Rain fell in buckets from the sky, the constant patter broken up only by the sounds of attempted alchemy and his own, choked sobs. It was odd, really, because he didn't think he was crying anymore. His eyes were so raw, and his heart was so cold and heavy, he honestly thought he had lost the ability to cry anymore.

Then again, maybe it was just the rain on his cheeks. Maybe he couldn't breathe for some other reason.

"Brother..." Alphonse's hand fell gently on his shoulder. "Brother, the Lieutenant Colonel..."

Edward lifted his head, swallowing his tears and forcing himself to look over his shoulder, knowing he could expect no sympathy from the man in the blue, military uniform. Even looking at him, so nonchalant with his hand in his pocket and his weight shifted to one side, he could tell the man didn't care.

"It's no use, kid." Roy spoke evenly, monotonous and cold. "You can't go around trying to bring everything that dies on you back to life, Edward. It's not possible, and it's not healthy."

Edward grit his teeth, clenching his fists at his sides and barely containing a scream behind his teeth.

"Anyway, who would you be helping, bringing a malformed Chimera back to life?" the colonel questioned, unwavering, unblinking, staring the younger alchemist down without a trace of sympathy in his eyes. "It's an ugly world, and from here on out, it's only going to get uglier on the path you've chosen. Just be thankful it wasn't you and get on with your life."

"Get on with my life?" the boy exploded, unable to stop himself from reacting to the idea.

It was a mistake.

Roy's hand flew forward, and Edward staggered backwards, raising his arms to defend himself from the anticipated strike. But Roy only grasped Edward's wrist, dragging the boy closer to himself and forcing his subordinate to look him in the eye.

"There's a reason you became a State Alchemist, right, Ed?" Roy's eyes narrowed, his tone some odd mixture of calm and angry that Edward couldn't quite define. "Can you really afford to get distracted by every little lost cause?"

Edward glared, shaking in the man's grip despite himself, determined not to break as long as his superior could still see him. It didn't matter that Roy was right; that no matter how wrong it was and how angry it made him, he had to keep moving forward. He had to keep his promise, he had to get his brother's body back, and he had to pay his mother back for every mistake he had made since she left. He couldn't do that if he stood still, allowing the world to go on around him while he grieved.

But it hurt.

It hurt so much, and maybe Roy didn't have enough of a heart to feel that kind of pain anymore, but Edward wasn't there yet. It still burned, it still cut through him like a knife, and he didn't know how to pretend that it didn't.

"It's up to the Investigations Department now. Step aside."

Edward glowered at the colonel for just a moment, his expression dead despite the anger burning in his eyes. But nothing he could say or do would make a difference, so he ducked his head and ran from the alley, gritting his teeth at the pain that surged through his gut with every step.

He didn't stop until he came to the other side of the street, one hand sliding under his shirt and pressing at the tender flesh beneath. He would be fine—probably—but it would definitely bruise, and the half an hour he had spent screaming at a bloody brick wall had done nothing to ease his symptoms.

"Brother..."

Edward said nothing, staring down at his boots and watching as the image grew blurry with tears. He could see his gloves in his peripherals, the once pristine cotton now soaked with blood and rainwater. There was a painful moment of silence as his throat and chest tightened, and then the tears came. Standing there in the rain, surrounded by military officers, with his brother helplessly looking on... Edward Elric cried.

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh, watching as the last military vehicle pulled away from the scene. It had taken nearly two hours of sketching and photographing and speculating, but they were finally done processing the scene. Everyone had gone home, save for Hughes, and as silence finally settled over the alleyway, the colonel was able to give himself a moment to grieve.

Tucker... how are you going to sleep tonight?

But he knew the man would sleep just fine. Psychopaths didn't feel guilt, and there was more than enough evidence to support the idea of psychopathy. Then again, Roy was able to sleep after all he had done in Ishval, so what did that say about him? It may have taken him years to get to that point, but he had gotten there.

I suppose it means I'm the heartless monster Edward believes I am.

"I think it's about time I head back home to Gracia and Elicia." Hughes gave him an off-handed wave and started walking towards his car, only to stop halfway there and turn around. "By the way, where are Ed and Al?"

Roy shrugged his shoulders. "They left a while ago. I assume they returned to wherever it is they've been staying."

Hughes gave him an exasperated look. "Roy, they've been staying with Tucker."

It took a second to process the words, but soon enough, he was driving his palm to his forehead and muttering curses under his breath. "I had better go look for him."

