Oh my god, it's the last chapter... *cries in corner* I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS!

... Oh wait, there's going to be a sequel. I keep forgetting that. By the way, the sequel will be called Inveigle (which, yes, is a synonym of Ensnared), so look out for that within the next few weeks.

IMPORTANT: I'm might not keep them in the Criminal Minds universe. Sorry if that disappoints any CM fans. I'm sticking with crime based things though. I was thinking maybe going back to the Jack the Ripper case... Black Butler? Or some random case in Death Note? Or something with one of the newer crime shows like Prime Suspect or Unforgettable... Eh, we'll see. I'll put a poll on my profile.

And, for the final time, I give you the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, Criminal Minds, or any of the characters/OCs used in this story. *sobs*

Chapter Nine

It All Ends Here.

"A lesson without pain is meaningless, for you cannot gain something without sacrificing something else in return. But once you own it and make it your own, you will gain an irreplaceable Fullmetal heart." ~Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

The BAU team were already heading West when they got the call that The Siren and The Judge had been seen fighting the Elrics on Barnett Avenue. For that reason (and Morgan's reckless driving), they arrived at the scene of the fight in only two minutes.

The Elrics were nowhere in sight. The first thing they saw were the paramedics loading a female body onto a stretcher. The woman's eyes had been closed, but it was obvious from the lopsided twist of her neck that she was dead.

"Is that... The Siren?" Prentiss asked. A nearby officer nodded.

"Yep. Apparently her name is Janet Hilson. She lived in the same apartment building as Detective Marker." The officer, Mallark, explained.

"She was the woman who dropped off his keys at the station the other day... The same day he was found dead." Reid said. Officer Mallark nodded.

"Yep. I don't think Michael ever saw it coming." He muttered, solemnly. There was new movement on the road as four police officers escorted a middle-aged man in handcuffs around the corner and toward a police car. The man stared at Janet's body as it was loaded into an ambulance, his expression pained.

"Is she... Dead?" He asked one of the officers, who just nodded. "Where those damn kids? I'll kill them... And what about that traitor, Scar?" His questions went unanswered as he was pushed into the back of one of the police cruisers.

"So that's The Judge." Rossi murmured, more of a statement than a question.

"Yep. He goes by GOD, but his real name is Eric Champlain. He has some sort of weird God-complex. Totally unstable." Officer Mallark offered. The profilers nodded.

"And what was he saying about Scar being a traitor?" Reid asked.

"Champlain swears Scar was working with the Hohenhiem brothers. The guy's so angry about it, it's hard not to believe him." Officer Mallark said before walking away. There was a thoughtful pause.

"So... Scar wasn't their enemy?" Hotch frowned.

"Apparently. At least, not in the end." JJ. agreed. Reid glanced around.

"But... Where are they?" He wondered. "They could not have gotten far."

"We'll canvas the area, after all, Scar still needs to pay for his crimes, enemy or not." Hotch said. They all nodded.

Axiom's World- Two Weeks Later

Reid sighed, staring at the picture of the Elric brothers. He had taken it the day before they had run off, and had had it framed. He had intended to give it to them, since they seemed to have no picture of their own. Now the thing sat in a smooth wooden ebony-coloured frame on his coffee table, a constant reminder of the mysterious golden eyed children (or was it wrong to call such wise people children?) who had disappeared the same way they had appeared – from and into thin air.

Reid looked at their matching gold eyes and frowned. Their eyes were ancient, full of hidden secrets and past pains he could never begin to image, nor did he want to image them.

He flipped the frame down, so the picture was pressed against the table.

It had been two weeks of searching, but the Elrics were gone. Reid doubted they would ever come back. He picked up the frame and walked purposefully out of his apartment and down the hall. He opened the door to the small room with the garbage chute in the wall. He paused, looking between the picture and the garbage chute.

He opened the shoot and dropped the frame in, letting it fall to it's fate. He then walked back to his apartment and walked into his room. He knelt beside his bed and pulled out a shoebox, carefully taking off the lid.

"Hello again." He murmured, shifting through the pictures in the box.. They were pictures of all the victims the BAU had saved since he had joined. He pulled the picture of the Elrics out of his pocket (where he had placed it after releasing it from the frame. He set the picture down on the top of the pile and stared at it for a moment before closing the box and sliding it back under his bed.

