Challenge Accepted

[zombie296]

*I shall throw my hand into this round, yes*

It had been a long, tough day for Trinity. Tired and filthy from head to toe, she walked on board her ship, grateful to be home as she madeher way to the shower, ignoring her growling stomach and stripping along the way. Food would have to wait…

(across town, Beyond Birthday crouched in a comfy leather chair, sucking on a lollipop as he stared at Ryuzaki’s computer and its interesting, tumbling, ever-changing code. As an apprentice to Chronos, the God of Time, Ryuzaki could interpret the code instantly into the images it represented…as if watching TV. Since B shared his brother’s ‘gift’, he, too, could see what played out on the screen. Being Chronos’ apprentice seemed quite fascinating, though B was hardly the type for all the ‘homework’ Chronos assigned…that was L’s job…which he had taken a break from.

“Hmm…wonder what an…‘exorcist’… actually does here?” B asked quietly.

Suddenly, B’s lollipop dropped from his hand…onto the ‘Send’ button.

“Whoops…” B muttered.

“Wow…” Washu said over his shoulder as a mischievous grin crossed her face, “Wonder what THAT will do?”)
_____________________________________________________________

Edward and Alphonse wandered aboard their mother, Trinity’s, ship, both tired and hungry. Hearing the shower running, they went to the kitchen where Ed began rummaging in the cabinets and frig for food.

“Ed, don’t you think we should wait for mom?” Al asked as he fell into a chair at the table, “Despite it being a boat, this IS her house, y’know.”

Ed ignored him for the moment, coming to the table with a huge chunk of bread in his teeth and his arms loaded with bowls and plates. Shoving the refrig door closed with his boot, he then sat and munched the bread.

“You don’t have to remind me of that every time, Al,” he mumbled as he dished out chicken, a huge pile of potatoes, and tore open a block of sharp cheddar cheese, “Besides, she doesn’t mind. You worry too much.”

Al shrugged, too tired to argue with his brother. He instead helped himself to his own huge plate of food, though the bowl of shrimp and noodles suited his tastes far better at the moment. Slowly standing, he made his way to the microwave, shoving his plate in and heating it up. As he reached for the block of cheese, however, suddenly another hand stole it.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, making a desperate swipe for it, “Give that back, brother!”

Inu Yasha easily avoided the grab, instead taking a huge bite out of the entire block and grinning as Alphonse sighed.

“Too slow, little brother,” Inu Yasha declared.

Al grumbled, pulling his warm food from the microwave and rejoining Ed at the table.

“I hope you get constipated,” Ed chuckled around a mouthful of chicken.

Inu Yasha gave a grunt of anger and reached towards Ed’s plate to snatch a chicken leg. With a loud crash and a blood-curdling scream, suddenly Al, Ed, the table and chairs, plus all the food was gone, replaced directly in front of Inu Yasha by a huge hole through the wooden floor. With a shrug, Inu Yasha stood at the edge of the hole, peering down as he took a bite of the chicken leg he’d managed to hang onto...  

[zombie296]

*And another thing...why don't we have one of these??*

***Down in the bilge of the ship...***

"Dammit, Al...!" Ed gasped, crushed beneath the bulk of Alphonse's armoured form, "Get...OFF...ME!! Why do you...always change...at the...worst times?!"

Panicked, Alphonse thrashed about in an attempt to let his brother up.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm SORRY, Ed, I can't help it!" he insisted, "It's just automatic sometimes!"

Partially free from Al's weight, Ed slowly turned over, groaning as he put a hand to his face.

"Crap...I think my nose is broken." he groaned.

Suddenly, his eyes widened...something was so horribly wrong! He stared at his left hand...strange black claws?? A quick look at his right arm was even more shocking...it wasn't auto mail anymore, it was now flesh and blood.

"Wh-what the hell?!" he stammered.

Clearly, Alphonse had noticed something as well. He could only stare at the other person in the bilge with them, insistently apologising and bowing.

"Ed...why are you over there?!"  

[zombie296]

***The Other Kid***

Ed could only stare in shock at his own body across the room from them, bowing and babbling quickly. It looked like him...even sounded like him! But since he was staring at it, obviously it WASN'T him!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the kid repeated. Then he seemed to finally notice the same thing...he was staring at HIS body!

"Oh, wow..." he stammered, "This can't be good."

Ed growled angrily, struggling to free himself from his tangle with Alphonse.

"You're telling me, kid, who the hell are you anyway?! How did you do this and where...?!"

His questions went unasked and unanswered as suddenly from above, Inu Yasha attacked, the huge blade of Tetusaiga gleaming in the dim light in the bilge...only the blade was headed right for Ed!

"Crap!" he hollered as he quickly moved to dodge Inu Yasha's swing, "Hang on, dammit, what are you doing?! Inu Yasha...it's ME! I'm Ed!"

The other kid in his body obviously saw the attack as a chance to clear out and took advantage of it, quickly climbing up the loose boards and ropes towards the hole they'd fallen through. Once his surprise wore off, Inu Yasha turned to see the kid nearly at the top. Yanking his sword out of the bilge floor he'd managed to pierce, he lunged and made another swing at the kid.

"Where YOU going, tiny?!"

The kid was quick, avoiding the swing, but losing his grip to slide back down a bit before desperately climbing again.

Impatient and angry, Ed snatched the sword.

"Gimme that thing!"

With a strong back hand throw, he sent the sword ripping across the room. His aim was off, though, as the blade missed the kid and instead buried in the bilge wall.

"Thank you!" the kid said, using the blade like a spring board to launch himself up and through the hole where he quickly disappeared. Only his boot steps echoed down in the bilge as he left the ship.

"DAMMIT!!" Ed hollered, punching the wall in anger, "And dammit again, that hurt! No metal hand now!"

"Uh, brothers..." Alphonse began nervously, "We've got a bigger problem."

Only then did Inu Yasha and Ed notice that their brawl had left several holes in the bilge...and that the ship was now filling with water and quickly sinking.  

[zombie296]

***Facing Trinity's Wrath***

She heard the loud crash and stumbled as the ship lurched to one side, nearly throwing her back into the shower she'd just left. Cursing under her breath, Trinity made her way down to the galley (kitchen for you landlubbers) to find the huge hole. Another lurch of the ship caused her to fall, landing at the hole's edge. Her anger quickly turned to panic as she saw the water rushing in around the three dancing around in the same state of panic.

"What the HELL are you doing down there?! Are you insane?! Get out of there, now, we're sinking!!"

She pointed at the grey haired kid and growled.

"And bring THAT one!"

Ed looked up dismayed, hands out to his sides.

"But mom, it's me! Ed!"

She obviously didn't hear him, he instead turned to see Alphonse racing around uselessly and Inu Yasha trying to shove his sword back into one of the holes to stop the water flow.

