Hey Guys! I've finally posted the last chapter and can officially say that this oneshot-turned-threeshot is now completed! I'm so sorry it took so long to upload! Right after I posted my last chapter, my mom had gone into the hospital and it turned out to be a life or death situation. :| really scary. She's doing okay now. Right after all that was happening with my mom, I found out that my work had been plagiarized, which made me feel a little uneasy posting more chapters up. In any case... I've received all your reviews and I thank you all who have read and reviewed! It made me so happy to get them and made it easier to want to post this chapter! I did report the websites that I found my work on and checked them recently. They have been taken down, so that's happy.
Anyway... I hope you enjoy the last chapter! There were some parts where I feel I could do better with, but I wanted to get this on here now since it's been a while xD
With blood boiling, Mustang stomped up the stairs, the other's following a few paces behind. He was exhausted, but simultaneously felt more invigorated to find Fullmetal stronger than ever. He paused at the rooms in front of him as he stood by the front door, as if glaring at them would reveal their secrets. But that was not reality. If he'd found those secrets, he'd already be Fuhrer.
So after the stresses of the past few days that would surely give him grey hairs, Mustang growled when they ran into one more obnoxious resistance. The second they stepped out the front door, they were assauged by shouts and cries from the surrounding brush.
With little time to comprehend what was happening, Mustang and his crew immediately set forth into action. The men behind the brush sprang forward, attacking with masons, and other such weapons. It surprised him a little that they had no guns as if they had digressed to medieval times. In any case, as satisfying as it would have been to burn them all, he had enough sense to realize what kind of incendiary problems would arise. It left him to fall to combat.
All it took was his quick action and his team followed suit. He barely noticed Hawkeye, Havoc, and Breda as he plunged a fist into a man's face, knocking him down. He moved on, blocking a punch his way and sweeping the guy's feet from under him. The battle proceeded for another few minutes before most of the men had been thrown unconscious. Mustang was grappling with a man on the ground, rolling from one side to the other to get some kind of leg up on each other. With great effort, Mustang decisively threw the man on his stomach, capturing his arms behind him, smashing his face into the dirt, kneeling on his back and using the force of his anger to hold the man down.
"Who sent you?" The man garbled a few incoherent words, grunting as he tried to break free, "Tell me!" Though it was dark, the man's glaring eye glinted from the light of flashlights Mustang's men were turning on.
"I don't - agh - know." Anger flashed in Mustang's own eyes. How dare this impudent man lie to his face? He pushed the man's head harder into the ground.
"I swear if you don't tell me the truth right now, I will slowly burn your body until I get an answer, do you understand? Now, tell me what I want to know." Blindsided by his anger, Mustang almost reveled in the fear he saw in the man's eyes.
"Geoffrey Neumann." The man spit out, still trying to break free. Mustang stared at him for half a second before standing up and shoving him in the direction of some soldiers, who then proceeded to arrest him. It was then that Mustang realized the spotlight he was under. Every one of his men were standing nearby, watching him. Some with expectant looks on their faces, others with shock. He even thought he noticed a hint of sadness portraying beneath the veil of Hawkeye's mask.
"Good work, everyone." He wiped his mouth of sweat, "Anybody injured?" a few soldiers he didn't work closely with rose their hands, tending to an arm or a leg. Havoc seemed like he was limping a little and Breda was nurturing a bloody nose, but he was relieved to find nothing serious had happened to them.
"Well, at least we know who was behind this." Havoc groaned as he spoke.
"Let's just hope that it ends with Neumann." It made his blood boil just to think that Neumann had been a part of this and yet remain so stoic when confronted in person. "In any case, if this wasn't an obvious indication, we are on the right track and need to keep moving. Now more than ever!"
