Firefly

Chapter 3

Vaccinations and Interrogations

Riza's eyes shot open as she heard the most awful, spine tingling scream echoing through the cabin bay. She was out of bed before Jean could even open his eyes and she slipped into his shirt as she reached for her gun.

"Did you hear that?" Jean asked as he reached for the light and turned to see his wife already leaving the cabin to investigate. He rubbed his eyes and looked for a gun in his nightstand to provide backup if she needed it. He slipped out of bed, wrapped the sheets around his waist and stumbled to the door. "Riza?"

Riza's eyes focused on the guest cabin as they heard the scream again. It was fear, not pain, and it was coming from Dr. Elric's cabin. She waited for Jean to shuffle over with an entire bed's worth of sheets wrapped around him and open the door. What she saw was a young man she had never seen before staring at her, wearing a suit of fur?

"Ed!" Al jumped in front of his brother who had awaken in the night from his drug induced nap. Al was so tired from the last few days of trying to get his brother to safety that he overslept his designated time to re-administer the tranquilizer. Ed panicked, used alchemy to obliterate the cage and started to feel around the room to determine what kind of materials he had to transmute. That was when the door opened and the crew members saw that he might not have been honest with them about the dog he was caring for. However Ed was his priority now. "I'm here Ed, calm down. We're on a ship, you're safe."

Riza watched the sweet doctor Alphonse run over to the guy and wrap his arms around his neck to pull him into an embrace. The other man was trying to tear off the dog costume he was in. What a day for Roy to stay in Solaris's cabin and miss everything. "Who is this?"

"My brother." Al said as more people emerged from their rooms to see what was going on. "He's not well. I need to get him to Liore, they say that Father Cornello can heal people..."

"Cut the shit." Rebecca pointed a shotgun at the so called Doctor that Winry brought on the ship. Granted he was clearly entertaining, but not in the way the mechanic hoped for. She knew something was off about this guy. "Who are you? Who is he? And what kind of trouble are you in that he's now 'safe'? 'Cause I'm telling you that there is nothing safe on that end of the barrel of this many guns."

Al looked over as Winry came into view, clutching a box-end wrench that she clearly intended to use as a weapon if needed. "It's the truth. I couldn't tell you because he doesn't need the attention. He's not well. I didn't need anyone asking questions so I disguised him and drugged him."

"Two by two...men in blue..." Ed said as his brother tried to hug his head into his chest. His focus wasn't as cloudy as it had been, he was slowly coming back to full brain function and it was too much. When he couldn't see and felt lost, he thought he was back in his cell in Central. He was afraid that the soldiers would be walking through the door to pick him up and carry him back to the lab. The soldiers. "Two by two...men in blue."

"You're safe brother. There are no soldiers here." Al whispered and looked up at the woman who Winry had said was on the side of the Independents during the war. Certainly if anyone could sympathize, it would be those who understood the oppressive nature of the military. "He's an alchemist. The military, tried to...utilize him. Ed just needs some help to get past that."

"What about you, Doctor?" Rebecca asked. "Awfully young to be a doctor aren't you? Even if it's only an animal doctor."

"I guess...you could say we're both prodegies." Al said and helped Ed sit upright on his own. He was struggling with the effect the drugs were having on his brain more than anything now.

Riza lowered her gun. She had seen alchemist crack under the pressure of the position the State put them in. This young man was not a threat to them. However the odds of having not just one, but two, State Alchemists get on this ship in Youswell was insanely high. "I'll have to inform the Captain."

"Please, don't kick us off." Al plead. "We just need to get to Liore and you'll never see us again."

Ed began to hear too much. He heard the energy around him like static and he had to focus so hard to listen to what anyone was saying. He was fighting the images in his head and it was only the thoughts of his brother that helped him chase those horrible memories back into the darkness. He had to seem at least somewhat functional to reassure these people, Al was risking everything to help save him from his mistakes. "I'm sorry, I just have...bad dreams. It's hard to wake up sometimes."

Riza nodded. She was no stranger to that concept. "It is the Captain's call."

Roy looked at the two Elrics as they sat across the table from him. Al was shifting his eyes around nervously while Ed seemed more interested in the cold beef and noodles than his freedom. So far the only explanation they offered up was that they were trying to get to Liore to see Father Cornello about the miracles he performed. Ed was the State Alchemist trying to get away from his mistake, Al was just trying to get his brother back after years of having lost him to the government. "So you're not going to tell me anything other than that?"

