Woo, I got this out earlier than I intended. I wasn't planning to be able to bring it up for another week, but... let's just say I pulled some strings. Leave it at that!

I've got some of the rest of this story planned out, I don't really plan it all out which is probably why it takes so long for me to update. But this could change, just FYI. I didn't plan for this bit to come out, actually some of it, but it did! There should be some answered questions in this chapter (OMFG FINALLY) or there could be more questions (FFFFFFFFUUUUUUU-) so. xD I'll leave you to read and decide!

You can tell by the title what's to come. (Pun trolol) So. I was ACTUALLY going to cut it out, because everyone has read pr0n before I'm sure. But then I remembered WHO is actually reading this. I could name a few authors from my reviews list and alerts who would kindly murder me for cutting out pr0n. I figured I'd just appease them. You know, old British tactic and all that. It works. Enjoy this!

WARNING: Violence towards the end and a bit of self hatred going around.

Edit (02/09/2012) - Sexual content has been deleted due to fanfiction guidelines. The full version can be found on AO3 once it becomes available come end of November. Link will be on my profile!


Intercourse

Mustang did nothing but look perplexed towards Fullmetal sitting on his lap, already in the process of taking the damn military jacket off, the buttons were undone and he was about to slip it off, when he spotted Roy hadn't moved at all since Marcoh left. Well, that was just a tad humiliating.

"Um," he started and Mustang showed the first movement in about fifteen minutes. "You know you don't have to do this, right?" He didn't bother picking his jacket up, which started falling down his arms. "Just that you were staring at me a lot and you didn't complain when I hit on you so..."

Mustang shook his head but smiled, then leant forward to remove the jacket off Edward's body with his teeth. That was a clearer message than Edward had heard all day.

Currently, they were making out. Edward was naked from the bottom down, wearing nothing but the white shirt that went with the military outfit, whilst Mustang was still fully dressed, well almost, with his jacket and shirt buttons open along with his trouser zipper and his member out in the open, currently being stroked by Edward's flesh arm, whilst his automail arm was holding Roy's head hostage to his mouth.

Their tongues were fighting for dominance, though Edward knew he was going to lose anyway, when Roy winced and pulled his head out of Ed's grip in pain. Ed was confused for a moment, then he remembered the other officers telling him that a fag to the tongue was common treatment to mute soldiers.

"Oh shit, sorry! I forgot!" In his panic, he let go of both his head and member, both hands going to Roy's mouth. "Here, stick your tongue out and I'll see the damage." Roy didn't want to, but he did.

It wasn't too bad, but it looked painful. It had burnt slightly, turning a darker colour than its normal pink and had begun to blister slightly. It would be hurting like a bitch for a few more days, but there wouldn't be any permanent damage that Edward could see.

"It doesn't look too bad, but it'll hurt like a bitch for a few days. Try not to use it too much and it should be ok. It's starting to blister though." Roy sighed, tucking his tongue back safely in his mouth, but he nodded to tell him that he understood. Edward had to smile. "Look, I dunno if you want this to become more than a onetime thing, I mean at the start it was but..." Roy's eyebrows raised slightly, both surprised and asking for more of an explanation. Edward sighed. "After seeing you with that Maes guy, I kinda got pissed off a bit at him. Since I'm gonna be seeing you a lot, well, I wanna make sure of something before we do this."

Roy nodded, he had a slight idea of what the question was, but he couldn't be certain.

"So, when we do this, is it just going to be a onetime thing or are we going to... you know..." Ed hesitated then just blurted it out. "We gonna become boyfriends or something? Just, you know, Fullmetal and Flame has a ring and, whilst you're a bastard sometimes, I admit I like you. So, how about it?"

Roy could see it, but he was scared. The last person he had a real relationship without it ending quickly ended in a disaster, because of who he was.

Ed could see the struggle in the Colonel's eyes as he looked down and away. "I know, I read that you hated marriage, but can I ask why you hate it so much? Most alchemists have no problem with marriage, but you..."

