ears straining to hear any movement. When she was satisfied that she wouldn't be pushed down the stairs again, she made her way up them, pushing the door open slightly to scan around.

Ed glanced around the empty kitchen, the anger at their arrogance boiling inside her. They would defiantly pay for thinking they had her trapped. Her fingers closed around the red apple, biting into it as she moved towards the coat rack, grabbing the first coat, pulling it on. To her relief, it was longer than hers, so she could cover up most of her body. Taking another bite of the apple, as loudly as she could, she moved down the hallway, her arm ready to cut anything that came near her.

Two empty rooms later, she stopped in front of a door that stood slightly ajar. Ed placed the half eaten apple in the hand of the strange sculpture these people probably called art, a smile playing across her face as the red fruit made the bronze man look strangely comedic. She pushed open the door, her eyes scanning the room for her capturers, before landing on the woman in the bed, her hair more silver than black in places.

"Frank, is that you?" A weak voice asked, making Ed swallow hard. "I thought you were helping my sister move something…"

"I was, but it didn't take as long as I thought."

Edward jumped forward, spinning around with her blade pointed straight at the man. She hadn't even heard him walk up to her, what exactly was he?

"I see you finally woke up. Tell me, princess, how did you get out of your restraints?" When Ed just glared at him, he continued, moving over to the bed, completely ignoring her aggressive posture. "Not that it matters. I see you've met my wife, Sasha. Sasha, this is the sacrifice I told you about."

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, dear. I heard they're absolutely amazing."

"What?" Ed blurted out, her eyes moving to the elderly woman in the bed.

"Your eyes, my sister says they're the most amazing eyes she had ever seen."

"They'll be your eyes soon, my love."

Ed backed away from the bed as what he said sunk in, her breath catching on her lips. She stopped short as her back pressed against something, two arms holding hers back. She instinctively started to struggle against her captor, only to have Frank move over to her, his lips carrying a sadistic smile.

"Your metal arm is becoming a real bother, so how about we remove it?"

"No…"

His hands wrapped around her auto-mail, as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. A sick laugh made its way into her ears as a sharp pain filled her port, the wires connecting to the nerves straining as her metal arm was ripped from the socket. A shrill scream escaped her lips, the pain of the sudden disconnection almost sending her mind back to blackness. Ed was faintly aware of her body being dragged down a flight of stairs, a cold metal pressing against her bare back again. The restraints around her arm were metal this time, and she knew she had messed up what was probably her one chance of getting away.

A familiar scent filled her nose as Ed started regaining her senses, the pain in the port lessening just enough for her to focus. Ed watched the door from the table she was tied to, as the woman entered her sight, a bottle with two green eyes swirling inside. She moved closer, placing the jar on the table in full sight of Ed, before she bent over, her lips inches from Edward's.

"Hello Edward. I hope you're ready for what we have planned for you." The familiar voice said, making Ed growl. "I bet you didn't expect me to be involved, did you?"

"I thought you were a decent person, but I guess I was wrong."

"I am a decent person, Edward. It's you and your military that are the real monsters. You blinded my sister, after you let her get tortured and raped. Tell me, who's really the monsters?"

"It wasn't us who did all of that, and even if it was, that doesn't give you the right to kill and torture innocent women!"

"I have every right to avenge my sister. Faking her death was easy for me, though finding a way to restore what your military had taken from her took longer than I had hoped. But now we have a way. First I'll restore her sight, using your eyes. Then I'll kill those military fools who think they have the right to set foot in our town." She laughed as she moved towards the door, Frank right behind her. "You'll wish you never met me, little girl."

"I already do, Lydia." Ed growled as the door shut behind them, leaving her alone again.

A/N: Sorry if it's shorter than usual, and a bit disjointed. Like I said, I have been abandoned by the plot bunnies. Anyway, Feel free to review (always makes me happy to know when you guys enjoy the chapter). Until next time :3