"I was told you were a man who respected privacy." Al said softly and looked to his brother. Ed was devouring a plate of leftovers from dinner and seemed too engrossed in the act to contribute to the discussion. Mustang sat opposite them and Hawkeye stood next to him. They scrutinized everything and he knew that these were too people who would not accept anything but truth. "He was accepted into the State Alchemist Corps very young and...it's been years since we were able to see each other. I was admitted early to college and went to school. Afterwards he was always involved in secret government projects. Until recently I thought he was OK, but then I started receiving letters that made no sense. I knew something happened. So...I offered my services as a veterinarian to the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker, to help tend to his chimera. I got into Lab 5 that way."

Roy tapped his fingers on the table and noticed Edward's feeding frenzy slow as he recognized the rhythm. The national anthem of Amestris, blared over the speakers of every government facility every morning. After his first semester at the academy it became as regular as a church bell chiming on the hour, it was what signified the start to the day. The band starting the anthem was a cue for all cadets to halt in place, click your heels and stand parade ground perfect in preparation of a heartfelt singing of the hymn. Roy stopped tapping and Ed's eyes locked onto his. He saw something in them, something he had seen in too many amoung his ranks during the way. Something Maes Hughes probably saw in his when he stopped him from splattering his brains all over the roof of his tent. There was no mistaking it. When you take that one last leap into the unknown equipped with the faith in your work and research and expect to change the world, but instead are greeted by the earth and cosmos all being ripped out from underneath you. It was that look of a man who fell but just kept falling into the abyss because of the unfathomable horrors that were unleashed in your quest to just do the right thing. He looked into the eyes across from him and could see it, how humanity twisted alchemy and corrupted it. Now that knowledge tainted everything, yet because you were a scientist at heart you could never stop trying to find a better outcome.

"Sir?" Riza said and watched Roy snap out of the trance he was in. He and Ed had seen something in each other that only they understood, and as she glanced to Al she knew he didn't know what to make of it either.

"So who is chasing you?" Roy asked.

"I don't know." Al whispered and watched Ed go back to eating. "I'm at the end of the line. If you can't get us to Liore than we have no other option than to try to cross the desert to Xing."

"I'll get you to Liore." Roy said and stood up. "However you better pay for him as a passenger and not cargo at breakfast."

Al nodded. "Thank you Captain."

Riza watched the Elrics get up and leave, Edward making sure to grab the entire bowl of dinner to bring with him as he left. "You're starting quite the collection of alchemists."

"Weird, isnit it?" Roy sat back in his seat and looked up at her. "What are the odds?"

"Astronomically high." She said and he stood, making sure to move close to her so she could hear his whisper. "I want them where I can see them. I want to know why Serenity is suddenly the sun everyone is oribiting around. Maybe we can draw out the Alliance if they're targeting us for something."

"Your orders?" She asked.

"We head for Liore in the morning, but find somewhere to stop midway. Fake some ship repairs, strand everyone in the middle of nowhere. Let's just see if anyone gets antsy or we get any unsuspected visitors." He said and picked up the plate Ed left behind to put it in the sink.

"Good night sir." She said and made her way back to her cabin. At least she wasn't the only one who felt like a storm was brewing.

"Abzamem." Rebecca read the sign aloud and the passengers just looked at her for an explanation. They wanted to know why they were in this little town instead of flying to Liore. "The answer you were looking for? To the question 'Where the hell are we?' "

Al was going to say something but then the woman walked off towards the local bar. He looked at the other passengers, Mauro and Raven and they gave him a shrug before wandering over to the bar as well. It seemed to be the only real establishment in town next to the train station and general store. He frowned and looked back at the ship. He wanted to get Ed out of the cabin and let him enjoy fresh air for a bit, it didn't seem like this town had any danger lurking. In fact, he was pretty sure the most dangerous individuals here were the ones he was traveling with.

"Dr. Elric?"

Al turned to see Winry smiling up at him. "Miss Rockbell! Just who I was looking for."

"Really?" Winry said and could feel her heart swell.

"What is this I hear about ship repairs?" Al said and watched her deflate, assuming it was her hurt pride at her precious Serenity being unfit for service.

