Hello again! I am apparently on a roll tonight! (Yes, I know, another new fic when I haven't updated either of my older ones, bad Kinsutenekochan, bad girl.) This is the start of a LOOOOONG set of connected drabbles inspired by my insatiable desire for ParentalRoyed. The first few (not sure how many yet, sorry) will be directly following each other just like a multichapter fic. Once that part is done, I will start on the next drabble/multiple-chapter fic that will be linked to this first one but not exactly directly after it. And so on. I have at least 5 mini fics that will be included in this, maybe more. DThis first one is going to be a LOT longer than I thought, but hopefully you will still enjoy it!

WARNING! POSSIBLE TRIGGERS, THIS WILL CONTAIN VIOLENCE, PAIN, BLOOD, SLIGHT GORE, AND SOME MENTION OF TORTURE! (I have a really difficult time using swear words in my writing, I just can't use them well at all, so forgive my silly substitutes!)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to FullMetal Alchemist, or any of its related content. I write for my own pleasure and I am only barrowing the characters to play with.

Chapter 1

A Father's Duty is to guard his children, protect them from harm and keep them safe, even at the expense of his own life.

Edward crawled along the narrow air duct and bitterly wondered how in all of Truth he had got himself roped into this. He should be out following up on his newest lead for the Stone, not dragging himself through countless layers of dust and who knew what else.

"You just had to find out what was going on, didn't you Ed? Just because some lowlife on the street was trying to sell a pair of gloves and a silver watch that looked somewhat familiar! You couldn't just keep walking? You don't even like that Bastard of a Colonel, who cares if some bum somehow got ahold of a pair of those stupid gloves he is so proud of?" Careful to keep his furious muttering as quiet as possible, the young Alchemist peered through the newest opening in the vent and wasn't surprised to see the room beyond silent and dark. With a sigh he pushed forward, still muttering to himself.

"Just because the call to the bastard's office was a little strange doesn't mean something is wrong. Lieutenant Hawkeye could just be having an off day, even if she has never had one before. And it isn't like the jerk goes out of his way to annoy you every time you check in, right? That doesn't mean that it was strange that he wasn't available to talk or that Lieutenant Hawkeye wouldn't explain why. You don't care, remember?" A distant thud caught his attention and he shuffled closer to the next vent, struggling to ignore the uneasy feeling sinking into his gut. Despite his silent arguments with himself, Ed felt oddly jumpy. Something felt off, and too many things were happening for even him to dismiss as coincidence.

"And the bum could have found that stupid watch anywhere, even if it did have the Colonel's rank, initials, and State alchemist ID engraved on the back. You have the same thing on yours, it's not like someone can't make a copy as a joke or something. Criminals break the law all the time, the severe punishments for duplicating a State watch wouldn't stop them!" The low murmur of voices echoed through the duct and he quickly bit his tongue, shoving his doubts to the back of his mind.

Al was checking with Hawkeye about that freaking Watch, and he was here, trying to prove to himself that there was nothing in the ancient abandoned underground bunker where the bum had claimed he had found the ignition gloves that were now safely tucked away in Edward's pocket. But the light that was now filtering into the duct and the sounds that he could now hear were definitely not going to assist him in that endeavor.

It doesn't mean something happened to the Bastard. He is probably smirking to himself in his office, pretending to work. The uneasy feeling in his stomach didn't go away despite his silent attempt to reassure himself, the sinking sensation only growing stronger the closer he got to the vent opening. Moving carefully to avoid making noise, he peeked through the slits. The bright light blinded him instantly after the last solid hour of darkness and he smothered a curse as he blinked away tears of pain.

"Seven whole days of this now, Sir." The mocking voice was almost dripping with sarcasm. "Is one lowly Subordinate really worth this level of blind loyalty?" A low grunt was the only answer as Ed's eyes finally began to clear. The room was oddly empty, the floor lined with white tile that sloped into a drain and the walls were painted a vivid white to match. A man stood directly in front of the vent cover, his back obscuring the majority of the room, an oddly familiar Amestrian military jacket draped over one shoulder.

"This doesn't have to continue, Colonel. Are you certain you don't want to tell us what we want to know? I do not want to resort to the next level in our lovely friendship." The voice was deceptively gentle this time, but even Ed could clearly hear the false note in the man's words. Whoever this man was, he was deliberately saying the exactly the opposite of what he meant. And the cold anger hidden under the fake tone made a shiver of fear run down Ed's spine. This man was dangerous and he was frustrated.

A ragged and pained cough was the only answer to the man's question and he sighed impatiently.

"Where is the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Edward's breath froze in his lungs, shock shoving every single thought out of his mind.

"I had really hoped you were over this, Dren. Surely this tactic is growing old by now?" If the subject of the man's question had shocked Edward, that familiar tone and voice made his heart stop. There was no mistaking that arrogant and long suffering tone, delivered with that all-too-familiar attitude.

