Edward Elric is very familiar with death. After all, he had been in its icy claws once before. Committing Human Transmutation had nearly killed him. He would never forget collapsing beside the suit of armor, nearly unconscious. Edward forced himself to endure just a bit longer to make sure his brother was in the armor. When he confirmed Alphonse was alive, he passed out immediately.

Alphonse was so relieved when Edward woke up three days later. He was in too much pain to understand how he had gotten to Granny Pinako's. Winry would tell him months later that Al had shown up at their door on that rainy night, carrying his unconscious body. Ed never wanted Al to go through that ever again.

Ed kept that feeling of death in his mind as a reminder of why one should never try human transmutation. It wasn't until four years later, at fourteen he would feel the icy claws of death wrap around him once more.

Edward grumbled as he walked through central HQ. 'Of course, colonel bastard had to call me in right when I'm getting ready to look for another lead.' "What's wrong Nissan?" Al glances at Edward. He was silent for a moment. "Colonel bastard is about to issue me a new assignment when he knows we were about to leave for another search for the stone."

Alphonse stifles a sigh. His brother had always disliked Colonel Mustang. He had never understood where the roots of the dislike started. "Brother, the stone can wait for a while. I can wait." Edward's paced slowed, guilt flaring up.

A frown came to his face, and he hoped that Al didn't notice. The guilt was his to carry and not Al's. He and Al came to this conversation many times in the past. He'd never understood why his little brother was so forgiving. 'I don't deserve him.' It was true, ever since that day; he had never felt that he deserved Al's love or trust.

Ed felt the guilt rise in his chest. 'Hopefully, you won't have to wait that much long little brother.' He remembered the first time he profusely apologized to Al. It had been recently after his automail surgery and he was half delirious from pain. He remembered breaking down to sobs in the bathroom, he had just vomited from the pain.

Al had comforted him then, holding him in his arms. "I don't deserve to be held. I screwed everything up, and now you're trapped." He had sobbed in his brother's metal arms. All Al did was hold him as he sobbed. "Brother, it wasn't your fault. I helped you, I'm partly to blame." His sobs had calmed down to mere hiccuping whimpers by then.

"I'm your older brother, Al. I should've known better." He didn't know what Al said after that. Ed remembers that he finally fell asleep, exhausted from sobbing. The next thing he knew, he was laying in his bed, Granny Pinako watching over him. That was when he resolved to get his little brother's body back.

Ed's broken out of his thoughts with a tap on his shoulder. Edward shakes his head and turns towards Al. He feels Al's questioning look but ignores it. Edward raised his automail leg, buried down the feeling of guilt, and kicked open the door. His golden eyes looked around the room and a smirk came to his face.

The silence that met him was unexpected. He had expected at least some cheers from Havoc, a greeting of 'hey chief.' Ed's golden eyes survey the room as he walks in. "What's going on?" He had never seen Mustang's office so silent. Now, that wasn't entirely true. He had only seen the office this silence once before. It had been when Havoc had been shot by a terrorist when he had gone out on a mission that should've been harmless.

Mustang comes out of his office. "Let's talk in my office, Fullmetal." Ed doesn't really get what's going on. Even Mustang was silent as he waited for Ed to walk into his office. He had never seen his commanding officer silent for so long. Mustang closes the door behind Ed and sits in his chair.

"Mustang, what's going on?" Ed can't stand the silence that permeates the room. "He struck again." Edward's blood runs cold. He knows exactly who Mustang is talking about.

Over the past month, there had been thirty killings throughout central. Each victim was found with their throats slit and either one of their arms or legs missing. They would also be missing teeth and fingernails. Each death was a perfect crime.

Ed had watched as Mustang grew more and more frustrated with each passing day as no leads or evidence turned up. It frustrated Ed, how could one person get away with killing so many people? Ed doesn't think he's ever felt as frustrated as he is right now.

Ed hisses and anger. "How does this bastard keep getting away?" Mustang gives him an unimpressed look. He places a file in front of Ed. Ed looks at him suspiciously, Mustang had been trying to keep him away from this case for ages. "I thought you didn't want me on this case," Ed growled.

Mustang snorted. He wouldn't admit it, but the kid was lightening his mood. "There's been a change in circumstances." He pushed the packet over to Ed. Ed crossed his arms. "Is that why they're all quiet like someone died?" He motions to the closed office door. Mustang nods. He prepared himself as Ed opened to the package. Ed's eyes widened as he read the paper.

