Chapter 1: Dumplings

I don't own anything.

Based on the 2003 anime and is set after Conqueror of Shamballa. Basically and AU where Edward isn't a dumbass, entrusts the Hughes on the other side of the gate to handle destroying the gate, comes back with Alphonse and lives happily ever after... that is, until some little shit decided to write a fanfic about him. Lmao I'm not sorry.

"Goodnight boss," Feury called, halfway out the door. Everyone else had left already, but Kain forgot his bag and came back to fetch it. Edward was the only one besides Roy still sitting in the office, finishing some papaerwork. Since returning from the other side, Edward, while still wild, stubborn, determined, and an all-around pain in the ass, was responsible and, while still very rarely, followed orders more often. By no means docile, but whatever happened over there made Ed appreciate authority and order a whole lot more over here.

"Goodnight, Sergeant," Roy dismissed.

"'night," Ed muttered. He was working on the report from his last mission out in Dublith. He spent more time there than usual, probably visiting in on Sig, and Izumi's grave.

Everything had changed since Ed's disappearance. He had only just joined the military again a year ago, for whatever reason (Mustang was glad he did even if he would never admit it), but has had a hard time adapting his old ways. Alphonse said he still had nightmares sometimes.

He joined back in with the Military after helping with The Restoration of Amestris and Liore and serving as the Military's go-to guy for all things alchemy for 3 years, freelancing with Alphonse and readjusting to his old life.

Roy was the first to break the silence, setting down his pen. "So Edward, I was thinking. Do you… want to get dinner?" He tried his hardest to look casual, but in all honesty he had been wanting to ask Fullmetal out for a while. Ed had changed over the years. He had matured beautifully, and not just in a physical way. He was a beautiful person, even if they fought every day

"What? Say again?" Ed questioned, looking up from his report.

"Dinner?"

Ed's eyes narrowed. "...Will it get me out of this report?"

"Sure, Ed, if you want." Roy shrugged.

"And… you're buying?"

"What kind of man would I be if I wasn't?" Roy teased.

"Hmmm." Fullmetal rubbed his chin with his automail fingers in contemplation. "Alright," he decided, standing.

Mustang smirked, playing cool. "Good. We can leave now if you'd like." He didn't really like how eager that sounded, but Fullmetal was already grabbing his coat. He didn't notice. Or just chose not to.

"The sooner we get out of this place the better, I guess. C'mon." Ed gestured for Mustang to hurry up and waited for him to retrieve his coat before exiting with Roy in tow.

"So, where were you thinking? There's some new dumpling place that just opened not too long ago on First Str- er Seventh; on top of the hill. Or maybe that noodle place down the road." Ed was already drooling over the thought of Amestrian food. Ever since he returned from the Other Side, he always had a weird obsession with the food here. He still hadn't adapted to the street names from… Germany he called it.

Roy let out a small laugh at his expense. "I knew you were obsessed with food, Ed but I didn't know you were completely addicted," Roy teased. "You're going to get fat, Edward."

"Oh, shut it. Food is one of the major reasons for living if you ask me and I'm still a growing boy just so you know, so no short jokes, okay?" Ed glared up at his superior without venom.

Roy mimicked offense. "Whoa, jeez okay, Ed. You do know that at this age, you'll probably only grow another inch or two. Men dont usually grow more after 22. But you could be too short for logic and will just keep growing until you aren't such a shrimp." Roy couldn't help smirking as Edward rambled in an enraged fit. Something about 'blind bastard' and 'I'm perfectly logical' It was adorable, to be quite honest. He wasn't very much shorter than Roy anymore, maybe a few inches give or take, but it was still fun to pick on him about it. He was so responsive to everything.

I wonder what else Fullmetal is very responsive to. Him licking a stripe of saliva down Ed's neck and him moaning his name as the simple touch of tongue to skin sent shivers down his entire quaking body. Edward's back arching into him as he brushed over his-

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's hungry," Ed commented sarcastically. Roy looked like he had been drooling over food just as Ed had. Ed couldn't really blame him, he barely ate anything the whole day besides the occasional snacks Hawkeye supplied him with. Ed swore that man survived on a strict diet of coffee and paperwork. It concerned the young alchemist sometimes, not that he would ever share that information.

"Maybe not the same thing you are thinking of," Roy mentioned. Ed gave him a quizzical look.

"You know, we don't have to get dumplings if you don't want to."

"No, dumplings are fine."

Ed looked at him like he had three heads and Roy just answered with a shrug.

