Central City Murders

Onyx eyes glanced over the morbid scene as someone came up behind him.

"We've got another one, Roy."

Roy turned his head to look at Hughes and sighed with frustration. "How was this one killed?" He focused his eyes back onto the bloody women laid out on the cold pavement of a back alley.

"Same as the others. Her throat was slit and there was a struggle but no one heard them." Hughes answered. "One older woman informed us that she saw a shadow and she claimed it wasn't a very tall man. Whatever that means." Hughes mumbled.

Roy looked at the walls of the narrow alley where blood was splashed across it and had dried. Clear evidence that someone had first hit the woman against the wall then slit her throat with a sharp object of some sort.

"How many does that make it now?" Roy turned to ask his friend.

Hughes frowned, "Six. Six people who've died within two weeks and nothing to go on yet but we did find something here." Hughes gestured for Roy to follow and he led him over to the other people who were at the scene. He grabbed something from one of his guys and showed it to Roy.

Roy took the small black piece of fabric and looked at it. "Any idea what it is?" He asked, hopeful.

Hughes shook his head. "No, maybe a hat or glove?. We just can't be sure." Hughes sighed. "I just want to catch this guy and put an end to these murders! It's been going on for weeks now!" He said.

"We will find this guy. And when we do, we'll put an end to him. Permanently." Roy promised then turned. "I can't help you with the body so, unless you need me for something else, I'm gonna go home. It's been a long day." Roy said.

Hughes nodded, "Yeah, it's fine. You need rest, you've been at this case for weeks now. Go home." Hughes smiled and patted his friend lightly on the back. "Go home and get a good nights rest."

Roy nodded to him and ducked under the crime scene tape. He'd seen enough bloody bodies in one lifetime, and these murders weren't helping. He sighed, all they needed was a break in the case. Just something to point them in the right direction.

Roy walked up to his door and unlocked it. He went in and threw his keys onto the coffee table then sat down on the black leather couch. "Why can't we just get a break?" He moaned out loud to himself.

A knock sounded at his door and Roy stood up to answer it. "Wonder if they found something to go on?" He rushed to the door and stood tall, clearing his throat, he opened the door.

"Hi,"

He looked down at a young blond that stood at his door. The kid smiled lightly at him, "Do you know where a hotel is?" He asked with a slight hesitation.

Roy sighed, he had hoped this was something to do with the case not some dumb kid asking directions. "Yeah but the only one in town is full. It's a busy weekend with all the murders, and people are fearing for their lives." Roy answered.

The kid glanced up at him with eyes Roy had never seen before. They reminded him of a cat's eyes. Golden, bright, and big. They kinda scared him.

"Oh. Well, do you know anywhere else I could stay?" The kid asked with a frown. "It's getting cold out here so I need someplace to go. I really don't care where." He said.

Roy thought back to earlier that day when Hawkeye had told him he needed to start being nicer to people and helping them when they needed it. She said that's what she liked in a man.

"You could stay the night here if you have no where else to go. As long as you're not a serial killer, we've got enough of those running around." Roy tried for a sick joke.

The kid gave him a strange look then looked past Roy in his house. "Could I stay?" He glanced back with big pleading eyes.

Roy didn't want the kid to stay but if it got him closer to Hawkeye then how could he deny a perfect chance such as that?.

"Yeah, come on in." He led the kid through the door and told him to sit on the couch while Roy locked the door up. "Don't want anyone to try to get in. Of course, it would be stupid for them to try considering I am with the military." Roy said with a laugh.

The kid looked shocked and stared at him for a moment. "You're with the military?" He asked with a small voice as he fiddled with his hands.

"Yeah, something wrong with that?" Roy scowled as he went and sat down on a chair on the other side of the couch.

"No, it's just I've had bad experiences with the military. They tried to hurt me and my family before when I was little so I try to avoid them." He said then looked up at Roy, "But you seem okay."

"Uh thanks I guess. What's your name, by the way? Mine's Roy Mustang." He asked the kid.

"My name's Edward Elric but you can just call me Ed." He said. "Do you cook? If so, are we gonna have dinner or not?" He asked with a grin as he looked around with wide eyes.

Roy smiled, "Two minutes here and you're already asking for free food?. Typical." He laughed, "How old are you anyways?" He asked as he stood.

Edward looked at him, "I'm eleven, almost twelve . How old are you?" He grinned playfully.

"Oh we aren't going there!" Roy shook his head and went to the kitchen. "Do you like soup?" He called.

"Yeah I like soup but it's been awhile since I've had it though." Edward said as he looked around the room at the assortment of books and papers that Roy had yet to complete.

