notes: I'm shook. I can't believe I'm updating this again so soon. No joke, writing that BNHA stuff really helped me get a jump on this again. Also, the fact that my three major fics all feature some sort of mind control is ridiculous and completely unintentional, as I've had this planned for like a year, but I'm slow as molasses. There was supposed to be more action in this, but I got tired and didn't want to do it after writing so much action in my other fics. The next one will be all action then, so expect me to drag my feet.

They spend the next hour rushing around the house, packing up whatever they deem necessary. Edward is particularly moody about it, mumbling his complaints under his breath. Riza knows that he doesn't understand the necessity to leave, but they do. This house is a death trap waiting to happen. If Roy comes back under the spell of Father, he can turn all his defensive spells back on them. They can't stay here. It's too dangerous.

"Can you defeat him?" Winry asked after Riza explained the situation.

Riza didn't give her an answer then and she doesn't have one now. It's not really a matter if she can or not at this point. If it comes to it, she doesn't have much of a choice. Roy will either force her hand or he'll be able to hold himself back. If he can't do the latter, she will be forced to fight him and even kill him if she finds the opportunity. If she doesn't defeat him, then he will defeat her – it's that simple – and it's something Riza can't allow.

Does she have the ability to defeat Roy? She's honestly not sure. He's in a class of his own.

Nonetheless, he'd given her permission to end his life should it be necessary to stop him. If he's lost control to a Master with terrible intentions, then it will be necessary to at least try. There can only be one Servant remaining in the end for the Holy Grail to work anyways. They've both deluded themselves into thinking this could end in any other way than good. Maybe the Holy Grail could bring the other person back, but would it be the same? Would it really be her or him or just the instrument's impression of them?

"Are you ready?" Riza asks.

Edward shoves a bun in his mouth and attempts to speak around it, but all Riza can gather is that he thinks this is stupid or something like that. Still, he slings a backpack over his shoulders and nods his head.

"Where are we going?" Winry asks while they pile into the car.

"We just need to find a place to lay low," Riza explains, starting the car. It's mostly futile. Roy and Assassin will be able to find her most likely, but at least they could make it on their turf. There are too many traps lying in wait here at the house that are far above any of their levels as mages. She knew that Ed didn't like to be reminded that he wasn't as strong as Roy, but it was the truth. "A hotel or something."

Alphonse has been silent since being reunited with Edward. It was all smiles and hugs at first, but now he's staring out the car window, a glazed look about his eyes. With the exception of Rider's brief words, none of them know what happened while Alphonse was with Father. The marks on his wrists and ankles let them know that he was imprisoned and not kindly either, but that's the extent of it. He offers them no details and pretends as if everything is okay, like doing that will make it go away.

What kind of monster would do that to an innocent child? She can't picture Roy under the thumb of a man like that. He would rage against it.

Pinako finds them a motel on the outskirts of town where they can hole up. There isn't a lot surrounding it, so that when the fight comes to them – because it will – there will be less in the way of collateral damage and Riza will be able to go all out. There can be no holding back, not if Roy is the one she has to fight. The rooms are nothing to get excited about, but she's slept on dirt grounds with no tent, so it's the least her problems. She keeps guard outside by the car as the other four get settled. The two rooms are joined by a door, which they leave open for now.

It's a quiet night right now. Despite the nervous energy and thick tension radiating from everyone, no one says a word. Even though there's so much to talk about, none of them know what to say. There isn't anything they can say that will make this better. They're not for sure who they're running from, if Roy is no longer on their side, and what's going to happen. Edward doesn't even know if he's a part of the Holy Grail War or not, which leaves him in a confused and angry fog as he storms about.

