Roy was a little offended.

To be precise, he was furious and terrified and just about every emotion in between. But on top of all of that, he was also offended.

He had endured both nightmares and meaningless passing thoughts regarding what he would do if his kids somehow ended up in a potentially life-threatening situation such as getting kidnapped. He had spent quiet nights staring at his ceiling fan, running through the steps of all of his possible and usually fiery responses; such thoughts were unavoidable in his line of work. But while he was occupied by these paranoid trains of thought, he was always sure to never risk underestimating the hypothetical scumbag who unwisely decided to touch the two children.

Perhaps he went overboard before, but Roy at least felt prepared for any situation to arise.

It was just his luck that when such a thing actually did happen, it was done in such an amateurish fashion that he had to toss all of his elaborate pre-planning out the window.

He could understand shooting for a high ransom. But to make such an outrageous demand as five million cens and then to hang up without allowing him a word? If they didn't want Roy to barter for a lower price that he was capable of achieving, they could have asked for something more reasonable from the beginning. Perhaps they expected his connection to the military to allow him access to a stockpile of money in case of emergencies. Either way, it was a sloppy.

Plus, the kidnapper did a poor job at masking his nervousness over the phone, not to mention how Roy didn't even need to see to tell how desperate the guy was. Someone who was less trained might have missed it, but damn it, if they were going to demand a ransom from a colonel in the military, they should have at least been more prepared!

Hence the tinge of offence he couldn't help but feel.

But despite everything, he still could not risk underestimating the kidnappers. It was their desperation that made them dangerous. If he was dealing with professionals, he would have considered paying a ransom and hunting them down afterwards, certain that the boys would befall no harm.

But he couldn't know that when it came to these sorry armatures. He expected them to be impulsive and rash and do everything incorrectly in the worst kinds of ways. He refused to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Roy was currently sitting in the backseat of a car with his arms folded and eyes firmly set glaring at the back of Hawkeye's seat as she drove, only mildly eased with the knowledge that the rest of his team was following in a second car slightly further back. Plus, he had Hughes on standby, should the worst happen. It was unlikely that he would have to, but he didn't want to get the military immediately involved if he could help it. His team didn't count. They weren't trailing behind him as subordinates, but as friends and colleagues who cared for the two boys who had fallen into this mess.

Granted, most of them have yet to officially meet the blonds, but that hardly mattered. Them simply being Roy's sons was more than enough reason for any of them to act without hesitation. Not a single one of them batted an eye when he burst into the outer office with a serious expression, declaring that they were leaving.

He was lucky to have them. Roy considered doing something after all of this was over; taking them out to drinks maybe. But then again, it would be more interesting if Ed and Al could come. Some place family friendly, then…

Roy would have laughed at himself for allowing his interests to change so drastically after adopting them, if only his heart wasn't beating so dangerously against his ribcage. But distracting himself with such idle thoughts was the only way to keep himself sane during the unbearable drive to the designated location.

He employed the same tactic during the war.

Not like that thought comforted him in the slightest.

He remembered sitting in the back of an armored truck, gazing blankly out through the bulletproof windows. The violent desert winds slapped against the outer shell and whistling through the cracks, as he distracted and detached himself with such mindless thoughts such as what he would make for dinner that night, and whether or not he should mow the lawn the next morning; the simplicities that he missed.

Back then, all he had to do was snap his fingers when told and tune the rest out. He didn't need to truly be present at all times. The anxiety that pulled in his stomach now felt about the same as how it did then, as did the painful headache that pulsed in his skull. Roy never thought he would find himself in a situation that was as stressful and taxing as the war, but he was proven wrong the moment his kids were threatened. Turning that defense mechanism back on was so tempting. But now, he lacked the luxury. He had to be in the moment. He had to save them.

His only saving grace was knowing that it would all be over soon enough. He was going to rescue his boys, and torch those who chose to hurt them. It would be swift and easy, and then they would all go get ice cream afterwards.

Roy pondered what flavor and toppings to get for the remainder of the drive.

Edward passively rubbed at his head for a moment, applying slight pressure to the dull pang that remained after getting his hair so suddenly tugged on by their kidnapper. He remained positioned protectively in front of Alphonse as they crouched in the corner of the drab trailer home but hadn't said a word since giving the other pair of brothers the warning.

The kidnapper seemed a little too high-strung for Ed's liking. He didn't think he was in much of a position to work them up even further, despite how much he wanted to do or say something. Besides, if Roy was on his way, then they had nothing more to worry about, right? He found some comfort in thinking that, but it did little to ease the tension of the situation. Even though their attention wasn't on him and Al, even though it didn't seem like there was any intent to hurt them, Edward was physically incapable of calming himself down. Adrenaline had not stopped pumping through his veins with every heartbeat; it was not a particularly easing constant, but at least it kept him from lowering his guard. It was better to be safe than sorry. But with that said, he didn't feel especially confident in his own ability to do something should the situation call for it.