"Al, quit running around!! What if you fall?!" he hollered.

"We gotta get the water to stop!" Alphonse yelled back, "I only LOOK like I'm still in my body, but I'm still just a suit of armour! I can't swim and my blood seal will wash off!! What do we do?!"

Ed quickly clapped and slammed his hands on the ship's bottom boards...only to have nothing happen at all!

"Crap! It doesn't work in this body, are you kidding me?!" he complained, "Al, you try!"

Alphonse flailed his arms and shook his head.

"What am I supposed to do?! If I freeze it, you guys will freeze WITH it and be stuck here! If I boil it, guess what? You'll go with it! We're all soaked! And there's too much water in here to just fix the wood now!"

"Sea water doesn't freeze OR boil anyway!" Inu Yasha hollered.

Realizing his own idea was just as useless, and at Trinity's order, Inu Yasha snatched them both, chucking them back up into the galley with a powerful toss. He then followed, helping steady Trinity as the ship groaned and started to lay on its side, making their escape to the dock a perilous one.

Once safely out on the dock, they could only stand and watch Trinity's ship sink up to the main mast's sails, leaning lazily on its port side...and Trinity was NOT happy at all!

"God-DAMMIT!!" she screamed angrily, stomping one bare foot on the dock hard enough to crack one of the boards, "I just lost everything I own and became HOMELESS! And in a bath towel, no less!"

Her anger showed in the bloody red glow of her eyes, her glasses lost along with everything else, as she whirled around, a long dagger in hand and growled at Ed.

"Now tell me EXACTLY what the hell just happened, boy...before I slit you from gullet to groin..."

Ed eeked in sheer terror, slowly raising his shaking hands and backing up until he bumped into Alphonse who could only whimper pathetically.

"Hang on...HANG ON, mom! It's m-me, OK, I swear, I'm Ed in here!!" Ed insisted, his eyes wide.

Trinity growled again, smacking him hard enough to knock him down.

"I know that, Edward, you moron! Do you honestly think I cannot sense my OWN?!" Trinity yelled, "Now answer my question!"

Surprisingly, Inu Yasha stepped up, raising his hands and trying to soothe his furious mother.

"It's not actually his fault, I think," he began, "Ed and Al...they were just eating, same as usual. All the sudden, there was this crash through the deck and they all ended up in the bilge, mom, and there was this other kid...but in Ed's body and...!"

He stopped up quickly as Trinity spun to face him, the burning glow of her eyes no less intense.

"And where is this 'other kid' now, may I ask?" she demanded, "I just may be very...VERY hungry shortly..."

The devious, almost downright evil tone of her voice caused them to shiver though the night air was warm.

Alphonse finally found his voice, though timidly, and he spoke.

"He...he got out...ran off, mom. B-but...you can't eat him, he's got Ed's body!"

With a final angry growl, Trinity relented, adjusting the towel around her to ensure she was still as decent as possible. She turned from them, clenching her fists as she saw her belongings slowly drifting out with the tide from the sunken ship.

"Very well then," she grumbled darkly, "Inu Yasha...you will come with me. I will obviously need your assistance in getting at least clothing. Edward, Alphonse...find that kid. I care not how nor where, drag him by your own braid, Edward, I shall not shed a tear...but do not return until you find him. Since I now have no home, I shall impose upon Haruko, Edward. Join me at your house once you have found your body."

Ed wanted to argue, wanted to say how unfair it was that he and Al got the tough part...but knew he'd only get clouted again if he did. He instead sighed and gave a nod.

"Ok."

His mood was gloomy as he got to his feet...then he slowly brightened, a grin crept across his face as he looked all around him.

"Holy s**t!" he exclaimed.

Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow.

"What? What're you so cheery about?" he asked.

Ed couldn't help himself, he giggled happily.

"I'm...I'm...I'm so TALL in here!!" he exclaimed.

And sure enough, he was nearly eye to eye with Inu Yasha, he bounced around on the dock with glee, comparing his new height to almost everything around them.

"Tall! I'm soooo freakin' TALL!!" he hollered at the top of his lungs.

A powerful, flying kick to the back of his head from Trinity knocked him face first to the dock once more.  

[zombie296]

I just can't help myself!!

***Hopeless Search***

Alphonse, now back in his flesh and blood form, could only watch as Ed walked in front of him, his head down, hands shoved deep into his pockets...that were now empty due to Trinity rifling them and taking every last coin and money bill she found. It was strange to actually NOT have to look down to see Ed, but he knew Ed wasn't all that happy about his new stature in height now. The echoes of his growling stomach were only part of the reason.

After several hours of searching, they hadn't found any sign of Ed's body...or the kid running around in it. They'd stopped at all of Ed's own usual hangouts, asking friends and foes alike if they'd seen him to no avail. Finally, Alphonse spoke.

"Ed...let's stop and get something to eat," he offered, which usually worked with his brother, "I can hear your stomach all the way back here. And neither of us really got any dinner."

Ed kept walking, shaking his head.

"No," he replied glumly, "I can manage without. Maybe if I starve this body, that kid with mine will come running for it."

Alphonse scratched his head.

"You really think that will work?"

Ed shrugged.

"What other choice do we have? I've gotta keep looking, mom will kill us both if we come back empty handed."

Alphonse groaned, stopping angrily and looking skyward.

"But this is hopeless, Ed! We don't have any idea where that kid went, he could literally be anywhere! We don't know where he came from, what his intentions were here to begin with, not even his name!"

Ed finally came to a stop as well ahead of Alphonse. With a sigh, he shook his head and couldn't help a grin.

"Allen Walker...that's the kid's name."

Alphonse stared at him suddenly wide eyed.

"Whoa! Can you like...access his brain in there? Like a filing cabinet?? That would be so neat!"

Ed turned to face him and again shook his head.

"Didn't have to, though the idea had come to me to try. There's some weird guy in the kid's head, crying and babbling about how "Allen's not here anymore!" and he flat out won't quit. Been hearing him since I got in here."

Ed paused a moment, his teeth grinding as he closed his eyes.

"SHUT UP IN THERE ALREADY!"

Alphonse cringed back, his arm up in front of him as if to ward off evil spirits!

"Holy crap, the kid's a schizophrenic?!"

Ed shook his head.

"No...no, this is somebody completely different. Like a disease you can't unload."

He gave a disgruntled sigh.

"Yeah, that's right, I called you a disease, pal, what'cha gonna do about it, huh?!"

Alphonse was shocked, slowly he approached Ed.

"You come off as crazy yourself when you're talking out loud to him, brother."

Ed shrugged.

"I don't care, let 'em come lock this kid up! Not my problem!"

Alphonse hung his head.

"It is while you're still in there, idiot."

Ed paused.

"Oh yeah..."

