Take It All Away

Chapter 23: One Last Breath

R-2-F

The train whistle sounded for a second time as the Elric brothers prepared to board. Edward nodded to the blonde mechanic that had insisted on accompanying the brothers to the station, before wordlessly boarding the train. He ignored the worried gazes that tracked his every move, choosing to feign ignorance to their concern.

Once the blonde alchemist was safely out of hearing range, Winry turned her attention to the youngest Elric. "Take care of him, Al." She demanded softly, her eyes raising to meet the suit of armor's beseechingly. "Please."

Alphonse smiled softly in return. "I will." He assured, laying a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "I promise." No further words of reassurance were needed, for it was a known fact that Alphonse kept his promises.

"Alright." Winry conceded, pulling the suit of armor into a clumsy embrace. "Be careful, Al."

"Of course." Al responded, carefully returning the hug. "The next time we visit, we'll bring the General with us."

Winry's eyes lit up as she pulled back far enough to look the teen in the helmet. "Really? That would be-"

The train whistle sounded for a third and final time, cutting short anything the pair had been about to say. With a heavy sigh Alphonse released his hold on the blonde mechanic and flashed her the closest thing to a smile he could give in his present form. He then turned and headed for the train, which was only seconds away from departing. Upon boarding he turned to wave at Winry as the train began to slowly pick up speed. "See ya, Winry!" He called, waving frantically from the steps.

Winry waved in return, smiling tearfully as she watched the two men that mean the most to her leave her behind once again.

R-2-F

From his place next to the window, Edward watched as his brother bade their mutual friend farewell with a sad smile on his lips. As he watched, Winry pulled Alphonse into a hug, one that as readily returned by the suit of armor. Ed couldn't make out the words that were being exchanged, but both teens were smiling at the other. Ed turned away, feeling like he was intruding on a personal moment.

With a heavy sigh he slumped back into his chair, folding his arms in front of his chest as, for the first time since leaving Central, he allowed himself to think back to his last encounter with Roy.

When Edward had awoken on that fated morning, he had been most distraught to learn that the General had left for the office without so much as rousing him. After grabbing a quick bite to eat and saying a quick goodbye to Alphonse, Edward had headed straight for Central. Edward planned to corner Mustang and force the man to allow him to go investigate Lior, but upon his arrival his plan took a drastic change. The General had granted his wish without so much as an argument, but not without a price. He revoked Edward's title as a State Alchemist without so much as a word of warning, leaving the blonde with his head spinning from the drastic turn that things had taken. Now, upon catching wind of the events occurring at Central, Edward was left with even more questions than before.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He pondered aloud.

"What was who thinking?" Alphonse inquired, sliding into the seat across from Edward's.

Edward jumped several feet in the air, or so it felt, before turning an accusing glare to his younger brother. "Don't sneak up on people like that! It's rude!" He snapped, resettling himself in his seat as he continued to shoot scathing looks at Alphonse.

"I didn't sneak." Al replied innocently. "And as you've pointed out various times, I can't sneak. I'm too loud."

"Damn you and your good memory."

Both brothers laughed at this.

Alphonse, never one to let things slide, repeated his earlier question. "Now, what was who thinking?"

Edward sighed and switched his position on the seat once again, this time slinging his legs onto the seat and propping his back against the window. It was really impossible to get comfortable on a train. "Who do you think?" He sighed once again, running a hand through his newly-cut hair. "I mean...treason?" He shook his head, unable to believe the General would do such a thing.

"It does seem uncharacteristic of the General." Alphonse agreed, knowing full well to who his younger brother referred to. "He was always so passionate about becoming Fuhrer. What could have made him give that up?"

Ed shook his head. "How the hell should I know? He kicked me to the curb before I could even tell anything was going on!"

Alphonse's eyes widened in realization. "Exactly! He stripped you of your title as State Alchemist before you could get involved in whatever's going on behind the scenes at Central."

Ed gaped at his brother. "But that would mean-"

"That by sending you away, he was protecting you."

R-2-F

The sound of rattling bars awoke Roy seemingly only minutes after sleep had finally taken the fallen General. With a heartfelt sigh Roy wrenched open his eyes, immediately regretting the action as pain flared behind his left eye. A pained hiss escaped from between his lips, seeming to echo in the too-quiet cell. He raised his hands to cradle his head, the sounds emitted from the shackles binding his wrists only serving to intensify the pounding of his head.