Winry teeters anxiously in the doorway of hers and Pinako's room. "We can set up some defensive spells that will at least alert us to a Servant's or Master's presence, but…"

"That won't matter for shit if it's Caster," Edward snaps. "He can bypass them easily without any of us knowing." A frown cuts across his face as he stares off into the distance. He doesn't look defeated by any means, despite losing his Command Seals, but there's an edge to him now that wasn't there before. He doesn't know what he's doing. He's lost his place. She idly wonders if that was how Roy felt after he lost her. "I couldn't even tell he was nearby when he was–"

He bites his tongue before he can continue. When he was Caster's Master. He isn't anymore. Or maybe he can be once again if they break whatever spell Father put over Roy. None of them know. Pinako's knowledge has extended as far as it can and Rider's information only confirmed their fears but gave them nothing they didn't already know. They are flying in the dark and Riza truly hates it.

"What are we going to do?" Winry asks in a quiet voice. She wraps her arms around herself and looks up into the night sky as a gentle breeze blows through the air.

"We wait," Riza simply replies.

"We fight," Ed growls.

We try not to die.

"You disobeyed a direct order!" Olivier roars. "You let them go with barely a fight!"

"I fought honorably!" Rider counters, the first time he has ever said anything against her.

Olivier's blood boils and she whips out her sword, a family heirloom that was charmed centuries ago to inflict wounds that bleed every few days. Rider does not flinch when she points the gleaming tip of her weapon an inch away from his neck. He knows that she won't purposely hurt him, seeing as how it might make him weaker in any upcoming battles, but she is tempted.

"Disobey me like that again," Olivier warns, "and I will force you to do something you truly regret."

He thinks he regrets what he did now? This is war. She will make him feel all kinds of regret. It's not a matter of punishment either. It just is what it is. She came into the Holy Grail War with the understanding and acceptance that she would be forced to give up a part of herself and he will have to do the same. The path to victory is not always paved with good deeds or even intentions.

She knows that Rider hates being involved in the Elric boy's kidnapping. She knows that he hates being mixed up with Father, Assassin, Saber, and his loony Master. She even knows that he might even hate her being his Master. None of that matters. She doesn't care what Rider hates and she doesn't give a damn about his regret. It does nothing for them in this war. His compassion is a weakness that she wishes she could carve out of him.

Curse the Holy Grail for giving her this pathetic whelp to work with. Caster is little better with his arrogance, but at least he is powerful and willing to go the distance.

At the thought of the other Servant in the basement, Olivier's thoughts turn dark. She sheathes her sword and turns away from Rider, too furious to look at him. It's like he's staying in his corporeal form just to anger her further because his presence is doing nothing but make matters worse between them. It's punishment. She hopes he understands that hers will be much worser. She needs him strong for this though.

They didn't want Father to get a hold of Caster. It's the last thing they need. As much as she loathes the other mage, Caster's strength is undeniable and the last person they need to control him is Father. The dagger he used to steal Edward Elric's Command Seals is locked away in a safe. No doubt there are many magical traps lurking about to protect it from thieves. It's a conundrum that needs to be solved fast. If she was able to somehow get Caster on her side, she'd be unstoppable.

Of course then she would have to deal with two difficult Servants that would want to fight her on every decision. It's enough to make Olivier want to stab something.

Not to mention that she knows Father has every intention of stabbing her and Rider in the back the second they are seen as being no longer useful. She's an exceptional mage, but there is something off about Father that has her hackles rising. He doesn't just use magic; it's like he bends magic to his will. It's unnatural. He is not a mage that should exist. There will able be dark mages out there, as long as their are good ones, but it's as if Father is dark magic. He needs to be take out not just to ensure her victory in this war, but also because it is the right thing to do. At least that's one thing Rider can agree on her with.

She would stab him while he is sleeping if she didn't know Assassin would be there to stop it. He's a sneaky, little bastard. Even though he looks to be no more than an innocent child, she can feel that his malice knows no bounds. He knows that he is a stronger than most and he lords it over them like a black fog.

"Rider," Olivier prompts. Even without looking back at him, she knows that his eyes are on her. "The next time you cross paths with Archer, you will kill her. Do you understand me?"