He sat there for a moment. For once his mind was peaceful. All the gears and cogs that usually spun around at a break-neck speed had stopped.

He sighed and got up, going to the kitchen to make himself a coffee. He knew he would never forget the Elric brothers. Edward's tough stubbornness and fiery protectiveness of his brother. Alphonse's gentle kindness and careful determination. They were a pair unlike any he had ever met.

'Yes,' He thought to himself, sipping his coffee. 'those two will not easily be forgotten.'

...

Edward, Alphonse and Scar were dropped on the ground in a tangle of limbs in front of Axiom. Truth stood a short distance away, on the edge of Axiom's black void. His own white abyss stretching behind him.

"Fullmetal, get off of me." Scar grunted. Scar was the unfortunate at the bottom of their dog-pile, with Edward sprawled on top of him and Alphonse's legs draped over them both.

"Sorry." Edward muttered, rolling off of Scar after Alphonse scrambled off of them. Scar stood up and dusted off his jacket.

"Does this mean we get to go home?" Alphonse asked hopefully, looking between Axiom and Truth.

"Well..." Axiom began, frowning.

"I'm afraid only one of you are coming back to my world today." Truth interrupted. All three humans looked shocked.

"Well?" Edward asked, crossing his arms and glaring between the two Gods. "Who's going back?"

"Scar will be coming back." Truth said, although it didn't look overly happy about it. A large gate appeared behind Truth. "Whenever you're ready."

"Looks like our truce ends here, Fullmetal." Scar said, holding out his hand to Edward, who shook it firmly.

"Looks like it." He agreed, grimly. Scar nodded and turned to shake Alphonse's hand. He then walked over to the edge of Axiom's void and stepped into Truth's white expanse.

"Good luck, Fullmetal." He called back. Edward and Alphonse both gave him a slight wave. Truth led him over to the gate, which opened and said something to Scar that the Elrics couldn't hear. Black hands stretched out of the gate to grasp Scar, pulling him into the gate, which shut firmly behind him.

"And what about us?" Edward asked, turning back to Axiom.

"I have other plans for you." Axiom said, grinning.

"But you said that-" Alphonse began, his eyes wide.

"I lied. I still need you, and Truth was nice enough to comply." Axiom cut in. Both Elrics made noises of protest. "Don't worry. You are not going unaided. In fact, I believe that rest of your team is arriving now." Axiom said, turning to look at Truth, who was standing in front of two new gates, which were beginning to open.

"Who...?" Edward trailed off, frowning. Axiom grinned.

"You'll see."

...

The blond woman sighed, carrying another stack of paperwork through Central Command. She stopped in front of a door and shifted the paperwork so it was balanced on one arm and walked in without knocking.

"Hawkeye, if you have more paperwork, just leave." The man at the desk growled. Riza could only see his messy black hair over the paperwork already piled on his desk.

"Sorry, Sir. But if you don't keep up with it, it will only continue to build up." She said bluntly, dumping the papers in her arms on the only bit of empty space left on the desk, right under her commanding officer's nose. Roy Mustang glared up at her, seeming to regret waking up that morning. Dark circles rested under his black eyes.

"You'll be the death of me, Hawkeye." He grumbled, picking through the paperwork. Riza rolled her brown eyes.

"Any word of the Elric brothers?" She asked. Roy paused, his expression didn't change, but Riza knew him well enough to see the concern in his eyes.

"No. No one has seen or heard from them for a week now." He replied. Riza nodded.

"I'm sure they will turn up, Sir." She said calmly, offering him one of her rare smiles.

"Thanks, Hawke-" Roy stopped talking as an eye opened up below the two military officials and black and white hands popped out, pulling at them. Riza pulled out a gun and shot at the hands, but it had no affect. Soon enough the hands seized them and dragged them through the eye.

"Colonel!"

...

Roy was the first to topple out of his gate in Truth's abyss, landing hard on his back. Riza tumbled out of her gate a few moments later, landing heavily on top of him.

"What the hell is the Colonel Bastard doing here?" Edward exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Roy as Riza helped him up.