"Come now, Mustang, you know first hand what some of our methods are. I thought this way would be preferable to them for now. After all, you can't exactly answer my questions if you are too busy screaming." Edward was quite suddenly furious. This Dren's smug mockery and total confidence were really grating on his nerves. He was the only one allowed to talk to Mustang like that. A ragged chuckle echoed through the room as Ed blindly strained to see around the unwitting human blockade, telling himself angrily that he didn't care what condition the Colonel was in, he was just trying to see what was going on.

"You should also know by now that I am not going to tell you bastards anything. You are seriously wasting your time." A reluctant admiration for the Colonel's guts drowned out the fury and shock for a moment, letting him think. He had to calm down. No matter how much he wanted too, he couldn't go bursting into the room to beat the man to a pulp. He didn't know if there was anyone else in the room, and he still didn't know what was going on. Growling silently in the back of his throat, Ed shifted so that he could see through the vent easier.

You don't care, remember? A dry sarcastic voice taunted in the back of his mind. He snarled silently.

Shut it!

"Really, Colonel, I do not understand why you are doing this to yourself. Just tell me where he is or any information that can help us capture him and we will let you go. Why do you insist on staying silent?" Edward stiffened, listening as hard as he could as his heart began to pound with dread.

"What kind of man do you think I am? What kind of respectable adult would give up a child to save themselves some discomfort?" The faint hint of pain in the Colonel's voice faded as he spoke, disappearing in a surprising flash of anger.

"The same man who would recruit said child as a human weapon for the Military, Mustang." An oddly self-deprecating laugh filled the room.

"I think this is a very different situation, Dren. As a state alchemist, he only has to serve as a human weapon in emergencies, and I will do absolutely everything in my power to make certain that such a situation never happens. He is also under my command, where I can keep an eye on him. You want me to hand him over to you, and judging by the hospitality you have shown me, I have significant doubts about how he would be treated. As his commanding officer, I would never help you capture him to spare myself pain. Especially if he would be taking my place as your guest." The confidence and command in Mustang's voice clearly took the man by surprise, but he regrouped quickly.

"I cannot believe what I am hearing! You, the infamous Flame Alchemist, so called 'Hero of Ishval'! After all the people you slaughtered in that war, you would claim that you still have honor enough to refuse to give up one kid? You don't even like the brat, that much is common knowledge!" The man exclaimed. The room was quiet for a long moment and Ed was surprised to realize that he was holding his breath as he waited for the Colonel's answer.

"Just because we do not always see eye to eye, does not mean that I hate him. He is one of my subordinates. If I truly hated the arrogant brat, I could have easily transferred him under someone else's command, regardless of the loss of one 'pawn' as you like to call him. One way or the other, it makes no difference. I will not betray Major FullMetal." Edward could not believe his ears. 'Dren' as the Colonel had called him, was just as skeptical.

"If that is true, I wonder how you would feel if we had him down here with you? How you would feel while we showed him the same hospitality we have shown you and forced you to watch?" He mused darkly and Ed caught the oddest sound of metal clanking, almost like chains rattling against each other.

"You just don't get it, do you? Unlike me, the FullMetal Alchemist is far too clever to fall for any of your childish tricks. On some level you have to understand that or you wouldn't be wasting time with me! You know you can't catch him without my help. And I will never give him to you." Mustang's tone had changed drastically, and Ed actually shivered a little at the cold and hard note of utter certainty in the Colonel's voice. In that single moment, Ed actually believed all the terrifying rumors about the monster that was known as the Flame Alchemist.

The room was dead silent for a few minutes this time before Draco leapt forward with a snarl, snatching something that gleamed like metal off a now visible table to his right and stabbing it forward.

"Wait, Sir! Not at full power, you will kill him!" Someone else in the room cried in warning but he ignored them. Something sparked and then Mustang screamed. Flashes of light sparked around whatever instrument Draco held, and Ed caught his first glimpse of the Colonel.

A pair of very thick chains were attached to the ceiling in the center of the room, and Mustang hung by his arms from thick shackles at the end of each chain, the rest of his body still mostly blocked from Edward's view by Draco. What little he could see of the man was jerking violently, those horrible screams echoing the movements. Finally Draco pulled back and the Colonel hung limply from his shackles, the room echoing with his pained gasps.

There was a faint creak of strained metal and Ed looked down to see that his automail hand had dug an impressive furrow into the thick metal of the air duct. He growled under his breath, reluctantly grateful that Mustang's screams had apparently masked the sound of him unconsciously crushing the metal. A ragged and pained cough drew his attention back to the room in time for him to see Draco slowly place what looked like a simple metal rod with a pointed end that now dripped with blood back on the table.

"Where is the FullMetal Alchemist, Edward Elric?" Draco demanded, his voice hard and flat. Mustang drew in a shaky breath, the sound oddly wet and rattling.

