Thank you for your reviews!

Unfortunately, I should mention that updates will probably be slow. I'll try to get chapters out as quickly as I can, but to be honest it'll probably be an update every few weeks if I'm lucky.

Hope you enjoy.

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Maria stared at the cheap bobblehead of Micky Mouse which sat on her desk. She'd gotten it as a little girl when she and her family had traveled to Disney World. It was the only vacation that they had ever gone on as a family and it was the best memory of her childhood. That's why she still kept it with her so many years later. The bobblehead served as a comfort for whenever life got too tough.

Today was just one of those days.

Maria had just gotten back from patrol and Danny had left to pick up his little sister from a play date. Reaching forward, she poked the big eared head and watched it bobble. It did so for a few moments until it came to a stop and those big painted eyes continued to stare at her. Letting out a sigh, Ross rested her head in her hand. Around her, Maria could hear the buzz and activity of her Police Precinct.

"For the last time, Jean. Smoke your damn cigarettes outside!"

"It's a free country Breda."

Ross glanced at the open door where the voices were coming from. They belonged to Detectives Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda whose desks were down the hallway. For some reason, voices traveled far in this building. Must have been a mistake in the architecture since this place was very old. Listening to her bickering coworkers caused Maria to give a small smile. Detective Jean Havoc was a handsome blond who was practically a chain smoker who always seemed to have a bud in his mouth. Officers were allowed to smoke indoors, much to the annoyance of Breda whose desk was right next to Havoc's.

"Officer Ross?"

Maria jumped as the familiar voice cut through the officer's thoughts. She quickly looked up and her eyes widened in surprise when Ross saw who was standing by her desk.

"Captain Mustang?"

Captain Roy Mustang looked down at her with his usual serious face. But the slightest hint of a teasing smile was there.

"Having a rough day, Maria?" He asked in his quiet yet deep voice.

Maria sat straighter in her chair and tried to look more professional.

"No, sir, I'm fine." She knew it didn't work when he arched an eyebrow.

Mustang's eyes softened. "Come on Ross, you could use a drink."

"But I'm-" Maria tried to say.

"Your shift ended 5 minutes ago." Mustang told her with a chuckle. "Keep an eye on the clock."

Mustang turned around and began to walk towards the exit. He turned to look back at Maria.

"Are you coming officer?"

Maria quickly stood up and grabbed her coat. After making sure her wallet was there, she moved to follow the detective.

About 10 minutes later Maria was sitting in a bar across the street from the her Precinct. It was a small establishment that was often frequented by off duty cops. At the moment Maria sat, staring at the untouched beer in front of her. To say she was uncomfortable would be an understatement. Maria had been at Mustang's precinct for about a year, yet she'd only interacted with her superior on a professional level. So it was quite odd that he suddenly asks her to accompany him for a drink out of the blue...and there were the unconfirmed rumors of his womanizing tendencies. But besides that, Maria had been on edge ever since the-

"I read your report of the Calvary Street shooting from last week."

Mustang's voice once again startled her, causing Maria to jump. A quick glance to the side showed that Roy was staring at her. Maria felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and also from the look in his eyes. She quickly regained her composure however and responded.

"I'm sure the detective's was more informative." Maria responded to the senior detective.

"I wouldn't say that. Your's was just as thorough, more so actually. Ever considered becoming a detective?" Mustang complemented with a grin before his face became serious. "I take it that was your first time?"

"Excuse me?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Your first on-duty encounter with a member of the Hohenheim family." He clarified, turning to look at the wall in front of them. "How long have you been on the force, Maria?"

"Five years, sir." She answered.

"Five years, huh?" Mustang took a swig. "Good for you for being able to stay clear of them for that long. That's got to be a department record."

"I didn't do it on purpose. I've never turned down a call." Maria said in a hurried voice before calming down. "I don't know, I guess I…I was just lucky."

"But everyone's luck has to run out." Mustang said with a sigh. "Tell me what happened at the shooting."

Maria's brow furrowed. "You said you read the reports, sir."

"I did." Mustang spoke nonchalantly. "I just want to hear it from your own mouth."

Maria looked up at him. "Uhhh, an attempt was made on Mr. Hohenheim's life and he then acted in self defense."