"Well... I was thinking of dumplings and if you were thinking of something else, now would be a great time to keep it to yourself. I want dumplings."

Roy laughed and they walked in companionable silence, their footsteps falling in sync.

"Hey, Mustang, have you noticed that we're being followed?" Ed commented softly, casually.

Roy didn't turn around or slow his pace. "Hm? Oh yeah, Ed, they aren't doing a very good job, are they?"

Ed grinned. "Ha. These guys couldn't sneak by Breda when he's napping. Two o'clock on the corner, seven by the mechanic's shop we just passed."

Mustang hummed in agreement. "There's another one waiting in the dumpling place. You see him?"

Ed hadn't realized they were this close to the restaurant already, but when he looked he could see a man not so secretly peeking over his menu at them.

"He just turned down the waitress again," Roy explained. "I only have one eye and I noticed that one, Ed."

"Heh. Must be losing my touch," Ed deadpanned.

They kept walking calmly until they reached the door of "Ducan's Dumplings" and went in.

They found a window seat close to the back door took their seats. The window because they both agreed it had a great view of the city and the back door just in case. They both ordered their meals and waited.

"I had an ulterior motive inviting you to dinner, Fullmetal."

"Yeah I figured," Ed deadpanned nonchalantly. His heartbeat caught in his throat for an unexplainable second until Roy spoke again.

"I wanted to talk to you about becoming Fuhrer," Roy told him dryly.

Edward visibly deflated in disappointment. "Everything just has to be about you, Mustang." Ed pouted as he played with his silverware.

Mustang huffed and gave Fullmetal his beat "really?" look because really? Edward was the one who said he would help push him to the top in Mayes's… absence, not pout like a teenager because… well Roy didn't know really why. Probably because his food hadn't come yet. That pink bottom lip sticking out was pretty cute though, to make up for his silly demeanor. "Seriously, Ed, this is important. Grumman is dying which means he is going to pick a new Fuhrer soon, which means I need to be as successful as I can. He doesn't care all that much for press so this is going to be more difficult than just getting my face in the paper."

"Oh yeah? What's your plan?" Ed asked, finally setting his fork down. He met Roy's gaze but didn't sit up until their food came. Then Edward sat straight up in his seat and started to dig in.

"I'm thinking industry goods and skilled craftsmen in Ishbal," Mustang told Fullmetal.

"I'm listening," Ed muffled through a mouth full of dumplings.

"You know that town Youswell you helped a while back?" Ed nodded and ate another mouthful of dumpling. "Well, the people there sent in a letter telling the military they were willing to do anything to help us with the rebuilding of Ishbal. I have already picked out a group of artisans that live there and can go to Ishbal to teach the people there valuable skills that don't use alchemy. I've also found replacements for the mining positions that will need filling."

Ed swallowed his last dumpling. "Replacements?" he asked and cocked his head to the side.

"There is a group of prisoners that will be deported to Youswell to work the mines."

"What?!" Ed's chair legs screeched on the floor.

"Ed listen, sit down. I-"

"Listen to yourself, Mustang! Using prisoners to work for the military? Oh boy, that sounds familiar. How does that story end again? Oh yeah, Alphonse and I almost dying. Multiple times."

"Edward, sit down," Roy barked through his teeth. Ed's shoulders lowered as he realized he had drawn the attention of the entire restaurant. He made eye contact with their stalker and blinked at him.

"Haha! Nothing to see here folks! Go back to your regularly scheduled, ah, eating!" Ed jeered before taking his seat.

"Edward. It isn't like we are going to transmute their souls into armor or use them in Lab 5. It's regular prison work in a controlled area."

Ed stole one of Roy's dumplings and popped it in his mouth.

"And you're sure that the citizens of Youswell are okay with prisoners working in their mines and their town under military control again?"

Roy laced his fingers together and rested his elbows on the table in that I am better than you sort of way that he used when he knew he was winning. He sounded a little more defensive than usual, however. Edward hoped it was because Mustang valued his opinion in some way. "They aren't idiots, Edward. If they weren't okay with it, they wouldn't have sent in that letter. And it's not like the military is going to rule the town, we'll only be stationed there as security and surveillance until this business in finished."

Ed considered him skeptically. "So i guess if you're so sure of yourself you only took me out to dinner to gloat about your plan to rise to power, eh, Mustang?" Ed plastered a tired sarcastic smirk on his lips.