Roy made a motion that he needed to write. Clearly, it was a long story. Ed didn't really want to get up, considering he was half naked bottom-wise, but he wanted an answer before they went and did something they might regret. With a nod, Ed got up and quickly reached for a pen and paper that Yealland had left behind before he had run. Strange that he hadn't sent security back, unless Marcoh had held them off.

Roy began writing and explained. It was during his training to become a State Alchemist, so he was quite old when he had his first serious relationship, nineteen or so possibly. He couldn't remember the name of the girl, but he could remember her looks. She was brunette, had lovely emerald eyes and he always liked the way she had styled her hair. She was entertaining to be with and she was quite intelligent. Roy had stayed with her for a year, had just passed his State Alchemist exam and he was so excited about passing the exam, he went right home to tell her the good news.

She didn't take it as well as he had hoped.

"So, you're leaving to work with the military?"

Roy was put off slightly at how she spat the word 'military', he could understand that some people hated it, but she had no real reason to. "I'll be where they need me to be, I have to show that alchemy has the power to help people, I need to use my gifts for something good."

"But why? You have me, don't you? Aren't I enough?"

"Yes, I do have you, but without alchemy, I'm not Roy Mustang."

"So, I'm not good enough for you."

This woman just couldn't understand. Alchemy wasn't simply a gift where you could use it anytime you wanted. Alchemy was a lifestyle, it was a religion, it was part of your world, alchemy was a part of yourself and without it, you wouldn't be the same person. She couldn't understand that alchemy would always be his first love because it was a part of him, whilst she could have a part of himself. It was all he could offer her, because he dedicated his other half to alchemy and only to alchemy.

"No, you are, truly! I love you, but I love alchemy just as much and I can't live without it, no matter what you say."

No matter the times he tried to explain to her that alchemy was like a religion, she wouldn't listen. She wanted all of Roy and he couldn't give himself completely to a woman when alchemy had been with him since birth. She screamed at him, accusing him of ludicrous things, like not loving her, not caring for her and that he was incapable of loving another person. She even slapped him and kicked him out of the house, his own house. Even as it was his own house, he wasn't in any condition to go back in there, not with a half broken heart.

After, he started to believe her, that he was incapable of loving anyone enough because alchemy always came first, and so alchemy became more important. He delved further into alchemy and became the famed Flame Alchemist. That was when the flings started. He was a man, but he couldn't get into a relationship because he was incapable of loving another person as much as alchemy.

"She really kicked you out of your own house?" Roy nodded. Edward couldn't understand people like that. But he could understand Roy, it was the exact reason he stayed away from Winry. Not simply because he was gay, but because Winry was the same. She wanted it all, she wouldn't settle for half, she had to have it all and Edward couldn't do that. Alchemy was his first love, much like Mustang, and if she couldn't accept the alchemy, like he knew she wouldn't, he couldn't fall in love with her, even if he was straight.

"My mechanic is like that, she tried to get me to date her." Edward explained. "But I knew her, alchemy took her parents away, she'd never be able to accept my alchemy, so I couldn't accept her in the way she wanted to. She got pissed, but she understood why. Alchemy comes first." Roy was slightly shocked, but then he smiled. So Edward could relate, he could understand. They were both alchemists, Roy had never been with another alchemist before, at least not one that was as strict as he was. Perhaps there was hope for Mustang; he could love a person as much as alchemy if that person was an alchemist, which Elric was. Besides, Flame and Fullmetal sounded good. (Though he agreed, Fullmetal and Flame sounded better.)

Roy nodded, smiling as he did.

"What?" Edward was confused, but he tried asking; "you want to give the dating thing a go, even with what happened last time?"

Roy nodded again, still smiling. It wouldn't harm to try and Edward seemed like such a great guy to be with, provided you could deal with his rants.

Ed's grin returned and he promptly hugged the Colonel close to his body. "Yes! Awesome!" Then Edward pulled away and poked Roy's nose. "But a few things straight, I like sex, a lot of it, so be prepared! Second, I am your only other love except for alchemy, it will be the only thing that is more important than myself and you will expect the same in return. No cheating on me, ever! Final note, if I want something, I will get it and I take it all." It was a lot to remember, but Roy was sure he had the gist of it. "We can love alchemy together, we could study together, maybe even find a cure to change chimaeras back into their original form!" He could imagine all the things they could do. Maybe even break the law of human transmutation, bring someone back to life without serious consequences and succeed! Save lives, bring people back from the dead and bring people back to the land of the living moments from almost dying.

Roy could imagine it as well. Whilst they weren't always good, religion had always accomplished things and changed the world because of it. A lot of it from a book that Christians worshipped in Aerugo. A book that became the law in Aerugo, no sex before marriage, homosexuality was against the law, if you broke a promise you went to Hell and there was sometimes, in some Christian culture though Roy couldn't remember what, where if you confessed of every sin you had committed to a priest (or something along those lines) then you would be able to ascend to Heaven when you die without going through purgatory first. (1)

Aerugians were as fond of alchemy as was Ishbal. Except Aerugians called it witchcraft. Laughable to all those alchemists.

So, imagine what Alchemy could do for their country that ran on alchemy. Xing had profited from their alchehestry, similar to their alchemy. They and Xing had close relations because of that, they both appreciated alchemy and alchehestry and both benefitted from it. It was just a shame that a bloody great desert was blocking the ways between one another.

He really wasn't prepared when it finally came to intercourse. He wasn't prepared for what stories he had read about. He'd read and heard stories about when people have sex, if it was with a certain person, then your mind would blow and your world would turn white a few seconds, it was that good. Soul mates, apparently, true soul mates, that if you had sex with this certain person then your world changed axis forever, prepared, wanton or not.

So, imagine his surprise when his world tilted, the world flashed white unlike any white he had ever seen and his mind exploded hard enough for him to forget his own name. He swore he could even spot Cherubs (2) in that white world, golden wings and gates, if only for a mili-second. He hoped that he wasn't the only one seeing this, that surely the soldier was too.

The pleasure was so intense, unlike anything he had ever felt before, it was impossible not to let Roy's name fall from his lips like a prayer. He never did believe in God or Heaven or Hell, but where he was right now was the closest thing to Heaven. He couldn't tell where he was leaning his head, was that Roy's shoulder, or on top of his head? It didn't matter, he was blind to pleasure, the only kind of blind ever wanted. He revelled in this, purely the feeling of cloud nine, wherever this place was, he wanted to stay. But as he stopped moving - he was moving? - the place started to disappear. So, he moved again and the place and feeling remained, stronger than before. Even if someone was to open the door, whatever door there was, it would be impossible to stop.

Roy hadn't done much either, since he was trapped in that white world of bliss too, oblivious if even a person were to break down the door.

They kept together, remained in that white place for a few moments more, when a flash of yellow light burst forth from their visions, and before they knew it, they were spent. The white world disappeared, but it would always be there, the next time they had sex, the world would be ready to open again.

"E-ed..." It took great concentration from the son of Light to hear it, but he heard it alright. Mustang's voice, the only thing strong enough to just about penetrate Bliss.

He was unable to respond until he caught his breath, but when he did, he bounced on it. "Roy, your voice... I heard you say my name!"

The spent soldier looked like he went through a shower, he was sweating, but he had a goofy grin. Then he looked confused as he heard Ed's words. His voice? He spoke?

Light Jr. nodded. "Yeah, I heard you gasp my name. There's still hope to get your voice back yet!" Then he hugged the Colonel, still going through a slight high even if his shirt, the Colonel's trousers and jacket were soiled with their apparent sin. He was warm, warm as a campfire and he could smell the burning bliss on him. He always did love fire, how it could bring warmth even in the coldest of places and comfort you by being there. He nuzzled into Mustang's neck a moment before pulling back, a grin on his face.

"That was the best sex I've had. We have got to do that again!" He would laugh, but he was exhausted, but the raven haired could hardly disagree. Even if they did plan it to be a one night stand, it would be impossible to ignore what they had felt. Roy, with all his flings, had never felt that before. He would be damned if he let that go, ever.

...

Before Maes headed off to meet with his friend, something bothered him about a certain thing a certain guy told him.

"Hey, Maes," Roy spoke up, having been silent for the past few hours with nothing better to do. "Do you think alchemy is bad?"

Hughes was surprised. He figured he shouldn't, his common sense told him that because there was a war going on and the alchemists were doing a lot of the damage on the city, they'd feel like the devil's servant too. "No, of course not, Roy. Alchemy did good in Xing too, didn't it?"

His best friend nodded, but didn't appear very convinced. "What about Ishballans? They say we're the devil's people, devil worshippers. With the arrays we have to draw, sometimes I feel like we summon them." But he didn't stop there, his mouth kept flowing. "And the Aerugians, what about them? They say it's witchcraft and if caught using it in Aerugo, we'd get burnt at the stake for it." Roy looked at the investigator, the one who is meant to have all the answers, the big noses of the military. "I'm certain I saw some, Maes. This isn't just some alchemists we're dealing with here, aren't we dealing with Aerugians too? They say they use magic to quell witchcraft, but aren't they just being hypocritical?"

Hughes blinked. "Aerugians? Roy, are you sure?"

Mustang looked down. "Well... I thought I saw some, but I'm not sure if I can trust everything I see these days. I've been seeing things that aren't there, Maes." He looked up at the sun, blazing down upon them. "I think I see water far beyond sometimes, but we don't, we don't have much water left. I wake up from nightmares and still see people being blown to bits by either my hand or Kimblee's, I still see the rows of dead bodies from an alley in the city when I wake up, see them on my tent floor, watch everyone who comes inside step on them and their eyes pop like grapes." He chuckled. "I'd do anything for a drink right now."

The very next day, their camp had flooded over, the sand they used to love as their ground and protection began sucking them up, eating them and the harder they struggled, the faster they were eaten. It wasn't just mines and magicians they had to worry about; it was the sand itself they were scared of for days afterwards.

But now that he thought, really thought, it struck a nerve in Hughes' body. If it was true and Roy really did see an Aerugian soldier, or civilian, then that meant that this was more than a civil war. This was becoming a war against another country. He couldn't prove that, but then why did the Fuhrer and the army disguise it as nothing more than terrorists taking over Ishbal and using alchemy, if it really was Aerugians using Ishbal and its religious similarities to get at Amestris from the inside? It was a much more serious matter if that were true, but that would make sense why so many State Alchemists were being sent in to deal with the matter. Was the story of simple terrorists just to prevent panic, or possible uprisings? That would make sense too, but he couldn't confirm anything until he had another chat with Roy.

Gracia had the pie ready, a nice apple pie, sure to bring Mustang out in good graces. If anyone could ever bring out the good in people, it was Gracia. No murderer would ever have the heart to murder again after they set eyes on Gracia, the investigator was convinced of this. He gave her his best smile, a kiss on the lips, door open for the lady and a comment on her gracious looks for them to be on their way to meet his best friend.

...

"Look, Roy, don't worry, it happens sometimes."

Roy wasn't convinced. Day one of being a boyfriend to the blond and already he was acting like a worried wife. He caught Edward that morning as they were getting breakfast coughing. Limping too, but he figured that was normal after what had happened. He patted his back and freaked when he saw blood. Edward tried to play off how serious the matter was, but the soldier wasn't budging.

Roy glared at Edward again.

Ed sighed. "It's been happening every since I was fifteen. Ok, long story short. Can we just sit down already?"

Roy relented and that's when Edward gave in to telling Mustang what he refused to tell Marcoh.

"Basically, my father left when I was young, so I don't really care about that bastard anymore, it was just me, my brother and mother. We lived in Resembool, the far village away from any military business and quiet place with an amazing school, but we had to work as well, milking cows and feeding the chickens, sometimes the business of keeping foxes away. Basic far country-boy lifestyle. We had to produce a lot of bread too, what with our country being so war loving and all, so business for us was good. Like a dream life, happy and good enough."

"That changed, one day our mother collapsed whilst my brother and I were gathering chicken eggs, we were only nine and eight at the time. We ran to help her when we saw her on the floor and called the local doctor, but there was nothing they could do. Apparently she had been dealing with it for years but never told us and she died soon after. Luckily, our nearby neighbour, that mechanic I was talking about, her parents allowed us to stay with them."

"We continued looking after the farm, like mother would've wanted, but it was getting tough to pay the rent. The state wanted to take our farm and sell it on, because I wasn't old enough to own the land. I tried to fight for custody, with my newly adoptive parents at my side, but we lost the case and the house was sold onto another farmer, though strangely this farmer wasn't as much a dick as I thought."

Edward drank some tea, allowing Roy to do the same, before he continued. "Turns out they were a couple who actually owned a butchers shop back in Central. Didn't know why they wanted a farm, but since they own both, business runs faster for them. They were the Curtis family, the wife, Izumi Curtis, was an alchemist. My brother and I loved alchemy, we secretly studied it in our father's basement and our mother encouraged it. Izumi found them in the basement and told us that she could teach us better than reading from any old book could."

"So that's where training for alchemy came in, we studied with Izumi and became great alchemists together. Izumi had the power to transmute without a circle too, though she never told us how she did it. So, life was getting back together again."

Edward looked down now and Roy nudged Ed's foot to get him to continue on. "Well, then Alphonse went ill. The same one that took mom away. I couldn't let that happen, so I studied into Xing alchehestry, since I heard that they work on medicine, but there was nothing there. Then I learnt human transmutation." Mustang's eyes widened, any form of human transmutation was illegal, Ed was risking a lot telling him this. "I studied and brought Alphonse to the basement where we learnt alchemy first. I drew the transmutation circle, brought my hands together and preformed alchemy."

Ed's eyes widened slightly as he remembered it all, everything Truth did, said and showed.

"When I looked next I wasn't in the basement anymore, everything was white, so so white. I looked up and saw a gate, no, The Gate, floating, as if it weighed nothing at all, in the air. It looked so heavy though, it was closed, but it was floating in the sodding air. There was writing on it... I couldn't read it, in some ancient language we don't remember, Xerxesian maybe, back when Xerxes existed." His words were coming out quicker, less focused than before and if his eyes were anything to go by, Mustang knew why. "Then I heard a voice, behind me, greeting me with a smile, a white person, figure, thing, it didn't even have any eyes, just a mouth, no real body, flat almost, like paper on a background, a black aura around him and all he said was 'hello Mr Al-Che-Mist', like I was the only one."

"I asked where I was, where my brother went, but it just laughed, just laughed! It stood there and laughed. It told me that my brother was still alive, but if I didn't act he'd die. It was grinning the whole time, always grinning. It never sounded excited or mocking, just the grin, it was as emotionless as the stories told; just plain white but that grin. It had to be mocking me, it had to be! But still, I said I'd trade anything to let my brother live, to give my brother back his normal life. The white figure smiled and told me he could do that, but said that the array meant something more. But it didn't, I had the array right, the array to heal my brother, to trade a part of my body for his, but Truth said he wasn't satisfied. He said I was key, Hope, but I didn't know what he meant by that. Then the Gate opened, oh God, it opened!"

When Elric didn't continue, Roy put a hand on Ed's shoulder and shook it. It wasn't any use; the white figure of Elric's nightmares was still staring at him, grinning.

"Go on, tell him. Tell him how we met. Tell him what you did. Tell him what I gave you, why you can perform alchemy like you can. Tell him how you became a prodigy. Admit it. Go on. You're nothing without me, Edward Elric. If I hadn't given you knowledge, you wouldn't be as great as you are now. You owe me, you always owe me. You'll never be free; you'll always be my dog. I own you; I can do what I want with you. You know that, don't you? I could take Roy Mustang too. He would make a great dog."

"No! Leave him alone!" The canteen grew silent at Elric's yell. It was like he was shouting at Roy, but Roy hadn't said anything, Roy couldn't say anything. Roy was startled too, his hand left Ed's shoulder, but he knew it wasn't him he was yelling at. So, Ed had imaginary friends, that's his big problem, or rather, imaginary enemies. Even better.

Truth laughed, before he let Elric go. Ed blinked, realising he had yelled out to some invisible man in the canteen and everyone heard him. Annoyed, he snapped. "What're you lot looking at?" Murmuring, but not wanting to deal with Fullmetal's temper, they turned away.

Mustang tapped his shoulder a few times, then Edward remembered what he was saying, now that Truth had gone. "Oh... yeah... well, that figure, Truth he said was his name, wasn't satisfied and opened the Gate. He gave me knowledge, so much knowledge, like I was the alchemical circle, I knew everything about alchemy from that and it gave me the ability to perform human transmutation. At a cost."

Roy was expecting that, Truth sounded as emotionless as the stories told. Equivalent Exchange, he had to have been emotionless. "The price was my lungs, I swapped mine for my brother's, so now mine are busted up and I have to take medication to keep them strong. Just sometimes I cough blood. But that wasn't the price of knowledge and being able to transmute without a circle. The price was bigger." He sighed, drank some of his tea before he gave the answer. "For the knowledge and the ability to transmute without a circle, I had to give away my soul."

Mustang blinked. Soul?

Ed elaborated. "My soul, Truth stays with me until the day I die and it's his choice when I die. He tells me what to do and I have to do it or he'd threaten someone. Like some demon, he just plays me like a puppet. I sold my soul to the devil for knowledge and power without realising it, how utterly story like is that?" There were stories, Dr Faustus, Dorian Grey, probably many others that describe the dangers of witchcraft and alchemy. You mess around, you get caught. People selling their souls to 'the devil' for power and they always lose.

"Truth isn't exactly clear on what I have to do. He put me here for a reason instead of having me executed. I'm not sure why, but what I have to do is here somewhere. It's why I'm giving the doctors such a hard time."

Roy wasn't sure why Edward was telling him all of this. He had to have something to gain from telling him, what was it?

"I can see your face. Yeah, actually, there is something you can do for me." Edward smirked, filled with devilish ideas. "You're not gonna like it." But there was no going back, he listened, and now Ed had tricked the use of equivalent exchange, knowing Roy could not refuse. He was learning too much from his now master, Truth was proud. "I want you to help me break into Central HQ." Seriously? "They have a file on everything that's going on in Ishbal. I need to find a certain something that happened and who ordered it."

It was like asking to take the shoe off of the Fuhrer's foot without him noticing. There was no way to do it, impossible! Why would Edward ask such a thing? Did he want to be shot?

"I could ask Truth's help, but I've got nothing left to give up, nothing I want to give up anyway. My brother is most of what I am and nothing hurts my brother. That's why I want your help, heck; can't you ask Maes to grab it for us? He works right in Central HQ anyway!"

That made sense, but he wasn't even sure what Edward was after. Taking out his pad and crayons (yes, he was still using the fucking crayons) he wrote; What case are you after?

Edward read it, before he looked towards Mustang. Then picked up his tray and went to put it away. What the hell? Confused, his partner followed, not quite sure the reason for changing place to telling him, but it must've been important and secret to him. Or it was something really bad.

Ed lead him towards their rooms (or cells, rather, though they were a bit more decorative than cells now) and sat in Mustang's room. Colonel frowned, but allowed it and sat beside Edward on the bed. Why he chose this place, he had no idea. It was a pretty secure place, true, and it meant that if a panic attack should happen it would be resolved quickly, but he wasn't sure if what Ed was going to tell him was that bad.

Elric took a few deep breaths, then looked Roy in the eyes when he told him. "I'm looking for who ordered the execution of my adoptive parents, two doctors, the Rockbells."

The reaction was instantaneous. Mustang's eyes widened, similarly as if he was on drugs and his mind was thrown back. The memories came quicker than he could follow, all the memories all came together, all of what he had done in the war, but he could still hear the judge's verdict, after being held in a cell and waiting for a week, three of those days were just travelling back to Central and finding a suitable prison.

Colonel Roy Mustang. Having heard about the attack on Lieutenant Maes Hughes and the attack on many other soldiers who were trying to help you. The result of killing two Dr Rockbells and attacking your supposed best friend, you are hereby sentenced to recovery at Lab Five having been diagnosed with shell-shock from our top doctor, Dr Winterfield. You are not to be released until your doctor, Dr Yealland, has claimed that you be fit enough to return back to duty, until you are no longer a threat to the public. Then his fate was sealed the moment the hammer hit down. He was insane, he was insane, he was insane, he was insane. And everybody knows it.

He didn't hear a cry for help, he didn't hear the footsteps running towards him, but he had felt someone touch him. They weren't allowed to, they couldn't, couldn't they see? He was insane. No, they were going to take him away, to jail, for his crimes. He couldn't go! He didn't know, he didn't!

It took time, but the guards finally managed to pry Mustang's hands off of Elric's neck. He was in shock, he hadn't expected Mustang to react that badly towards hearing the names, but he knew there was a small risk. He was more broken than anyone had realised. Truth had told him what Mustang did.

"He's Roy Mustang, he killed your adoptive parents. He did it in cold blood, he said so himself. You can't ignore that, can you? You really risk getting with him when he's done that?"

Fullmetal had answered back. "That might be, but he feels bad for it, he must. I saw him sobbing the first night; he must've felt really bad for what he'd done. No, it wasn't him that killed the Rockbells, he might've held the gun, he might've pulled the trigger, but he wasn't the one to decide."

"Be careful, Mr Alchemist, Mustang is what he is, a mustang, an animal. He could turn on you."

It was more of a taunt, but it was a warning as well. Truth wasn't going to stop him, but he wouldn't be too happy about it. He didn't care for Elric's happiness, so long he did as he was told, he didn't care.

Winry was another matter. He hadn't told her, hadn't even called her yet, so he was probably expecting a visit real soon, but he couldn't tell her what Mustang had done. He couldn't, she'd take it out on him and with the state he's in, he couldn't let that happen. He liked Mustang, more than was safe to, he wanted Mustang more than anyone else, be damned if he let anything take him away.

He had to watch as several guards took the Colonel down, putting stocks back on his arms, just when he got the privilege of not having them anymore. Because he couldn't do alchemy without a circle, they assumed it'd be safe. They were wrong.

He had to watch as they took Roy Mustang away, kicking and he would be screaming if he could.

"Edward!" Looking back, oh surprise, Winry. He wasn't that surprised, but he was at a guard running behind her.

"I'm so sorry, Major Fullmetal! I tried to tell her you were busy, but she-"

Edward raised a hand, he was used to this, he was still a Major, pretty high ranking. "It's alright; bolt head here would just run past no matter what you say. Not your fault." Winry was anything but amused. She was in tears.

"Ed, have you heard? You must've, my parents... they're dead!" Ed had heard about five days ago, he had grieved back then and he would grieve at the funeral, but he hadn't expected Winry to have heard so soon. He had the privilege being in the military, word travels fast, but Winry was all the way back in Resembool. How did she hear? "Look, it's here!" She held up a copy of yesterdays Central Times. There was an article written by Frank Archer, written in big with a picture of Winry's parents.

DOCTORS EXECUTED IN COLD BLOOD

Be damned, Ed read on and saw his worst, what he was hoping to not see.

The order was given to one Colonel Roy Mustang to execute the two well respected doctors, both who lived in Resembool. Roy Mustang, also known as the Flame Alchemist, has been charged with insanity for this crime and now resides in a mental institute for recovery.

Now everybody knew and Roy was going to find out very quickly. What to do?

...