Mustang leaned forward. "Tell me what really happened at the shooting; I saw the toxicology reports for the shooters' bodies. What did Elric do?"

Maria bit her lip. Was this some sort of test? She stared into the dark eyes of her commanding officer and decided to trust him.

"He murdered those men." She answered. "He could get away with one of them since the body had a gun on it, but the others could be substance for indictment as murder. They were unarmed and no threat to him. Yet he killed them anyway."

"And you chose not to include any of this in the report." Mustang said with a raised eyebrow. "Smart move."

"I knew…" Maria said, her voice growing quiet. "I knew if I did, it wouldn't mean anything. Edward Elric wouldn't spend one night in a jail cell and I…." She trailed off as she shook her head. "They're just...too…"

"Powerful." Mustang finished for her. "Powerful and necessary."

This caught Maria off guard and she blinked in surprise. 'Necessary?'

"Before I joined the force." Mustang said. "It was war in the streets; every punk was trying to take over. On every corner there was a violent murder. In every alley someone was getting whacked. You couldn't walk outside to get your damn mail without fearing for your life. It seemed like this city was trying to eat itself alive. Something had to be done. That's what made me want to become a detective." He looked directly at Maria.

"I went to the academy." He continued. "Learned everything I could about upholding the law and protecting the people. I joined the force ready to turn this whole city around all by myself. But by the time I graduated, someone already had."

"Van Hohenheim." Maria said quietly.

Mustang nodded. "It was him who saved this city from itself. He pulled it back from the clutches of chaos and gave it order. He brought the rival gang leaders to heal and stopped the bloodshed. Even though it was everyone in the city against him, he beat them all. In a sad truth, it could be called the greatest underdog story ever. He went against all the odds and brought peace to this city. I still haven't figured out how exactly he did it, how he brought everyone under him. He wrangled in the bookies, the street gangs, the pimps; hell he even got some of the petty thieves to listen to him. The number of reported muggings actually decreased after he took control; as did the murders and property damage. There hasn't been a full on gang war in almost a decade. It wasn't the Central Police Department, the Mayor, or even the fucking Salvation Army. It was Van Hohenheim. A murdering criminal mastermind with three equally guilty sons. Almost seems ironic, doesn't it?"

Maria stayed silent as Mustang continued.

"At first I tried to fight him. I tried to bring him and his whole organization down. But several wasted years, and a whole lot of death threats later, I finally realized how pointless it was. There was no bringing down Hohenheim and as much as I hate to admit it. This city needs him. Things are bad, but it's nowhere even close to how shitty this city was before Van Hohenheim. The amount of cop killings has decreased as well, I guess we can thank him for that. As long as we don't get in his way, no one dies. It's not ideal, but we can still do our jobs to a certain degree. Van Hohenheim isn't the only criminal in this city. He's just the most important."

Maria glanced over at her superior. A small part of her was angry at him. Angry that an officer of the law was saying these things; that it was okay to look the other way for the Hohenheims. But the rest of her understood; their family was royalty and Central was their kingdom. That's how things worked. Still, Maria felt curiosity build in her. Her next question was probably inevitable. "What do you think would happen if the Hohenheims fell out of power? What if you had been able to bring him down?" She asked curiously.

Mustang was silent for several moments before taking a drink. "To be honest, I've thought about that question every day for the last fifteen years. But I'm not willing to risk that possibility. That may make me a damn coward, but I believe it's better to live with the devil that you know."

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"Why the fuck is he having a meeting this late?" Ed grumbled in the back seat as he rubbed his tired eyes. He and Al had spent the last few hours viewing new designs for the Xerxes' slot machines. "I thought old people sleep more."

"You can ask him yourself." Ling said as he drove the car. He had been told 30 minutes earlier by Fu to pick up both Edward and Alphonse.

"What time is it?" Al's voice came from the passenger seat. The younger brother was sitting back in his seat gazing at the passing street lights.

Ed glanced at his golden Rolex watch. "12:27."

Al let out a sigh of relief that they would be early. He knew that Edward was not in the mood for a lecture on punctuality. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he watched his brother sitting in the backseat. The shadow's in the car cast half his face in darkness.