Roy's eyes snapped up to Ed's face, taking in his expression with scrutiny. "Don't be stupid, Fullmetal. Is it a crime to take a friend out to dinner?" Ed looked up at him with distaste and Roy sighed. "I knew you would be upset about this at first and i just wanted to make sure that you knew the whole story." He paused, considering his words. "You are a big part in this you know."

Ed peered up at Mustang through his golden eyelashes. Roy swore he could have swooned right in Ducan's Dumplings from that moved look in Edward's amber eyes. But it was gone as soon as it arrived as Ed perked up and smirked at the Lieutenant General and stole another of his dumplings. Roy didn't try to stop him. He could fill up on just the sight of Ed any day of the week. He bet he could probably live off of Edward Elric.

"Alright," Edward finally concluded. "But if this goes to shit, keep in mind this all goes on you. We've gotten over government scandal before, but I'm not sure if we would have time to recover this far in the game."

"Hm. I understand that, and that's why there is no room for error." Roy looked at Fullmetal. "Thanks for sticking with me on this, Ed."

"Welhcum," Ed muffled through another dumpling. It took a minute for Roy's thanks to sink in. Ed nearly choked on the reality- and his dumpling. He looked up, stunned, matching Roy's vulnerable gaze. He tried to gauge the emotion in his dark eyes- shit, he was sincere about this- but it was gone as soon as it came. Mustang cleared his thought

"But another, more serious topic," Mustang started, leaning forward on the table and lowering his voice. "How do you feel about mini-skirts?"

From there, they made easy conversation, joking and laughing and picking on each other, making up for years lost. They exchanged stories, both of this side of the gate and the other.

Ed looked up to see Roy staring at him.

"Is there something on my face?" Ed asked, still with the desert he ordered in his mouth.

To Roy it looked rather hilarious. This twenty-two-year-old kid was playfully glaring at him with the ferocity of the sun like he would go across the table and throttle him if he said the wrong thing, but his cheeks were stuffed with food and the slightest string of spit dribbled out from his mouth from his last comment, which cancelled out the fearsome effect and made him look like a complete idiot. Mustang took his chance and leaned across the table to wipe Edward's mouth with his gloved hand.

"Nope," Roy answered. And Edward's face turned beet red. Score one for Mustang.

Ed sputtered and barely managed to swallow the last of his food before coughing up a storm of chocolate bits onto the floor beside him. Did Roy Mustang really just fucking wipe his mouth?

"What the- hack cuk cough- hell did you do that for?!"

"Well, you asked if you had anything on your face. I mean what-" the bell chimed from the front of the restaurant and their two other stalkers walked in.

"Hey Mustang." Ed's tone lowered as he skillfully glanced at their unwelcome company without being noticed. The two other men had just waltzed in and sat with the other. They greeted each other and sat in a way that was so obviously stiff that you'd have to be blind in order to not know something was going on. "Do you think we should go for it?"

"Hmm." The three made strained conversation that was the opposite of formal. Obviously these rookies posed no threat. "Maybe we should wait for them to make the first move. We're skilled alchemists, Ed. These people stand no chance. We can easily get information out of them when the charge us. Let's wait for them to make the first move. We'll go out the back. The two of us against them, it will be easy."

"True. But I still have a bad feeling about this. Maybe we should just go out the front and avoid this whole thing. They may suck, but I don't think they'd be dumb enough to jump us in plain sight. Even if they do, I know that alley in the back and it is small and dark." Roy didn't want to know how he knew this alley. Roy remembered something about this particular alley in the Collateral Damage section of Fullmetal's report.

"Well don't worry then, you'll be able to fit."

"You wanna call me small again?! Now I really know how to help you become Fuhrer! I'll kick your ass all the way up the chain of command! Just watch me! Do you think a midget could do that?! Huh?!"

Roy just laughed and Ed mumbled something along the lines of "'m not small," making Roy laugh harder. Ed glared at him until he calmed down, but his gaze soon softened into his usual mischievous smile as they sat, just squabbling and laughing and teasing each other until their conversation lulled into intimate silence, just looking at each other.

From the outsider's perspective this probably looked like a date. Both Ed and Roy admitted that to themselves. Roy's was more of a fantasy hope. Ed's was more of a hey look at that, people might think we're on a date wouldn't that be awkward. Mustang admired Fullmetal's amber eyes and soft-looking hair and defined facial features while Ed admired Roy's strong jaw and how he looked pretty okay for a geezer- handsome. Did he just actually think that? His eyes widened but his expression didn't change. Sure- Mustang wasn't too bad looking, hell he was pretty attractive. Okay very attractive- but military relations weren't very good ideas, especially when Mustang was so close to becoming Fürher.