"Right," the other's said, shuffling towards their cars. Luckily, the men who ambushed them didn't think to trash their mode of transportation - and Mustang had half a mind to go to Neumann's house right this instant to confront him - but Hawkeye convinced him of the very much needed sleep they all needed and it was with a sigh of relief they entered their hotel rooms. Mustang plopped onto the bed, an arm around his eyes. He was just so exhausted. But then, if that room had anything to say for itself, he wondered how exhausted Fullmetal was. He was increasingly wracked with such a suffocating guilt; the thought of sleep would be a relief. Unfortunately, before he could delve into the land of nothing his mind would create, his hotel room rang.
"Hello?"
"This is Vicky from the front desk; an Alphonse Elric called you earlier, and said to call him back as soon as possible, no matter the time of day or night."
"Alright, Thanks," He hung up the phone warily, not really wanting to speak with Alphonse just yet. What would he say to him? What could he say to him? The truth, he supposed. Alphonse was impeccable at picking out the lies. With a sigh, Mustang finally made the decision to give Alphonse a call.
"Colonel?" Asked an urgent Alphonse, picking up the phone nearly immediately,
"Hello, Alphonse. I was told you rang earlier."
"I did." He paused. Mustang was about to say something when Alphonse spoke up, "I… I hadn't heard from you in several days and knowing that my brother was taken… I just had to know. Have you found him yet?" Mustang dreaded the question. How could he answer with a lie when Alphonse sounded so trusting?
"No, Alphonse," with a sigh through his nose, and a pained expression no one could see, he continued, "we have not located Fullmetal just yet. We've come close, but there's still some digging to do." Mustang waited for a response, but silence was on the other end for longer than he'd anticipated.
"Alright then. I'm coming to help you look!"
"No, Alphonse, you need to stay there."
"Sorry, Colonel, but you can't stop me this time. Something's wrong and I want to come help. No… I need to." Mustang sighed. As quiet and obedient Alphonse could be, he still had his brother's stubbornness. Unable to say no for a third time, knowing full well that Alphonse would come whether he approved or not, Mustang gave in and gave the address of where they were staying at. Alphonse promised he'd be there by the next afternoon. In an exhausted heap, Mustang lay back on the bed and promptly fell asleep. That next morning, he woke up just as the sun was rising, as if it were telling him that the day was ready for him to find his subordinate
His thoughts veered towards Geoffrey Neumann as he straightened his coat. The very thought of that man made him feel an extreme anger he was legitimately worried he wouldn't be able to control. What had this man been a part of? And why? But he was ready to confront the man now that he was less blinded by an onslaught of fury. Hopefully later that day they would have a point of direction which would lead to Fullmetal. Mustang really wanted to give that semblance of hope to Alphonse. His crew also deserved that form of retribution for all they'd been through so far. One thing was for certain, though. There was no way that they were going to show Alphonse the blood-splattered room, or even hint towards it. Not only would it be inappropriate to talk about to a citizen, but Mustang had no desire to see Alphonse's reaction, let alone think it.
Making his way down the stairs of the hotel, he noticed Hawkeye, already awake, eating breakfast at one of the tables in the dining area.
"Sir," She said, sipping her tea, watching him steadily as he fell into the seat across from her. He felt extremely sore. The fight from the night before had done a number on him.
"How are you?" He finally asked, with eyes closed. His sleep had been less than restful.
"As well as can be pronounced in a this kind of situation. You look quite awful yourself, though." Mustang gave a short laugh at her response. Awful indeed. He looked at her.
"It's time we resolved this case and bring Fullmetal home." And then he took a good look at her, "you look like you could use some stitches." Hawkeye had sustained a large cut on her forehead, and she seemed to be favoring her side just a little more than usual.
"No, sir, I'm fine." She smiled faintly as if to prove her point. "In any case, we need find Geoffrey Neumann before he skips out of town."
"Yes, we do." Mustang nodded, sitting up straighter in his seat, "let's get moving. I'll have Havoc stay behind and interrogate the man from last night, and have Breda stay behind to watch for Alphonse."