"If father's meeting tonight is on what we've discussed, can I count on you to pull through?" He felt stupid having to ask his brother this, but tonight could be a crucially important moment for their family. He had to be sure.

Ed's sharp eyes meet his. "Don't give me that Al." He grumbled. "I don't go back on my word."

Al nodded, giving his brother a small smile. Ed looked at him for a moment before his own lips began to twitch. Al turned his head to look at Ling.

"Any input before we arrive?" He asked their friend.

"I'm just here to be a driver. Such decisions are well beyond my paygrade." Ling said with an overly dramatic false sadness in his voice. He quickly snapped out of it as the car began to veer to the side a little. "But I trust Fu to make the right decision with you."

The rest of the ride was quiet as Ling drove them. They were on their way to a meeting at the Estate. It was away from the prying eyes of the city. Just far enough away to enjoy some peace and quiet. The three men had been driving on a road that brought them up a hill. At the end of this road was a large and very expensive looking gate. The gate was met on both sides by tall, thick stone walls about 10 feet high. On the top of these walls were spiked points looming towards the sky. The gate itself was meticulously crafted, the metal bending and curling into a spectacular arch that stood tall at the middle where the two doors of the gate met. In front of this gate stood several men dressed in black. One of them approached the stopped vehicle. Ling waved at him through the windshield. Once the guard saw who was in the car he turned and nodded to the security camera positioned on the side of the gate.

A few moments later the gate opened and Ling drove through, onto the gravel pathway that led into the Hohenheim estate.

The wide yard was perfectly maintained, not a single yellow blade of grass to be seen. The bushes outlining the stone wall were equally well kept by the best gardeners that money could buy. Appearance was everything.

But the yard's beauty was nothing compared to the large house in the middle of the estate. Actually, house wasn't the correct word. It was a palace. The largest and most expensive mansion in the Central area. The five story building was built out of white marble, expertly carved by some the best architects in the country. The roof was beautifully adorned with copper red tiles.

The lights in the house were dimmed. Outside, near the large wooden doors, were several other cars and limos. Ling drove up the gravel path that lead to the large building. Al checked his watch as Ling put the car in park. It was now 12:39.

"We're teetering on the edge of being late." He said as he unbuckled himself.

"Then let's go already." Ed said as he opened the door of the vehicle.

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Ed's boots crunched on the gravel as he stepped out of the car. The air had a slight chill to it. But nothing to complain about. He glanced over to see Al straightening the collar of his suit.

"You waited to do that now? Weren't you the one who kept prattling on about time and teetering." Ed said to his younger brother as he walked past him with his hands in his pockets.

"It'll only take a second." Al started walking as he fiddled with the collar.

"We're only as fast as our slowest player, Al." Ed looked over his shoulder with a teasing look in his eyes. Looking ahead of him, he did a once over of the other cars out front.

"Looks like we're last to arrive." Ed said nudging Ling. "But certainly not the least."

Ling rolled his eyes. "Boo." He monotoned.

"Yeah, get the jokes out of your system." Al said as they walked towards the front door. "While you can."

The large doors were expertly carved out of fine wood. The tops of the metal door handles were lion heads. The doors opened as they walked up to them. A small elderly man in a black suit and long white mustache greeted them.

"Hello Master Edward, Master Alphonse, Mr. Yao. May I take your coats?" He offered as he held the door open for them.

"Thank you Giolio." Al said as he handed the small butler his coat. Ed and Ling politely declined and kept their coats on. Giolio Comanche closed the doors behind them as they entered a foyer that was as every bit extravagant as the mansion's exterior.

"Everyone is already here, gentlemen. They are waiting for you two on the third floor." Giolio informed as the three young men headed up the stairs that curved over a doorway and met another identical and opposite staircase. Al had his hand on the gilded handrail while Ed kept his in his pockets.

They got to the top and walked down the hallway. As they made their way down the fine red carpet, Ling spoke up.

"Hey guys. I'm gonna meet up with Martel, Roa, and those guys." Ling said. "See ya later."

"See ya, Ling." Ed waved as the Xingese man broke off and headed down another hallway. The walls were wooden and adorned with works of art as well as decorative lights.

"Think he's going to chew us out?" Ed asked with a sigh.