"You better had, yeah." Hughes laughed, stuffing his hands into his pockets and continuing down the street. "Call me later!"

Roy rolled his eyes and ducked into his vehicle, having no intention of giving the man a play-by-play on the two wayward brothers. If he wanted to know so badly, he could check on them himself.

Grabbing the keys, he turned the engine over and pulled onto the street, driving in the opposite direction of Tucker's house. He figured the changes of Edward returning there of his own volition were slim, and it wouldn't make much sense to try and cut between the buildings. Then again, given the state the older brother was in, maybe sensibility was not the best factor to classify their options by.

Where would they have gone? Is there anyone else in the area they know? Is there anything close by they might have stumbled upon? His thoughts continued to run along similar tracks as he drove down the street, scanning the sidewalks and back roads for any sign of the brothers. It would be hard to miss them, even with the low visibility, but they had had almost two hours to cover ground. They could be anywhere.

Fortunately, that thought had barely crossed his mind when he saw a glint from metal reflecting the streetlights, a bright red coat hovering nearby.

Roy wasted no time in pulling up alongside the two boys and rolling his window down, calling out to them. "Edward, Alphonse. Get in the car."

Edward didn't even look at him, keeping his head down and plowing ahead. "No."

Roy couldn't say he was surprised by the response, but it was certainly irritating. "You don't have a choice."

"We'll find our own place."

"Well, it's been two hours." Roy arched his eyebrows, unimpressed. "How is that working out for you?"

Alphonse stopped walking, reaching out to put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Brother... we do need a place to stay."

Edward tore himself away and kept walking, fists clenched and teeth grinding together, pace slowly increasing as he put more and more space between himself and them.

"Brother!"

Roy put the car in park and stepped out, walking around the front and stepping on to the sidewalk. "Alphonse, get in the car. If you stay in the rain, you'll rust, and we can't have that." Turning up his collar, he started after the temperamental child. "We'll be right back."

He didn't wait for a response, immediately making his way down the street in the direction Edward had gone. He didn't need to run, knowing that his strides were longer and his pace was faster, but he was tempted more than once. It would be so easy to sprint down the street, throw the boy over his shoulder, and sprint back to the dry warmth of his vehicle.

But that won't work in the long run. Hawkeye was right. Despite everything, they're just children.

Sighing, Roy continued to walk, burying his hands in his pockets and hoping his gloves were dry enough to strike a spark if it became necessary. He could see the red jacket just up ahead, and it looked like the young alchemist had slowed to a stop, so as long as he could keep him from running again, the chasing part of the confrontation was over.

"Edward, Alphonse is waiting for you."

Edward glared over his shoulder, his body quivering, though whether it was from the cold or something else, Roy didn't know.

"Are you really going to do this? It's childish, even by your standards."

Edward kept staring him down, looking very much like he wanted Roy to drop dead. Like nothing would make him happy quite as much as watching the colonel hit the ground and never move again.

"Edward, this isn't helping anyone. You need to get out of this weather and get some sleep."

Shoulders heaving, the blonde finally ground out a reply. "How am I supposed to sleep... with that image in my head?" He turned to face the military man full on, golden optics flashing with abject rage. "How am I supposed to go home when her killer is still on the streets?"

"Because you have no choice." Roy shrugged his shoulders, turning his gaze skyward. "None of us have a choice. Whether we like it or not, this world will keep on turning. No matter how lonely we are, no matter how much we hurt, no matter how scared we feel, this world will never stop turning." He lowered his gaze and let out a sigh of resignation, his tone softening slightly. "Edward, come with me. I can set you and your brother up at a hotel until we find another arrangement."

Edward stared at him for a long time, scanning his face and scrutinizing its every detail, until finally, he let his head drop and his shoulders hunch. He slowly started shuffling back in the direction of Roy's car, keeping his gaze on the streets and his lips pressed together.

Well, that was surprisingly non-violent.

They arrived at the car without another word, Edward crawling into the back with his brother and immediately curling up against the door. Alphonse said nothing, and after ensuring that the two of them were buckled in, Roy fell into a similar silence and pulled away from the curb.

"Thank you for your help, Colonel Mustang."

Roy looked in his rear view mirror at the large suit of armor, allowing a small smile to pull at the corner of his mouth. "I can't very well let my subordinates wander around in the rain, can I?"

Alphonse hummed softly, and the superior officer imagined if the boy had lips, he would have smiled.