"Alphonse?" Hawkeye repeated, surprised. Right, Mustang forgot that he hadn't told anyone about Alphonse, considering they had only talked before he had fallen asleep the night before.
"Yes. I talked with him last night. He was determined to show up to help with the search, whether or not I allowed him to come."
"That certainly sounds like him."
"Indeed. Anyway, let's go. I'll go inform the other's and meet you outside."
"Alright. And Sir," Mustang paused to look back at Hawkeye. She was holding out a crumpet with jam spread on top, "eat something. It's not healthy to start your day without a meal." Gratefully, Mustang took the crumpet and ate as he walked. He had hardly been able to eat the last few days. Though thoughts of the room filled with Fullmetal's torture made him feel nauseous, he ate anyway.
Luckily, the sun had fully risen by the time he left the dining area, and he only had to wait a second before Havoc opened his hotel room door.
"What's up, Boss?" His voice was cheerfully strained, trying to hide any physical pain he felt.
"I have an assignment for you. You alright to do it? You look like you could use a visit to the hospital."
"I'm fine. Just severely bruised."
"Good. I need you to interrogate the man from last night. Do what you can to gain any information about the reasons behind Fullmetal's kidnapping."
"Can do!"
"And make sure you have others with you. We need as many witnesses to this confession as possible."
"Okay."
"And inform Breda that Alphonse will be arriving today." At this, Havoc's eyebrows rose and it briefly made Mustang want to laugh. Having Alphonse show up was definitely not on the itinerary, but nonetheless a helpful asset. With a last, albeit strained, salute, Havoc shut the door and Mustang quickly made his way to the car Hawkeye had waiting in front of the hotel.
When they arrived at Geoffrey Neumann's house, Mustang had an eerily anxious feeling. Just one look at the house and he could tell something was wrong. Hawkeye seemed to feel the same as she pointed out a similar feeling. When they knocked on the door and received no answer, Mustang burst through the door, protocol be damned. They didn't have time to wait for warrants. Not that it mattered much, as it looked like no one was home. Mustang swore.
"He must've been tipped off!" Holding back a blow to the wall, Mustang's gloved fists were visibly shaking. They were so close he could almost taste the answers on his tongue! And yet they were thwarted once again. After a moment of standing in the middle of the empty hallway, Hawkeye spoke.
"Sir, we should head back and find out what's going on in the interrogation room. They may have gotten answers."
"You're right." Mustang uncurled his fists, breathing slowly. There was still hope. They hadn't lost yet. But the longer time passed, the greater he felt anxious. They needed to find Fullmetal quickly. It was with this emotion that he realized Hughes had been right. He felt fond of the Elric brother's, which then caused him to worry about them a great deal.
Looking around the room one last time, he strode swiftly to their car, praying that answers would come soon. The moment they got back to the hotel, someone must have been watching for them, as Breda came running outside in an urgent manner.
"Sir!" He called, hardly waiting for Mustang to step out,
"What is it? Did you find out any information?" Breda nodded frantically,
"Sir! We know who captured Fullmetal!" Mustang's heart beat wildly. This is exactly the breakthrough they needed
"But sir, we found out some other things as well that you should be aware of." The concern on Breda's face was full of worry, which made Mustang all the more anxious.
"What?" Before he could answer anything more, Alphonse pulled up in a taxi.
"Colonel!" He popped out of the car, his metal voice ringing louder than usual. Mustang turned towards him,
"Hello Alphonse. I see you made it." It really was at the most inopportune time that Alphonse would show up. Mustang briefly wondered what he was going to do with Al now that he was here.
"Yeah, I did. Any news about my brother?" It was in this quick snap of a decision that Mustang decided it would be beneficial in the long run if Alphonse knew about Fullmetal's possible condition now instead of finding out about it later.
"Actually, we have just learned some news that my men found out. Come join me inside and we'll listen to the report."