If he doesn't like her words, he doesn't show it. Rider simply replies, "Of course," in his deep voice like thunder.

Olivier turns to face him and catches his eyes. "And you will eliminate hers and Caster's former Masters as well. Even with their Servants out of the War, Masters are dangerous foes." Rider's eyes widen, his nostrils flare, and a look of indignation crosses his face, but she ignores them all, giving him such a furious glare that he almost backs down physically. "They are not children anymore. They're our enemies. You will do as you're told and take them out."

If she has to use two of her Command Seals, then so be it. Her Servant will listen to her, whether he likes it or not. It will be easier if he did so she doesn't have to waste them, but she almost relishes the power that will come over her when she does. Rider has been so stubborn up until now, but the fact that he completely disobeyed her when retreated from Archer has angered her beyond repair. She won't have any mercy with her enemies and she won't have any for him either.

That's just the way war is.

Considering that he doesn't know this city well and May is unconscious, it takes some time for Ling to figure out where to go. It's more or less by accident that he finds himself at a motel on the outskirts of town. They need to stay away from where it's busy. The motel is on the opposite side of the city from the forest where he first battled Saber is and also is cheap. Judging from the money he found in May's wallet, it's still almost too expensive, but he's able to figure it out without resorting to stealing.

Good gods, Ling was once the wealthiest emperor in the entire world and now he's been reduced to considering pickpocketing innocent civilians. He almost tailspins into melodramatics, but stops himself.

He would pay them back later, after they win the War, but he highly doubts that May would be pleased with him doing such things. Still, if it comes to either that or starving on the streets, he'll stoop that low. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it's just finding a roof to put over her head and warm food in her belly. He's her Servant, after all.

Also, he's really hungry. May flooded him with her mana when she unlocked whatever was holding her magic back, but now he's beginning to feel the strains of his fight with Saber and wandering around the city with his unconscious Master in his arms.

Getting a room at the motel is kind of awkward. May dealt with those things before while he drifted around the area in his incorporeal form. Now he's stuck pretending that he's some regular mortal in the modern world. It doesn't help that he's carrying an unconscious girl around in his arms. He highly doubts that he'll be able to just stroll in and get a room. Still, he can't just set her down somewhere outside.

Ling is clever if nothing else. He grabbed a blanket along with her meager belongings (all of which fit into a single backpack) from their old hotel room. After shifting her in his arms so that the side of her face is resting on his shoulder and one arm is slug around his neck, he puts the blanket over her. It looks like she's just fallen asleep, which she kind of has. Knocked unconscious by unleashing an insane amount of magical power and mana – same difference.

"Hi!" Ling greets the night clerk in a quiet whisper.

The woman blinks at him in surprise, noticing the young girl sleeping in his arms. "How can I help you?" She matches him in volume immediately.

"My little sister and I are in the city to meet our father, but she tuckered out," Ling explains. "I thought it would be best if we just stopped here."

It was similar to the lie May told the other people at their old hotel. They were half siblings coming to the city to meet their father. They look like each other just enough for the lie to pass. Ling can play the big brother role when necessary. It is easy with May. Although he'll never say it out loud, it's like she makes him want to be a brother. He had siblings back when he was fighting to become emperor in his own life, but he was forced to kill them or be killed in a series of many assassination attempts.

"Oh, of course!" the woman says happily. "You're such a sweet big brother." She types away at the computer as she searches for a room. This isn't the best place – certainly not one fit for a princess and the former emperor of half the world – and the woman is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but she's suddenly as kind as a clerk at a four star hotel. Some people are still good. "My brothers were never so nice."

Ling gives her a winning smile. He knows how charming he can be. After getting the details of a room, he digs the appropriate amount of money out of May's wallet. It's cheaper than their old place at least. There's not much left in that wallet though. He's uncertain what they will do next, but they can figure that out when she wakes up. It is difficult to believe that he is willingly waiting to talk things over with a little girl when he never listened to anyone before, but it feels right.