Alphonse leaned in close, peering into Ed's eyes, his TRUE eyes as he could see that, despite the rest of the face looking like somebody else, Ed's own eyes shone out from that head.

"So...who is this guy? Maybe HE can find the kid, like call him back or something."

Ed sighed heavily.

"No, he can't, I already threatened to lop the kid's head off and scrape him out myself if he didn't try. Hence the crying, I don't think he likes me much."

He paused a moment, growling angrily.

"So...what IS your name, guy-in-now-MY-head?"

Silence hung in the air for several moments, then Ed began to chuckle. Turning away from Alphonse, he continued on down the street, genuinely laughing.

"Neah of the Noah clan...that's supposed to mean something to me?...Like biblical Noah, huh?...Uh-huh...Whatever...So?...Whoopie, you don't scare me, OK?...Neah Noah, that's your name then?...Wow!...Your parents REALLY hated you, bucko..."  

[zombie296]

***First Lead...Or Is It?***

It was well after midnight when Ed finally gave in, the howling of his stomach too much to bear any longer. New Orleans was a fairly new city to them, they'd only arrived themselves not long ago with Trinity and the rest of their brothers. Still, they'd had time to wander and get their bearings and, fortunately for them, the city never slept.

Searching his pockets just in case Trinity had missed any cash caused Ed to sigh heavily.

"Man, I'm so hungry! But this kid is broke now, mom took it all!"

Alphonse held out his hand, dropping the small amount of money he had on him into Ed's hand.

"That's all I got."

Ed gave a nod.

"Well...we'll have to make it enough."

They found a small pub open and headed inside, taking seats at the bar. Plopping his head on the bar, Alphonse groaned.

"I'm tired, too, Ed. Maybe we should call it a night and start again fresh in the morning...well...when it's light out THIS morning, anyway."

Ed shook his head as he checked over the menu to see what they could afford to share.

"We can't, Al, where are we gonna go? Mom's at my house and we have to find that kid. She'll be really mad if we don't."

The stocky bartender wandered over, drying tall beer glasses with a crisp white towel as they spoke.

"What kid, guys, you missing someone? Not good in this town, there's a lot of whackos out there."

Ed nodded.

"We know, that's why we want to find him. He's about this tall..."

He held his hand up, but grumbled as Alphonse gently pushed his hand down to indicate a smaller height.

"...probably got a long, red coat on, long blonde hair in a braid...you haven't seen him by any chance, have you?"

The bartender considered for a moment, chewing his lip as he thought. He suddenly brightened.

"Y'know...come to think of it...I DID see a kid with long blonde hair. No red coat, though, black is what he was wearing. I know I saw the hair, though, and I noticed he wasn't all that big. Wondered what a little kid like that was doing out by himself, that's for sure. He was in here about an hour ago, left not too long before you got here. Didn't seem like he was lost or anything, just came in, got what he wanted and left."

Ed straightened up, the first glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.

"Really?! You saw him?! Any idea which way he went?!"

The man nodded and pointed towards down town.

"Yep...said he was gonna take in the sights. You might be able to catch him, this road only goes one way."

Ed dumped the little amount of money they had on the bar, then quickly ran towards the door, Alphonse hot on his heels.

"Thank you, sir!" Alphonse hollered before they left.

Outside, they ran down the street, looking all around. Even with the night heavy upon them, as half-demons...luckily they could still see!

***Roadie's Enthusiastic Walk***

Roadie had absolutely fallen in love with New Orleans! The food was top-notch, the housing was affordable and comfy, Ryoko had luckily been with them when they'd ended up here, cigarettes and Jack Daniels were readily available...and the bars rarely carded!

With a cigarette in one hand, he walked along the sidewalk, humming and singing a new tune he'd heard at the last place he'd refilled his flask with Jack Daniels at.

"Life once had us held far too confined
We’ve left job and school far, far behind
Now you chew your gum as I chew my cigar,
As you ride the apocalypse in Daddy's sidecar..."

He grinned as the song continued in his head, making a mental note to find it on Ryoko's computer and buy it for his iPod once he got home.

Suddenly, he stopped. Something was all wrong! He could sense Alphonse not far off...but why was he alone?

"Nooooo...there's Ed...or is it? No...but...what the hell...??"

He turned in a slow circle, his crystal blue eyes peering into the dark night as he tried to figure out why Ed seemed to be in two places at the same time...and why he seemed to keep suddenly disappearing! Shaking his head, he then stared at his flask.

"Man...what're they putting in this stuff nowadays?"

Still, the feeling wouldn't leave him alone, so he began to back track to Alphonse. Luckily for him, he didn't have to go too far as, from the top of a long concrete wall, he finally saw Alphonse running towards down town. Ed WAS with him...but then again...no, he wasn't??

"This is getting really weird."

His anger riled as suddenly he saw the kid with Alphonse pick up an empty beer can and chuck it at Alphonse's back. Slowly and stealthily, he made his way over to them, they hadn't noticed him since he'd hid his own aura, and he could hear them arguing.

"Dammit, Al, I'm not that fast in here! Slow down, OK, you're gonna lose me!"

"And we'll lose that kid if we don't hurry up, you're too big for me to carry now!"

"If you're in THAT big a hurry, then change back to your armour and I'll get on your back, what's so tough about that?!"

"Cause I HATE that form, what do you think?! I got this one, it works, so why shouldn't I use it?!"

"You're just being selfish now, don't you think I wanna get this over with, too?!"

"Well NOW you understand how I feel!"

"Stop complaining, I..."

Roadie didn't let the hollering go any further, he pounced, pulling his gun at the same time. He landed on the kid's back, crushing him to the street, the gun cocked and pressed against the kid's skull.

"Got a problem with my little brother, pal?" he growled. But he still sensed Ed...then again, he didn't! "What the hell is going on here, Alphonse?!"

Alphonse quickly tugged at his arm, trying desperately to get him to pull the gun back.

"Roadie! Wait, it's OK, I know it sounds crazy, but that's Ed! Ed's in there, even though it's not his body!"

"Get off me!" Ed hollered, finally tossing Roadie aside. Slowly, he got up, rubbing at his aching chin and growling, his eyes closed as he listened to the howling inside his head. "Crown Clown, what the HELL are you talking about, you maniac?! I'm not about to attack my own brother, moron, just quit bugging me!"

Roadie could only stare at him from where he sat sprawled out on the pavement, thinking Alphonse was insane...or that he himself was!

"What the hell...??"

Ed finally turned to face him and Roadie saw his eyes...they were indeed Ed's and he finally understood.

"Whoa...you're you...but NOT you, Ed! What happened?"

Ed sighed and gave a shrug.

"Well...mom's ship sank...that's the first thing. Some kid came crashing through it, smashed me in the head and I ended up in his body, I guess. He's running around with mine, Al can't get a read on him, and I've got a dead guy hollering at me from inside this head! It's been a crappy night, that's for sure."