"Uh… right." Alphonse watched as Mustang followed after Breda into the hotel. After a slight hesitation, he quickly followed. It was the small curve a Mustang's lips that gave away his malicious intent. Malicious because deep down, Mustang was ready to beat someone to a pulp.
Before they went to see their hostage, Breda took them to his hotel room, where they met Havoc and a few other's inside, all with grim looks on their faces.
"I see you have good news for me," In any normal situation, that would have been intended as a humorous statement, but when so much was on the line, none of them could even crack a smile. It worried Mustang that they were so serious. Whoever had taken Fullmetal was going to pay.
"We do, but…" Havoc briefly glanced at Alphonse who had come in behind Mustang - Hawkeye following after.
"It's alright, Havoc, I let him come."
"Sir." Havoc sat on the bed, a long sigh following as he leaned against his legs. "We were able to gain some unanticipated information about this particular kidnapping, and it doesn't look good." He hesitated once more, has he gave a brief glance at Alphonse for a second time, before staring at the floor. "The thing is…"
"Come on, spit it out, Havoc," Mustang's impatience was growing.
"Well, several years ago, the previous mayor of this town had a daughter who had been kidnapped." Mustang watched intently, knowing the story, "she ended up being found after having been brutally tortured and murdered." Alphonse audibly gasped. Mustang didn't make any motion to acknowledge that fact and waited for Havoc to continue. Hawkeye was no standing near Mustang, also staring intently.
"After that happened, the mayor grew into a great depression and ended up abandoning his stewardship. Before he disappeared, he apparently spoke a great deal about revenge against the military since we were unable to help him find his daughter in time."
"Hm, a mayor bent on revenge? So what's his purpose? Kidnap and torture a kid just because he's in the military?"
"What!?" Alphonse turned his head sharply in Mustang's direction, "torture? What do you mean, torture? Is my brother going to be okay?" Unsure of how to respond to Alphonse, especially considering the appalling scene they discovered the previous night, Mustang didn't answer him.
"Is that everything you were able to find out, Havoc?"
"No, sir, there's more." This time Breda piped in, a solemn air surrounding him, "according to our witness, Geoffrey Neumann wasn't very careful with the information he spewed to them. It looks like the Mayor has murderous intent… he aims to replicate everything that happened to his daughter…" there was deep sorrow written heavily in his eyes. "Sir… he plans on torturing and raping Fullmetal before killing him."
"What!" Both Mustang and Alphonse cried, incredulous. This was unexpected. But when Mustang thought of that room filled with Fullmetal's blood, he wasn't as surprised by this turn of events as he could have been; though the urgent need to find his subordinate was pressing on him more than ever.
"So, it's the mayor who has kidnapped Fullmetal?"
"Yes sir," Breda nodded,
"Alright then, I want everyone to take a look into every single place the Mayor has ever been to, including his home. Find out any recent sightings of the Mayor and other recent activities, including credit card expenditures. We'll meet up at oh-two-hundred hours."
"Yes sir!" They saluted him, then quickly shuffled of the room, leaving Alphonse, and Hawkeye in the room with him.
"Colonel… what's going on? They're going to kill my brother?"
"We only just received this information. Unfortunately finding Fullmetal has been more difficult than we anticipated." Alphonse was visibly shaking.
"Hawkeye, let's search any documents on the Mayor, see if there's anywhere he would possibly take Fullmetal."
"Yes sir," She saluted once more, then left the room, leaving Mustang and Alphonse together.
"I'm sorry that you have to find out this way, Alphonse."
"Yeah… this is pretty horrible." He gave a short laugh, "idiot brother… always getting into messes he can't get out of."
"This one really does put the icing on the cake, doesn't it?" Mustang smiled for a brief second, feeling awkward. He was never good at consoling. This was Hughes expertise. But even Mustang could see how distraught Alphonse was, though it was more in the way he held himself that clued him in. Scratching the back of his neck, he tried again,
"I'm sorry, Alphonse. When we see Fullmetal again, he's probably gonna be the worse for wear. But I promise we will get him back!" That was the best he could do.
