Al was dead. That was the last thing Edward Elric registered before he went numb. He didn't faint, he just went numb. Stopped feeling, stopped realising, stopped responding to the world. Just numb.- One of these storys where Al is dead and Ed tries to cope and Mustang tries to light up a new fire in Edward's eyes. Parental/friendship. plus omake at the end.

Ed is removed from his abusive stepfather's care after years of hurt – and placed in the home of his direct superior Roy Mustang. With Al missing and Ed attempting to cope with unbelievable scarring, can Roy hope to be able to help Ed? Warning: child abuse.