It took about fifteen minutes to get to the hotel, and it must have been fifteen minutes too long for Edward, because he was out of the car and walking away before Roy could even put it in park.

Looks like this isn't over yet.

Roy sighed and pulled the keys from the ignition, getting out and locking the vehicle behind him. He fell in step beside Alphonse, who was trailing behind his brother with a slouch to his shoulders.

"If you could find some reason to leave the room, I would appreciate it." Roy glanced up at the younger Elric. "If you know what I mean."

Alphonse stopped for a moment, seeming surprised, but then he nodded. "Mhm!"

Roy returned the nod and continued into the hotel, walking up to the front desk and fishing out his wallet. "Two beds, one room, one night." He handed over a few large bills and waited for the transaction to take place, looking around the lobby in search of his troublesome blonde.

There. It looked like Alphonse had managed to distract him with the large fish tank on display, the younger brother's animated hand gestures and cheerful tone doing little to cheer the other up. Of course, that may have been because Alphonse himself was forcing the cheerfulness for Edward's sake. Roy was certain if the boy had tear ducts, he would have been crying, but without a body, he was left with an indescribable, hollow sort of pain the colonel could only attempt to imagine.

What am I going to do with them?

Roy turned back to the counter and took his change, grabbing the room key and motioning for the two children to follow him. Alphonse was the only one who responded, and Edward only came because the younger brother dragged him along, but eventually, the three of them arrived at their room. Edward made a bee-line for the shower without saying a word to anyone, and Alphonse and Roy exchanged an exasperated sigh.

"Brother just needs a little time." Smiling, the metal alchemist jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm going to go get some extra towels to dry myself and see if I can find a library. I left all of my books at Mr. Tucker's house."

Roy glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, it's a bit late, don't you think? I only need a few moments to speak with him."

Alphonse only laughed. "Colonel, I need something to do while you two are sleeping!" Still giggling to himself, he turned and walked out of the room, swinging the door shut behind him.

Something to...? Oh. I guess having no body means not sleeping. It was a simple enough conclusion to come to, he had simply never thought about it. That sounds incredibly lonely.

Shaking his head, Roy shed his jacket and hung it from the curtain rods. Then he detached the makeshift coattails from his waist and hung them up as well, kicking off his boots and making himself comfortable on the bed. I should have told Alphonse to find some dry clothes for Ed. Hopefully, the younger brother would think of it himself, because Roy had absolutely no desire to track him down just to relay that memo.

Roy stared at the wall, sighing heavily and going over the slew of facts he had at his disposal, still trying to figure out who Nina's murderer might be. Or trying to figure out who the rampaging serial killer was. Either of those individuals being imprisoned would have been considered a good outcome, and he honestly didn't care which one went first.

Then his mind started to wander in another direction. What was he going to say to Edward now that it was just the two of them? What would Edward be willing to say back? That was assuming that he spoke at all, which it was very possible he wouldn't. It was very possible that Roy was just wasting his time, and it was even more possible—even probable—that Edward was going to fight him tooth and nail regardless of where they were and who was present.

"Ah!"

Roy jumped at the sudden shout, sitting up in bed and looking towards the bathroom door. For a moment, there was nothing, but then he heard another yelp followed by a string of profanities.

"Ed?" He slowly stood up, approaching the door and knocking softly. "Is everything alright?"

"What are you doing here?" Edward groaned from the other side of the door, sounding like he was in a significant amount of pain. "Go back to your desk."

Roy ignored him. "You sound like you're hurt." He grabbed the doorknob and gave it a turn, pushing in slowly. "I'm coming in, Edward."

"No way! I'm naked!"

Roy stepped in and immediately found a bundle of wet towel smacking him in the face, a frustrated growl rising in his throat. "Honestly, Edward, this is—" He stopped short, eyes widening slightly as they landed on the large, blackish blue mark on the teen's stomach.

Edward immediately wrapped his arms over it, giving the colonel a cross between a glare and a pout. "I told you not to come in."

Roy ignored him, bending down to the other's level and pulling his arms away. "Where did this come from?"

Edward only stared at him, eyes still narrowed and flashing dangerously.

"Edward, who did this to you?"

Jerking away, the young alchemist grabbed the towel he had thrown at his superior's head and wrapped it around his waist, pressing his arms back over the mark once it was secure. "I'm fine. What are you still doing here?"

It was obvious the conversation was going nowhere fast, so Roy decided to let the subject drop, putting his hands on his hips and staring the younger man down. "I'm your superior officer. I can't let you or your brother wander around unsupervised in this state."