"Thanks…" After a second or two, Mustang stood up,
"Well, it's probably best that we go join Hawkeye and the others to help search for answers."
"Yeah.." Alphonse was understandably upset, but Mustang hoped that finding his brother would help alleviate most of his worries. Not to mention his own. This new bit of news was extremely worrying. If they didn't find Fullmetal in time- no, he wouldn't allow himself to think that way. There was only one option. Find fullmetal alive and incinerate those who took him. Well, maybe scorch them a little bit.. he wasn't looking to murder. Yet.
He, Hawkeye and Alphonse soon made their way to the mayor's building, flashing their badges that stated they were from the military and required historical documents of previous mayors. The surprise on their faces was prevalent when they walked into the building and made their request - or rather, demand.
They searched the documents for more than an hour, finding a few relevant facts. But it wasn't until they met up with the others that they were able to get some substantial information.
"What were you able to find?" He asked anxiously, hoping they could do something about it.
"Sir, it's good news. We were able to convince some of the townspeople to disclose a few of the more recent places they had spotted the previous mayor." Breda pulled out a piece of paper which he had written the information on, "there are a few places I think would be beneficial to check out." He listed off a few residences, but one stood out the most.
"He's been seen entering his own home, even though it was listed as vacant? That's odd…" Mustang stood staring at the sheet of paper, a hand against his chin in thought. "Let's head there first. Bring everyone." Something about this place gave him a foreboding sense. If this house was vacant, it should have been listed on the 'for sale' list. The very idea that they were about to find Fullmetal seemed too good to be true.
Quickly, everyone piled into cars, fully armed and ready for a fight. Hawkeye gave him a reassuring nod, while Alphonse sat in the back seat, quiet and patient, unwilling to bend and stay behind.
They made their way to the Mayor's old home, instructing his subordinates to not park too close by so they wouldn't be seen as easily. They parked on gravel about half a mile away, conscious of the tree's which gave them a semblance of privacy; this way it would be far easier to sneak up to the house, and ambush whoever may be inside.
Hawkeye cocked her gun, while others placed theirs in holsters on their belts.
"Alright, listen up." He looked at the large group of people who were there, "not everyone will be entering the house. In case there are more people in there, we need a decent number of you soldiers to stay back and arrest those who try to escape. Understood?" Simultaneously, everyone nodded their heads, arms too full of weapons to actually salute.
"Good, now, let's head out!" They then made their way to the house. Mustang prayed this was where they were holding Fullmetal. He was going crazy with the unknown. Though they walked silently, it was just their luck that as they got close to the house, someone spotted them. Mustang cursed. So much for an ambush attack. But he was relieved to know that they were on the right track. If people were armed in this house, it had to be the correct place.
Before they knew it, Several people swarmed out of the house, weapons of various kinds in hands. Amateurs who had no idea what real combat was. Mustang growled with indignation at their arrogance. How dare they come and attack the military? All of a sudden, the ground underneath them moved, causing them all to fall to the ground. With one look ahead, Mustang noticed an alchemist.
Already angry with the whole situation, Mustang could feel his blood boil. But before he could retaliate himself, Alphonse beat him to the punch. Relieved to have another alchemist at the ready, Mustang sprang to his feet and marched forward, the other soldiers who had come with him springing to their own feet, following behind.
Adrenaline pumping, he could hardly feel the bruises he had acquired the night before. He snapped his fingers, giving the men ahead of them a warning of what they would face if they tried to interfere any further. Unfortunately, they were not as afraid as he hoped the would be. With the alchemist fighting Alphonse, the other's began shooting guns they had brought out. A bullet whizzed by Mustang's head, narrowly missing his ear. Other shots were made, but he only heard one of his soldiers grunt with an impact. These men were in serious need of training, and by that time, Mustang had had enough. He snapped his fingers, allowing the fire to get as close to them as possible without actually incinerating them.