"I do not know." Edward barely managed to keep himself still at the pained exhaustion in the Colonel's voice. It was so wrong for Mustang to sound like that. Something deep inside him wanted to utterly destroy whoever had reduced the confident man he knew to this. It was taking everything he had to hold himself back.

Later, he promised himself. Later you will make them all pay for breaking the man who was thought to be unbeatable. Later you will make them regret hurting one of the few constants in your life. If you move now, you could ruin any chance of saving him. Wait. Wait until later.

"When will the FullMetal Alchemist report to your office?" Ed clung to the words as a distraction from his inexplicable fury about Mustang and peered through the vent to see that no one had moved.

"I do not know."

"When is the next time you expect the FullMetal Alchemist to contact you?"

"I do not know."

"When is the FullMetal Alchemist scheduled to return to Central?"

"I do not know." Draco growled and grabbed the Colonel by the hair and jerked his head up, Mustang's face still hidden from Ed's view.

"I thought you said he was your Subordinate! That you keep an eye on him! How is that true when you apparently have no idea where he is or when he will reappear?!" A weak chuckle was followed by a grinding cough.

"As a State Alchemist, the FullMetal Alchemist has the obligation and expectation to continue researching his speciality in alchemy. Unless he is on a mission for me or the Military, he travels constantly to further his own research. At these times, the FullMetal Alchemist is under no obligation to report to me or return to Central by a specific date." A little life had creeped back into the Colonel's voice and Ed forced himself to relax a little in response. Obviously, Mustang was still determined to not give anything away, or else he would have told the man that he had ways of contacting him or that Edward made sure to check in with Mustang's office at least once a week, regardless if he was on a mission or not.

How...how is he doing this? No matter what kind of loyalty he spouts, no one should be able to keep silent after this. He quickly pushed the thoughts away, pushing the anger aside so he could plan a way out of this mess.

"Don't push me too far, Mustang. Despite your own claims, you are are a smart man. Tell me how to find him or I will make you regret it." The finality in Draco's tone made fear flood through Ed's chest and he firmly bit his tongue to hold it back.

"Oh, I don't think a coward like you is really capable of making me regret something like this. Will it be easier if I say it straight out? I will never let you Drachma scum so much as lay one finger on the FullMetal Alchemist." If Draco had sounded deadly, Mustang's voice was much worse. Draco actually took a step back at the icy tone, the threat stated as if there was no possibility of Mustang failing to carry it out.

"You dig your own grave, Colonel Mustang." Draco stated flatly, his voice full of suppressed fury. In a blur, the man picked up the metal spike and drove it into Mustang's right thigh. Ed wrenched his automail from the metal of the duct and clapped his hands over his ears as Mustang's screams echoed around him, but he forced his eyes to stay open and locked on Draco. The man straightened slowly, leaving the spike in the Colonel's leg, and spun to face the room, giving Edward his first look at his face.

He was built like a soldier, solid muscle and a thick neck, but his face was soft. Hard blue eyes over a squashed nose with a thin mouth set over a soft chin. His mouth was twisted in a snarl, a vein pulsing in one temple. He snapped his fingers, the sound barely audible over the screams. Two men quickly stepped into view in response and Ed tried to be glad he held back from bursting into the room, but the screams made it hard.

"We are running out of time and I have no more patience. I want him broken by tomorrow." Draco stated, his eyes hard with a mysterious emotion.

Something Mustang just said hit a nerve. While he does have a talent for that, the question is if it was intentional or not. Part of him was shocked that he could be thinking so calmly about the emotional state of the disgusting jerk with Mustang's screams ringing in his ears. But the calm part of him knew that he would explode if he didn't focus on something, anything, else.

One of the men shook his head in clear exasperation and stepped past Draco to yank the metal spike out of the Colonel's leg. Mustang immediately sagged limply from his chains, his head bowed so that his hair hid his face in shadows. Hoarse ragged gasps were the only sound for a moment before the man turned back to face Draco.

"Sir, we have been pushing him too hard! We have had him for seven days now. With the extent of his...injuries on top of everything else, if we rush to break him so quickly, he will die! You gave very explicit orders that he must still be functional and useful later. That will not happen if you insist on this." The man ground out, dropping the spike back on the table with a pointed glare. Draco's face began to turn purple and Ed suddenly had the worrying impression that the man was terrifyingly close to snapping completely. He grabbed the soldier's shirt and yanked him forward until their faces were only inches apart.

"I. Do. Not. Care. Is that clear enough, Sergeant? He will be broken by sunrise or both of you will answer for it. Understood?" The sheer malice in his voice was surprising, it clearly caught both men off guard as fear made their eyes go wide. They nodded silently and Draco shoved the man away with a snarl. Ignoring him as he struggled to stay on his feet, Draco stalked out of Edward's view, the groan of hinges followed by the distinctive sound of a door slamming letting the alchemist know that he had left the room.

And that is the first part. I have a good deal of the next chapter written, the question will be where to cut it off. Please leave a review if possible!