"Man, you look like hell run-over, Roy-Boy."

Roy cracked open his good eye to glare at his visitor. He'd momentarily forgotten why he'd awoken in the first place due to his pain ridden mind. Now, upon seeing the man's irritatingly cheerful face, Roy wished he could conveniently forget once again. How was it that old saying went? Ah, yes. 'Some things are better off left forgotten.'

"Damn, what'd I do to deserve that look?"

Roy chose not to dignify the man with a response, instead closing his eyes once again in an attempt to ward off his pain induced headache. Roy's eye was aching painfully, constantly reminding him of the pain inflicted upon his eye only hours ago. Havoc did nothing to improve his throbbing headache. In fact, Roy was beginning to think the man's presence only made it worse.

Taking the General's silence as the clear dismissal it was, Jean crossed the cell and placed a small plate on the ground before Roy, as well as a tiny mug of what appeared to be water. The sound of the plate made when set upon the ground was enough to spark Roy's interest, though he kept his face carefully neutral as he once again opened his unharmed eye to investigate the source of the noise. His brow wrinkled slightly as his eyes fell on the plate's contents. "Is this suppose to be food?" He scoffed wearily. Despite his words, Roy's mouth was watering already. He vaguely realized he hadn't eaten in nearly three days.

"Sure is!" Havoc laughed, sitting Indian style on the ground in front of Roy. "You, my friend, are looking at the one-and-only delicacy of this joint, cooked up right here in Central just for you!"

Roy took the offered bread, fighting back a wince as he realized the bread was stale. "Your sense of humor hasn't improved, I see." He remarked dryly.

Havoc pretended to intensely study the bricks of the wall, watching out of the corner of his eye as Roy hesitantly took a bite of the dried bread. The Second Lieutenant was unable to suppress a guilty grimace as the usually composed General began to devour the measly scrap of bread greedily. The bread was gone in an instant.

Roy stared at the plate before him in confusion, as if he didn't realize that he himself had been the one to empty the dish of it's meager contents. It was at this point that Jean finally succeeded in tearing his eyes away from the uncharacteristic display of weakness. The Second Lieutenant sighed heavily.

After several moments of silence passed, Havoc lost an internal battle he wasn't aware he'd been waging until that very moment. Going against his better judgment, Jean spoke up.

"Roy, if you'd just tell the Fuhrer what he wants to know, all of this would be over. You could get out of this hell hole and go back to your old life."

Roy took a deep breath before gathering his strength and opening both eyes, lifting them to meet Jean's gaze and allow him to see the full extent of the damage done to the once-famed alchemist's left eye.

Havoc's breath caught in his throat as he met the General's eyes. While he had been present during the interrogation in which Roy consequently lost his left eye, had heard the muffled screams of pain the older alchemist had stubbornly bit back, he had yet to see the resulting damage until that very moment. What he saw made his stomach churn.

The skin surrounding Roy's left eye was marred with a splash of angry crimson lining the edge of his eye. Roy's eye was nearly devoid of all color. The eye itself was a milky white that in places was pierced by an irritated red that would gradually fade into a pale brown or return to a sickly white. The iris of Roy's eye had lost almost lost it's color. The light brown in the center of his eye proved to be the only thing reminiscent of the deep onyx that the iris once held.

"Havoc, in all of the time you've known me, have you ever known me to play by anyone's rules but my own?" Roy inquired steadily, both of his eyes fixed on the Second Lieutenant's own. "I refuse to start doing so now."

"Oh, for God's sakes, Roy! Swallow your pride and take a good look at the situation you've managed to put yourself in. You could die!" Havoc snapped, rising to his feet and glaring down at the older man.

"Jean, I'm a General of the State Militia! I could die everyday for a lesser cause than this."

"Oh? And what might this cause be, Roy, because I'm not finding anything about all of this worth losing your life over!" Havoc's fist hit the wall angrily.

"Do you have any idea what Bradley plans to do with the Elric brothers, Havoc?" Roy demanded, too weary to rise to his feet but his voice growing stronger. "They'll be no better off than lab rats!"

"But they'll be alive, at least!"

"For how long?" Roy snapped, his hands fisting in his lap as his eyes slid shut once again. "Once they outlive their usefulness, Bradley will not hesitate to dispose of them!"