But then again... A little sex never hurt anybody. He had really missed sex back in Germany. They were a lot less enthusiastic about men having sex with other men. Christianity really kicked off there instead of dying off like it did here.

Not tonight though. Ha! Not ever, probably, and if he was even considering it now, they both had too much going on at the moment. Too much much-needed rest at the least.

"Maybe we should... get out of here," Ed suggested, but not in a suggestive way. That would have been a bad idea, Ed concluded. Mustang rose without question. Roy sensed something was off, but he didn't object. Edward turned away and stood to get his coat, not meeting Roy's eyes.

"Alright, Ed, lets go." He stood too and grabbed his own coat and put four bills of the table before heading towards the back exit. Their companions stood up with them and took a little longer putting on their coats, observing and waiting for the two targets.

"Uh… hey, Roy? Maybe we should…"

"Settle down, Edward. What's the problem? We are two of the most skilled alchemists in Amestris. What can three inexperienced hoodlums possibly do?" Ed had full knowledge these people were amateurs at best, but he couldn't help the churning in his stomach. It was putting him a little on edge. Maybe it was all of those dumplings he ate.

The two walked out the back door after thanking the chef and strolled into the alley. Edward was right. It was small, barely lit, and smelled strongly of mold. It could probably fit a small delivery truck at the most.

They walked slowly and cautiously down the alley with quiet steps. Ed looked like he was about to have an aneurism (by which he looked very calm).

"Relax, Ed," Roy put a hand on Ed's shoulder to calm him and he relaxed into the touch. They kept walking forward, listening for the restaurant exit to open behind them.

It never came. Instead they heard tires screech as a delivery truck pull up in front of they alley, blocking their path. Three people exited from the back while the driver stayed behind the wheel. They weren't the same ones from inside the restaurant. The first man, probably the leader, stepped out with confidence and elegance like he had been in this business for a number of years. It was too dark to see them clearly.

"Time to shine, Mustang!" Ed clapped his hands and transmuted a staff out of the ground. He took his battle stance next to Mustang, planting his feet and looking fierce as ever. It looked sexy as hell, to be quite honest.

"Alright, Bald, go for it," the first man said to the second, Bald apparently.

"Right," Roy confirmed, taking his stance as well. Bald wasted no time ambushing them from the front. And oh, guess who, it was the same Bald who ambushed Hakuro's train back years ago. Roy didn't recognize him until he was right up in his face. Roy and Ed separated to dodge his clumsy attack, only to be ambushed by two more from the roof, trying to burlap sack their heads. Roy dodged his opponent swiftly and Ed caught his attackers' arms and kicked her to the ground with both feet. Bald claim to aid Ed's opposition and the third man from the truck strode casually towards Roy while he fought off his attacker.

"Stay together, Edward!"

"Tch. Yeah," Ed laughed. "You were the one who was so confident we could beat these guys no sweat!" Ed blocked his opponent's punches with almost no difficulty, proving his point. He had trained his ass off until he was in as good of shape as he used to be after joining the military again.

"Quit being so difficult," Roy said.

Roy knocked his first attacker unconscious and raised his hand to stop this before anything really started, but before he could snap, he saw that made his eyes widen and his body go rigid.

"Kimblee..." Roy and Kimblee stared back at each other, locked in a draw. Roy had Kimblee's alchemic hands hovering in front of his face and Kimblee glanced at Roy's aiming hand in his face indifferently.

"Well hey Mustang, long time no see," Kimblee greeted. "Love the patch." It took a second for Roy to gain his bearings, but when he did, he snapped hard and sure, imagining the exact path his flames would take. But his glove only made a puff of smoke instead. Fuck, Roy thought. Kimblee smirked and thrust his hands forward. Roy barely dodged the attack. He threw a punch that Kimblee delicately dodged and swerved and moved with Kimblee as if in some ironically violent dance. It was the typical way things went when skilled alchemists went head to head.

"Edward!" Mustang yelled, still blocking and dodging and punching in turn.

"Huff- yeah?!" Edward called, catching a punch, throwing it, and spinning to land a solid kick in Bald's groin. Roy saw a blue light in his peripheral but didn't stop to see what masterpiece his subordinate had transmuted.

"I'm going to fucking kill you for this!"

"You're blaming -" Ed grunted as he slammed his second attacker on the ground. "-me for this?!"