Dear Roy Mustang,

I hope you like this little gift I left you. It was such fun cutting my victims up. Who knew that human flesh was so easy to cut through. You might be asking why I'm killing them. Well, I need your attention. In the event you're reading this, give it to the Fullmetal Alchemist. I will know if you haven't.

I've heard of the many things that the great Fullmetal Alchemist can do. It's not every day that someone can transmute without a circle. In fact, I know exactly what happened to make you be able to do that. It's what also put your younger brother in that suit of armor. You've seen the truth. I've always wanted to see the truth. There haven't been any reports of people who've committed Human Transmutation and lived.

If you don't want to go to prison and see your brother in a laboratory for the rest of his life then meet me at 12th and Susana on August 12th by 12:30 AM. If you don't then we'll just have to see what happens to that friend of yours. Winry Rockbell was it? She lives in Resembool, your childhood friend. You also wouldn't want me to leak your secret, right?

Sincerely,

Anamala

Edward slams his automail fist down on Mustang's desk, cracking the wood. Ed's shaking with rage. "When did you get this?" He demands, golden eyes burning like a raging forest fire. "Earlier this morning." Mustang watched Ed, trying to see how angry the kid was. Ed hisses and kicks the side of Mustang's desk.

To say that Edward was enraged was an understatement. He would do anything to protect the ones he loved. Ed didn't care that this psycho knew his secret. He didn't care that he was at the risk of being sent to prison for the rest of his life. Ed didn't even care that this Anamala guy probably wanted to kill him. Nobody threatened Al and Winry and got away with it. Nobody got to threaten Al, his brother, his world, his reason for living. Nobody threatened Winry, his best friend in the entire world and got away with it. Those two people were the only people in the entire world who understood him. So, yeah, saying he was pissed off was an understatement.

"What did this Anamala guy send you, Mustang?" His rage-filled golden gaze searches Mustang's dark eyes. Mustang rummages around on his desk and pulls out two photos, crime scene photos. Ed snatched the pictures angrily from Mustang's hands.

He wasn't prepared for what he saw. A young woman lying on the ground, covered in crimson. Her sky blue eyes staring unseeing. Her throat had been slit from ear to ear, along with her left arm. It was missing from the elbow down. Her left leg was almost cut in half. Ed felt that he was going to be sick.

He grimaced and pushed the photos back to Mustang. "Who was she?" He asks and suppresses the sickness he's feeling. "Rianan Mooresky, 20. She worked in a local tavern, making money for her sick mother. Ed sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He takes a second. 'All these victims, were they killed to gain my attention?' The thought makes Ed feel sick.

As if knowing what he's thinking, Al puts his hand on Ed's shoulder. "This is my fault." He looks at the ground. Thirty people had died because of him. He swallows the lump in his throat. His consciousness slams into him. 'The killings are all your fault. Your recklessness has finally caught up to you!' He banishes the thought from his mind and tries to focus on the task at hand.

Roy watched the kid as he receded into his own mind. He tilts his head, watching the kid's golden gaze. His golden fire reflected anger and then changed to guilt. Roy can tell that guilt is eating the kid alive. He can't help but sympathize with the kid.

Roy knew the feeling well. He would feel the same feeling after coming home from Ishval. The feeling of death on his hands nearly drove him mad. During Ishval, he'd have bad nightmares. The nightmares of him burning his friends alive never went away. He knew what was going through Ed's head. It wasn't Ed's fault. It was the fault of this Anamala guy who was running free right now.

"This isn't your fault, Fullmetal. This guy sounds insane." Roy hoped that he could make Ed understand that under any circumstances he wasn't to blame. After all, Ed was reckless, selfless to a fault, and willing to sacrifice himself for a loved one at a moment's notice.

Ed shakes his head. "He said to meet me on August 12th, right? That gives me two days to make a plan to stop this guy." Edward met Mustang's gaze in defiance. "This is my fight. I'm not going to let you stop me." He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Fullmetal," Mustang warns. "You're not doing this alone." Ed's golden glare turned dangerously orange as anger determination filled his eyes. "You can't stop me, Mustang. This guy wants me. I'm not letting anyone else get hurt. If it's me he wants then it's me he's going to get." Ed turns and flings the office door opening. He's so angry. He's going to stop this psychotic bastard and the killings, screw what Mustang thinks.

