I'm updating this to say I do now own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of it's characters or work. I am simply using them for the sake of writing my own little stories. Thank you!

Prologue

When Ed and Al are sent on a mission, things go a little different than expected. Ed and Al are currently on a train investigating a case of potential train robbers that are also under cover gun smugglers for a huge crime ring they have been investigating for months. Ed left Al to investigate a suspect, ending up in the engine room by himself. Caught by surprise at several unknown men in the room and the train driver missing, Ed was quickly restrained. Al, feeling something was wrong, went to find his brother and followed directions given by other passengers to his brother's location.

The Story Begins

Alphonse saw everything in slow motion, the events burned into his memory for as long as he would live. The men holding his brother hostage moved closer towards him, preventing him from getting nearer to Edward. His brother was struggling to get free of his restraints, but they were too tight. As Edward struggled, one of the men used the back of his shotgun to hit Edward in the temple, stunning the alchemist. Edward collapsed to the floor, blood trickled from a small gash, caused by the blow of the gun, dripping into Edward's eye.

"Brother!" Alphonse exclaimed, shock and worry evident in his voice.

"Al, get out of here. Now!" Edward ordered as he tried to sit back up.

"No one's going anywhere. We're taking control of this train. Anyone who gets in our way is going to be dealt with swiftly." The leader of the gang said, smirking as he looked at the scene in front of him. "Nab that one there and tie him up good. We don't want people to panic just yet."

"Yes sir." Two men went to grab Alphonse, but the young alchemist was too fast, jumping away from them. At the same time, he clapped his hands together and touched both sides of the train walls, sending surging currents of alchemy throughout the train. Immediately, the engine car detached from the rest of the train, the brakes were being applied on the passenger portions of the train thanks to Alphonse's quick thinking. Cursing, the men pushed past Alphonse, watching their potential easy money getting further and further away. Alphonse took advantage of their distraction to quickly slam the two men together, bashing their heads, causing them to fall to the ground unconscious. That's when hell broke loose.

Alphonse began to fight another two guards while Edward wobbled to his feet, looking for anything to free his hands of the rope restraining them. A guard went towards him, gun aimed at his chest, but Edward ducked and charged head first into the man's gut. Out of breath, the man fell to the ground, holding his stomach. Edward kicked the gun away from the man, sending it flying out of the now gaping doorway of the engine compartment, watching it bounce away on the train tracks. While the man was down, Edward went back to looking for a way to cut the rope from his wrists. Edward spotted what looked like a miner's pick next to the driver's seat, its original purpose meant to be used for rocks stuck on the train tracks or to break the glass of the nearby window if the driver was trapped. Edward rushed over and began to rub the rope against the pick, watching as Alphonse dodged one of the men swinging a coal shovel at his head.

"Watch it, I need my head you know." Alphonse complained as he grabbed the shovel and broke it into two pieces and threw it out the open train door. Undeterred, the two men began to push Alphonse towards that same door, trying to shove him off the train.

"Al!" Edward shouted, tossing the rope to the ground and running towards his brother. Before he could stop the men from pushing his brother off the train, the leader stepped in front of Edward, a gun pointed at his head.

"That's as far as you go. I need to use you as a hostage for ransom since your brother over there lost me all that loot from the passengers. I know you're a State Alchemist, there's no way you could fight that well without training, nor know as much about our group without military clearance. The fact that you are on this train, looking specifically for us gives away too much about you. I also know that the military won't let you go so easily. If you don't cooperate, I'll shoot your brother right here and now." The leader flicked the toothpick from his mouth into the furnace that was currently burning the coal to fuel the train.

"Hmph. Shoot him if you want, it won't make a difference." Edward laughed.

Surprised by the response, the leader stood there for a second, unable to do anything. That's when the train began to take a sharp turn on the track. Since the train weighed less with the removal of the passenger cars, the train had picked up speed, causing it to go almost twice as fast as it normally would have when it hit the turn. The train began to tip over and everyone slid to the side as the train car fell. The leader, losing control of his footing, lost control of his hold on his gun as well. He fired the gun and the bullet struck Edward in his left shoulder, blood starting to gush from the wound. Edward saw Alphonse reach out towards him, but the shock of being shot caused him to lose focus of everything. The sounds, the sights, the feeling of being flipped over and over as the train derailed and rolled down a cliff before crashing into a very deep river. Edward was too stunned to move as the water came rushing in and the pain was too much for him, overwhelming him and forcing him to slip into unconsciousness at the worst possible time.