It was obvious that these men were only cityfolk. Their poor handling of weaponry as well as their clothing were clear signs of how inexperienced they truly were. It infuriated Mustang to know that the Mayor was so childish that he had to have innocent men do his dirty work. Closing in on the home, Mustang and the other's ran to get inside. Before he could actually place a step on the porch, something knocked him over, knocking the breath right out of him. Apparently their proximity to the house didn't go unnoticed to the alchemist, as he was running away from Alphonse and closing the distance between them.
Enraged, Mustang stood up and snapped his fingers. He'd had enough! The alchemist screamed out and fell to the ground. Alphonse caught up to them as they hurried into the house, only to meet several other men waiting for them as they entered, fear completely evident in their eyes.
"WHERE IS HE!" He yelled, livid beyond belief. He watched all the men in the room stare at him in shock, unwilling to bend and answer any questions.
"Now now, there's no need to get your feathers in a twist," A man entered the room from a door in the back of the room. Mustang narrowed his eyes.
"What have you done with my brother!" Alphonse vocalized, ardently. The man smirked and suddenly Mustang knew exactly who it was. Rage filled him so swiftly that he couldn't hold back. Flexing his fingers, he snapped to his right, causing fire to flame around the room, illuminating each face ominously. Everyone but the mayor gasped in surprise and dismay.
"I SWEAR I will burn you all to a crisp if you don't tell me where my subordinate is."
"If you would just calm down, I'm sure we could have a nice chat and get things figured out." The mayor calmly walked his way, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Already impatient with how long it took to get to this point in their search for Fullmetal, Mustang glared at the mayor while he spoke to Alphonse.
"Alphonse, go take a look up those stairs. Search every inch of this house until you find Fullmetal!"
"Right!" Alphonse didn't wait a second to get moving. But as he moved to go up the stairs, a man stepped in the way.
"Sorry, no one is allowed up the stairs."
"Sorry, but I don't have time to waste with your pathetic reasons. Move." That statement was the first that Mustang was aware of how angry Alphonse was, too. When the man refused to move, Alphonse took action and punched him, knocking him unconscious. With that one maneuver, a whole chain of reactions happened rapidly. Fighting commenced. The Mayor intentionally attacked Mustang, getting in a punch before he was soon on the defend. All around, chaos ensued, and in the midst of battle, Mustang heard the most relieving words he'd heard in awhile.
"I found him, Colonel!" Alphonse's voice wafted down the stairs, and it was such fantastic news, that Mustang suddenly found the adrenaline he needed to throw the mayor to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. All around him, Mustang noticed the heightened efforts of his men, finding the strength to overcome the cityfolk, most of them having been thrown unconscious. The room was a mess, chairs were knocked over, the walls were burned, men were groaning, but Mustang could care less. As he was about to head up the stairs, Hawkeye and Havoc following behind, backup soldiers arrived, bringing in tow a scantily clad woman. Though she looked irritated, her hair in disarray, she did as she was told, bound and gagged as she was.
He and Hawkeye hurried up the stairs, anxious to see Fullmetal. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw before them. He was unable to break his stare, as he gaped at the wounds Fullmetal had sustained. Mustang worried that they had damaged him too much. That these injuries and everything he'd been through had caused him to change. But then Fullmetal spoke, choking out the words.
"Took like you long enough," And it was those words that Mustang was able to realize Fullmetal was still Fullmetal, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were worried." Mustang snorted, wanting to almost laugh with relief, finding the courage to get closer to Fullmetal.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, shorty." He quipped in automatic response. Sometimes he said things as if they were a voice message, he couldn't quite help it. As he was about to place a hand on Fullmetal's shoulder, he realized what he was about to do, and held back, bringing his fisted hand to his side.
"How. The hell. Did this happen, Edward?" He couldn't believe the state his subordinate was in. Couldn't believe he'd allowed this to happen. It was like reality had smacked him in the forehead, telling him that his youngest subordinate was not as untouchable as he sometimes liked to believe.
