Hey guys! First off, thanks for reading this, and a special thanks to those who came here from my other FMA fic, Daddy Issues, based on the original anime and with lots of parental Roy oneshots.

Please review! I love feedback and consider all suggestions! :)

Roy Mustang swung a sharp left on the corner, slamming on the breaks.

"Here's your report, bastard." Ed muttered, tossing the packet of paper onto the desk.

Roy frowned, peering down at the messily scrawled report in front of him.

"So- another dead end, huh?"

"It wasn't a dead end!" Ed snapped. "It was just a... a detour from the real path to the stone."

"Sure." Roy muttered skeptically, picking up the report and thumbing through it, eyes going wide.

"A warehouse collapsed!?" his charcoal eyes snapped up, staring at Ed in shock.

"Yeah, but the place was condemned anyways, so don't go whining to me about property damage. Besides, there was nothing of value in there- I checked."

"You were inside!?" Roy blanched.

Ed scoffed. "Yeah. Shielded myself with my automail, and Al managed to help dig me out. 'S no big deal..."

Roy blinked, closing his eyes and counting to ten. One deep breath...

"That's where you're wrong, Fullmetal. I find your recklessness to be concerning." Roy said seriously.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Seriously!? Not this again. Your reputation is fine- nothing that could be linked back to you..."

"This isn't about my reputation, Ed!" Roy snapped, and Ed paused for a moment, surprised. Roy never called him by his real name.

"It's about you, Fullmetal." Roy slipped back into his authoritative role, tapping his gloved hand on the desk. "If you keep going like this- you're going to get yourself killed."

Ed opened his mouth, but his mouth fell closed as Roy raised a gloved hand to stop him.

"I'm not finished yet. You're gallivanting to the ends of the Earth searching for a myth- risking your very being for it. you aren't invincible, Fullmetal- you're either going to die in some altercations with shady characters who claim to have the stone, or run yourself into the ground."

Ed scoffed, arms crossed.

"Something interesting, Fullmetal?"

"You don't know what you're talking about. What we've lost. Al doesn't even have a body, and you're trying to convince me to give up!?" Ed lashed out viciously, kicking the brown couch that sat opposite Roy's desk and snarling...

Roy's eyes widened slightly, before he was back to his usual calm expression. "I never said give up, Fullmetal. I know you want your bodies back. I'm simply suggesting you cut your losses and stop searching for the stone. It can't be the only way to get your body back. With an alchemist as brilliant as you- you could probably find some other way..."

Ed slammed both hands down on Roy's desk. "There is no other way!" Ed was grinding his teeth, breathing heavily, before he was blinking rapidly.

"D-don't you think I've looked already? Do you think I'd keep doing this- keeping chasing the stone, dragging my little brother to the ends of the Earth- if there was any other way!?"

Roy blinked- clearly, he'd underestimated just how deep Fullmetal's scars ran. And he didn't mean the physical ones.

"Full-"

"Shut up!" Ed snapped, whirling, braid flying out behind him as his gold eyes burned. "Don't. Just don't. Don't try to talk me into something that you know nothing about. Just- read the stupid report, okay?" Ed ran his metal hand through his blonde locks and turning for the door.

"Ed. Wait."

Edward showed no signs of stopping. He only had one goal in mind.

"That's an order."

Ed stopped, though he didn't turn around, glaring at the wall of Mustang's office like it had personally offended him.

Roy was about to speak- to coax the upset teen back to the couch and try and help him sort out the absolute tornado of emotions he was right now- when his phone rang.

Roy frowned, picking up.

"Roy Mustang here. Can this wait?"

"Roy!"

Roy groaned inwardly at hearing Hughes voice, expecting to be bored about the man's blathering about his family, but something in his friend's tone made him pay attention.

"...seventeen confirmed dead already- this dude is out for blood! We're mobilizing all alchemists to bring him down! Understand!?"

"Wait, what?" Roy was sitting straight up, now, paying complete attention. "I didn't catch that..."

"The Electric Touch Alchemist is on a rampage! He's in the west district of central- all units are mobilizing, but this guy's gone completely insane, Roy! He's killed a whole squadron of soldiers! Not much time to explain- we need team Mustang on the Easternmost side, we're trying to box him on. From 7th to 12th street, you got that!? We need you to mobilize asap!"

Roy was about to get up, but he paused.

"I can be there in 4 minutes, Hughes, but I need to know your orders!" he couldn't just waltz in there like he owned the place, he needed to know their objective...

There was silence on the other end for a moment, and Roy realized it must be serious, since Hughes was wasting precious seconds in such a serious situation.

"... He's killed three children in the past half hour. Ten of his victims were civilians. No military connections at all. Our orders are to stop him at all costs- he;s to be taken dead or alive. I know you don't like to do that, but this guy... he's completely lost it, Roy. He has to be stopped, or he's gonna kill anyone he comes across..." Hughes sounded serious.

"I understand. We're moving out." Roy hung up the phone, getting to his feet and heading for the door.

He paused when he saw Edward still standing there, red cloak hanging to his ankles, golden eyes looking decidedly curious.

"I need to leave now, Fullmetal, but this discussion is not over, you understand me?" he said briskly. He fully intended to lecture the kid on the difference between devotion and recklessness when he got back, for the kid's own good...

"Where are you going?"

Roy paused for a moment, remembering what Hughes had said. "We're mobilizing all state alchemists against him..."

Not Ed. He wasn't sending Ed lout there- the kid was a genius, but he was also reckless, inexperienced, and likely exhausted. And Roy didn't want him facing this alchemist- not after what Hughes had told him about the man killing children... Roy suppressed a shudder as familiar screams sung out in his memory, mixed with the heat of flame.

"...Something's come up. I'll call you to reschedule-" he brushed past Fullmetal hurriedly, entering the outer office to find his men staring at him with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

Furey had no doubt picked up the distress calls on the radio and informed his comrades. They knew they'd be moving out.

Falman, Havoc, and Breda were loading their sidearms- Hawkeye had her sidearm already loaded and holstered, as always, as she was slinging a rifle over her shoulder, and she eyed him cooly, as always.

"Orders, Sir?"

"Dead or alive. But mostly dead. If it comes down to him or you- make sure you're the onyl walking out alive. Understood?"

Everyone in the room nodded.

"-good. Breda, you're on 7th, Havor, 9th, Falman, 11th. Furey- you take 13th and watch from the shadows, keep us updated on radio. Hawkeye- you take the rooftops. I'll be dealing with him personally." Roy tugged on his ignition gloves- they were already on securely, but it was an old habit.

Within 30 seconds, they were ready.

"Move out."

Within seconds, they were on the road, each in various cars as they raced towards the afflicted area.

Roy could feel the adrenaline- almost like the flames at his fingertips- thrumming along with his heartbeat in his chest.

It wasn't that he liked killing- rather, he loathed it- but if it meant he could protect innocent people, he'd do it in a heart beat.

Here we go again. he thought tiredly. Into the lion's den.

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