The room is dingy and dim even after turning on a light, but it will make do. He lays her down on the bed farthest from the window and then takes a deep breath as he stands up straight. She looks peaceful, her face soft and flush with youth, her mouth open as she lightly snores. He's still too wired from all the mana she gave him and what he really wants is something to eat, so he snags more money and slips out of the room to find a vending machine.

Right when Ling is trying to decide on what he wants to eat and if he should just break into it and get whatever he wants, someone shouts, "What are you doing here!"

Not afraid in the slightest, Ling turns his head to the side and sees Caster's young Master gawking at him, clutching a container of ice like he might be able to use it as a weapon. Completely uninterested, Ling returns to examining his options in the vending machine. "What does it look like? I'm getting something eat."

"I mean, here! At this motel!"

"Whatever it is people do at these places."

Edward gawks at him and asks, "So…you're not…looking for a fight?"

Ling huffs and finally chose something. "Does it look like I am?" Honestly, he can go for one right now. He has the energy and the strength. Of course, he doesn't really fancy a fight with Caster, especially not when May is still out of commission, but Edward doesn't need to know that. He takes his food and turns around to face the other Master. He's got a few years on May, but hasn't hit his growth spurt yet apparently. "You might as well bring Caster out. He can't hide from my Master."

A strange looks flitters across Edward's face. It's like he can't decide between anger, discomfort, or something else that Ling doesn't recognize. Fear maybe?

It gives Ling pause and he narrows his eyes. "If you're not looking for a fight then, what are you doing all the way out here?" This seems like a reasonable question, despite the ridiculousness of a situation. Edward is a Master to another Servant that will try to kill Ling if he isn't already – they're enemies in a very powerful and dangerous war over a wish granting object – and here they are having a conversation by a vending machine.

Archer appears out of thin air behind Edward, laying a hand on his shoulder. That's curious. Shouldn't Caster be the one defending him? There is a hard expression on her face, but she's not in her armor and she doesn't have her magical bow. "What are you doing here, Lancer?"

Again with the same question? Ling just wants to eat, maybe watch a little television like a regular person, and relax while May gets some rest. That's all he wants, truth be told. He doesn't want to fight, but he will. It would be more fun than answering the same question over and over again. "Do you expect my Master to stay on the streets?" He points a finger at them. "Your presence is the unusual one. I know you're not based in this part of the city." Casually munching on his food, he eyes them carefully. "Are you hiding?"

That's technically what he and May are doing here. He chose this place because it was out of the way and he didn't think any of the other Masters or Servants would come looking for them here. The fact that two other Masters and Servants were here caught him off guard, but maybe they're here because of the same reason. What are the odds that all of them would end up here? It's one hell of a coincidence. If so, all Ling can do is stay calm and keep a fight from starting out. As much as he would love to fight them, he can't do it while May is in such a vulnerable position.

When neither Archer nor Edward respond to him, Ling straightens up in surprise and exclaims, "Oh, you are! How interesting." His eyes leave Archer and rest on Edward. He's clutching that ice bucket against his chest like it will protect him somehow. Only when Ling notices the back of Edward's hands does he stop cold. "Your Command Seals."

"It's nothing," Edward snaps hastily, scowling at him and hiding one of his hands in his pockets. The sight of their bareness can't be unseen though. The Command Seals that mark a Master in the Holy Grail War aren't smudged after being used; they're completely gone, as if they hadn't been there in the first place. It throws Ling completely off and now he's the one gawking at them.

"We will ignore your presence for this one night, Lancer," Archer warns him, "but if you are not gone by the morning, I will end you."

"Alright, alright," Ling replies, holding up a hand. "Don't get all worked up."

