Just a Piece of the Puzzle (Edward Elric x OC)

Chapter 13: Golden Dagger

It was time.

Ed and Al had been so nice to her, but the prisoner life just wasn't for her. She needed to save her sister; it was her job.

Looking back, Ana was suddenly glad she got to hug Ed one last time, even if she was crying, even if it was embarrassing when he scooped her up like a rag doll and layer her in her bed, covering her up like a child.

She smiled at the memory, but frowned when she remembered what lie ahead for her.

Dressed in all black and a sack of blankets over her shoulder, Ana stared back over her shoulder at Edward's sleeping form.

Lucky for Ana, Alphonse decided to take his early walk an hour earlier than usual, which gave her time to get ready.

Edward was sound asleep, shirtless, hair unbound.
Peaceful.

All Ana wanted was to find that peace; it was all she craved, all she had left.

From her spot beside the window, she whispered a choked goodbye to the lovely boy, her voice cracking softly, masking the words with the creaking of the window sill rising up.

One foot after another, Ana lept out of the window into the cool, still of the morning.

--

"Alphonse!!" Yelled a voice from down the street.

Al turned toward the sound of what sounded like his brother. But that couldn't be, there was no way Ed was up this early.

"Brother?" He called out.

Ed sprinted around the block corner, racing towards his brother.

"Ed, what's going on? What's-"

"It's Ana, she's gone. Escaped. Ran away. Kidnapped. Dead.
I.
Don't.
Know.
But we have to find her! Now!"

"C-calm down, Edward!"

He was so disheveled that all he had on here his boxers and his cloak, his hair an unbraided mess of blonde.

They ran back to the apartment, Edward trying to calm his racing heart, his brain dismissing the odd looks.

It's not everyday that you see a boy in boxers and a suit of armor with a loin cloth running down downtown central city.
...
After getting Ed dressed, they examined the outside of the house, the inside, and the surrounding streets for any signs of breaking and entering.

"Al, if anyone broke in, I would have heard them."

"Maybe, maybe not. Fear is a silencing thing."

Ed rolled his eyes. With Al, Ed sometimes felt younger than his little brother.

"Ed! Come here!"

¥¥¥¥¥¥

Ana's lungs were sore and raspy from all the cardio, but she also knew how fit Ed was, so she kept on going.

As soon as they figured out where she was going, they'd be on her in mere seconds.

Rounding a corner, Ana saw an abandoned house in the midst of tall, skyscraper-like buildings.

There.

She went inside, checking all the rooms for others, before securely stashing all her belongings under one of the creaky floorboards.

Enclosed by three concrete walls, shared by the surrounding buildings, and no bigger than a garage, it was the perfect hideout.

Pulling out one of the blankets from the floor, after doing one final sweep of the rooms, Ana lay down on the floor of the kitchen, head on the blanket.

Through one park of the broken ceiling, a single ray of sun shone though the darkness.

It penetrated the black of the shed like a golden dagger, and Ana could relate to it.

She didn't know why but...leaving those boys...

It tore up her heart.