He then offered a hand to Roadie and helped him up...and quietly chuckled to himself...

Roadie didn't miss it, despite the effort, and growled as he re-holstered his gun and dusted himself off.

"And what's so funny?"

Then he noticed it too.

"Aw, no way! You're TALLER than me like this?! SO no fair!"

Ed laid his head back and laughed uncontrollably, his hands crossed and laying on his forehead.

"Wow, I'm finally a NORMAL height...and all I wanna do is get my own, tiny body back...I'm tiny, I'm short, I'm a midget, I'm microscopic, I'm...I'm..."

He raged at the sky, his hands in fists.

"I'm going insane! Will you just SHUT UP IN THERE!!"

Alphonse laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm Ed down.

"C'mon...I think we've had enough for one night. Let's try again later...OK?"

Roadie nodded, taking Ed by the collar and directing him towards his apartment with Ryoko.

"Agreed. You need a nap...and some food, by the sounds of your stomach. Ryoko's out of town for a few days, so it won't be a big deal..."  

[zombie296]

***The Search Resumes***

Later that morning, Ed awoke to the sound of Roadie's Zippo lighter snapping shut. With a yawn, he turned over, rubbing his stomach and stretching...then he remembered.

"Aw, crap. Maybe it was a bad dream?"

His eyes closed, he slowly raised his right hand...then opened his eyes and sighed heavily. It was still the same flesh and blood hand he had in the kid's body.

"Dammit...was really hoping, too."

Despite aches and pains from the night's activities, he got up, yawning and rubbing his head as he shuffled his way to the kitchen to find Roadie. He instead found him outside on the balcony, cigarette smoke circling his head as he watched the street below.

"What're you doing, Roadie?"

Roadie kept his eyes on the street as he replied.

"I come out here almost every morning, if I get up early enough. Especially when Ryoko's not here, Washu has her jumping around a lot lately. Least she pays well. Figured I was up, might as well keep a look out for that kid you bashed into. Not like he'll be tough to spot if he wanders by, he's wearing your hide."

Ed nodded and leaned on the railing, scanning the people going back and forth below.

"Thanks brother. Didn't mean to go off on you last night. Just can't get this guy inside the kid's head to quit, I can't imagine how he deals with it all the time. Only time I managed to shut him out was while I was sleeping."

Roadie grinned, flicking away his cigarette butt.

"You just need to concentrate more. For now, it's YOUR head, chase him down in there, beat him up and lock him up somewhere where he won't bother you. Maybe you'll be doing the kid a favour, too."

Minutes later, they heard Alphonse heading their way, yawning and dragging his fingers through his long hair.

"G'morning brothers. We ready to get going again?"

Roadie held up a hand.

"Food first. I'm starving again. But you know me...all I can cook is meat. You guys want anything else, it's your problem."

Alphonse nodded and headed for the kitchen followed by Ed and Roadie.

"How do you live on nothing but meat when Ryoko's gone, Roadie?" Alphonse asked as he set about finding pans and raiding the frig.

Roadie shrugged.

"Eh...it's what I can cook. There's always stuff like mac and cheese in the stores and all, if I want something else, I just go get it."

Ed leaned an elbow on the long counter where he sat, chin in his hand.

"Speaking of stores...mind if I borrow some cash, Roadie? Al's broke and mom cleaned out this kid's pockets last night. I don't even have my wallet, the kid does, it's still in my jeans' pocket on him."

Roadie nodded, laying a huge slab of butter in a frying pan and setting to work on cooking a large steak, bacon, ham, and hamburger meat with cheese.

"Yeah...but don't think you're going on your own. I'll go with you guys. Might be nice to have three pairs of eyes looking instead of just two. Maybe drag Inu Yasha with us, too, what else is he doing?"

Alphonse stood blending eggs to scramble and shook his head.

"No, he's with mom helping her get at least some basics. She lost everything when the ship sank."

Ed groaned.

"And I'm not interested in facing her if we don't find this kid. She already told me not to come back empty handed."

Roadie couldn't help a grin.

"I don't blame you one bit!"

After an enormous amount of food for breakfast (it IS Ed, Roadie, and Al, after all!!), Ed went back to the spare room Roadie had lent him...and groaned.

"Hey Roadie...this kid's stuff is disgustingly filthy. Got anything clean I can wear?"

Roadie came to the door and raised an eyebrow.

"No way, brother. He's taller than me...QUIT that grinning!...so I doubt it. Probably have a tee shirt, but no pants...unless you wanna have em climbing up to your knees."

Ed sighed.

"It wouldn't be THAT bad, you act like the kid's a giant. Anything else?"

Roadie shrugged and chuckled.

"Well, you could always borrow a pair of Ryoko's hot pants! Maybe the pink sparkly ones!"

Ed rolled his eyes.

"Very funny...I don't think so. Just gimme the damn shirt."

With a chuckle, Roadie did as asked, returning to toss in a Mardi Gras shirt at Ed. He nodded to indicate the body Ed now called 'home'.

"This kid...did he say anything? He's a real mess, what's with the left arm? Looks weird, like it doesn't belong on him at all."

Pulling the shirt on, Ed gave a shrug.

"All he said to us was 'I'm sorry!' about a hundred times, then he took off. This dead guy keeps talking about this arm, like it's some kind of weapon or something...really crazy talk, but the more I dig in this kid's brain, the more I'm getting it. It IS really weird, but he was apparently born with it. Kinda wanting to see what this body is capable of, though, might be fun to give it a work out. Kid's kinda scrawny and not real tough, that's for sure."

Roadie grinned and waved him after him.

"Eh...we'll give it a work out alright. See what you can do with it as a break today, how's that?"

Alphonse had overheard them and sighed.

"Just don't beat it up. You'd be angry if he did the same with yours, Ed."

Ed held up his hands and grinned.

"Relax, Al, not like we're gonna take clubs to it, I'm in here and not really interested in getting my a** kicked just for fun. Might not be me, but I still feel it, OK?"

Alphonse nodded, leading the way outside to start the day's searching.

"It's good you figured out how to actually get into the kid's brain, you could learn all kinds of stuff about him. Where he's from, what he likes, what he does for fun, anything that'll help us find him."

Ed nodded, pulling on the jacket and gloves Roadie had loaned him to cover the strange left arm.

"Yeah, he's definitely not from around here, though he's apparently been here before. Seems kind of blurry to me, but something about a circus, too..."

Roadie brightened.

"What, like maybe a performer? Hell, there's a circus in town this weekend, maybe he'll go there! Would make sense if that's what he does, right?"

Alphonse nodded excitedly.

"Yeah! Even if he's not WITH that particular one, if he's lost, he's gotta make money somehow! That'd be his ticket to his next meal anyway."