What is going on? It is more than clear to him now that they are in hiding. Somewhere in this building Archer's Master is probably sleeping. But where is Caster? What happened to Edward's Command Seals? Did the marks completely vanish after being used up? If he did do that, then what had they gone through in the days since he saw them last?

Assassin peers closely at Caster. "How is he holding up?"

"It is nearly over with," Father confirms.

His Master is confident, but Assassin is less certain. Caster has been fighting the command transfer from the beginning to the point where they thought it was going to kill him instead. He acted like he would rather die than allow Father to take over the role of his Master. Caster's horrible screams had echoed throughout the castle, sounding as if they were being physically ripped from him, until he would pass out from the pain. Whenever he came to, it would happen all over again, though weaker with each round that passed.

Currently, Caster is chained up to a wall, having been heaved up into the position by Rider, hanging limply from the magic dampening manacles around his wrists. They digs into his skin, rivulets of blood to streak down his forearms and stain the sleeves of his shirt. Sweat drips from his pale face and stains his shirt. He looks terribly ill, like he's been trying to sweat out a fever, and weak, as if he can't possibly stay on standing his feet if they take the shackles off.

"He looks pathetic," Assassin decides. He gives his Master an unimpressed glance. "Are you certain you're going to be able to use him after this?"

"He's not connected to my mana yet," Father explains, examining Caster like he might a map. "He's using the last bit of his own energy to fight it, but he's at an end. He'll have no choice but to give in or die."

How unpleasant. "And if he chooses death?"

"Then that's one less Servant we have to worry about," Father answers simply. Honestly, Assassin won't mind that outcome. Even if the magic dagger does completely sever Caster from the Elric boy and transfers his bond over to Father, Assassin will not be able to trust Caster. If there is one Servant class that is trickier than him and more likely to turn on a Master, it is that one. Plus, Assassin just doesn't like Caster. Him dying is an outcome that he prefers.

Father steps towards Caster and waves a hand over his face. The magic must be a shock to Caster, who is being slowly drained of it, as his eyes snap open and he jerks hard in his shackles. It doesn't phase Father at all; he merely stands just out of Caster's reach and watches the mage with a critical eye.

"You…" Caster rasps, his throat most likely raw from screaming.

"Rise and shine, Caster," Assassin greets in a pleasant tone. Caster's dark eyes shift over to him. Normally, he will hide what he's thinking, but after days of mental and magical torture, he lacks the ability to hide his thoughts. A faint snarl curls onto his face, but he is too exhausted to do little more. He sags in his chains again, letting them hold him up, his knees bent and his feet barely doing any work.

"How are you feeling?" Father asks, like a parent might a child.

Caster closes his eyes and takes a shaky breath. "Been better." The last few times they checked on him, he tried to resist, fight back, jerk away, anything. This time he does none of those things. Besides being startled awake, he is almost placid by comparison. Assassin doesn't know if it was a lack of will or energy.

"Are you ready to accept your true fate?" Father uses the same tone. It has a strange effect of making him appear kinder than he is when Assassin knows that there's a kind bone in the man's body. It's not a bad thing. Assassin doesn't have any in him either. He didn't in life and he doesn't now as a Servant. For all the horrific stories about the Flame Alchemist though, he is a kind man in his heart. It's a weakness, one that Father seeks to exploit.

Unlike before, when Caster would snarl back a response, this time, he doesn't respond right away. His tired eyes flicker from Servant to Master, only a little heat in them. He's worn down, but more importantly, he's not putting up near as much of a fight anymore. He might still be struggling against it by not giving a proper answer, but it's as good as one. Father seems pleased, allowing a small smile to appear on his face as he straightens up.

"You're very close," he says. "I knew you would give in."