Alphonse says an apologetic goodbye and follows his brother. Mustang massages his temples, preparing for the oncoming migraine. He hears a knock on the door and looks up. His lieutenant stands at the door, a thoughtful look on her face. "It didn't go took good it looks like." He sighs, she knew him so well.

"He's going to do something reckless. I can tell. He's always reckless when the people he loves are in danger." Hawkeye nods. "We could post guards outside of his dorm room." She offers. He nods. "It would be a good idea but, he's smart, he could outsmart them." Finally, he got an idea. He'd have to tell this to Alphonse, who he hoped would agree. "He's not going to like this lieutenant, but if worse comes to worse then it'll be a last resort.

"Sir, am I going to like this?" Her amber eyes stare into his dark eyes. He rubs the back of his sheepishly and gives her a half-smile. "Probably not." He sighs. "Can you bring Havoc in here?" "Yes, sir." She salutes him and goes to find Havoc.

Hawkeye returns a few minutes later, Havoc in tow. "You need me, boss?" Havoc pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Roy rolls his eyes. He's never understood Havoc's love for those things. "Yeah, if worse comes to worse, we need a way to knock Fullmetal out so he can't go after this guy."

Havoc looked at him, eyes widened. "You sure that's not a little over the top? The chief is going to be so pissed. We don't know what could happen after he wakes up." Roy understands Havoc's fears but this is Ed they were talking about. The kid who brought his mom back to life, the kid that one time somehow managed to take down a four-story building just to catch one criminal.

"It'll only be a last resort. When Fullmetal sets his mind on doing something, he's going to do it." He reassures Havoc. Havoc nods. "Propofol would knock him out completely. Usually knocks a grown man out within Ten minutes. My guess, with how small he is, would take five minutes at the most." Roy nods to himself. This could work as a last resort. He would probably hate me if we used it on him. Roy shakes the thoughts from his head. If it meant protecting him, he could live with Ed hating him.

"Get it prepared. If he tries to sneak out or uses force to try and go find this psycho then we'll have to use." Havoc nodded. "I hope we won't have to use it, boss." He said as he left the room. Roy sat heavily in his seat. He just wanted to catch this psychotic bastard and end all the chaos once and for all.

Edward flings himself onto his bed in the dorm room. Millions of different thoughts fly through his head. Staring up at the ceiling, he traces each tile, counting each individual tile. He stares for what could either be minutes or hours. He doesn't mind going to meet the serial killer if it means saving the lives of many more people.

Ed is jolted out of his head by a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head and sees Al. "What is it, little brother?" Al sighs and sits beside him on the bed. Ed has gotten pretty good at reading Al's emotions ever since Al ended up in the armor. He could tell Al was anxious and he frowned.

"You ok?" Al sighs. Al moved on the bed and looked into his eyes. "I can't lose you, you're the only family I have left." Ed's breath catches in his throat. He rarely had conversations like this with Al. Usually, they were after he did something stupid, not before. He knows he's let some emotion shine through the mask he's built up so well when Al draws him into a hug.

He buries his face into Al's chest plate. He never planned on dying, but if it was to protect Al, he'd die in a heartbeat. "I'm not going to die, Al." He hopes that his voice isn't trembling. Al pulls back and looks at him for a long second. "Please, just let Colonel Mustang and his team handle this. What if the letter was a lie? What if he kills you on the spot-," "Al." He interrupts him. "You've seen the crime scene pictures, you saw how brutally they were killed. I'm not going to anyone die like that ever again." His voice is rising, but he needs Al to know that he has to meet this guy.

"Do what you have to do," Al says after a while. Ed can't stop the aching feeling that's pulling at his heart. Al was going to worry now. He hated making Al worry. Ed didn't know what to say so all he could do was nod. "I'm going to go for a walk." His brother walks away, his posture defeated. Ed buries his head in his pillow, he hated making his little brother upset but he didn't know what else to do.

Ed knows he'll have to apologize to Al when this is all over. He has half a mind to go running outside and apologize right now. However, Al would take that as he's changed his mind. He hasn't. He knows that Al wants to help, come with, be the team that they usually are.

He can't bear the thought of what could happen to Al if something went wrong.

If Anamala would give him an ultimatum.

He knows that he'd do anything asked of him if Al's life was at stake.

He would do anything to protect Al.

So just this once, he's going to have to push Al away.

It's for his own good right? Ed hoped so. Ed swallows the lump in his throat and tries to push down the misery threatening to overwhelm him. Just this once. He'd only face this problem just this once, right?