Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Gravity Falls. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and Alex Hirsch respectively. I only own the OC characters.

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The next few days passed without incident. Cornelius still stood out in his mind, but it faded with each day that he didn't interact with the man. Perhaps he had been put off by the boy's reaction and decided not to approach him again. Ed hoped that were the case. Either way, he was glad that that situation didn't have to weigh so heavily on him anymore. He could actually focus on what they came here to do in the first place. He realized he quite enjoyed getting the chance to bond with the sisters in particular.

And then, it happened.

He had just finished taking a shower in the overly grand bathroom in their hotel room, rushing along in a hurry. Apparently, Stanford had made a breakthrough he needed to see. Dashing out of the room, he realized that he never fixed up his hair. He had to brush it now, getting tangled in his fast sprint. He stopped by Kate and Rosalin's room, the elder Johnston offering her brush to borrow. He set aside its feminine style, more important things on his mind. Once he got to the first floor, he stopped in front of a vanity mirror in the hallway, swiping at his blond locks. It grew increasingly frustrating as the tangles were refusing to come undone.

"May I help you with that?" The voice made him freeze up in panic. He hadn't heard the bastard walk up to him. He was too focused on untangling his hair. Cornelius didn't even let him answer, gently plucking the brush from his hand, continuing this arduous task. Surprisingly, the rich man had an easier time running the bristles between his strands, knots disappearing as if on command. It still didn't break Edward from his state of fear.

"You have such beautiful hair. Like a river of gold." Ed didn't answer, clenching his fists. "Tell me, why did you decide to grow it this long?"

It took the boy a moment to register that Cornelius had asked him a question. His mind scrambled, tripping over itself. "I... I-I just like it like this." A gleam of... something flashed in the man's eyes. "Fascinating." Ed felt his heart skip a beat.

Once he was finished brushing, Cornelius began braiding his hair in the way he liked it. He desperately tried not to think of how the man knew that. He was still too afraid to move, using all his willpower not to tremble. The braid was tied off, but Cornelius did not let go of his hair. He rubbed the strands between his fingers fondly. "Just like a girl," he mused. "You must smell wonderful." He bent down and took a huge breath through his nose, filling himself with Ed's scent.

Movement suddenly came back to him. He felt like prey being tormented by its predator after it had made the catch. He had to get as far away from this man as possible. He raced down the hall, not looking back to see if Cornelius was following him. He was almost convinced that he was. He had to find a place to hide.

There! A set of public restrooms. He could probably lose him in here. He burst through the door, running up to the stall furthest away from the entrance. He dove inside, locking it behind him. He then stood on the toilet, boots scuffing the rim, staying as still as possible. He could hear his heart hammering in his ears. Sweat poured down his face in droves. He panted heavily and quickly from his mad dash.

The sound of the bathroom door opening made him stiffen. He's here! He crouched over the toilet, holding a hand over his mouth, silencing any noise he could be making. He latched onto some hopeless miracle that Cornelius wouldn't find him in here. He wasn't entirely sure what the man intended, but he knew it was bad, and he didn't want anything to do with it. Heavy clanging footsteps approached the stall he was hiding in. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back tears.

"Brother?"

It couldn't be true. "Al?" he asked tentatively, the thought Cornelius could be tricking him suddenly popping into his mind. But then: "Yes, it's me. What are you doing in there? Did something happen?"

The hulking suit of armor was caught off guard by the small weight that barreled into him, clutching desperately at any chink of armor he could get a hold of. This was unlike the older Elric. He was cowering and trembling against him. He looked like he was about to cry. Something awful must have happened to make his older brother this upset. "Ed, what's wrong?"

His helmet jerked up at the sound of the bathroom door opening again. The same man that had introduced himself on the first day they were here stood motionless, expression containing a hint of concern. But something wasn't genuine about it.

Ed had noticed Cornelius as well, squeaking and hiding behind his younger brother's body. Al stared down at him in astonishment. Ed was just full of surprises today. He noticed how his brother's amber eyes never strayed from Cornelius, looking quite distressed. The man in question noticed the shaking boy, schooling his expression into one of sincerity. "I'm sorry if I did anything to make you uncomfortable, Edward," he said. The boy didn't respond, levelling his glare. "I sincerely apologize for my behavior."

There was no exchange. The silence stretched on long enough to be awkward. "We best be going," Al piped up. He circled his huge arm around Ed, keeping him close. As they passed by Cornelius in the restroom, he made sure that his body was firmly between the man and his brother. He didn't trust the wealthy man one bit.

They reported this incident to Katelyn as soon as they arrived. The undercurrents of seething rage could be detected just behind her bright blue eyes. "I'll tell someone about this," she said. "That definitely raised some red flags." She fixed the boy with a sympathetic stare. "We're leaving tomorrow, anyway. Won't have to worry about him anymore."

That was true. Their merry band of misfits would be up early the next morning to drive back to Gravity Falls, taking the research they had gathered with them. Ed took comfort in that. He would soon be crammed back into that stuffy car, leaving this experience far behind him. He went to bed that night stress free, settling comfortably into the sheets and quickly falling asleep.

Of course, it would never be that simple.

He didn't even hear the door slowly squeak open. Later, he would ponder how the man had managed to get in, since all the rooms were electronically locked. He assumed that he had stolen one of his spare keys. However, that didn't matter. He saw the light filtering through the door when he cracked an eye open, a long shadow looming over him.

Panic seized him and he turned sharply in bed, prepared to spring into action. As soon as he did, however, a cloth with a sickly-sweet smell was shoved over his nose and mouth, pressing into his face. He screamed and struggled, squirming to clap his hands. The figure seemed to anticipate this, leaning their entire weight over his body, effectively pinning the boy. He kicked and bucked under his attacker, but he didn't make much headway. Where was Al? Was he even in the room? The sentient suit of armor that served as his little brother's physical body would have easily noticed there was a disturbance. But no one interfered in this silent struggle. He must be alone.

"Shhh," the figure's voice soothed, which had the opposite effect. "It's alright. Just relax." The chemical began to fill the boy's senses, blurring his vision. His body felt heavy, his limbs like stones. His eyes slipped closed of their own accord.

He quietly slipped into unconsciousness.

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Author's Note: *rubs hands together* We're in the thick of it now, boys.

Does anyone know if the New York Special of Miraculous Ladybug is available on Netflix? I haven't gone to check yet.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower