Paon: I feel the same as you do. But since I know so many of you have looked forward to reading something everyday I had to begin a new story right away.

QuitexSoul: XD, so I assume you'll be showing up to read the next one? Shall I reserve you a seat? tehehe. Yes, I was glad I broke forty chapters, I think I did one of those little miny cheers in my chair.

Mokona: I love injuring my characters... I don't know why. And thanks for the review!

Bar-Ohki: You like Roger? Yay! I wasn't sure if he'd be an inconvenient third wheel or not, but I developed him a bit anyway. Might as well, right?

boolinger: haha yeah that line is very lovely. I'm glad you liked it. I actually tweaked it from something Ed said in the anime... so I can't take complete credit. But then this is fanfiction so meh.

So I had someone ask me if they could see the image of Roy that I edited into a dress. Again, it does NOT suit him. He can't pull off a dress. He looks like a fat pope. They then asked if I would do Armstrong in a dress. So I did. By far, he is one of the easiest characters I've crossdressed. Dresses suit him stunningly. I'm going to get them uploaded to my photobucket account though so everyone who wants to see them in dresses, can.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Roy Mustang made it back to the military building without so much as a fly hassling him despite the grime he was still covered in. There was to be no long rest or time to make sure he was in prime condition before another fight. Luckily this Fuhrer, was abysmal at alchemy. How he'd managed to keep passing the state exams was a matter of utmost confusion to Roy. It would be over shortly once he'd forced the truth out of him, and projected it to the entire city thanks to Edward's suggestion. It'd worked for Ed, he could duplicate it with a little bit of tweaking to suit his purpose.

He made his way past startled alchemists and regular soldiers alike, ignoring their startled looks when they took in his appearance. He marched unhindered all the way up to the floor where the Fuhrer's office was. Once he got there, however, four alchemists walked towards him to block his path. "I'll only give you the warning to move once." Roy's voice was cold and stern, and he raised one hand in warning.

Their answer, was to pull out long thin sticks of chalk.

Roy, like Ed, suddenly felt annoyed and amused at the same time. He still needed transmutation circles, but at least he had them on his person at all times premade. He snapped his fingers, instantly warping the air and the hydrogen molecules to explode them into blasts of fire stronger than anything he'd ever created before. Which was saying something.

The walls and floor blasted away into fine dust that snapped orange and red from the flames. The alchemists who would have opposed him were now nothing more than exploded and burned bodies who crumpled into chunks to the floor, or down through the hole Roy had created in the hallway.

Roy stared in amazement, he'd not been able to create something that powerful in a long time. It still paled in comparison to what he'd been able to do in Ishbal, but still… It was like he'd gotten stronger in the course of a day. Well, he wasn't complaining.

He took a running leap and landed safely on the other side of the hallway, clearing the hole in the floor. Quickly he assessed his condition. He'd been struck by flying plaster, but it had not managed to cut through the heavy material of his uniform. He appeared to have a shallow cut on his jaw, but other than that he was faring well.

Now for the Fuhrer.

He had a promise to Edward to keep, and he'd let nothing stand in his way. When he left this building again, he'd be Fuhrer, and so help the ones who got in his way. Edward meant more to him than anything else.

He did not bother opening the heavy office door, rather he set it ablaze, causing it to burn into ash and chunks of flaming wood. He stepped inside as the secretary shrieked, and did a classic looking faint. He nearly snorted, Riza would never faint at anything. In fact, he wasn't sure that woman was scared of anything but running out of bullets.

"I'd ask what the meaning of this is, but I won't insult either of our intelligences." The Fuhrer said as he appeared.

"Best plan you've had so far." Mustang congratulated him coldly. "And I'd ask "why," but I don't really care."

"You always did know what you wanted."

"And I'm always one step ahead."

"Yet you're the only one who survived? That's not very good management skills."

"All of the ones you have sent after me are dead. The rest will live." Roy glared.

"Will live? That's an ominous thing to say. How badly hurt are they? Give me all the details." The Fuhrer asked in an almost hungry way.

"I would rather do something else to you. Watching you slowly burn while writhing and screaming is always a pleasurable option." Roy suggested off handedly.

"What's this? The Flame Alchemist who holed himself away in grief for torturous crimes he'd committed is suggesting a return trip down memory lane?"

"I said it was an option, not the decision." Roy corrected sternly. "You tried to have Edward killed, I can't forgive that."

"Fullmetal?"

"Yes, Fullmetal."

"So, the kids your weakness is he? How touching." The Fuhrer delighted.

Roy knew that was correct. Ed was, and had always been, his weakness. He'd live for Edward, he'd die for Edward, he'd risk everything to be with Edward. This was so much farther than he'd ever gone before in a relationship, and he never wanted to see it end. So here he was, seeking his revenge, and the position that would ensure that he and Ed would never have to be separated. "He's not a kid." Roy finally said, "he's a grown man, and a much better one than you could have ever hoped to be."

"My mistake." The Fuhrer smirked.

"Yes," Roy agreed, "it was." He raised his hand to create an explosion of fire in the air right in front of the Fuhrer. He'd not wanted to kill him just yet, and as the explosion rocked the room, tossing flames everywhere, Roy knew that one hit would be enough to kill him. First though, he needed a confession, a real confession, and it didn't appear that the Fuhrer would deny him it. He was being quiet agreeable to the discussion so far.

The Fuhrer picked himself up off the ground, coughing, and reaching for a gun instead of chalk.

"Don't think about it," Roy said, and snapped again, causing the loaded weapon to explode. He already gotten what he needed set up. The Fuhrer was distracted by the sudden disappearance of his right arm to the explosion of the gun. Now he was ready to get the confession out of him, and he knew his next words were heard by many more than the Fuhrer. "You tried to have me killed, along with an entire army regiment! Then what next, the town? You think I'm going to make this so easy for you as to just let you shoot me?"

"It'd be really nice of you." The Fuhrer gasped out through the pain. "You think anyone will believe you? With me gone there's no one to admit that your accusations are true. You're life will still be over, even if my alchemist team failed to kill you and the others."

"On the contrary," Roy disagreed icily, "my life is just beginning again. And I'll do the same to anyone else who tries to cross me and put innocent lives on the chopping block in the process, just because you were scared of me."

"Just do it already." The Fuhrer hissed as he clenched at his missing arm, blood pouring from the wound as he grew progressively whiter.

"If you insist." Roy agreed, and snapped.

The entire area around the now former Fuhrer exploded into angry red and orange flames that leapt for the ceiling desperately. The explosion shook the floor, and Roy had to catch his balance before he fell. He looked in wonder at the damage it had caused, before extinguishing the flames himself. He really had gotten stronger, there was no other way to explain it.

Quickly Roy performed the transmutation needed to stop the broadcasting of what had been said in the room just now. Once he had, he pushed his hair back with one hand and breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally." Yet he had no time to sit and rest, or bask in his success. "Ed…" was the only word that left his lips as he turned from the distraction and began his way back to the blonde. He didn't even pay any mind to the burns along his clothes, or the streaks of blood and cuts on his body from this morning and the blasts he'd been in close range for.

At the hospital, Edward leaned back in his hospital bed, breathing a sigh of relief. "He's alive… good." His head had been bound once he'd managed to detangle his hair, and it still hung loose around him. He also had gauze bandages on the cuts he'd garnered. Other than that, he was just on bed rest until tomorrow afternoon.

Riza looked over at him from where she sat in one of the chairs. She'd just sent Havoc off to check on the others who were in a different room. "He'd not die on you, not without a fight."

"How'd things go with Havoc anyway?" Ed asked, changing the subject.

"We're going out again soon." Hawkeye smiled.

Ed smiled back, "I'm glad things worked out."

"By the way, sir. That was a fancy trick you taught him, with that broadcast."

"I've done it before, it's quite effective." Edward said, "when Roy gets here, he'll be Fuhrer, trust me."

"I've no doubts about that. Though from the sound of the explosion, his moving into that office might have to wait a bit."

They both laughed, it had sounded like Roy had gotten overenthusiastic.

"Have you told him yet?" Riza suddenly asked him.

"Told him what?" Ed asked, a bit suspiciously.

Riza merely smiled, "never mind sir. Please, get some rest. I'm going to go down and wait for Mustang to show up. Once he gets here I'll let him know where you are."

"Thank you, but be careful." Edward said as she left. Now alone Ed settled back into the too-soft comfort of the bed and closed his eyes, he may not like being here and being prodded at by doctors and having his automail marveled over, but it was nice to rest for a while.

Armstrong too had been assigned to bed rest, and had since scared off both Falman and Breda. They had instead gone down to grab a cup of lukewarm coffee at the cafeteria downstairs. Denny, Fuery, and Havoc were sitting in with the other two alchemists to keep an eye over them. None of them doubted Ed nor Armstrong's ability to fight if needed. These two though? That was another matter.

All of them had heard Roy's broadcast, in fact, all of Central had. And it was currently the thing to talk about. Word was already leaking out of military headquarters that Roy had been instated as the new Fuhrer in an impromptu agreement between the other generals.

Edward heard none of this talk, he was anxiously awaiting the man to get here. He could not be bothered with too much discussion right now. So he stayed locked away in his hospital room like a good soldier.

Roy himself had finally been able to get free of the military buildings, in the interest of going to the hospital. Several of the other generals had offered to go with him, but he declined. Instead he barked out a series of orders about what he wanted done in his brief absence, who he wanted to be calling him with updates, and so on. Once that was done, and his piercing gaze had confirmed he'd be experiencing no trouble from any of the generals did he leave.

He drove himself to the hospital, and when he parked he was immediately swooped down on by Riza. "How's Ed?" Were the first words out of his mouth.

"He's fine, just surface injuries. He can be released tomorrow."

"Good." Roy breathed in true relief.

"He's waiting for you." Riza smiled, "but first you're getting yourself looked at sir. Don't make me use the gun."

"You'd aim a gun at the head of your new Fuhrer? Tsk, tsk, Hawkeye." He said with a smirk before suddenly heading for the hospital at a fast pace as Riza followed, hand on the larger gun at her slim waist.

Roy submitted tolerantly to the tests and bandaging of his minor cuts and scrapes, as well as the constant barrage of inquiries. As soon as the doctors and nurses were through with him though, Roy turned to Hawkeye abruptly. "Where's Edward?"

She smiled, as did Havoc, Fuery, Breda, and Falman. "Room 217 on the third floor."

Roy rushed out of the room his examination had been done in. He'd not been asked to stay overnight. So now he hurried to find Ed again.

"That's cute." Hawkeye smiled and shook her head, "come on boys, we'd best block off the hall and make sure they're not disturbed."