Yay! two reviews already! i am so very happy! Thank you, anyway, here is the next chapter, this is still the set up, anyway I've drafted up several more chapters but I've hit a road block, at the end, it either end mostly one sided, since the only way i can think to twist that outcome into reciprocated is clumsy and awkward in my mind, or it will be different that the way i orrigonaly intended to end it but Ed loves Roy back, anyway Vote if you care or I'll just pick whichever one i think is less clumsy... i don't want to spoil anything about either ending though, anyway thank you to my reviewers! you know who you are!

oh and updates will be slower, maybe two or three weeks between them, just a warning.

and i think i forgot this last chapter, have any of you seen anything like this in the series? no didn't think so, FMA is my drug, i don't own it... saddness!

The Mission:

I entered my office the next day only to be met with King Bradly standing behind my desk. He turned to face me as I entered and just inside the doorway I saluted as I should.

"At ease Colonel" he laughed gently "I'm just here to give you a very important mission."

"A Mission Sir?"

"That's right, the former Nightmare Alchemist, Mike Vega has been spotted recently." I flinched slightly at that statement.

Mike Vega, I had served under him for a time. He was cruel and ruthless; he loved killing even more than Kimbly, and torture even more than killing. His alchemy was truly terrifying, and he had no qualms about using it to maintain 'order' among his own subordinates, or to keep the higher ups from stopping him.

Nightmare Alchemist was right, his very unique alchemy trapped you in the worst nightmare your subconscious could produce, and was different to any individual. I always speculated that if Vega had a nightmare it would be that he couldn't use that alchemy anymore. The effects were particularly strong on those with dark pasts, or young soldiers on the front line and killing for the first time. And the nightmares were intense, you could feel and smell, taste and hear, along with seeing the terrors, and they were so vivid, so real that most people subjected to it never fully convinced themselves that the nightmare was all in their head and not reality.

"I know that you are familiar with him Colonel, that's why I'm sending you. He is to be captured dead or alive, and I needed a strong alchemist that knows what he is capable of." Bradly continued.

"Yes Sir"

"Oh and as this is such a dangerous mission I want you to take a partner… let's see… how about Fullmetal?" Bradly said walking around the desk and half way to the door.

"F-Fullmetal?!"

"Yes, is there a problem with him Colonel? He is a very talented alchemist, I'm sure he's up to the challenge."

"N-n-no Sir, no problem"

"Good, well then it's settled, here is the rest of the file, I'd better get back to my office before that overly cautious secretary of mine notices I left. Good luck" He said putting a folder on my desk and leaving.

Of course I have a million reasons for not wanting Edward to go on this particular mission. But I can't exactly say any of them to Bradly now can I?

One, Edward already hates reporting to me, he would loath going alone on a mission with me.

Two, Edward's past makes him particularly prone to Vega's Alchemy

Three, Edward is sometimes way too confident in his own abilities and underestimates his opponents, very bad with a man like Vega.

The list goes on and on.

I sighed slumping down in my seat looking at the file, seeing Vega looking up at me from the small photo on the cover. "Great, just great" I muttered trying to both brace and compose myself for what I now would have to do.

"Sir… what was that about?" Hawkeye asked walking in.

"I have been assigned a mission directly from Bradly himself" I said. "To bring Mike Vega to justice" she flinched, she never met him but I had told her enough for her to get the idea. "Lt. could you call Fullmetal in here? He is also assigned this mission with me."

"Yes Sir" she said leaving.

A few minutes later and my office door banged open announcing the arrival of Edward.

"What do you want now Colonel?" Ed snapped "today is my day off in case you forgot"

"I know Fullmetal, but the king gave us a top priority mission." I said not looking up at him, trying to compose myself, distance myself, lest he catch on to something.

"… the king, what is it?" Ed asked curiosity coloring his snappish tone.

I looked at him hoping to impress on him the importance and severity of this mission, on how necessary it was that he listen to me and follow my commands for once. "You and I are to bring in a rouge alchemist. Mike Vega, formerly known as the Nightmare Alchemist"

"… You're joking right?" he asked angry again "I'm supposed to go on a mission with you? What the mighty Flame Alchemist can't risk breaking a nail or something and wants me to do the heavy lifting?"

"Fullmetal! Grow up, what are you ten? The king ordered the both of us to go, and Vega is not your run of the mill third rate, two bit dabbler, he was a state alchemist and is very dangerous." I growled at him "I expect you to behave and do your duty as a solider!" I shouted at him, taking out on him my frustrations at the king for doing this to Edward. As usual my cover to hide my unhealthy concern for the young man was by treating him like a little kid. Probably why he hates me so much.

Edward frowned, glaring at me "alright fine then" he growled "so what's with this Vega guy, why is he so special?" he was only just barely submitting, and promising that it would not last long at all with his tone.

"Here is the file; we leave at oh-eight-hundred hours tomorrow." I said handing him the file "be on time Fullmetal" I warned, though I was secretly praying to a god I don't believe in that he did miss the train and would stay here safe and sound.

"Quit treating me like a kid damn it!" he shouted "don't worry about me, just get your own lazy ass there Colonel" he added in a growl "can I go now?"

"… Dismissed Fullmetal" I watched him leave hoping that in the end everything would be ok. If anything happened to Edward… I don't know what I would do.

oh forshadowing maybe? anyway review, it makes me and my muse happy and a happy muse is a productive muse. please review!