Ed sighed.

"God help me..."

Roadie nodded in agreement.

"That's also another three days from now, guys. I was kinda hoping we'd find him long before that."

Ed groaned angrily, clutching his head in his hands.

"Dammit, me too! I don't think I can deal with this for another three days!"

Roadie stopped, turning to face Ed, he put his hands on Ed's shoulders.

"OK...what did I say? It's not that tough, OK, it's an old sorcerer's trick. We use it to block out emotion and even pain. Just close your eyes...c'mon, it's not stupid or perverted, I promise...close your eyes...now...go hunt the b*****d down in there...grab him...kick his a** if you want to, you're not bothering us...find a lil corner of the kid's brain he doesn't use or won't miss...make it like a cave, a well, a prison, a box for all I care...now...shove him in there, forcibly if you have to...lock it, close it, seal it, fill it back in, whatever...give it a good final stomp of victory and walk away."

Despite Roadie's reassuring words, Ed had a tough time in the kid's head. He clenched his eyes shut, he actually shook with anger as he imagined chasing the other one around and doing as Roadie instructed.

"God-DAMMIT!!"

Roadie gave him a shake.

"Keep trying, you'll get him. You're tougher than this kid, remember?"

Ed nodded, clenching his fists as well as he leaned over with them on his thighs, concentrating his hardest to try to imprison the insane voice. With an aggravated growl, he suddenly stood up, turning from them and hollering at nothing above him.

"You just wait, b*****d, I WILL catch you!"

Alphonse grabbed him, yanking him back out of traffic and tried to calm him.

"Ed, easy! You're freaking people out!"

Roadie nodded, lighting a cigarette as he grinned.

"True...but keep at it. You'll get him."  

[zombie296]

***A Long Week***

Ed stood at Roadie's clothes dryer, dragging various articles of laundry out and dumping them in a basket next to him. Rummaging through, he finally found the kid's black pants...and sighed as he saw yet another hole. They'd become worn from every day washing and drying and he sighed.

"Hey, Alphonse," he hollered, his voice echoing back to him through the empty room, "These damn pants have another hole. Can you fix 'em?"

When he heard no reply, he wandered out, the pants in his hand, and looked around. He was alone.

"Great," he muttered, "Where'd they go now?"

"Guess you really DIDN'T hear them, huh?" the voice in his head sneered, "You've eaten Roadie out of food. They went to get more."

Ed growled, closing his eyes in concentration.

"Just shut up. I don't need your input, you're driving me crazy."

Despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to contain the dead voice sounding in Allen's head...and after four days, he was truly starting to lose his mind!

It hadn't been all bad, though. He'd actually enjoyed the sparring sessions with Roadie and Alphonse as he learned about and mastered all of Allen's talents. Though the whole 'Innocence' idea still seemed far-fetched to him, he couldn't argue with its strength nor the abilities it gave Allen through Crown Clown. He'd done incredibly well with it, even pushing Allen's body beyond its limits, despite the howling protests from Neah inside his head. Even Neah had to admit it after day three, and Ed certainly liked playing with the long, clawed hand and arm he could get from Allen's left. But nothing beat the massive gun!

"I'm not going away...and I won't be contained so easily," Neah interrupted his thoughts, "Do you think I don't know what you're up to? I can hear AND sense your every move, Edward."

"Good for you," Ed replied angrily, "You're a peeping tom, congratulations! Or a *****, take your pick."

Ed winced and put a hand to his head, steadying himself at the counter as the inner voice raged loudly.

"I am Neah of the Noah clan! And it'll take more than YOU to get rid of ME, little boy!"

"Shut UP!" Ed yelled loudly, though he jumped a bit as Roadie and Alphonse suddenly came in, babbling and laughing. He turned to face them angrily.

"What took you so long?!"

Alphonse stared at him with wide eyes as Roadie grumbled.

"Relax, will ya? Sheesh, you'd think we were gone for a year, Ed. I know you're getting squirrely here, but you gotta keep it together." Roadie patiently said as he approached Ed, "Have you been trying to grab that guy again?"

"Of course I have!" Ed hollered, "I've been trying for the last four days, no luck so far! You sure this is supposed to work?! Cause I'm going insane in here!"

Alphonse set the bags he carried on the counter, taking a seat near Ed.

"We know that, Ed, and we're trying our best to find this kid. But...well, do you think it's about time we try to get mom to help us? Help YOU, anyway?"

Ed shook his head angrily, throwing the torn pants on the counter with a loud slap.

"No, Al, I'm not gonna go crawling back on my knees and begging at her, I...WE can do this! Now stop bringing that up, dammit, or I swear, I'll...!"

He suddenly yelped in pain, flinching as he clutched at a horrible twitch in his left eye.

"Wha-what...the hell...?!" he exclaimed, "What now?!"

He blinked furiously, trying to clear the eye and stop the pain to no avail. By the shocked looks on his brothers' faces, he could tell something was seriously wrong!

"Holy crap, Ed!" Roadie exclaimed, "What the hell is THAT?!"

Panicked, Ed ran back to the bathroom mirror, gasping at what he saw. His left eye, now with a strange, rotating gear-shaped monocle over it, was almost completely bloody red, hugely swollen, as if magnified behind the lens, and wildly moving around on its own. Looking out into the kitchen where his brothers stood, too shocked to move, was even more strange. While Roadie looked the same, Ed saw something very different around Alphonse. He glowed with a strange light, and as if from within him, Ed could see another, transparent and ghostly looking form of Al.

"What the hell is this now?!" he asked in horror.

"Oh, that," the voice in his head answered with an almost audible chuckle, "That's Allen's cursed eye. Surely you wondered about the scar down his face, didn't you?"

"That doesn't answer my question!" Ed hollered, "I already dug in the kid's brain, OK, I know what happened and what he did. Dead father, all that crap. Stupid kid, what was he thinking?!"

He trembled with anger as he could almost see the dead man in his head leisurely lounging, unconcerned about his current state.

"My brother, Mana, cursed him with it," Neah replied, "It lets the kid see the dead souls trapped in..."

"Yeah, I remember all that, too," Ed interrupted, "What were they called again? Akuma? But that doesn't explain Al! He's not dead!"

"Ah, but, thanks to you, he's not in his own, REAL body, now is he?" Neah asked with a sly grin, "Oh yes, I know a thing or two about YOU, Edward. AND what the two of YOU did. So, the eye reacts to him. Probably why you see his soul inside that shell he wears, though, instead of outside him. Technically, he IS alive...if you want to stretch the imagination that far. You know, it's Allen's job to kill the likes of them."

Ed shook his head angrily, rubbing furiously at the eye.

"Not while I'm around, pal. Forget it!"

Neah gave a mental shrug.

"We'll see, now, won't we?"