Maes arrived at Lab Five fairly quickly, with Gracia and pie in hand. When they arrived, they had to wait twenty minutes before anybody could figure out where Roy Mustang had gone. It turns out that something had happened between Roy Mustang and Edward Elric that Flame's consciousness fled him and he attacked Ed. Fullmetal was ok, as his mechanic arrived at a good time, but nobody was sure how Flame was doing. He was given restraints, but there was very little else they could do, rather than sedate him, but the doctor wasn't around to give permission to use sedatives. (3)

Hughes had to see his best friend. If he was still as bad now as he was before, he was in a real mess and he needed someone there for him. He was finally taken to Roy when they were sure that it was safe, another ten minutes of waiting. Gracia was nervous, this wasn't a great first impression, Roy didn't like hurting people, he was just having a difficult time and he needed his best friend there to help him along the way.

When they finally reached Flame's room, he hadn't improved. He had realised what he had done and he was breaking apart. He'd attacked Edward, Ed, who was always so nice to him, warm, devious, best laid he ever had. And he still couldn't tell him apart from his memories when his mind broke. He had his face buried in a pillow, the pillow covered in obvious stains from tears and a bit of blood from a cut he got from the floor in the struggle. His hands were in stocks for protection, knowing that he was in a really bad state and was dangerous to everyone. Looking at him now, you could hardly say he'd hurt anyone. He was too vulnerable for that.

When the door opened, he was more surprised than anyone else. He looked up, his face from the pillow still with tears running down his cheeks. Surely Edward wanted nothing to do with him now, not after what he had done. But it wasn't Fullmetal, as Roy had suspected as such, but it was Maes Hughes, his best friend, with a girl he had never met before, but he assumed it was Gracia.

Maes was more shocked at the condition of his best friend, Mustang had never cried before, at least that Hughes had seen. To see him now... he couldn't bear it. He let the care bear inside of him take over, the one Roy always complained about. He wasn't complaining now.

"Oh, Roy..." He sat down beside his broken friend and hugged him, like a father would a son, allowing his broken friend to cry, bring tears he never let escape before. The Colonel didn't want to, but he couldn't hold back, no matter how hard he tried. He didn't want to appear broken in front of his friend, last time he had he had almost frightened Hughes away, but he always came back, no matter how terrible a deed he had done. He believed in him, like nobody else seemed to. He hoped Ed would soon be like Maes, be more than Maes, be a Maes that would always be there for him, help him, fix him. First, he had to hope that, like Maes, he would always come back no matter the terrible deed he had done.

Gracia could do nothing now but watch Maes comfort his friend, his broken friend. Even as this was the first time Gracia had met the famous Roy Mustang, she knew that he needed help. If he was forced to wearing stocks and be stuck in a cell all by himself, then he needed help. She wanted to help, how, she didn't know, but she would help Roy Mustang in any way she could, like Maes wanted to.

Roy's lips moved, asking questions nobody could hear; Where's Edward? Where am I? Why does it hurt so much? His lips moved too frantically for Maes to understand. If Edward were here, he'd understand him; he'd be able to answer. But he was gone. That made Roy Mustang cry harder.


Yeah. I feel for the guy too. *glomp for Mustang*

Surprised? Me too actually. Some of this might be inspired by a book I read. I found it. Yeah. About devil summoning and shit. It was great.

Review and all that. I'll try to update faster. I don't know why I said that, we know it's not going to happen, but with summer holidays... let's get hopeful!
~Blackie

Footnotes~

(1) My Catholic knowledge is crap, I realise that. I'm sorry! I live in a pretty Protestant area, I'm Protestant so my Catholic knowledge is not that great. I took history, not religious education and that was about Muslims and shit anyway. If you want to correct me or if you're a Catholic and want to give me info, that'd be great!

(2) Cherubs - Remember those naked baby statues that have wings and hold a heart bow and arrow? Those are Cherubs. I must express my disappointment at there being no Cherubs to fight in Bayonetta, then I feel grateful when Dante's Inferno sends in demon babies and I feel like an utter bastard for killing them.

(3) This is true. Nurses in Britian are not allowed to give any medication unless perscribed by a pharmacy to a patient without the doctors' permission. This is troubling because I got told sometimes nurses can't find a freaking doctor ALL DAY in some hospitals.