"Can't wait to see the look of Mustang's face when I bring this guy in for arrest." Ed said with a malicious smirk.

The targeted man was an former state alchemist. Apparently he had some crackpot theory on how the Amestrian Military was attempting to destroy the world or something. Whatever it was, a warrant was placed on his head.

And that morning, Roy Mustang had stated quite clearly 'FullMetal, don't go after this guy. He's more than you can handle'.

So, of course, Edward ignored the Colonel and tracked the outlaw down.

Ed crept silently along the shadow the wall cast on the ground. The winter sun was already setting and dark shadows were slick with slush. Despite the aches in the ports of his automail, Edward managed to keep his mouth shut. He peered around a corner, golden eyes darting about. They quickly rested on the silhouette of a broad-shouldered man hunched over something.

Ed cracked his neck and sprinted towards the guy, clapping his hands and drawing his right arm out into a blade.

The goal wasn't to kill him. It never was. Instead, the aim was to incapacitate the man so Ed could drag him over to the authorities.

But just as he was within arm's reach, the man turned around. Eyes wide and surprised. Startled, the ex-state alchemist grabbed the blond by the arm, slamming him down in an arch onto the cold hard ground.

Ed bit back a scream as his ears rung. Scrambling, he managed to get to his hands and knees when everything began to glow an eerie blue. His golden eyes grew wide, staring down at where his hand were now immobilized, and slowly, slowly upward at where his target had one gloved hand on the circle Ed was trapped in.

"Perhaps you'd be the best way to take it all down…" He hummed to himself.

"What the HELL are you talking about!?" Ed spat, struggling to move to no avail "Lemme GO!"

The man sighed "My apologies, child. You clearly have no knowledge of the destruction this wretched government has in store. But….but you…." A grin ripped across the man's face, corners twisted upwards into the slightest wrinkle under his eyes. His bright blue eyes began to shine, reflecting the light of the transmutation circle. "You can help save this country. Won't that be magnificent? Won't that be grand? You, child, who knows so little….shall be the salvation the people need."

"And you're insane, got it!" Ed snapped, throwing all his weight back in an attempt to dislodge his hands. Still, they stuck. And the light grew brighter and brighter. And the blue began to sliver away, being eaten up by a dark and mist-like purple. Ed's ears began to ring again, and as the purple became more apparent the ringing grew louder and his vision began to haze over gray. While the world turned monochrome and sounded like a dying parakeet, one sound persisted over it all.

The man's psychotic laughter.

"You'll save them all, child. You'll save them all. The pure mind and thoughts of a child….that's what this world needs to be…"

"Pure?" Ed spat "The hell you talkin' 'bout 'pure'!?"

But the man didn't listen. And soon, Ed felt like his body was made of lead and his mind filled with cotton. He collapsed onto the ground, struggling for breath. Panting, he managed to slap one hand onto the ground. He trembled in tremors, pushing against the cold ground to gain nothing.

This whole process was maybe five minutes, but it dragged on, feeling like hours upon hours.

And it all ended so quickly.

BANG!

The man fell, dead.

A/N

I'll admit I don't have much of this planned. But I wanted to start a new FMA fanfic and this scene seemed kind of cool, so there ya go.

Leave a review, if you'd like.