Ed groaned, clutching at the eye and leaning on the sink to steady himself.

"Just make it stop, dammit!"

Neah shook his head.

"That I cannot do. It sort of has a mind of its own. Clearly, it's reacting to your brother...or possibly something else. And it won't stop until it finds what it's looking for."

Ed grumbled, finally getting the eye to settle enough to at least be tolerable.

"You're worthless, you know that?"  

[zombie296]

***Last Night***

Dawn was breaking as Ed, Al, and Roadie returned, again with nothing. Tired and hungry, still, Ed skipped food and went to his room. With each passing day, his anger and frustration continued to build. Despite Allen's body not being even slightly vampiric, there was no denying exactly what Ed wanted more than anything due to his fuming...he wanted blood and he didn't care whose it was.

"Be SO rewarding if it was YOURS, though, you b*****d," he mumbled to Neah.

Stripping out of his dirty clothes, Ed fell onto his bed and instead raged long and loud into his pillow. He couldn't help wonder if they'd EVER find Allen...and his body.

Sensing Ed's mood, Alphonse stood in the doorway, concern evident on his face as he quietly spoke.

"Ed...I'm sorry you're stuck like this. We'll give it another shot later, that circus is on again tonight, so we'll try there. OK?"

Ed gave a nod, his head slowly lifting off the pillow.

"OK, Al. It's not your fault, either. Circus sounds good. Hopefully, we'll find this little twerp there so I can finally get this over with...or, I rip his head off. That'd make me feel REAL good at the moment and...!"

He hollered in pain again, his left eye suddenly going berserk again...only this time, the left arm joined it, huge, sharp claws reached out with it towards a terrified Alphonse who could only stand and stare at it.

"s**t!!" Ed yelled in horror, pushing on the arm to try to redirect it.

In an instant, Alphonse had changed into his armour form, Ed had managed to shove the arm enough that, instead of shredding Alphonse, it tore the door off, and, hearing the commotion, Roadie had erected a glowing blue shield around Alphonse. Once all had stopped, they could only gawp at each other, trembling and panting with fear.

"What the hell was that all about, Ed?!" Roadie demanded angrily, "That thing chops right through steel, dammit, you KNOW that! You coulda killed Al!"

Alphonse backed up a step as Roadie cautiously dropped the shield.

"I...I'm sorry, Ed, I didn't mean to make you mad! I...!"

Ed shook his head as the arm returned to normal.

"No, I...but...I didn't do it!"

To his surprise, even Neah was silent, unsure of what else would happen if he pushed Ed any further. With his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, Ed sighed heavily, remembering what Neah had said.

"Al," Ed began, "Til we get this mess figured out, you...you better stay away from me, OK? I...I don't know what else to say. I don't know what this body will do to you otherwise."

Roadie raised an eyebrow, doubt evident in his voice.

"You're saying Allen's BODY did this?! On it's own?! But why?!"

Ed shot him an angry look, his left eye again red and locked on Alphonse instead of Roadie.

"Cause it's what the kid does, Roadie, OK! Displaced souls...he kills them."

Turning away from them to keep the eye from staring at Alphonse, Ed laid down, still shaking from the harrowing experience.

As they walked away, Roadie shook his head, still not sure what to do. Alphonse snagged the cordless phone off the counter unseen and went to his room. Once the door was closed AND now locked...he made a quiet if anxious call...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ed suddenly woke up and looked around.

"Where the hell am I now?"

The classroom he sat in was empty except for him. Looking around, he caught his reflection in one of the windows...and his eyes widened. He was in his own body again! Looking at his hands confirmed it...sort of. Both hands were flesh and blood.

The door to the room suddenly opened and a blonde haired man walked in in a green military looking uniform. Stopping at the desk, he turned to face Ed, and the first thing Ed noticed was not the man's smile, which seemed genuine enough, but his rather outrageous looking eyebrows!

"Whoa..." he muttered.

The man continued to smile as he spoke with a strong British accent.

"Greetings, Edward! Oh, don't worry, I'm here to help! Rather scary event earlier, eh? That tosser, Mana..."

Ed raised an eyebrow.

"OK...you know MY name...mind telling me who you are? And where I am?"

The man chuckled lightly.

"Oh, don't worry, you're still sleeping. This seemed like a smashingly good time to have us a chat! Care for some tea?"

Ed nodded, still leery of the man.

"I'm still sleeping? This is a dream or something then?" Ed asked, "Why am I back in my own body? My REAL body, arm and leg intact and all?"

The man smiled kindly.

"It's what's called your 'conscious view', Edward. Despite all that you've experienced, you still picture yourself like this. It's the mind's way of identifying yourself. In your dreams, you HAVE to have a body, right? Well, this is what yours looks like in your own mind."

Ed nodded, though still cautious.

"You're not...Neah...are you?"

The man shook his head, instantly producing a steaming tea pot and an ornate cup and saucer. Placing the cup and saucer on Ed's desk, he carefully and generously filled it.

"Oh, no, not me. See, Allen here...well, he's British. Borne and bred, that one! So, I'm sure you've heard the saying..."There's a little bit of England in us all", eh? Well, I am England! And I'm here to help you figure out this mess."

Suddenly, from the window sill where nothing had been a moment ago, a loud laughing sounded. Looking over with surprise, Ed saw another young blonde haired man, laying back comfortably and eating hamburgers from a huge platter piled high with them that floated next to him. He wore a brown leather jacket, a plain, baggy white shirt and khaki pants. Perched on his nose in front of his blue eyes, he wore glasses.

"Ah, England. You're too modest, I think. Allen may have been born in your dirt ball of a country, but he's been to see me, too! So, he's got more America just racin' around in him than YOU, right?"

He laughed again, seeming to miss England's clenched fist and aggravated mood.

"America, can't you settle down long enough for me to instruct this poor boy? I need to give him a fighting chance!"

America shrugged and sat up, proudly pointing to himself.

"And that's why I'm here. So you don't screw this up! Who knows fighting and victory better'n me, huh? Besides, we all know YOU lost!"

England glared at him.

"Not all the time! We BOTH know I did my fair share in WW 2!"

America got up, popping another burger into his mouth and pulled out a big black metal pitcher. In his other hand, he held a large white ceramic cup.

"Forget that pansy-a** tea, kid! Coffee, right?"

Though he wasn't all that fond of coffee, Ed found it hard to say no. He instead slowly nodded, flinching as America smacked the cup down and filled it.

"There ya go, good ole' cup of hot joe! Really hits the spot and makes a man outta ya! That tea crap...wussies drink that stuff!"

Ed managed a courteous sip of the coffee and gave a nod.

"So...this kid, Allen...both of you are in his head, too?? How many people does he have in there, anyway??"

America shook his head as England explained.