"But if you just tell the Fuhrer where the brothers are located, you would be released from custody and you'd be able to think of another way to help them escape! You're no good to anyone dead, Roy Mustang!"

Roy raised his unharmed eye once again as a sad smile graced his features. "This is the only way, Jean. I don't expect you to understand."

"I understand alright." Havoc replied bitterly, leaning down and fisting a hand in Roy's hair to bring the fallen General's face within an inch of his own. "I understand that the man I once admired for his bravery, the man who's nerve never ceased to amaze me... is nothing more than a damned coward." Roy's eyes slid shut again in silent surrender, which only served to infuriate the Second Lieutenant further. With a scowl Havoc shoved Roy roughly away, watching callously as Roy slid into a heap beside the wall. "And so ends the legend of the Flame Alchemist."

Roy did not so much as flinch when the man spat into his face before slamming the cell door shut once again. The rattling of keys followed by the resounding click of a lock told Roy that Havoc had not forgotten to lock the cell door before he stormed away. The sound of his former subordinate's heavy footfalls retreating down the hallway were the last thing Roy heard before everything went black once again.

R-2-F

First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye could be found pacing her office for the better part of the past two days. She spent hours pouring over the documents she had retrieved from General Mustang's desk, but found nothing suspicious within any of the texts. Try as she might, she could find nothing to hint as to the Elric brother's whereabouts. She currently was thumbing through the files that had been on Mustang's desk in a last hope of finding anything that could be helpful. She looked up when she heard the office door open and straightened upon seeing Sergeant Fuery. "Sergeant." She acknowledged, her voice holding the slightest edge to it.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye." Fuery replied, saluting his superior in a proper display of military conduct. "I have the information that you inquired after. If we may talk in private..?"

Hawkeye returned the salute before scanning the office with a raised eyebrow. "Look around, Sergeant. We are in private." Despite her sarcastic words, Riza's voice still held a nervous tremor.

Fuery flushed as he glanced at his surroundings. "Ah...yes." He amended, clearing his throat and tugging at his collar that suddenly felt too tight. He cleared his throat once again before fighting back his embarrassment and returning to the matter at hand. "I was successfully able to contact the Elric brothers."

Riza sighed in relief, slumping into the chair behind her. "Did you inform them of recent occurrences?"

"Yes, ma'am. I told them as much as you told me to. I didn't relay any specific details incase the line was being tapped. They are making their way back here via train."

Hawkeye looked carefully at the Sergeant Major. Despite the good news, the man was shifting from foot to foot and refused to meet the eyes of his superior. "Kain, what is it that you're not telling me?" She demanded, eyeing him warily.

Fuery sighed, his head bowing as he pretended to look over the file in his hands. "The Elric brothers boarded a return train this morning at approximately one o'clock this afternoon. The train should arrive at the station around 6 this evening, where the brothers will board another train that will bring them directly to Central. Their estimated arrival time, however, is not until seven twenty tomorrow morning. Adding to that the probability that the trains will be running slower due to the weather conditions..." Kain trailed off, shrugging helplessly. "The chances of the Elrics making it in time for the e-execution are slim."

Riza did not miss how the Sergeant stumbled over the word execution and could not fight back a wince of her own. She glanced out the window as a it began to lightly rain outside. It looked like Fuery's predictions would be correct. She groaned as her head fell into her hands, massaging her weary eyes. "There's no way they'll make it in time, is there?"

As much as Fuery wanted to console the First Lieutenant, he could find no words of comfort. "No, ma'am." He replied softly.

R-2-F

Bradley walked into his office, humming softly to himself. Everything was going along with his plan perfectly. By this time tomorrow, the pesky General Mustang would be dead. No longer would the man be a thorn in Bradley's side.

For as long as he cared to think back, Bradley had always been forced to keep a watchful eye on the aspiring alchemist. Roy Mustang was a talented man with the courage and brains to go far. The boy was a born leader. When he had initially joined the military's ranks as an alchemist, Bradley was taken aback by the young teen's passion. Roy Mustang was a hard worker who was willing to do whatever it took to further his military career. However, that changed after the Ishbal Rebellion.

Following the Rebellion, Mustang refused to do anything that went against his ethical viewpoints. He would speak against Bradley and often smudged orders. The Flame Alchemist would bring men he had been ordered to kill back to Central, claiming that they should be imprisoned until given a fair trial to determine sentencing. He began to do things his own way, and in doing so he became a threat to Bradley.