"Hey, it's Fullmetal. And here I thought you had drowned in a puddle." Roy smirked, brushing off his uniform.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO TINY HE COULD CHOKE ON A GRAIN OF SAND?" Edward exploded. Roy rolled his eyes and looked at Truth.

"So, what's going on?" He asked. Truth lead Roy and Riza over to Axiom's black void before answering.

"You're going to help the Elrics on a quest. You finish it; you can all go back to Amestris safe and sound. Sound like a fair trade?" Truth said. Edward bristled.

"I'M NOT WORKING WITH THAT BASTARD!" He yelled. Roy laughed.

"Well, if Ed's against it, I'm in." He smirked. Riza nodded.

"If the Colonel's in, I'm in." She agreed. Alphonse smiled.

"Well, we don't have much choice. Do we, Ed?" He asked. Edward huffed and crossed his arms, turning to look away from the others.

"Fine. What's our 'quest'?" He asked, sullenly. Axiom smirked.

"Basically the same as the last. You'll be helping rid my world of a few choice killers, and then you'll be free to go back. Simple enough, right?" Axiom sneered. Edward growled.

"Nothing is simple with you." He shot a glare between Axiom and Truth. "Either of you. What's the catch?"

"No catch. You'll keep your immortality in my world and when you go back to your world, Alphonse will be allowed to keep his body. Equivalent Exchange and all that." Axiom replied. Edward eyed him warily.

"... Al gets to keep his body?" He asked slowly. Axiom and Truth both nodded. "You've got a deal."

"What about Ed's limbs?" Alphonse spoke up. Truth and Axiom exchanged a glance. Truth shrugged.

"... Perhaps..." Truth said, hesitantly.

"Depends on how well you do." Axiom added. Alphonse nodded, shooting a quick glance at Edward.

"Just tell us what we have to do." He said. Axiom smiled.

"You're so much more amiable than your brother." Axiom chuckled.

"Got that right." Roy said drily. Riza, who stood dutifully at his shoulder, rolled her eyes. Edward's glare flickered between them.

"I'm right here." He deadpanned. Axiom's smile grew.

"So, what do Hawkeye and I get in return for this 'quest'?" Roy asked suddenly. Axiom and Truth nodded approvingly at the Colonel.

"I expected you to ask that... In the end, you'll gain that which you'll need." Truth said cryptically. Roy exchanged a glance with Riza.

"What do you mean?" Riza asked.

"I mean, that something is happening in Amestris, and that you'll be at a great advantage if you accept Axiom's task." Truth stated bluntly. Roy nodded.

"Alright." He said carefully.

"Excellent. You know your task, it's time for you to go." Axiom replied. A familiar large eyes opened up below the Amestrians and white hands flew out, wrapping themselves around the humans.

"Wait! Where are we going? Who are we supposed to get rid of?" Edward yelled, tugging some of the hands off of him. Axiom and Truth exchanged an amused glance. Edward had been dragged left and right by those hands more times than anyone they could think of, and yet he still thought he could resist their grip. How foolishly stubborn humans could be.

"You'll see, in due time. Goodbye." Axiom said, waving.

"And good luck!" Truth called as they were pulled through the eye.

...

Truth sighed and opened up two more gates. The gates were black and decayed. Rotten and cracked. "You ready, Axiom?" Truth asked, glancing back at his black counter-part.

"Bring it, Truth." Axiom leered. Truth rolled his eyes as the gates creaked open. Truth sucked in a breath and put a tight-lipped smile on it's face as two beings, neither human nor God, tumbled out in front of him.

"Welcome... Homunculi." Truth sneered the name, feeling it leave a bitter taste on it's tongue. "You two are going to be going on a little trip."

And that's it. As all authors do, I leave you with a cliffhanger (kind of).

ALSO IMPORTANT: By the way, I seriously have no idea what world I'm putting them in (Death Note, Black Butler, Criminal Minds, some other crime show... I don't know), so I will not start the sequel until I have at least ten votes on the aforementioned poll and there is a clear winner (although, I do have final say, so if I don't think the winner will work, I will choose the one with the second most votes).

And that's basically it. Please review, I was so happy (and slightly surprised) at the amount of reviews last chapter got. :)

So, for the final time for Ensnared...

Good Bye, my lovely readers.

-Hazeljv.