Roy caught the arm of one of his attackers as she lunged and forced her to the ground while catching the other's arm mid swing.

"You got your saliva on my gloves."

Ed guffawed. "And that's my fault? Gah!" Roy found time to snap his fingers and restrained himself to only roasting off half of their clothes (along with their skin). He missed Kimblee and spun around to see the explosion lighting his face. He could barely transmute in time to redirect most of the blast behind him. He still sailed backwards through the Ducan's Dumplings door. The blast from the explosion weakened the restaurant's stability, and when Roy crashed through the wall, the whole backside of Ducan's Dumplings came crashing down on top of him.

"Mustang!" Roy barely heard Edward past the ringing in his ears.

The dust settled around the Flame Alchemist and he tried to lift his head up to see, blinking away the bright spots behind his eyelids. He tried to turn over, but something stopped him. He had a heavy wooden support beam crushing his chest and pinning his arms. So, nothing major, Roy thought. He swiveled his head to the side, training his eyes on any possible escape or leverage. He saw a blurry figure take form to his right.

The owner shook a ladle in his face, panicky and shaking.

"Ducan?" Roy asked calmly, grunting as he tried to remove a thick wooden beam off of his chest. The chef pulled his ladle backwards to his chest protectively. "Go call for help. Ask for Riza Hawkeye." He managed to move the beam a bit but it just fell down to his lower ribcage, reducing mobility and breathability even more. "Tell her it's an emergency," he wheezed. "Then get out of here."

The chef hesitated and nodded, gulping before stepping over rubble to use the kitchen phone.

"Roy!" Edward called from outside. He drop-kicked both of his opponents and ran towards the hole in the restaurant.

"'M'fine," Roy choked, hopefully to calm Ed down, but he wasn't too convincing.

Ed nearly fell over when he saw Kimblee. Solf J Kimblee. In the flesh. Standing right in front of him. As if nothing ever happened. As if Scar never punched a hole through his vital organs and killed him. As if he never turned Al into a bomb before he breathed his last dying breath.

"Kimblee…" he whispered.

"Oh hey, Ed. Nice seeing you. Been a while, huh? I was just telling the Colonel- or is it Lieutenant General now?- how nice it is to say hi to you two again."

"But… but how?! How-"

"-am I alive? Well that's an easy enough story, I guess. When scar killed me, he never disposed of my body, like an idiot. Any skilled alchemist should have known you have to either take the body apart piece by piece or make sure there is nothing left or even-"

"Get to the point," Ed interrupted, wincing at the mental picture of chopped up men.

"Edward!" Roy called from his rubble pile.

"Geez, Ed, no need to be so pushy. Alright, I'll save you the gory details. In short, I was lucky enough to have one of Archer's men pull me out of the city before the whole 'Scar makes a Philosopher's stone out of Lior' fiasco and I woke up good as new in my new suit. Outside of Amestris of course, wouldn't be too good if anyone saw me before I was needed. That would throw our whole plan off now wouldn't it?" Kimblee noted mostly to himself.

"What plan? What's going on? Why did you ambush us? Who is 'we'? Who the hell is running this thing?!"

"Get out of here!" Roy interjected, finally finding enough breath to bark orders.

"That would be me," a voice echoed from behind him. Edward hadn't even noticed the leader's footsteps coming up behind him until he was right there. He shot around to face another nightmare. Roy told him that Hawkeye killed him, right? He was still half automail, but he stood as tall and cocky and alive as ever right in front of Ed. His ominous metallic voice rang in his head. Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit.

"Archer..."

"Hmm. Nice seeing you, Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist." He raised his automail arm and brought it down on Fullmetal's head. He crumpled to the ground like tin foil.

"Edward!" Roy desperately writhed from under the plank uselessly.

What would Ed do? What the fucking shit would Fullmetal do?

He would use his alchemy and kick ass, thats what.

Wow, thank you conscious, you're a great help, Roy thought sarcastically.

He clawed at the wood pinning him, forming a basic transmutation circle. No flame would help him in this situation without him getting burned. No way he was focused enough to channel his flame that precisely when Edward and his breakablefragilejuvinile body at the mercy of two deceased masterminds back from the dead.

"Well, well, well Mustang," Kimblee taunted. "The boss told us you didn't act yourself with your boy toy, but I never expected anything this pitiful. Squirming desperately like a cat with it's tail caught in a trap. I thought I'd never see the day."