Winry sighed. Time to spit out the rehearsed speech Mustang fed her before they docked here. "Oh, just a precaution. I wanted to fix something on the turbine before we head across the plains to Liore. It's a long trip without anywhere to stop. Being safe."

"You wanted to get to Liore quickly, didn't you Dr. Elric?" Roy watched them jump as he spoke and the young veterinarian just flashed a nervous smile. "By the way, your brother is roaming around my ship being weird. Babysitting him is not our job and my crew has actual work to do if we're going to get you to your destination."

Al frowned. "Sorry Captain, I thought he was still sleeping..."

Roy shook his head. "Nope. He transmuted three of my dining room chairs into a scaffold so he could browse the top cabinets of the kitchen."

Al bit his lip. "Well..."

"Oh, and there is the neat little trick he has of transmuting his auto-mail arm into a can opener and dagger that upset my pilot a little." Roy watched Al's face pale. There was no way this guy was a spy. He couldn't hide his emotions at all. "Think you can take care of that?"

"Do you say...automail?" Winry's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"You need to fix the ship, remember?" Roy said and pointed towards their flying home. "So why don't you two go head back and take care of that, huh?"

Riza walked up just as they were leaving. Roy rolled his eyes and she gave him a smile. "Don't worry, Havoc's fine. He just lost his cigarette and nothing else."

"I'm more worried about that dysfunctional alchemist eating everything." Roy put his hands in his pant pockets and huffed. "I barely had enough Cenz to get coal to fuel our trip to Liore. I can't buy more food, at this rate we're going to be the Donner Party."

"Perhaps...I can help with that?" Marcoh walked up and waved them over to a table that was outside the bar.

"Ed?" Al peaked into the mess hall and was amazed at how much of a mess it had become in the last fifteen minutes. "Ed! What have you done?"

Ed shrugged as he ate a spoonful of peanut butter. "I was hungry."

"What the hell did the State do to you? Give you with tapeworms?" Al went over to look at all the food his brother had managed to wolf down since he left him unsupervised, fifteen minutes ago. How...was this even possible?

"I think this is expired." Ed said and smacked his lips. "Though I'm not sure how peanut butter can go bad."

Winry walked into the mess hall with her eyes wide and her hand covering her mouth. The Captain was going to kill him.

"I really forgot how real food tasted." Ed said. "I think they fed me things that grew in the lab."

Al walked over and grabbed his brother's face to make him look him in the eye. "Come back to the cabin with me. I think I have a dewormer..."

"I'm not a horse." Ed said and pulled away from his brother. "I'm not crazy, I'm not broken. I'm just...not used to being free. Give me some time to...start moving forward again. I've been in one place too long. Lost my childhood and teenage years to the State...I was there so long I forgot what I was missing out on. This peanut butter is disgusting."

Al realized the mechanic girl was creeping closer to his brother and he wanted to warn her to be careful before she got too close to his exposed auto mail arm, but Ed actually seemed to react well to her.

"Can I see it?" She asked and pointed to the gleaming specimin of mechanical engineering that was Edward's arm. Oh, was she glad she got the Elrics on board now!

"Sure." Ed said and rolled up his sleeve. "Best there is. Amestris's finest...approved for battle and even strong enough to survive the cold winters in Briggs."

She reached out and ran her hand over it to feel the machinery at work. "When you need this worked on, you come see me."

Al sat down and looked at his older brother as he smiled for the first time since he smuggled him out of Central. Perhaps he was healing, perhaps he was just faking...it didn't matter. They were going to get through this. "It's good to have you back, brother."

Ed turned to his little brother and saw the worry ebb a little. "Can you maybe, not drug me anymore? I think I've had enough of that to last a lifetime...however much I have left."

Winry giggled. "If you don't clean this mess up before the Captain gets back...it's going to be a pretty short life."

"New Optain is to the West." Marcoh said as he pointed to the location on the map. "It's a railway crossroads and there will be a large military rail yard and warehouse located there. During the war, everything East of this rail line was engulfed in the Rebellion, this was a large military depot supplying the forces in the North of the Eastern Region."

Roy nodded and felt Riza hovering over his shoulder. No sooner did they arrive in Abzamem than they were being tasked to go into the city and steal something. He didn't want to think Marcoh was Allaince, but he had yet to see any reason to trust him. "So?"

"I'll pay you." Marcoh said and handed over the bag of Cenz, the last to his name. "It's all I can give you right now. I barter for my services and these people don't have any money. They can't pay for those vaccinations and without them these children are not going to survive."