Not long thereafter, Edward Elric came along. The teen was as talented as Mustang had been, and even more promising. The boy was driven by a single purpose and could easily be manipulated, if given the right incentive. However, the teen was soon taken with the then-Colonel and became beyond Bradley's reach. Edward admired Mustang and quickly became loyal to the man, though he would never admit so aloud. In fact, all of Mustang's subordinates were fiercely loyal to the man and would follow the alchemist to the ends of the Earth if he asked it of them. Within the span of a few years, Roy Mustang had become a force to be reckoned with.

But the man would no longer be a problem. While Mustang's refusal to disclose the whereabouts of the Elric brothers was a setback, it was only temporary. Once the General was dead and out of the way, Bradley could focus his efforts on finding the brothers. With the connections he had it would be a simple task, really. Everything would then go as planned without any further hindrances. A smile unknowingly spread across Bradley's face.

"You know, you're kinda creepy when you smile, Boss-man."

Bradley suppressed a groan but kept his smile firmly in place. Not even the imbecile Second Lieutenant could spoil his mood. "Good evening, Lieutenant." He replied dryly, moving around his desk and depositing several files onto it's surface. "Might I ask why you're in my office?"

"I've got a report for ya." Havoc replied from his place in the chair across from Bradley's desk. He casually lit a cigarette, breathing deeply before he continued. "Lust and Gluttony were successful in stopping the investigators. The body's have been..." Havoc scratched his cheek, looking for a delicate way to voice his thoughts. "...disposed of, if you catch my drift."

Bradley nodded, finishing putting away the records that littered his desk. "Of course. Where are they now?"

"On their way back here." At Bradley's inquisitive look, Havoc elaborated. "They want to be present during the execution."

"Ah." Bradley closed his file cabinet before shrugging out of his jacket. "And Envy?"

"Who knows?" Havoc shrugged, putting out his cigarette by snubbing it out on the armrest of the chair and earning a disgusted scowl from his superior. "The last I heard he was still in Drachma."

"And what of the oaf in charge of the operations in Drachma?" Bradley inquired as he removed his gloves, tucking them into the pocket of his pants.

"Major Armstrong is as oblivious as ever."

"Good. Very good." Bradley began towards his door. "I heard you paid our dear General a visit today." He said offhandedly, casually glancing over his shoulder to gage the Second Lieutenant's reaction.

Havoc shrugged indifferently. "I wanted to see if I could get anything out of him by playing the good ol' friend, but no luck."

"Too bad. It would have made things so much easier." Bradley replied, though there was no remorse in his voice.

"You and me both, pal."

Bradley shook his head as he opened the door. "Well I'm going to go pay our famed prisoner a visit. Care to join?"

Jean grinned and rose from his seat, walking over to the door to join the Fuhrer. "Do you even have to ask?" He flashed one of his trademark smirks before following his superior out the door.

R-2-F

Roy was roused from his sleep early the next morning, far before the sun had even begun to rise. The sound of his cell door being opened echoed throughout the small chamber and caused the throbbing in Roy's head to reach an all time high. Throughout the night he'd awoken countless times due to the searing pain from his left eye, and each time Roy was forced to ignore the pain and attempt to get back to sleep, if only to catch a precious minute of shut eye. Now, the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the corridor, alerting Roy of his visitors.

Roy gingerly rose to his feet, opening both eyes to stare at his guests. A quick head scan told him that Bradley and Havoc were there, as well as two guards who would serve as his escort. He noticed that the guards both flinched as they gazed upon his injured eye, and Roy could only imagine how awful it must look. If it was anywhere near as bad as it felt, he could easily sympathize with the queasy soldiers.

"Morning, Mustang!" Havoc chirped as he unlocked the cell door before entering the small room, followed closely by Fuhrer Bradley. Roy grunted noncommittally in reply, his eyes carefully following the pair. The use of his formal name did not go unnoticed by Roy, but he chose to ignore it. Now was not the time to dwell on how strange the name sounded coming from Jean Havoc, the man that had been Roy's friend for longer than he cared to recall.

Bradley stopped only a few feet away from Roy and stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his usual false smile fixed firmly on his face. "This is going to be your last chance, son. Tell us where the Elric brothers are and you go free." He said for what felt like the 50th time in the past four days. Actually, Roy pondered, It probably is.