"What state?" the boy snapped.

"You know what state," the colonel shot back. "You can wait until I'm not looking if that's what makes you feel strong and brave, but you're devastated, and I have no idea what you might do if I leave you alone. You would think you learned your lesson the first time around, but you would have attempted human transmutation again tonight if you had had the resources, and I can't let that kind of emotional, reckless power go unsupervised."

Edward slammed his hand down on the corner. "I wouldn't have done it!"

"I can't be sure of that, and neither can you." Roy crossed his arms over his chest, unfazed.

"Don't say that," he snarled, eyes narrowing into slits. "You don't know what it's like. You haven't seen what I've seen. Bringing people back to life is impossible, and all it does is further everyone's suffering, including the suffering of the person you're trying to save. I know that, I know that, and I wouldn't have tried again. So don't lecture me about things you don't understand!"

Roy only arched an eyebrow. "Including the person you're trying to save?"

Edward stopped, opening and closing his mouth several times before looking away. His hand balled into a fist against the countertop, metal scraping against porcelain as the prosthetic moved. "It doesn't matter. You don't know what you're talking about." Shaking his head, he pushed past the military man and walked to the bed on the far end of the room, flopping down on top of it and pulling the sheets up over his head. "Leave me alone."

Roy sighed and walked after him, sitting down on the remaining bed and watching the lump beneath the sheets in silence. He interlocked his fingers and rested his chin atop his hands, bracing his elbows on his thighs and waiting for some sign that Edward was softening up to the idea of talking.

Edward didn't say a word, but he wasn't sleeping either. He would move every thirty seconds or so, be it was rarely more than an inch or two. It had to be getting stuffy under the blankets, but if it was bothering him, he didn't let on.

Roy let out another sigh and opened his mouth to speak, stopping short when the boy suddenly sat up and swore, grabbing the bedside clock and hurling it at the window as hard as he could, giving the rain a belligerent lecture on the pointlessness of its existence.

"Ed!" Roy leaped to his feet and grabbed the boy's arm for the second time that night, not wanting him to throw anything else. "I have to pay for that, you know."

Edward looked over his shoulder, unsuccessfully attempting to glare through his tears. "I hate the rain."

Roy slowly released the limb, sitting down on the edge of the bed and looking at the lumps beneath the sheets he knew were made up of Edward's legs. "Does it hurt?"

Edward was still for several moments, but then he offered a quick, almost invisible nod.

Deciding he might have better luck at starting a conversation if Edward wasn't in pain, Roy stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a black marker. Biting off the cap, he turned his hand over and began to draw a transmutation circle on his palm, capping and setting aside the marker when he was done.

"Heat is just friction, and friction is one of the easiest things to transmute." He blew on his hand a few times to dry the ink, and then he pressed down on the blanket directly over Edward's left leg. "You don't have to deconstruct anything, really, you just have to change the speed at which the molecules are moving."

Edward grunted when the colonel touched him, but soon the heat had soaked into the aching joint and the tension began to fade. "Mm... thanks."

Roy nodded his head. "You're welcome." He paused for a moment, giving the civility its appropriate window of life before speaking again. "Ed, you know you need to tell me if something is wrong, right?"

Edward gave him a withering glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You passed out at the murder scene yesterday, and this evening has been... difficult for you, to say the least. As your commanding officer, I need to know if you're fit to be going on missions."

Scoffing, the young blonde turned his head to stare at the window he had assaulted just moments earlier. "Of course I am. I can't afford to be distracted by every little lost cause."

Roy let out a sigh, very aware that the teen was trying to throw his own words back in his face. "Edward..." He trailed off, blinking in no small amount of surprise when he saw his subordinate's shoulders start shaking.

"I couldn't save her... I couldn't save one, innocent, little girl..." He dug his fingers into sheets, hanging his head and using his bangs to hide his face. "How am I supposed to keep moving forward towards such an impossible goal, when I can't even... I can't even..."

Roy felt the leg move away from beneath his hand and decided to give Edward the space that would allow him to curl in on himself. He watched the boy draw his knees to his chest and bury his face in his arms, shoulders quaking with sobs. Edward's fingers dug through the sheets and into his legs as the cries continued to rack his body, and Roy could easily hear the strain he was putting himself under.