"We stopped here to do some minor engine repairs before we encountered trouble in the long flight to Liore. Engine repairs." Roy paused and wondered if this was an attempt to expose his own lie about the reason for the stop. "So I'm without a means to get to the city."

Marcoh looked over at the train station. "The money is for your fare."

"So, we're not really getting paid?" Roy scoffed and looked at the people congregating off to the right with livestock. What a weird town.

"Well..." Marcoh ran his fingers through his hair. "Like I said...bartering is a way of life out here..."

Roy looked over as a cow mooed loudly and he realized that these people weren't lining the cows up so they could see a space ship, they were lining them up as an offering. "Oh. I thought they were trying to desensitize the cattle or something."

"Their kids are dying." Marcoh said and watched Mustang's eyes finally return to his. "Alchemist be thou for the people..."

"You're not asking for alchemy, you're asking for larceny." Roy said and heard another cow join in the moo chorus.

"You can sell the cattle in Liore for a good profit." Marcoh said. "The vaccinations are in a warehouse in New Optain, Warehouse 13 is the refrigerated one. If you take six vials it will be enough to take care of this village. The military will never know, that will be acceptable range of loss when they do inventory."

Roy leaned over the table. "How do you know so much about military protocol? I thought you were just an alchemist."

Marcoh bit the inside of his cheek. "I was a research alchemist. Military regulations, policies, procedures and storage protocol was the majority of my paperwork. I knew where ingredients were kept in case I needed to requisition some."

"Military rail yard, huh?" Roy said and snorted. "Guarded and crawling with M.P.s. Military grade security. Oh, and let's not forget I'm going in without any recon and without my ship."

"I thought you wanted to help people." Marcoh replied.

Roy opened his mouth to tell him that he was really accusing him of setting them up, but then he heard a child crying weakly. He looked over as one of the farmers tried to hold their affectionate dairy cow and sick child at the same time. One of the other villagers took the animal's lead in order to let the woman leave with her child. "Well, we were running low on milk."

It was amazing how things could go so horribly wrong when you just tried to do the right thing. The story of his life. Roy closed his eyes and wondered how that simple act of kindness had landed him in the confines of this hold twelve hours later. Then he remembered why, as the reason for his current situation opened his damned mouth again.

Roy groaned as Havoc continued to babble behind him as he tried to figure out how to burn the ropes that bound them with his lighter. Babble that basically cursed the 'might flame alchemist' for being useless without his gloves or 'stupid drawings' to control fire. For the most part Roy let it become background noise along with the hum of the vessel's engine reverberating through the hull. How had a simple robbery go so wrong? It wasn't his plan, that was rock solid. It wasn't his own lack of skill, nope. It was probably something to do with the blond pilot beside him who, by some unfathomable amount of luck, managed to marry his most trusted subordinate. That luck was going to keep him alive and employed, even if he was questioning Riza Hawkeye's taste in men. "Havoc, shut up."

"No." Jean flexed against the ropes that held them together and wiggled against Mustang's back. "I can't believe you put my wife in danger like this every time you guys go out on a mission."

Roy sighed. It was becoming obvious that any attempts to review the series of events that lead them to be here in Alliance custody was not going to happen. He couldn't have flashbacks when someone wouldn't quit whining long enough for him to concentrate. "I don't. She's competent and we work well together. Had Riza been here instead of you, that cargo would have been on my ship instead of us being cargo on theirs."

"Bullshit."

"Ok Jean." Roy took a deep breath. He needed the man to focus because he wasn't going to be able to do anything otherwise. He was going to have to give up on retracing his steps for the moment and let Havoc clear his mind of all the little things that were building up inside. He might not be his first choice for subordinate, but he was currently all he had. "Let's recap the failed mission before we're executed or sold for body parts. I'd hate for you to die thinking this was in any way not your fault."

"It failed because you have no idea how to function without my wife stopping you from making bad decisions!" Jean hissed and flexed against the ropes that held them together, back to back. He hoped it was strangling the man behind him.

"If that was the case, she would have stopped me from hiring you." Roy spat.

"Why, so you could have had her all to yourself?" Jean turned to look over his shoulder but his Captain was shorter than him and his head was resting against his own neck. All he saw was black hair.

"Would have been wonderful to have her on this mission as I would be back in my ship heading to Liore right now. " Roy wasn't going to give that implication even a smidge of acknowledgment. Of all the damned people he had to deal with talking about his relationship with his Lieutenant during their years together, he really didn't think he'd have to deal with this shit from the man she married. However, that was a topic for another day and he really needed Havoc to get it together so there would be another day. "All we had to do was retrieve one damned box of vaccinations from the government supply stores, ONE. Go to Warehouse 13, grab the damned box and pretend like we're a happy married couple out for a walk around the town with our box of delicious pie and go back to the station. That's all. So, as your commander, I am sitting here wondering how the hell that didn't happen!?."

"That floral bonnet was last season's." Jean said quietly. "I mean..."

"It would have looked just fine on Riza." Roy said. "Who was also supposed to be wearing the dress."

"Ok, well I won't deny that. Anything looks good on her. Your shoulders were a little...broad to be in such a low cut dress. I also think the combat boots were a little...tacky with that pattern." Jean said simply. "Just coming from a guy who worked in a General Store his entire life and had six sisters."

Roy rolled his eyes. Havoc really must have been a great fabric and hat salesman in his parents shop. "I'll let you do the shopping next time. So are we past this hostility that is getting in the way of our escape or..."

"I'm just not OK with you going out on the town with my wife pretending that she's your wife." Jean suddenly remembered why he was pissed.

"It was a simple mission." Roy repeated.

"It was a fantasy." Jean growled back. "I get so sick of seeing you two exchange glances and boast about all these damned adventures and now I know why! You're out there pretending like she's yours and putting her in danger!"

"Riza is my Lieutenant, she..."

"She's my wife!" Havoc screamed. "Who you are dressing up and taking out to guarded military facilities! She could have been attacked by a serial killer!"

"Instead, I was." Roy said as he recalled the cleaver of a skinny serial killer almost taking his head off. One more thing that just didn't add up about this mission failing. It seemed like everything was stacked against them when they were trying to get out of that warehouse tonight. What were the odds that a serial killer was going to be using that refrigerated warehouse for his weird mutilations and meat packing station? Also, they were never buying meat from New Optain. "Barry the Chopper is now off the streets. He would have been if Riza was there too, she's capable of handling herself."

"At least I don't have to hear about that memorable event at dinner." Jean mumbled and went back to trying to burn through the ropes. God, what a horrible night this was.

Roy closed his eyes as Havoc finally shut up. The mission was a failure and probably was from the beginning.

"So you're going on another mission together?" Havoc crushed his cigarette out in the ashtray.

"It's what we do." Roy had replied and wondered what kind of marital spat he had walked in on. The air on the bridge hung heavy with smoke and tension and if he wasn't on a strict timetable he would have just walked right out. However Marcoh was now paying them to steal some vaccinations for kids in a little village they had stopped in for supplies. It was simple, until he came to the bridge to grab his Lieutenant and walked in on that insanity.

"Well I want to go." Havoc crossed his arms. "I want to experience these thrilling missions and see the great Colonel Mustang in action."

"Fine." Riza said.

Roy stood there with his mouth open. "Uh, the plan is to dress up like a couple and say we are bringing pie to a sick relative. We cut through the military yard because we've heard there is a serial killer in town and want to be safe. Break in, put vaccines in the chilled pie box and leave. Get back to the train station before the last train leaves. To look like a simple harmless couple I decided to put her in a dress."

"You wear it." Jean said. "I'll show off too much leg."

Riza came over and picked the bonnet up off the pile of clothes he had in his hands and gave him an apologetic smile. Then she put it on his head and tied it on with a bow. "It doesn't look that bad, sir."

"It doesn't match his eyes." Jean came over to inspect the bonnet and saw a flash of anger in said eyes. "Maybe a straw hat would look better. Winry has one."

"By my pretty floral l bonnet I will end you." Roy growled and Riza patted them both on the shoulder.

"Happy hunting. Don't stay out too late."

Roy huffed. So they had gone out on their 'date' and it went well for the most part. They got into the warehouse without a hitch, but were caught when they were leaving the grounds. Not by military police, but by the man who had already claimed 30 lives and was looking for two more. Barry the Chopper was ready to hack into one of his victims when he spotted the gal in the floral dress that looked 'good enough to chop up' and attacked Roy. His dress was destroyed and apparently that really excited Barry. They fought, guards saw them and his disguise was blown. Suddenly he and Havoc were trying to escape the grounds with a serial killer and a platoon of MPs following them.