"Technically, we're not late." Al responded.

"Yeah, but 'they're waiting for us' remember?" Ed said forming air quotes. "The old man's still going to be pissed."

"He doesn't get angry." Al said as they turned to move up another flight of stairs.

"Correction, he doesn't get angry at you." Ed said as they walked up. "It's another story with me."

"Father just wants to make sure we learn from him." Al said.

"About what?" Ed asked. "Being an emotionless stiff with enough personality to fit into a fucking teaspoon?"

"Why don't you ask him when we see him." Al deadpanned.

This silenced Ed. No matter how much he liked to complain about his father behind the man's back, he lost that rebellious streak whenever those cold eyes looked at him.

The two brothers finally reached the third floor and exited the stairs. Ed glanced down a nearby hallway at a large wooden door.

"Come on let's not keep the mighty king waiting." He muttered, causing Al to chuckle. Ed smiled slightly at the sound of his younger brother's laugh. It was nice when they weren't bickering.

"Oh yes, he may behead us at dawn for such insubordination." Al responded causing Ed to give a chuckle of his own.

"Are you two done giggling like a pair of under aged girls?" Came a very unimpressed voice from behind them.

The two men jumped and turned to see a middle aged women giving them an equally unimpressed look. She stood at about 6 feet tall, with long black hair and a long white coat.

Ed snickered while Al gave her a bashful look. "Sorry Aunt Izumi."

Aunt Isumi was an attractive woman of 47. She was their father's younger sister, as well as one of his most trusted advisers and confidants.

"Are you two idiots just going to stand there or will you move to let me in?" Izumi asked as she folded her arms. She was leaning against the wall, almost like she'd been waiting for them.

"We were just going in." Al said quickly as he opened the door and headed inside. Ed tried to follow him, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Izumi staring at him.

"It's been a little while since we've been able to talk." She said. "I'm glad you're alright after what happened last week."

Ed nodded. "Thanks." He said. "I guess I have you to thank for that."

Izumi's mouth formed a small smile before glancing at the door. "Let's not keep your father waiting for too long."

"You late too?" Ed asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No." Izumi responded swiftly. "I just had to wait for you so long that I needed to use the restroom."

"It's ok, Aunt Izumi." Ed said. "Stuff like that just means you're getting older." His laugh was cut off by a sharp whack to the back of the head. He returned Izumi's glare with a crooked smile and pushed open the door.

The room was dark. His father liked having the lights dimmed when a meeting was happening. It limited the distractions in the room. Personally, it reminded Ed of a James Bond villain. Still, he moved swiftly to his seat. Making his journey as quick and uneventful as possible. He passed two of father's chief lieutenants; Scar and Fu. The chair in which he sat in was near the head of a long wooden table. Once he was fully seated, he pulled the chair up so he could rest his hands on the wooden edge of the table. So far, his head had been slightly bowed the entire time he had been in the room. To his right, closer to the head of the table, he heard his Aunt pull out her chair and cooly seat herself. He glanced up to see Al sitting across from him. Al was looking at him as if he was nervously waiting for him to do something. Ed understood when Al's eyes darted to Ed's right.

Ed looked towards the head of the table.

The main source of the room's light came from a large fireplace. Ed had fond memories around that fireplace. His mother would always read and play with him in this room, especially around the holidays. It used to be her own private room. She'd hang up art that he or Al had drawn from when they were children, no matter how bad it was. She'd relax in here for hours either playing with her little sons, or looking through the large windows at the gardens.

But that was a long time ago.

Now, the paintings were gone. Ripped down and thrown into the trash. The thick curtains of the windows were drawn closed. No garden to be seen.

The fire was still going strong, illuminating the room in warm light. Ed couldn't see the flames from where he sat, only the light that they gave off. And that itself, was partly obstructed by his father.

Van Hohenheim sat tall and strong at the head of his table. His head cocked slightly, so that he could stare at his second eldest son.

Ed looked back at father confused before he quickly leaned off the table. His hands moved from the table's edge to his lap and he straightened his back, copying Al's posture.