Caster's gaze falls to the ground as he begins to breathe steadily. It's a look of defeat and shame. For all his strength and magic, it is impossible to ignore the call of the Holy Grail War. The bond between a Master and their Servant is too strong to ignore, especially when it has been forced upon a Servant. Assassin knows that it isn't just the Command Seals that now adorn Father's other hand that bind Caster to him. He's been weaving some powerful magic over the other mage, bending Caster to his will, molding his mind to match Father's own desires. It's very dark stuff.

Assassin bets it was the kind of magic that even the Flame Alchemist stayed away from in the Mage Wars. He probably killed mages for using such magic, no doubt, and now it was being used on him.

After deciding that Caster needs to suffer a little longer before unleashing him, Father and Assassin make their way back up the stairs from the cells. It stung to lose the younger Elric boy, but they gained a much better weapon and bargaining chip with Caster. Surely he was aware of that when he showed up on their castle steps the other night. The fact that Rider could not retrieve the boy was another slight, but it was no matter. They have Archer spooked. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens when the Hawk's Eye sees her beloved Flame Alchemist again.

"It's almost time," Father decides as he sits down in a luxurious chair in front of the hearth.

"Do you think Rider and his Master are prepared?" Assassin asks.

Father waves a dismissive hand. "It makes no matter if they are or not. The second Archer is taken out, we will kill them as well."

The two have come in handy, but both of them know that Rider and Armstrong aren't necessary in order to defeat the rest of the Servants. Once their purpose is served, Assassin and Saber can take out that huge emotional piss pot of a Servant and his arrogant Master. They'll have to take Lancer out afterwards, which Assassin knows that Saber is itching for. He's still infuriated over his last defeat, hellbent on killing Lancer's little Master even more. Assassin likes Saber well enough, but it'll be nice when they can chuck him in the bin as well.

If his thoughts sound cold, it's because they are. He's never known to feel anything but that and it serves him well in the Holy Grail War.

"What if Caster is able to break free?" Assassin asks.

"He won't," Father replies with utter confidence.

Assassin isn't so sure, but he doesn't question his Master again. He'll just have to keep an eye out. If worse comes to worse and Caster is able to snap out of it or Father is forced to use all his Command Seals, then it will be up to his original Servant to take Caster out. Assassin smiles to himself. He's definitely looking forward to that.

When the sun rises in the morning, Riza feels as if she can't breathe, so she sets to walking around the motel. It's a beautiful morning, only a few fluffy clouds in the sky. Being on the outskirts of town means that there are more trees and greenery, something that she takes comfort in, even when the backdrop is a dingy motel. For a moment, she can pretend that everything is fine.

Roy will come back. He has to come back.

As far as she can tell, Lancer is gone, but there's always the chance that his Master is hiding them. She remembers how the young mage was able to pinpoint Roy's location when he was hiding in his incorporeal form when no one else was capable of it, not even his own Master. She's a strong, little thing, no matter how innocent she looks. She sensed how strong Lancer was last night as well, radiating power that far exceeded what she felt during their last encounter. It is concerning, but there's nothing to be done about it right now.

Pulling her loose hair from her right side to her left to hold it in a side ponytail, Riza lets out a sigh and turns back around the head back to Winry's room.

And then there is Roy, standing five feet in front of her, greeting, "There you are, Riza."

Riza's first instinct is to run towards him. It is always her first instinct. She can't imagine a world in which she doesn't go to him. He's a part of her as much as she is a part of him. Her heart swells. He's here. He's back. He's came to her. Her mind doesn't question how, not when he's right before her eyes, not when he's close enough to touch with just a few steps.

Her second thought stills her though. She's not just Riza or even the Hawk's Eye. She's a Servant in the Holy Grail War – and so is he.

"Roy?" she calls out softly.

There's something wrong with his eyes. When she really looks at him, it's the first thing she notices. They're very focused on her, but there's no light in them. His face is more than blank. It's like there's nothing there at all. As if he's been entirely wiped clean. Even the way he holds himself, hands in his pockets but arms limp, like someone would look like if they were trying to imitate his lackadaisical attitude.