At least Barry was caught and the girl saved, but they also ended up snagged in the net. The officer in charge recognized him from the war. Calls were made. Then they ended up here. Here in a hold on an Alliance ship, tied up with rope and awaiting the arrival of the superior on board. He was about to thank Havoc for everything but realized he needed to quit antagonizing him and clear the air.."Ask what you want to ask. Just say it."

"I don't have to, you know damned well what I'm pissed about." Havoc hissed. "All these years and you're telling me you never thought of her as more than just your Lieutenant?"

"So you think I want to sleep with your wife?" Roy closed his eyes. Why now? Of all the times to bring this up, he chose now?

"Who wouldn't!" Jean screamed. "I mean look at her! She's beautiful, professional and bad-ass!"

"What the hell are you asking me then?!" Roy snapped back.

"I don't know!" Jean screamed. "Maybe, why the hell didn't you!?"

"Is this really the time to be asking me to join you guys in bed?" Roy sighed. He was trying to give him a hint that this wasn't the time or place, but Havoc was on a roll.

"All that 'yes, sir', 'Captain sir'. War stories. Oh god, the fucking stories!" Jean hollered.

"Of us not sleeping together?" Roy said dryly.

"No, of flame alchemy saving the day! And your brilliant tactics. And..." Jean finally screamed. "And your fucking brand on my wife's back! What the hell is that shit!?"

"That's between us." Roy said solemnly. He realized at this point that Riza would probably just kill her husband herself. She wasn't sensitive about much, but her tattoo was the one thing she was protective over.

"Exactly. You, right between me and MY WIFE!" Jean spat. "You and your damned alchemy and war heroics and YOU on her body! Permanently in her brain and on her back!"

"That is not a story I can tell." Roy said and realized this was going to keep bubbling over until he knew everything about her past and his. A past that she wanted to bury because she didn't want the pity or him to think of the reasons she was scarred. It was her choice and he respected it, but Jean clearly needed that void filled with answers.

"Which is what she says. I'm sure you don't have anything to do with the burn on her shoulder, huh Flame?" Havoc yelled.

"Then you should ask her." Roy hollered back. "Just ask your wife!"

Their screaming match ended as the door to the holding room opened. They both had to avert their eyes as the light from the door flooded into their dark room. Roy stared into the corner to try to force his eyes to acclimate faster. He needed to know how screwed they were.

"Colonel Mustang! How wonderful to finally meet you."

Roy turned, squinting at the doorway to see who was talking. He didn't recognize the voice and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He finally focused on something as light caught something to reflect on in the man's mouth. The lights were switched on and as they flickered and hummed to life, they slowly revealed the face of the man who held their fate in his hands.. Large eyes with wandering eyeballs, a wildly too-happy-for-the-occasion grin and a gold tooth sparkling with every ray of artificial light that it caught. This was not good.

"I hear you might have some cargo I've lost. It's Full Metal, golden and priceless." The gold toothed doctor stepped into the hold and looked down at the man who should have been in his lab instead left to run the desert like the wild little horse he was. "You, however, will do nicely as a replacement."

"Is the government just taking law-abiding citizens now?" Roy had no idea who this guy was or what he was talking about, but his gut instinct said that there was a high probability of both of them never seeing the light of day again. If Hawkeye was here he might have a chance, but instead he had her goofy husband who was going to probably start going into shock soon from nicotine withdrawal. Then he felt the itch, the spark in his body's electrical system as he thought about using alchemy. Just that tingle at the nerves that was akin to a generator starting up, yet he was unable to tap into it. If he used alchemy to defend himself from this man, it might save him for the day, but within a week the full force of the Alliance would be hunting him down to take him into custody. If this man was government, like he suspected, he would also be charged with violating his parole and countless other charges that would ensure he never broke free of their ownership again. Still, as this man's grin didn't fade, he knew he might need to do something if only to save Havoc. He had let Riza down enough in their time together, he couldn't allow her husband to be taken from her too.

"You have an interesting definition of 'law-abiding' and 'citizen'." The Doctor squatted down and looked at the specimen in front of him. The Flame Alchemist made his mouth water. Inside that head was a secret with destructive capability like no other and a stable and stubborn psyche to keep him from shorting out too soon like the Elric boy.. He could be manipulated because there were so many people who he had grown attached to, unlike Kimblee. "Stealing government property is quite the offense, as a former enemy of the state it might be considered...terrorism."