Once Ed had done this, his father looked away from him. Hohenheim's eyes settled back on Greed, who had been standing and apparently about to start talking when Ed had made his entrance. Even at the age of 51, Greed barely looked over 35. Dressed in his usual black suit and somehow still wearing those damn small sunglasses. Once Greed saw that he had Hohenheim's attention he started to speak.

"If you don't mind Van." He said. "I'd like to cut right to the chase."

Hohenheim gave him a nod to continue.

"I have seen." Greed said. "Like everyone else in this room has seen; a rising phenomenon in this city." Greed tossed a bag onto the table. It was a plastic sandwich bag, filled with a white powder. Ed briefly wondered whether it was heroin or cocaine.

"Drugs." Greed said. "That right there is a about two pounds of methane."

'Turns out it was surprise option C.' Ed thought.

Greed continued to talk. "You can find packages such as this on numerous streets throughout this city. They come in varying degrees of quality. I hear this batch it pretty good. Although Meth is usually crystallized, this stuff isn't half bad. I guess I happened to be lucky with the dealer I decided to purchase this from. The same can't be said for Dwight Scott." Even though he couldn't see the man's eyes, Ed was sure that Greed's were shifting around the room.

"Dwight Scott:" Greed continued. "Was a football star at Central University. He was, until he bought a bag such as this from a dealer on the corner of Fleet Street. His roommate found him dead from an overdose." Greed picked up the bag of meth and placed it in the pocket of his suit. "I know none of you give a shit about Dwight Scott. I couldn't give less of a shit about Dwight Scott. But there are those in this city who do give a shit about Dwight Fucking Scott."

"And your point is?" Izumi asked, leaning her face on her hand.

Greed glared at her for a moment before continuing. "I'm saying that we should give somewhat of a shit about Dwight Scott." He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "Drugs are in this city and there's nothing we-" His glasses flicked briefly to Hohenheim. "-can do about it. What we can do is grab it by the balls." Greed held his fist up like he was grasping something, his mouth a wide smirk. Ed grimaced as the motion made him think about what weird shit Greed did in his spare time. "We would bring the products in. We'd give it to the dealers of our choice. We'd regulate who the dealers would sell the merchandise to. We'd control this entire operation from when it comes in to when and where it goes out. All of these small time dealers that are operating in alleys are getting their shipments from outside of Central. We can easily negotiate with their sources. Have our own wonderful monopoly."

Greed pushed off and began to stroll around the table. "But let's say we act like fucking dumbasses and we don't do jack shit. Let's say we let whichever shithead with half a brain, sell all the damn drugs they want. More kids like Dwight fucking Scott keel over and people start raising a shitstorm about it. Lots of people with high emotions is never a good thing. Another detrimental circumstances is that these lone dealers give their merchandise to idiots who then go shoot up a...let's say a store." Greed paused to let that hang over the room. Ed could feel Greed's eyes on him. A prickling feeling on the back of neck told him that his father was looking at him as well. Ed squared his shoulders and returned Greed's gaze.

"Chaos is even worse than high emotions." Greed shrugged his shoulders like this was a simple fact. "Chaos breeds panic which inevitably leads to violence. Next thing we know, the special interests and the parent groups are breathing down old man Grumman's neck begging him to do something. Maybe the old man finally grows some balls and actually does something. Nobody wins in this situation, especially not us."

Greed had a tendency to always look at the big picture. Maybe it was the lawyer part of him that did that.

"If we control all levels of manufacturing, we get to control the quality." Greed said. "Only pristine, quality merchandise comes in. And even then, the merchandise only goes to whoever we want it to. So no dipshits giving it in excess to star football players. I know some of you would rather hold on to land owning or game fixing; but times have changed. The drug trade is the future, people." Greed was now standing on the opposite side of the table from Hohenheim. "Are we going to be in that future?"

Ed glanced at his father. Hohenheim's face was unreadable as it always was. Everyone else at the table was watching for a reaction. Hohenheim leaned back in his chair.

"Thoughts?" His voice came out as a deep whisper.

Ed's eyes moved to the others at the table as they responded. He knew that his father had already made a decision. But as the head of the family, he always preferred hearing every point of view or opinion. The first to speak was Fu.

"I agree." He said simply.

