When Murder is an Option

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

Thanks for the feedback: soybeansapinto, Lurkinshdws, Prozacfairy, AngstReflection, Eboni, Krows Scared, winryrockbell2, Hazard 13, KuramasGirl123, silent:tears:fall, Yimi Makuya, o0.meats.of.evil.0o, Shakia, theseahorse, Phoenix Hoshika, Nightwisher


Dressed in unmarked black Roy Mustang stood in the corner of the darkened office and waited. When Fuhrer Bradley and his secretary stepped inside and shut the door behind them Roy slapped a card with an alchemic circle drawn on it against the wall and activated it, in response the walls moved; they closed over the windows and doors to form an impenetrable barrier.

"Mustang, what are you doing?" the Fuhrer demanded angrily.

Roy shrugged. "Alchemy sir, just because I'm the Flame Alchemist doesn't mean I've forgotten the basic forms. To tell the truth I was hoping to catch your Secretary alone but I was always planning on killing you one day, it might as well be today." He snapped his fingers and a burst of white-hot flames consumed the Fuhrer, a moment later his blackened husk fell to the floor.

"You'll be put against a wall and shot for this," the Fuhrer's Secretary stated coldly.

"Not if I don't get caught," Roy replied. "Now let's get down to business Ms. Douglas, or whatever you are. I know you're not human. I imagine you're quite hard to kill, but there's precious little that won't burn if you apply enough heat and even fewer living things that can survive being reduced to ash. Where is Edward Elric?"

"So you've figured me out," the homunculi calling itself Juliet Douglas said. "And you've probably taken precautions should I prove harder to kill than you anticipate. Even if I succeeded in gaining the upper hand 'the gig is up' correct?"

Roy just smirked.

"However there is one very good reason for you to let me walk out of this room alive. I'm sure you're aware that the real Juliet Douglas is dead. If you reveal that fact I become the perfect patsy. The assassinated Fuhrer's personal secretary turns out to be an imposture. Who would look further than that to find his killer?"

"You have a point," Roy said. "Where is Edward?"

The homunculi smiled. "Have you heard of Applegate Prison? No? It's an hour south of central by way Tamiday Road. The turn off isn't marked, just a dirt road at mile post 45. You'll find your Fullmetal pipsqueak there."

"You've been very helpful," Roy said and snapped his fingers. "But you were wrong I still have one reason to kill you."

The homunculi opened her mouth to scream and the heat of the flames incinerated her lungs.

"Warrant Officer Vato Farman, you were responsible for his death of, that is not something I can just forget."

The homunculi lurched forward and grabbed Roy's arm. The flames wreathing her were so hot they burned through his sleeve and branded his flesh in the second it took him to kick her away from him.

By the time the creature had been reduced to a greasy smear of ash there was sweat beading up on Roy's face. He bit his lip and pressed another card with an alchemic circle on it. He thought back to the building schematics he's memorized earlier and wondered if Maes were insane because if feeling this scared and desperate was part of being a parent a person would have to be insane to volunteer for it. "I don't have time for a rebound," he reminded himself and touched the circle.

A chute opened in the floor. Roy dropped into it and let gravity take him. The chute spat him out in the parking lot behind the building. Roy rolled as he hit the ground then stood smoothly only to fall to his knees a moment later as exhaustion hit him. "Ed, they still have Ed," he reminded himself then stumbled to the car he'd had Havoc leave there for him.