"I don't know what was in that box." Roy countered as he grew increasingly uncomfortable with this man. Havoc was at least staying quiet, for now. He knew he could count on him to have his back, but he just didn't understand him to the extent he did Riza. He and Hawkeye had been to hell and back, and right now he really needed the confidence of knowing his own next move like he would if she was here. Shit. "We picked up a pie as a ruse to lure out the serial killer. Had to sell the disguise, so the pie was a easy solution. We were just trying to do a public service. You people clearly should be looking into the drug trafficking problem at the train depot."

"I'm not talking about the box of medicine you stole." The doctor watched to reach out and touch the man to make sure he was real. All that power and knowledge in one insignificant human...and it was going to be enough to bring God to his knees. "I'm talking about Edward Elric. The state alchemist you have on board your little ship. You, Flame, know how the job works. The State Certifies you and gives you the title and freedom to use alchemy, in return you surrender your own personal freedom to the State to use you as they see fit. It's equivalent exchange."

Jean Havoc held his breath as he listened to the situation unfold behind him. Dammit, why the hell did he have to pick this day to take a stand on the matter? He wanted to believe that it was better that he was here and not Riza, but he knew deep down that the two of them would have pulled off the job without a hitch had she been with Mustang. It was what they did and they were good at it. He was just the pilot.

"I still have no idea who you're talking about." Roy said and the man stood up and the grin didn't fade.

"Pity. I have work to do. A deadline you see." The doctor shrugged. "It's going to be a shame to lose the progress I made but I guess you are much more promising anyway. Welcome back to the military, Flame, oh how we have missed you."

"You can't arrest him." Havoc finally said. "He's done nothing wrong."

"Not yet." The Doctor watched Mustang's face as he raised his hand and then clenched his fist. He watched the look of shock replace the one of defiance as the gunshot echoed in the room and the blond man screamed in pain.

"Havoc!?" Roy tried to twist to see what happened and the bottom ropes broke free even though the top ropes still held them bound together. The ends of the broken rope landed in his lap and he saw blood. "Havoc! Talk to me!"

Jean didn't think it would hurt that much to get shot, but it hurt enough to trap his voice inside his throat. Mustang was thrashing behind him, pulling at the ropes and trying to get free. "Shit."

"Jean!" Roy yelled and finally managed to get the ropes loose enough to push over their heads. Havoc flopped sideways onto the ground and grunted. He was over to him in a second, ignoring the other men in the room and just focusing on the damage done to his pilot. To the man that made Riza happy.

"He...shot me." Havoc put his hand over the wound in his side and gasped.

"You should probably close that wound, Mustang." The doctor said and delighted in the look of fury as the man looked up at him. " Before he bleeds out."

"He's not...a doctor." Havoc said and let his head roll sideways and tried to control his breathing. He watched Mustang's finger dip into the puddle of blood on the floor and start drawing on his hand. It was a transmutation circle, one similar to the one he saw every night on his wife's back. The one secret she kept, the one that ate at him because he knew that it was what bound her to him and he didn't know why.

Roy grabbed Havoc's lighter that he had dropped on the ground when he was shot. "This is going to hurt like hell and I'm sorry..."

Jean watched the lighter flick open but he was more focused on the feeling of intense energy concentrating around him. It made his skin crawl and hairs stand on end. It was like that time he got shocked working on the magneto on his plane. It was enough to distract him from the wound in his side for a moment, but in a split second, the energy dissipated and flash of light and flame erupted from Mustang's hand. Next a searing pain hit his wound and the scream had no problems leaving his throat this time.

Roy clenched the lighter so hard his knuckles went white as he heard that familiar scream of a man being scorched. He smelled the blood and burnt flesh, then his hearing picked up Havoc's whines of pain and a low throaty laugh start behind him. He drove away the other senses and concentrated on the laugh, turning to look at the doctor who was all smiles and giggles of joy.

"Excellent! Gentleman, please arrest this man for uncertified use of alchemy, breaking and entering and also theft of government property." The doctor beamed, so proud that he could produce the chain reaction so easily without even a hint of hesitation on Mustang's part. "Someone hail that little ship of his and let them know they can come get this man and that they should start looking for a new Captain."