"Oh, no, Edward, it's nothing like that jackass Neah, we don't take up residence in Allen's head any more than we do yours! We are a part of his heritage and his life experiences. We exist because he knows of us."

Ed could only stare after him as America returned to his platter. Wincing as his own stomach growled at the wonderful smell, Ed timidly spoke.

"Could use one of those burgers, too...if that's OK...uh...America."

America grinned big.

"Sure, Ed, have all ya want! I got more! Snacks, too!"

With a loud, cheerful laugh, America lifted his shirt. As he did, a pile of chocolate, snack cakes, bags of chips and cans of spam fell out around his feet. England shook his head, one hand over his face.

"Please, America, can't you calm down long enough for me to run a proper classroom? Maybe switch to decaf...?"

America looked stumped for a moment, scratching his head.

"What's decaf?"

England exercised his patience, waiting calmly if a bit angrily, for the two to finish stuffing their faces before proceeding.

"Well, now, all full and happy, are we?"

Ed gave a happy nod, his mouth still crammed full of Choc-O-Dile snack cake.

"Smashing," England said, shuffling through the stack of papers on the desk, "Now, pay attention, Edward. We've got a lot to cover here!"

America waved a finger at Ed.

"You're takin' notes, right, kid?"

Ed looked around quickly to find no paper or pencil.

"Should I be??"

As soon as the words had left his mouth, a notebook and pencil suddenly appeared on his desk. A brief, stunned pause later, and he opened it, ready as England began his 'lessons'.

"Now, as I'm sure you've managed to find out on your own, being the bright boy you are, Allen has what's called 'Innocence' embedded in his left hand...that's that odd green glowy mark on it, see it? YOU, my boy, since you're occupying this space..."

American chuckled, again laying back comfortably in the window.

"This Space for Rent!!"

England grumbled and started again.

"SINCE you're occupying this space, you'd do well to know what it is and how it works!..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ed had no idea how long he'd slept, but he woke with a start, sitting up quickly and staring at his hands. A grin slowly crept across his face as understanding flooded into him.

"OK...I get it now. Don't know if that was real or not...but thanks England and America. That helped me more than you know!"

Quickly getting up and dressing, he hollered for Alphonse and Roadie, excited to continue their search for the first time.  

[zombie296]

And here you thought I'd forgotten about this guy!

***Toughen Up Time***

Allen, too, dreamed...a strange dream, to say the least! He was getting a work out, that was for sure! Panting for breath and sweating profusely, he looked up at his 'teachers'. Both were tall, brawny, stern men, one blonde with blue eyes and the other grey hair with reddish coloured eyes. Both wore a style of crisp military clothing that he didn't immediately recognize, the blonde's was army green, the grey haired man's deep blue. What he hated most was the grey haired man's riding crop, which he used across Allen's back and rump freely!

"Again, only faster!" the grey haired man ordered, the smack of the crop on his shoulder causing Allen to immediately get to his feet and take off running again, "Don't be such a girly boy! Edvard is no sissy, he is strong, as he should be!"

The blonde nodded, standing tall and proud with his massive arms crossed over his chest as he watched Allen's labouring around the huge jogging track.

"Indeed!" he hollered after Allen, "Ve know you can to better!"

Allen had no clue how this was supposed to help him learn this strange version of 'science' the body he now called his own knew...but they seemed to think it would help. Though he personally thought they just wanted to see him suffer!

"Man...this sucks," he muttered.

The two men had 'woken' him inside his dream, he had been shocked to see himself in his own, REAL body, but they'd hardly noticed. After dragging him outside to a long training field, they'd at least explained.

"Though Edward is from another place, his lands are like ours...just by a different name," the blonde had said, "His world calls me Armestris...but for your sake, you may call me Germany."

"You vill call ME Prussia," the grey haired man had said, "And ve are here to finally get you out of dis ridiculous moping und crying stage. It is too sad to even tolerate anymore!"

Allen nodded.

"I know of Germany and Prussia...but they're countries...not people."

Germany gave a grunt.

"You are a British pansy, are you not? Whether you like it or not...und I do not blame you if you are unhappy wit dat...I know I would be...England, the country, it is a part of your being. As we are part of Edward's being. It is HERITAGE...und we are PROUD!"

Prussia nodded, shoving Allen to the ground.

"Now zen, you are a relatively intelligent boy...though not as intelligent as me, the great und mighty Prussia...so I am sure you haff managed to discover at least some tings about this body you are running around in, yah?"

Allen blinked and nodded.

"Well..." he began, "For some reason, this kid's body has metal on his right arm and left leg. Weirdest armour I've ever seen! But I can't figure out how to get it off."

That had gotten him his first whack with the crop as Prussia nailed him across the head.

"Fool! Did you not realize zey are prosthetic?! Zey are not his real limbs, explore dat brain in dat head! Just because your sad little mind now resides within it does not mean you are helpless to learn about what you haff!"

Germany had followed, leaning over and glaring at him quite menacingly.

"Is dat all you have discovered? Truly?! You have not even tried any of Edward's alchemy?!"

Allen blinked again, then flinched, covering his head with his arms as Prussia threatened with the crop again.

"Hang on, hang on!! I didn't know I could look inside the kid's brain! But...alchemy?? I know what THAT is, it's an old science, led into what we call chemistry, modern medicine, and physics! How old is this kid anyway if he's still learning alchemy?!"

He looked up cautiously, hoping he'd given them the right answer. A smack from the crop told him otherwise as Prussia shook his head.

"Ve haff much to do den...und YOU haff much to learn."

With that, his 'training' had begun. They'd indeed taught him as much as one dream would allow them to cram his mind with regarding Ed's particular sort of 'alchemy', though it all seemed impossible to him. Patience was not one of their virtues, though.

"No!," Germany hollered, pointing to the blackboard that was covered in notes, complicated equations, and formulas, "Vhat did we say about the circle?? Recite it for me!!"

Allen nodded frantically, scrabbling through the piles of notes on his desk.

"OK...the circle! It's..."

Prussia stepped up, slapping away the notes with the crop.

"No!", he yelled, "From memory! Dis is the most basic rule of alchemy und you must know it as if it ist part of your very being!!"

With a nod, Allen closed his eyes, gripping the sides of the desk as he fought to remember.

"Circle...it's the basis of the alchemist's power, by forming one, he circulates that power!"

"Goot!" Prussia said, "Und Edvard is an exception becaaaauuuuse..."

Allen relaxed a bit and nodded.

"He doesn't need to draw the...the...crap, what are they called?!"

He flinched as Prussia lifted the crop, but quickly regrouped and continued.

"...transmutation circles! Ed doesn't need to draw them! He completes HIS circles with his hands!"

"Indeed," Germany answered as Prussia nodded and strutted back to the blackboard, "Und dat is where he has the advantage, ya? Now, on to analysis, decomposition, re-composition und...my favourite...polishing and perfection! Nothing is worth doing half-a**, after all!"

