Okay, you know the drill, I own nothing. It's late and I can't think of much to say, so... uh... please review?
Frank Archer was not a very happy man.
Police work paid well, but he had become used to the extra financial security provided by Dante's- ahem- 'unrelated gifts'. With Dante gone, the money was gone too. He was suddenly living on budget because some idiot had gone and killed the old hag, and when he found out just who it was, he was going to make sure they understood just how unhappy he was.
He looked over the case file and smirked.
"So, Mustang's been investigating the Elric boys?" he murmured. "Well... isn't that interesting?"
Roy groaned. After they had agreed to help the Elrics out, Maes had somehow managed to twist the conversation round to his daughter, and the three boys were now sat on their couch looking desperately for some way to escape.
"-Isn't she just he most adorable little angel? She's so precious! Don't you think-"
"Maes."
"-So cute and don't you just want to hug her? Oh, I have to tell you, just the other day she-"
"Maes."
"-a little genius, and she's going to be fighting off the boys with a stick when she's older! Oh, and you have to see-"
"MAES!"
"Aw, don't be such a grump, Roy!" Maes said, smiling brightly. "Now what was I saying?"
All three Elrics paled- and then breathed a sigh of relief as the doorbell went.
"Saved by the bell," whispered Ed with a grin, and stood. "I'll get it."
He opened the door to confront-
-Police officers? he thought. This is... worryingly familiar.
"Um, can I help?" he asked, as politely as possible.
The pale man on the step gave him a mirthless smile. "Good evening. I am Officer Frank Archer, and my colleagues here are Zolf Kimblee and Shou Tucker. I assume you're Edward Elric? I'm afraid you and your brothers will have to come with me."
Edward slammed the door to the living room behind him with such force that the hinges trembled.
"That Archer guy," he said urgently. "He's here. Right now. He want us to come with him for questioning."
"What?" Hughes asked, "Damn, I didn't expect him to get to work on it so fast... alright. You three will have to go with him, but don't say anything, okay? Say you refuse to speak without a lawyer, say you've already been questioned, I don't care, but I need time. Alright?"
Envy nodded, shakily. "Don't say anything, okay. But what are you going to do?"
"Something illegal," said Maes grimly. "The less you know, the better. Now get going, before he gets suspicious. We'll let ourselves out once he's gone."
The three Elrics gave each other nervous looks, and then, swallowing their fear, nodded and left the room. Roy and Riza glanced at each other.
"Plausible deniability." Roy said with a shrug. "If we don't see what he's about to do, then we can't testify against him."
"Right," Riza nodded. "We'll be in the kitchen, Maes."
They left, and Maes, finally alone, pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket and dialled a number.
"Hi, Sciezka? I need a favour... yup, the Elric case. It's not exactly legal though..."