Roy was well aware of the fact that Bradley was putting on this good-guy act only because of the two soldiers that had accompanied him. Last night the Fuhrer had been as ruthless as before, and Roy had the broken ribs to prove it. The man had questioned him for hours on end only to leave with as little information as he'd come with. Roy refused to tell Bradley anything, and that would not change now. With a small smirk he spat on the Fuhrer's shoes. "Burn in hell."

Bradley's fist connected solidly with the side of Roy's face, sending the other man's head forcefully to the side from the blow. He glared at Roy as he closed the distance between them, stopping only when he had Roy pressed against the wall with a hand around his throat. So much for the good-guy act, Mustang thought bemusedly.

"Mark my words, Mustang." Bradley hissed in a voice low enough that no one but Roy would be able to hear. "We will find the Elrics, and because of your idiocy they will suffer the same fate as you."

Roy's smirk never wavered. "Assuming you'll find them, that is." He rasped, steadily meeting the eyes of his captor. "Which will never happen."

"We'll see about that." Bradley replied, releasing his hold on Roy and turning on his heel to storm out of the holding cell. "Bring him to the execution grounds."

Havoc stepped forward, waving the other guards back. "I've got this one, boys. He isn't going anywhere, are ya, General?" He grinned at the two men.

The two guards looked at each other doubtfully before nodding and doing as ordered. They turned to report to the execution grounds, where all of the military personnel were waiting. The whole of Central had been ordered to report to the courtyard to witness the execution of the traitor Roy Mustang. Everything was very high profile, and even a few civilians were showing up.

Havoc shook his head as he unlocked the shackles around Roy's feet, removing them carefully. He flinched ever so slightly upon seeing the blisters around Roy's ankles but refrained from comment, something that was very un-Havoc-like. Roy expected nothing less. After their argument yesterday, he didn't expect his ex-subordinate to so much as be speaking to him. Havoc threw a pair of boots at Roy before turning his back to his former friend and commander. "Put those on." He ordered, his tone as stiff as his posture.

Roy did as he was told without comment. He shoved his bare feet into the shoes and stood, not even allowing himself to wince when the shoes tore at the blisters around his ankles. His ribs ached in protest to any movement, but Roy stubbornly shoved all thoughts of pain aside. He would not give Bradley the pleasure of seeing him squirm in pain.

"Alright, let's get going." Jean turned and shoved Roy roughly from behind, nearly sending the General tumbling headfirst onto the ground. By some miracle Roy managed to maintain his footing and caught himself before he could trip. With another none too gentle nudge from behind, he began to walk through the corridors with his back straight and chin held high. No, he would not give Bradley the pleasure of seeing him break.

The sound of the crowd gathered out front could be heard throughout the main halls as Havoc led them to the execution site. Contrary to his cool exterior, Roy began to grow anxious as they neared the main doors that would lead him to the grounds, and to his certain death. In all of his years in the military, this was not the end Roy had seen for himself. He had planned on dying in the battlefield, or hoped to be lucky enough to die of old age, but it seemed that someone had another plan for him. But Roy was not afraid of death; no, he had accepted the possibility of death the moment he joined the State Military. The only thing that haunted Mustang's mind now were thoughts of the Elric brothers, the oldest in particular. Roy prayed that they were safe somewhere far from Bradley's reach. There was no more he could do for them than that.

R-2-F

Author's Note: I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to get out! To say I've been busy lately would be a lie, but the last chapters of this story are taking a lot of thought and planning. I'm estimating that we only have anywhere between three and five chapters left, give or take an Epilogue. We're nearing the end, people! To make up for the terrible delay in this update, I've made this chapter my longest yet! Nine pages, 4578 words! Ah!

Lately I've been considering writing a sequel to this. I'm still uncertain as to whether or not I will, but it's a very real possibility. I love this story too much to leave it! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really put my all into writing it. I even wrote Havoc and Roy's conversation while thousands of feet in the air! I went to Orlando, Florida for vacation and wrote part of this while I was on the plane.

As always, please leave a review if you have the time! I read each and every review I get, and I love to hear what you guys think of the story. I wish I could respond to each and every one of you! You guys make my day, and I just hope this chapter can make yours!

Cheers,

R2F