Allen's shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily. SO much to learn, and clearly, Germany and Prussia weren't going to give him a break until he knew it all.

"I just hope my mind doesn't explode..." he dared not say out loud as he took to scribbling notes again, "No wonder this Ed kid is so uptight!"  

[zombie296]

***Job Description***

Allen woke with a start, sighing as the sting from Prussia's riding crop was still glaring enough on his a** to cause him to groan.

"What IS it with those two??" he mumbled, rubbing his head, "Isn't four days of this enough?"

Still, he had to admit, he HAD learned a lot. They had made sure of it!

"Thanks all the same, guys," he said with a slight grin as he pulled on the long red coat he'd ended up with along with his new body.

A quick peek out into the hallway showed him no one was about, though he could still hear numerous 'ladies' giggling and shuffling around in their rooms. Slowly and quietly moving the grating over the small alcove he'd been sleeping in, he cautiously emerged into the hall. Quickly, he replaced the grate, again looking around before climbing out the window and sliding down the fire escape to the street. At least SOME things hadn't changed!

When he'd first realized a week ago that he was back in New Orleans, he'd been a bit shocked. How different things looked! The French Quarter was still there, but he didn't recognize most of the shops. Neon lights swam everywhere at night, fascinating him as he'd never seen such things before. People bustled about and the cars! Who would've ever imagined so many of them, strange looking and so fast! He'd then found a newspaper drifting down the street. Grabbing it, he looked it over with wide eyes as the current date stunned him. Over one hundred years had passed from his last time here. It was tough to believe and a lost, helpless feeling had crept over him.

That is, until he'd found the 'hotel' that Cross had frequented many times, he had chuckled and shaken his head at that one!

"So... The oldest 'profession' survives all, I guess..."

At least his 'housing' needs were handled that way. Sneaking in on the second night, he had located the small alcove he'd hidden in as a small kid while Cross had 'entertained' one lady or another. Being too cheap to pay for a room for Allen, he'd left the kid to his own devices. He'd found the alcove back then one night while a torrential down pour outside soaked the city. Not wanting to sleep in a puddle, and having already been told to get out, he'd found it a welcome, cozy and warm place to spend the night.

Now, however, he'd been a bit surprised that he still fit in that same, dusty alcove.

"Well, kid...luckily you're a tiny runt."

With a yawn and a scrub at his head, he wandered down the darkening street, pulling out Ed's wallet only to sigh. He was about out of cash. Tucking the wallet back in his pocket, he then dragged out the silver pocket watch to check the time, only to grumble as he again remembered that the damn thing wouldn't open.

"That's why I couldn't sell you. If only you WORKED!"

As his stomach suddenly erupted in empty howls, he groaned, shoving a fist into it and leaning over to try to ease it.

"Man! Hungry again?! How does this body use up so much food?? I thought I was bad!"

Again pulling out Ed's wallet, he stood, undecided, for a minute before shoving it back into his pocket.

"No, I can't waste what little bit I have left! Not till later..."

He then noticed a small patch of grass by the side of the road, and, to his surprise, the brain within cranked out an answer for him!

"Hey! That's right! Water...grass is a grain...ground has minerals in it...BREAD!!"

A quick transmutation later, and he grinned, leaving a blank spot of dirt behind as he strolled down the street, his arms and mouth full of delicious bread!

"This is awesome, like Prussia said! Wonder if I can make dangos, too?"

Pausing at a bank, he looked up at its bright blue and yellow sign. Underneath it, he could see large illuminated red numbers, indicating the time was 6:30. He had to get a move on! With his funds running out...and NO desire to go looking for the demons he'd crashed into, he'd been forced to look for work in the only thing he'd known in the city...the circus.

Less than ten minutes later, he'd made it, huffing from jogging half the way as he approached the ring master.

"Sorry, sir! Am I late?"

The man turned to him, grumbling with annoyance as he shook his head.

"Not yet, but you're really pushing my patience. We've got a show to do! Now, go get dressed, you're on gate duty, since you're too short for much else. And make it a good performance! I want those people smiling as they hand over their money!"

Allen nodded, rubbing his metal arm as he anxiously spoke.

"Will...will I get paid tonight, sir? See, I...I'm kind of low on cash..."

The ring master waved him off with an aggravated sigh.

"Yeah, sure, if we make a good profit. Maybe you shoulda thought of money problems BEFORE you ran away from home, kid."

He strode off, his expression and demeanor suddenly bright and cheery as a group of giggling teenage girls approached the main entrance, leaving Allen to sigh in relief. He then headed around the main tent towards the little caravan that handled the wardrobe for the show.  

[zombie296]

***Red Coat***

Roadie and Alphonse actually had a tough time keeping up with Ed, they huffed and called after him, though he seemed to not hear them. Finally arriving at the circus grounds, Ed stopped, his eyes looking around as Roadie and Al caught up. Roadie stood bent over, his hands on his knees as he angrily spoke.

"Dammit, Ed, what's the rush?! You're suddenly in a good mood!"

Ed waved him off, never facing him as he continued to search from the hill they stood on. Al joined him, panting as he shielded his eyes from the day's lowering sun. Suddenly he gasped, grabbing Ed's sleeve.

"Brother, look! There! Red coat!"

Roadie immediately stood up, narrowing his eyes and grinned as he, too, saw what Al saw.

"OK, let's be subtle here, sneak up on the kid, otherwise we might scare..."

His comment fell on deaf ears as Ed and Al took off running after the kid. With a sigh, he followed, watching the kid round the corner of the big top tent.

Ed skidded to a stop, his grin evil as he strode towards the kid, smoothly activating Crown Clown and chuckling as the long blades of Edge End extended on his left hand.

Seeing Ed continue, Alphonse called to him.

"Hang on, Ed, he didn't do anything wrong!"

Ed ignored him, though, even Neah was quickly shut up in his mind's eye.

"Hey Allen! Allen Walker!" he hollered, causing Allen to turn to face him. Ed saw the kid's face change from one of confusion...to shocked horror! Raising one clawed finger, Ed motioned him over.

"C'mere!"

"Ohhhhhh, crap," Allen muttered, slowly backing away as his own body faced him, "Demons again...and does he looked ticked! That's one mean face I can make, mental note to never do that one again!"

A quick glance over his right shoulder showed him a crowd of people clearing out at the impending brawl, but more importantly, he noticed a long metal beam lying partially out of the ground. Stopping beside it, he kept his eyes on Ed as, with a clap, he drew out a long, vicious looking spear. Holding it before him as he faced Ed, he gave a shake of his head.

"I'm not really interested in fighting you, OK? In fact, I wish you would've waited til later, I was supposed to get PAID today!"