Katsunosuke Fu was the second longest lasting non family underling for Hohenheim. The longest being Greed. Standing at only 5'7 and nearing 60 years of age, Fu did not have the look of the swift killing machine that he truly was. The only tell were his eyes, which always held a look of scrutiny and suspicion. Fu was one of the several men instrumental in keeping the small bosses in line. He had started off as a simple enforcer and hitman for Ed's father. Over the years he rose among the ranks, becoming one of Van's most trusted and respected associates. The old Xingese man was also a role model for Ling, who just happened to be dating Fu's granddaughter Lan Fan.

Ed frankly wasn't very surprised by the old man's declaration. Fu had always been rather pragmatic albeit somewhat old fashioned.

Ed's gaze moved from Fu, across the table, to the man who was sitting next to him on the left. Despite knowing this man his entire life, Ed still had no goddamn idea what Scar's real name was. The giant enforcer had always gone by the simple nickname Scar. When he was little, Ed had asked his father why Scar had a name like that. His father had given a small smile and said it was the name that he had chosen. Since then, Ed had called him Scar without question.

Watching his stoic face made Ed think about how little Scar had actually changed. The towering red eyed man had held a presence during his early years as a loyal bodyguard. He was the one who had driven him and Al to school, and the one to pick them up. At the time, Ed had enjoyed having such a large man with a cool scar doing things for him. When he was 9, Van sat Al and himself down and told them the reason for Scar's presence.

Ed was pushed out of his thoughts by Scar's answer.

"I agree."

The imaginary spotlight moved over to Al who was sitting next to Fu. Ed already knew what's Al's answer would be so he looked to the right at his aunt. Izumi was sitting back in her chair cooly. Her elbow was resting on the arm of the chair with her chin on her hand. The spotlight moved to Ed, who already had an answer.

"Yeah, I agree."

Ed looked over at Al and gave him a wink. It was Izumi's turn next. She didn't answer right away and looked into the eyes of her older brother. The two of them had always had this weird thing of knowing exactly what the other was thinking. Ed could see a mental conversation going through their locking of eyes.

"I don't like it." She said, her gaze now going to Greed. "Drugs are an ugly business. Even us having control won't make it good. But you are right, this is what's best for the family, and perhaps the city." She looked back at Hohenheim.

"I agree."

Izumi Curtis always spoke her mind. Whether it was to Greed, himself, Al, Envy, or even Hohenheim. Being Van's younger sister meant she held one of the most powerful positions in the family. Even though she had been adopted, Hohenheim treated her as if she was his blood sister. She was mostly in charge of handling the soldiers, or enforcers, of the organization. If someone wanted to come work for the family, they'd have to meet her very limited approval.

You see, most crime families often had captains, or capos for short. Each captain heads a crew of "soldiers"; basically they kept the muscle in line. Izumi essentially was one who kept the capos in line. Her time in the military caused her to often act like a drill sergeant. Despite being a middle aged woman, Izumi was arguably the most capable killer in the room. She had personally trained Ed, Alphonse, and Envy on how to shoot a wide variety of different guns and to defend themselves at an early age. Needless to say that training has proven to be very useful lately.

Everyone had said their piece, now it was Hohenheim's decision. His cold, golden eyes stared at Greed for several moments.

"I want a list of suppliers who can bring the substances in." Hohenheim said to Greed then looked at Fu and Scar. "You two, find suitable men to serve as local dealers. Once that can follow orders" Al was next. "Call Mayor Grumman's office and schedule a meeting for later this week." Izumi. "We'll discuss the specifics of this arrangement later." He looked at the group as a whole. "We're done."

Ed had to admit one thing about his Dad, he did not mince words.

Everyone stood out of their seats and swiftly moved to leave the room. Ed was a bit perturbed that he was the only one in the group who hadn't been given any kind of assignment. With a sigh he pushed his chair from the table and stood up. Sliding his hands into his pockets; Ed turned to leave the room.

"Not you."

Ed spun around and saw Hohenheim looking at him. He gave Al a quick glance as his brother left the room before walking back to the table. He came to a stop next to his seat, but remained standing.

"You called?" Ed drawled.

"I couldn't help but see the look of disappointment on your face as you prepared to leave." Hohenheim said. "Were you expecting a participation trophy?"