"Good 'cause that's what we're having." He pulled out the ingredients and started cooking. Finally, he carried out two bowls with soup in them and set them onto the table in the living room. "Here's dinner." He said to Ed.

Edward jumped up from the couch and ran to the table. He sat down and grabbed up a spoon then dug into the soup. He froze and glared with such cold eyes at the soup that Roy actually swallowed nervously. "Something wrong?" He asked.

Ed slowly looked up from the bowl, "Is there milk in this?" He asked quietly as he squeezed the spoon with enough force to bend it.

"Yeah there is. I take it you don't like milk?" Roy asked carefully as he set his spoon down next to his bowl.

"I hate it! It's white poison that they suck from a cow's..." Ed visibly shook and stuck his tongue out, "Yuck." He pushed the bowl away and guiltily looked at the bent spoon and set it on the table. "Sorry 'bout the spoon. I didn't mean to bend it." He looked at his lap and avoided Roy's eyes.

"It's no big deal. I have tons of them. My friend, Maes, is always bringing them over. He says that I don't have enough. Personally, I think his wife just keeps buying them so he off loads them onto me." He smiled.

"I can make you something else if you don't want to eat that?" Roy asked with a small smile. He never was great around kids. Especially kids he didn't know.

Ed's golden eyes lit up, "You'd do that for me?" He gasped and stared in shock at Roy.

Roy's mouth carved into a smile and he nodded. "Yeah I'd do that for a guest. Most kids like peanut butter and jam sandwiches, right?" He asked as he got up from the table.

Ed frowned "I'm not a kid," He crossed his arms and looked at the floor, "But I do like peanut butter and jam..." He muttered.

Roy smirked and shook his head. Of course this person in his house was a child, and probably not a very smart one at that.

He made his way to the kitchen and started making the sandwich. "So Ed, where's your family and why aren't you staying with them?" He asked as he spread the peanut butter onto the bread.

Ed frowned and knitted his brows together. "Well, they died a few years back and ever since then I've been living on my own. In fact, this is the first time in a long time that I've even been in an actual house." He looked around and admired what the older man owned.

Roy's eyes widened at what Ed had said and felt a sense of similarity between them. "I know how you feel. I was orphaned at a young age as well and grew up in a foster home." He said as he set the sandwich down on the table in front of Ed and sat down. "It sucks to not have parents or siblings."

Ed flinched and looked sullenly at his sandwich. "Thanks for the sandwich." He mumbled as he took a bite.

Roy studied him for a moment and decided that the kid had more to say but he wasn't telling. Roy wasn't going to pry into his personal life. He knew how that felt and he hated it when people tried it on him.

Roy looked up at the clock and his eyes widened. "Wow, look at the time! I have work in the morning." He looked back at Ed. "I have to get to sleep but I'll show you were the guest bedroom is." Roy stood after Ed took his last bite.

"It's upstairs, come on." Roy lead Ed up the stairs and down the hall until they came to the guest room on the left. "Well, here it is. Make yourself at home and there's a bathroom built into the room here, plus extra blankets in the closet there." He pointed to the closet that was in the guest room.

Ed looked around the room and walked over to his bed. "Thanks!" He said before plopping down onto the soft bed.

"No problem. See you in the morning I suppose." Roy fumbled for words then shook his head and left the room.

Ed watched him leave then turned his attention to the bathroom. He stood and walked into it, flipping on the light. He caught sight of himself in the mirror and wondered why Roy even let him into the house looking the way he did. His clothes had red stains and holes littered throughout them from being in the streets. His hair was an absolute mess and looked like it hadn't been washed in who knows how long. He even had bags under his sunken in golden eyes.

Maybe that was why Roy took him in. He just felt sorry for him because he looked like a total bum.

Ed sighed and closed the door to the bathroom. He dug around in his pocket and pulled out some strips of cloth then took his clothes off. "Well here goes nothing." He muttered out loud.

He clapped his hands together and slammed them onto the floor. A blue light flooded out over the room and Ed was thankful the door was shut. Once the light faded out, his clothes were mended.

He picked them up and put them on, frowning. "Better then having holes in them I guess but they still need a good washing." He turned out the lights and trailed back to the bed.

The moons light fluttered through the window and onto the bed where Ed had crawled into.

He sighed and stared at the ceiling. Every night the deep ache he had in his heart ate away at him, making the hole wider and wider. He missed his brother and wished he was still there with him.

He could still remember all the nights they'd stay up just talking about things and laughing together until they were shushed.

Ed rolled over, away from the moonlight shining in on him and away from the memories. He pulled his blankets up to his neck and stared into the darkness. "I miss you, Al."