It looks like Roy, but it isn't him. She doesn't know who this is at all.

Riza takes a step back and he takes a step forward.

A smile twitches onto his face. It looks wrong. "What's wrong?" His voice is wrong.

"Where have you been, Roy?" she asks him, keeping her distance from him.

"I got caught up with Father, but I managed to escape," he tells her. "I went back to the house, but you all were gone. It took some time to finding you."

Not long enough apparently. It's not enough of an explanation. Roy certainly looks like he's been through a ringer now that she looks at him. He's disheveled and tired-looking, as if he'd spent days struggling against the torture many mages were subjected to before the Mage Wars. His movements are halting. All of it makes her wary. He wouldn't just show up here unannounced. Something is seriously off.

"Where's Edward?" Roy asks casually, but there is intent underlining the two words.

"He's not here," Riza lies, though she knows that he'll be able to see through it.

Roy furrows his brow. "Now why would you say that? I ought to know where my Master is."

His tone almost freezes the blood in Riza's veins. It's so cold. She clenches her hands at her side and turns away from him, ready to materialize her bow and arrows in less than a second. "Then where is Father?" This time, it's Roy that halts. He rears back and blinks at her. "We know about the weapon that transfers the bond between Masters. I saw Edward's Command Seals vanish. It was like they were ripped out of his soul. It hurt him. It almost killed him."

A cold, disinterested look comes over Roy's face and he says, "Pity it didn't. Would've saved me the trouble and would've been less painful."

Her heart clenches in her chest and the bow appears in her hands as she raises them, an arrow already notched and ready to be let loose. She aims it directly at Roy's heart. He doesn't flinch – barely even reacts – as if it is exactly how he believed she would react. He knew that she would point an arrow at him. There's not a hint of shock or hurt.

"Are you going to shoot me this time?" Roy questions her. He tilts his head, eyeing her so coldly. "This is how many times you've pointed an arrow at me? You couldn't let loose then. I doubt you can now."

He smirks, but it doesn't reach his eyes. She knows instinctively that this was what he was after her death. This was who he became. This is the monster he allowed to take control once she was gone. There were glimpses of it before her death, peeking out when something particularly awful happened. She thinks of the village they came across, completely destroyed, and the bodies of children gathered in a church. When they caught the dark mages responsible for it, Roy spared none of them. There was no mercy in him then, but he wasn't cruel either. He didn't prolong their deaths as those mages had done to the innocents they killed.

This Roy is different. Maybe he won't take pleasure in killing, but he won't make it quick either.

Before Riza can prove him wrong though, she hears movement behind her and she rolls out of the way just before Rider slams his heavy fists into the ground where she was standing. It's so strong that he breaks the concrete, his two fists creating creators. She pops back onto her feet, aiming again. It might appear like she's still aiming at Roy, but he doesn't know the extent of her Noble Phantasm. Rider, who has seen it in action, is more hesitant, but there is an intensity in his bright blue eyes that she knows comes from a Command Seal being used on him.

"Really, Riza, it would be easier to just tell me where Edward is," Roy says, holding out his hands palms up, like he's being merciful. "We'll make yours and Winry's deaths quick. I would rather spare you the pain."

"You're going to kill us?" Riza asks.

"It's the Holy Grail War and I am a Servant in it," Roy replies. "That's what we were brought here to do." He shrugs his shoulders. "Besides, once we win, I can use the Holy Grail to bring you back. What does it matter who I win it with? Edward? Father? Either way, I get what I want."

Riza shakes her head. "That's not what I want." Roy drops his hands to his side and narrows his eyes. "If you think like that, don't you dare bring me back because that is not the man I love and I won't stay with you." He stares back at her, as if not quite sure he's hearing her right. What did Father do to him? "You do this now and I will never forgive you."

"We'll see what you say after I bring you back," Roy says. "I'll make you understand."

And then he snaps his fingers and fire roars to life.