"Ambush," Fullmetal replied, simply, with an airy voice. So many hidden meanings in that one little word, and with how exhausted and beaten Fullmetal looked, Mustang surmised it would be best to save the interrogations for later, no matter how much he wanted to know just what went on in that horror-filled room. He wasn't sure he could handle the reasonings behind why a woman dressed the way she was had been in the same proximity as Fullmetal. His suspicions as to why she was here made him feel sick, and he only hoped that he had gotten here in time.
Abruptly, Fullmetal coughed, moaning in the process. Alphonse was quick to respond, shooting out hands in case he were to fall or need help in some way or another,
"Are you okay, Brother?" Alphonse asked, worry evident in his voice. The look of agony on Ed's face was more than Mustang could handle. He made a move to speak, deciding he had to know now just how he had sustained such horrible injuries, but Hawkeye was quick to stop him.
"Colonel," she said, softly, shaking her head slightly. It was that simple statement that brought him back to his senses and he held back asking what he really wanted to say, and instead said,
"Let's get you cleaned up, shorty." He smirked when he saw that familiar look of annoyance on Fullmetal's voice.
"Don't call me...short." Fullmetal wheezed out with a cough. Just that small banter back and forth comforted Mustang in a way he hadn't realized he needed, and he couldn't help the smirk come across his face that their usual conversations were taking place at such an odd time. But it unfortunately never alleviated his anxiousness at the health his subordinate was in, or rather, failing to exceed at at the moment.
Wanting to leave this horrendous house as quickly as possible, he walked over to help Alphonse get Fullmetal to his feet, careful to avoid the visible wounds that cascaded his body. He felt so enraged by the state Edward was in, he really wanted to follow through with his threat earlier to burn them all. How dare they hurt one of his own. How dare they think they could get away with something like this.
They walked down the stairs, slowly, and Hawkeyes irritation with the whole situation not going unnoticed by Mustang. At this moment in time, Mustang was extremely grateful for the crew he had acquired, whom he could trust so easily. If it hadn't been for them, this mission would have been impossible.
While he and Alphonse stayed close to Fullmetal, Mustang was surprised to suddenly hear a laugh come out of Fullmetal's mouth,
"You guys look like you've seen a ghost," Again, Mustang was surprised by Fullmetal's attitude, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes in response. Really, after all that Fullmetal had put him through, he was really going to do this? Alphonse, however, was appalled.
"Brother! This is no time for jokes!"
"Sorry, Al," Edward was so apologetic, it nearly oozed off his words. Unable to stand the weird atmosphere, Mustang spoke up,
"Come on, Fullmetal. Everyone's waiting for your return." Ed nodded as he tried to stand. They had made it down the steps before Fullmetal needed to take a rest on the bottom step, observing their surroundings. So, as he stumbled forward, Mustang and Alphonse moved to help him out.
"Hawkeye, make sure these men are taken into custody as accomplices to the kidnapping of the state alchemist, Edward Elric."
"Understood." She said, quickly moving to the other officers in the room, watching over the bound men. Knowing the situation was well in her hands, Mustang turned his attention to Fullmetal, he and Alphonse walking Ed's snail pace.
"Holy hell this hurts a lot," he muttered. Mustang frowned. He'd give anything to switch the situation. A kid Ed's age should never have had to go through something this horrible.
"Idiot. Of course it does." Alphonse quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
"Next time, try not to get kidnapped. Alright, Ed?" Mustang chimed in, gratified to hear the laughter bubble from Ed's throat.
"Right," He stated with a breathy laugh entwined with a small cough. It was this moment that Mustang knew without a shadow of a doubt that even when something like this happened, things wouldn't change. He'd still be his usual self. And it was this moment that Mustang realized that he didn't care one whit whether or not he felt a fatherly affection towards the Elric brothers.