Ed stood still as he crouched down, his back to the wall. He crept along the wall, staying low, hearing heavy footsteps and cursing as people darted around. Steadying himself with one hand on the ground, he leaned his head and turned to get a glimpse of what lay beyond the wall that separated him from the chaos.
He caught a glimpse of a pair of legs running in his direction, but he hadn't been able to see who it was. Swearing under his breath, he bolted, abandoning his hiding spot and sprinting around the dark room. One turn, then another, and another. He tried to commit the nonsensical maze to memory but to no avail.
Suddenly, he collided with something hard, knocking the breath out of him. Ed wheezed and glared up at whatever had ran into him.
"Alphonse!" Ed whispered, giving his brother a stern look. "What are you –"
"Brother, this way!"
He barely had time to catch his breath before he was off, chasing after his brother. He caught up with Al, scanning the surrounding area before they stopped underneath a nearby overhang that was almost completely unnoticeable.
Al was breathing hard, sweat forming along his brow. Ed's lungs burned with effort from trying to catch his breath the whole time he'd been running. He pulled a pained expression before turning to Al.
"Who's left out there?" Ed inquired, his golden eyes trained on his brother.
Al doubled over, panting as he rested for a moment. He adjusted his black vest and glanced around nervously.
"Colonel Mustang, Hawkeye, Hughes, and Armstrong," he murmured.
Ed nodded. "So Havoc, Breda, and Fuery are out. Good. Alright, Al. You take out Hughes and Armstrong, and I'll go after Mustang and Hawkeye."
Al's eyes gleamed with determination as he nodded, raising his gun and getting ready to take off running.
"Ready? Go!" Ed exclaimed, sprinting out of hiding and out into the open. Walls surrounded them, the dark maze seeming to grow ever more confusing, but Ed found his way out in minutes.
Movement caught the corner of his eye, and Ed peered around just in time to see Hawkeye darting behind a wall. Ed smiled, baring his teeth as he gave chase. He skidded around a corner and caught a glimpse of her blonde, pinned up hair as she tried to outrun him.
Ed knew that Hawkeye was an incredible shot, so he tried to rely on the element of surprise. He saw the opening she'd run through, and launched himself in, rolling to absorb the impact. He raised his gun and fired at her black vest, eyes flashing with satisfaction as it lit up red.
Her expression was one of pure bewilderment; she couldn't believe she'd been beaten. Ed smiled and took a moment to appreciate his victory. He blew imaginary smoke from his laser-tag gun, and Riza smiled, shaking her head. She tipped her head in acknowledgment of Ed's surprising skill at the game and headed towards the lobby.
Ed breathed a sigh of relief as he carefully listened to any other footsteps. He heard a few noises, but he couldn't tell where they were coming from. He needed to know whether or not Al had been able to shoot Hughes or Armstrong yet. He didn't need them coming after him while he tried to take down Mustang.
Mustang was going to be a tricky target. Roy, Hawkeye, Hughes, and Armstrong all had war experience under their belts, but Mustang was clever even without that added experience. Ed knew he'd be staking him out in the most well-hidden place in the whole laser-tag arena, and if he wasn't careful, Ed could walk right into his trap before he even realized it.
Ed glanced around before traipsing forward, slowly putting one foot in front of the other. His leather pants and black hoodie provided him with a small advantage, but of course, his blond hair shone in the darkness, so it wasn't that much of a cover. He squinted around, trying to figure out where Mustang could possibly be hiding.
Frowning, he held his gun steady and realized he was at a dead end. He turned around to double back, when he nearly ran into Colonel Bastard himself. For a heartbeat, all was still and silent; then lightning fast reflexes, honed to the pinnacle of perfection, sprang into action, struggling with Mustang as he tried to disarm him.
Mustang's messy, obsidian hair stuck up in random places, and his clothes were rumpled. His white, button-down shirt clung to his sweat-slicked figure, and he flashed a deadly smile at Fullmetal.
"I could have sworn the rules stated no physical contact," he murmured close to Ed's ear. His deep voice made Ed shudder with some unreadable emotion, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, but he continued to fight and block Mustang in the dark corner.
"Like I'm gonna let you win, you bastard," Ed's voice shook with strain as he tried to point Roy's gun away from him.
"I'm not going to give you that opportunity, Fullmetal."
Roy was overpowering him, and it was taking all of Ed's strength to hold him at bay. Suddenly, Ed saw his opening, and in one swift motion, he kicked the back of Roy's knees and sent him to the floor. Ed stood behind Roy, one arm in a choke-hold around the Colonel's head, his gun in the other hand, pointing it the vest.
Roy's arms reached behind him and grabbed his legs, throwing Ed over his shoulder and onto the floor in front of him. They wrestled relentlessly with no end in sight. They twisted and turned and finally, Ed rolled over on top of Mustang, the older alchemist's arms pinned to his sides by Ed's knees. He writhed on the floor, trying to get free, but to no avail.
Ed grinned maliciously, pointing his gun to Roy's chest. "This is the end, Mustang. Any last words?"
Roy's eyes darkened, sweat glossed his chest, and his breathing was slow and steady. Ed's breathing hitched when he realized just how closely Roy was watching him. Those midnight blue eyes were watching him like a hawk, yet Roy said nothing. Ed felt very aware that he was currently straddling his commanding officer, but he raised his chin defiantly and gave Roy a look that dared him to say something.
"Well?" Ed asked impatiently.
"Ed," Roy breathed slowly. "If you wanted to ride me, all you had to do was ask."
Ed sputtered, turning a magnificent shade of red. "What the hell, Mustang?! Why would I ever want to ride your –"
Red lit up Ed's vest as it flashed, signaling that he had been shot. He looked down at Mustang, who still had both arms pinned by his sides. He spun around to see none other than Maes Hughes, grinning from ear to ear.
"Sorry, Ed. You're out," said Hughes, laughing as Ed flipped him off, trudging past the bespectacled man and out of sight.
Roy got up off the ground, dusting himself off as he smirked at his best friend. The two shared a look, Hughes' eyes twinkling in an annoyingly all-knowing way as Roy sighed.
"You know, Roy," Hughes started, moving closer to his friend. "If you and Ed wanted some alone time – " he paused, raising his gun. He shot Roy's vest, watching with a triumphant grin as it lit up. "All you had to do was ask."