Roy snarled, "enjoy it while it lasts," and transmuted the log to shoot out like tiny daggers towards his attackers. Archer skillfully batted them away with his automail, shielding himself and Fullmetal who he held by the shirt collar and kimblee ducked out of the way. The others clutched at their wounds and fell to the ground in pain.

Roy was up in a flash, charging at Archer and lashing out with flames. Archer was matching every blow with a controlled and flawless defense. Roy was tired and injured and everyone knew it. He was starting to shut down and he finally noticed his age catching up to him. He was kind of glad Ed wasn't awake to see him stumble backwards, breathing heavily.

"Wow, Mustang, isn't this a fun game," Kimblee chided. He had taken a comfortable seat in the rubble of Ducan's Dumplings. At some point he had taken Ed and set him next to him, like he was already property. He was slumped in a way that suggested he had drugged Ed at some point. It repulsed Roy. It nauseated him with a wave of disgust and violation. This is my Edward Elric and nobody drugs him like a tranquilized zoo animal, Roy thought. It was the heat of battle, he swore.

Roy growled, positioning himself to keep eyes on both Archer and Kimblee. Frank Archer made no move to attack. He had newly fitted automail that wasn't so bulky and looked more... well, human. It was still most likely weaponized, but he hadn't revealed any to strike with.

It was obvious. This wasn't an assault. It was a threat- a controlled display of power and capability. They wanted to make a statement, and were unfortunately succeeding.

But hell, they couldn't be in control.

Bald and the rest had either retreated to watch the battle from the truck or had fled, knowing their work was done.

"Hey, Archer," Bald called, nervously glancing down the back street.

"Hm?" He turned.

"Can we hurry it up? I think I heard the cops."

Frank Archer turned back towards Mustang with a contemplative look gracing his face. Then he turned to glance and Kimblee and said, "you have a point, Bald. Kimblee, will you kindly wrap this up for us? I'm getting a little sluggish anyhow. I should've had another cup of coffee." He turned on his heel and marched back to the truck, climbing into the passenger's side.

"So just you and me Kimblee..." Roy challenged, his breathing finally steadied.

Kimblee chuckled giddily. "Not for very much longer," he said. With that, he pulled Edward out from behind him and raised him by the shirt collar. He wouldn't hurt Ed. If they wanted to kill him, they would have tried already. But, that nagging at the back of Roy's mind still made his jaw clench. He could turn Ed into a bomb and obliterate him if Roy didn't surrender. But giving up meant them being in a very unpleasing situation. His hostage experiences were few (Thank. You. Hawkeye.) but had been agonizing all the same. He didn't know what to expect in the clutches of crazed psychopaths risen from the dead.

But Edward Elric. No, he couldn't let his Ed fall prey to any of that, no. A ferocious wave of protectiveness rolled through him.

His shoulders slumped as his posture broke and he stood with his hands in the air. Kimblee motioned for his men and they bound his wrists behind his back rather roughly. Kimblee beamed at him as he hefted Edward over his shoulder and carried him right past Roy, who was escorted to the car in tow.

Fuck. Panic sank in.

"What are you going to do to him, Kimblee," Roy demanded rather than asked.

"Oh you'll get your chance to see, Mustang. You'll get your chance," he retorted, walking towards the truck.

"Kimblee, stop and put him down! Its me you want!" He knew it was a pitiful lie.

"Oh Mustang," he cooed, throwing Ed into the trunk not so gently. "It really isn't."

"I swear to god, one scratch on him and-" but Bald tugged his wrists from behind and shoved a rag over his mouth. Everything was a haze. Roy's world turned sideways as he was thrown into the back. He heard doors slam and the wir of the engine as the sped away.

The last thing he saw was Ed's gentle expression before he blacked out along with his subordinate.

Let's give this FMA fanfiction another go? I tried once before and it made my eyes bleed, I'm sorry.

I know not everyone is a fan of the 2003 series, but it is my personal favorite of the two (have it on box set heheh) and I've been wanting to write this for a while. Sorry if ya'll like Brotherhood better, but my fic my rules.

Sorry if this is a bit OOC for any characters, it's unbeta'd so if you see any errors or notice anything you think could use improvement, please tell me. Over 5,000 words *dead*

Also, if anyone wants to beta and get a sneak peak at the story, just PM me :) (please I need a beta I'm so tired of grammar *cries*)

Hopefully post the next chapter in a month? Forgive me if I'm late, I'm a busy child full of angst and writers block like all the time.

Chapter 2: You Know Who Else is Trapped in a Dark Room? Roy Mustang lmao or A Demonstration