Ed grounded his jaw a little. He should have known his father would see that. Right now he felt rather like like a school kid standing in the principal's office. Somehow Van always had the ability to make Ed uncomfortable. Although his father's face held no emotion, his dark golden eyes were mocking him.

"Kind of." Ed admitted bitterly as he folded his arms.

Hohenheim shook his head and stood up; his tall frame casting shadows across the table. Ed had to look upwards in order to maintain eye contact.

"Grow up, Edward." He said. "You're not a child anymore. If I have decided not to bestow you with an assignment, then there is a reason for it."

"Well then." Ed said not breaking eye contact with his father. "What is your reasoning? Should I have arrived two minutes earlier? Sat straighter in my chair? Worn a fucking suit like Al?" Instead of a school boy in the principal's office, he felt like a five year old child being scolded by his father.

His father glare was small yet still managed to unnerve him. After a few moments Hohenheim gave a tired sigh. His golden eyes and slightly graying hair glowed in the dim light. His brown suit was darker.

"As it happens, I do have an assignment for you. More important than the others." Hohenheim said.

Ed blinked in surprise. "You do?"

"When Greed has chosen suitable candidates to bring in the merchandise I want you to be the one to meet with them and negotiate the arraignment."

"Me?" Ed asked, genuinely surprised. "Why me? Isn't diplomatic shit something you usually do."

"I won't be here forever." Hohenheim said, his jaw set tightly as he continued to glare at his son. "Then it'll be your turn to take over as head of the family."

A silence followed this. Ed's response died in his throat. He looked away from his father and at the ground. He cleared his throat and brought his eyes back up to meet his father's gaze. He couldn't help but notice the deep lines on his father's face. How his once brilliant golden hair was starting to turn grey in a few spots.

"You will meet with whoever these people are" Hohenheim continued. "You will tell them our terms and you will show them who we are."

"Why me?" Ed asked, his voice calm. "Al's the better talker. If you asked, he'd probably prepare a fucking speech in less than an hour."

His father's mouth formed the shadow of a smirk. "In the past, you've demonstrated your ability to utilize words in an...authoritative manner."

Ed snorted. "By authoritative, I can only assume you mean loudmouth and in your face?"

"It does get the point across." Hohenheim commented, then shook his head. "I chose you because I believe you will make the strong choices that are in the family's best interest."

Ed was quiet for a moment. Eventually, he looked up at his father.

"Thank you, father." He said uncharacteristically quiet. "I won't let you down."

Hohenheim walked around the table and began heading towards the door. He stopped when he reached Ed. "You're my son Edward. I trust you." Though his voice held little emotion; this was the closest you'd get to affectionate.

Ed nodded and couldn't help the smile that came to his face. Damn, 26 years old and he was still seeking his father's approval. Talk about daddy issues.

"Am I dismissed?" He asked.

Hohenheim nodded.

Ed turned to leave. He felt a small excitement glowing inside him. His father had never given him this much responsibility before. It was a time to maintain the family's status in this city and to prove-

"You'll take Edgar with you."

This stopped Ed in his tracks.

"What?" He spun around.

"You heard me." Hohenheim said.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"In the possibility that the chosen associates may require a particular method of persuasion." His father answered.

"And I can't do that myself?"

"You can't do it as well as him." Hohenheim left the room, leaving Ed alone.

Ed sighed. "Alright."

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"This is an easy deal, just leave the vending machines alone." An uninterested voice drawled.

"This is bullshit, man!" An angry balding man in a wife beater shouted. "I've got no business then."

"True, very true...but I don't care."

"Fuck you, you weird green haired freak!"

Thud

The bald man was knocked on his back, blood flowing from his nose. Above him the aforementioned green haired freak twirled a baseball bat in his hand.

"Well I guess I'm going to have to tell my dad you won't cease your business interactions." The man smirked deviously. The man on the ground tried to stand up, but the green haired man was already swinging the bat.

Thud!

Crack!

Crunch!

Splat!

Snap!

"...shit...my fucking bat broke…god dammit."

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Next chapter you'll officially meet Envy/Edgar…and maybe someone else. Please leave your thoughts.

Just to be clear, Dwight Scott is not based on any real person.