"Holding it in won't help, Ed. It won't make you feel better, and it's not healthy." Roy hesitated, knowing he would almost certainly come to regret his decision later, and then he moved closer. "Come here," he said softly, wrapping his arms around the younger alchemist and pulling him tightly against his chest.

Edward stiffened, holding his breath and not uttering a single sound for several seconds, almost as if he were waiting for a trap to spring. There was no trap, though, and as the anguished juvenile came to terms with that fact, he began to cry once more, pressing himself into the colonel's arms.

"Edward," Roy started, staring at the headboard and hoping some inspirational speech was about to come to mind. "When someone we care about dies, we always ask ourselves two questions. We wonder why, and we wonder if we could have done anything to stop it. But the fact of the matter is, neither of the answers to those questions makes any difference at all. If you had figured out Tucker's plan sooner, could you have stopped this? Perhaps. If I had realized how stressed Tucker was and considered what lengths he might go to in order to save his position, could I have stopped this? Perhaps." He swallowed, shaking his head and casting the thought aside. "But regardless of whether or not we could have, we did not, and we cannot bring her back now."

Those words triggered another rattling cry from the boy in his arms, the tremors increasing as he sobbed into the officer's shirt.

"She loved you, Edward." He reached up and let his hand rest atop the other's head. "She wouldn't want you to be guilt-ridden and in pain for her sake. You need to grieve, but then you need to let it go, and not because I told you to. You need to let it go for her sake and yours."

Edward slowly started to calm down, the sobs becoming quieter and more infrequent until he was able to get down a few lungfuls of oxygen. "I'm fine," he whispered hoarsely. "Don't tell Al."

Roy smiled ever-so-slightly. "I am sure he already knows, but I'll keep my mouth shut." He didn't attempt to pull himself away or urge Edward out of his arms, content to sit and wait until the younger male was ready, although their position did bring a question to mind.

"Ed, when was the last time someone held you like this?" There was nothing but curiosity in his tone, and he hoped that would be enough to keep any ideas of patronization out of the boy's head.

Edward inhaled deeply, still trying to catch his breath. "Dunno... before everything..."

Roy nodded. "I see."

There were a few moments of quiet, and then Edward spoke again. "It's not fair."

Letting out a bitter laugh, Roy shook his head and replied, "Life isn't fair. It never has been, and it never will be. If it were, human transmutation would never be attempted by anyone, the military wouldn't exist, and nobody would ever have to cry on anyone else's shoulder."

Edward sniffed, still leaning into Roy's body and keeping his cheek flush against the colonel's chest. "I'm still trying to figure out how to never look you in the eye again."

Roy chuckled, lowering his hand from the boy's head to his back and rubbing softly. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I wouldn't recommend doing this in front of just anyone, but I am your superior officer. It's my job to take care of you and your brother." He paused, sliding his hand between the two of them and pulling Edward's chin up until their eyes met. "You can trust me, Edward. I know it doesn't always feel like it, and I know I can be cold, but I am on your side."

Edward stared at him, golden eyes blinking slowly. He scanned Roy's face as if he were looking for something, his lips pursing and brow creasing slightly. He sniffed, blinked again, and then looked as far down as he could with the colonel's hand under his chin.

"Basque Grand."

It was Roy's turn to blink, a confused hum vibrating in his chest.

"You asked who did it. It was the brigadier general." Edward continued to look out of the corner of his eye, intent on maintaining a lack of eye contact for as long as possible.

I asked who...? It clicked, and Roy frowned deeply, releasing the other's chin. "I'll keep that in mind."

Edward nodded and leaned back against the headboard, dragging his arm over his eyes to clear away the evidence of his meltdown.

"Do you want me to put heat on your leg again?" Roy was already reaching out, confident he knew the answer.

Edward nodded again, turning his head to stare at the wall with a quiet hum. Roy placed his hand on the boy's thigh and reactivated the circle, letting the heat sink through the blanket and ease the pain beneath.

"...Mustang?"

Roy looked up from his work. "Yes?"

Edward chewed on his lip, a light flush coloring his cheeks. "You won't mention this to anyone, right?"

"Mention what?" he questioned. "Nina, the hotel, the bruise—"

"Don't tell anyone that I cried tonight," the young alchemist blurted, still looking the other way.

Roy blinked, somewhat surprised at the honest request, and then he smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about, Edward." He returned his gaze to the limb he was treating. "I didn't see any tears tonight. Just a lot of rainwater."

"Yeah." Edward snorted, smiling for the first time in hours. "Rainwater."