The sense of uselessness was stifling. The fact that Al hadn't been hurt yet was the only thing keeping him from feeling like a complete failure of a brother. He tried not to think about all of the other things he could have done differently to avoid ending up where they had. Edward knew he did one thing right at least, and that was choosing to stay between the kidnappers and his brother. He would take anything they threw at him as long as Alphonse was safe.

Al certainly wasn't too happy about it, however. Edward felt him tense behind him when his bangs were pulled on, like he was just barely holding himself back from getting up and doing… something. They were both painfully aware that acting out what not the best course of action at the moment. They just had to sit back and watch as the adults decided what happened to them.

They very thought of it caused Edward to scowl.

It was nothing new. They had spent so much of their childhood just being tossed around in the rapidly moving whirlpool that was the adult world. They finally got some respite when Roy adopted them, but now they had been thrown right back into the water.

The coach and his brother shared a few hushed words on the other end of the trailer home for the next few moments. It looked to have been an argument, which wasn't surprising considering how much at odds the two begrudgingly seemed to be. By the end of it, the kidnapper grumbled something under his breath and retreated to the far end of the trailer to look out the blinds impatiently, while Coach Mercer collapsed back into the seat that he occupied earlier, looking no less stressed than he was when he first stepped inside.

Edward watched the two as several seconds passed in silence.

Part of his mind was still reeling back from the discovery that their soccer coach turned out to be involved in their kidnapping. It was just so incredibly wrong. Simply trying to make sense of it all made his chest tighten uncomfortably. Edward didn't want to think about it; he didn't want to acknowledge that another part of their lives had been uprooted by an adult that they were tricked into trusting. Their father leaving them and Mom behind, almost everyone who worked at the orphanage, and now even their coach. Time and time again, their efforts to build connections were ruined. Each new path their lives took went downhill almost immediately because of selfish people.

The two brothers always managed to push on, however. They had each other, and that was always enough. Now, they also had Roy.

A devious little voice returned to the back of Ed's head after weeks of silence, again wondering if even Roy would let them down at some point, like everyone else. No one was perfect. It was bound to happen eventually.

He promptly told that voice to shut up. He and Al never asked for perfection; only someone to trust. And Roy wanted to be that person. They could trust him. He would get them out of this.

But even so, Edward didn't like the idea of sitting on his hands and waiting for it to happen. He needed answers.

The older brother could almost sense Al's disapproval radiating from behind him as he picked up on what the older brother was thinking, thanks to their supposed brotherly telepathy.

He ignored it and cleared his throat. "Hey," he said, somewhat quietly. The coach looked at him with obvious reluctance. He mustered up the little amount of courage that he still managed to cling to and targeted the man with something that resembled a glare. "The least you could do is tell us why this is happening."

Andrew Mercer gave his own younger brother a cursory glance as if to see if he was paying attention, then sighed deeply. "My brother," he started pointedly, as if intentionally reminding himself not to give the man's name away, "worked in the warehouse district. They were paid horribly there and that's when the protests started. But once it turned into riots, even those who weren't involved were not able to keep working safely. He got into debt and-" he paused as if considering how much he wanted to say. "-and got desperate enough to join the rioters in hopes of ending it all quickly. But then the others got arrested and they're still looking for everyone else, so… long story short, he needed to quickly get enough money to leave town."

"So, he asked you to help kidnap us?" Edward growled.

The coach averted his gaze. At least he had enough shame to look regretful. "He asked me to keep an eye out for parents who would be willing to pay… I didn't like it, of course," he added on quickly as if in an attempt to defend his involvement. "I was going to tell him to stay away from you two, but he gets impulsive when he panics. We didn't intent to hurt anyone. And with how the economy is right now, and since coaching doesn't pay very well…" Andrew trailed off, rubbing the back of his head for a moment as he looked down at the floor.

"As if I care about the goddamn economy or how much you get paid," Edward muttered bitterly. He couldn't help but think back to all the times that he offered them rides and asked them about what Roy did for a living. The entire time, he was just seeing if they would make decent hostages. Hell, maybe they would have been whisked away somewhere if they ever agreed to get inside his car. The thought sent shivers down Edward's spine that he fought to suppress. "Did you ever even care? About any of us?"

"I'm not heartless, Edward," the coach said with a frown as he again looked away in discomfort. "I knew this was a bad idea; I should have discouraged it more. But… it hardly matters now."

"It could," Ed suggested, careful to keep his hopes from rising too high by trying. He continued in a whisper. "You can still fix this and let us go."

The man smiled wryly. "It's too late for that."

"Shit." All eyes fell on the kidnapper on the far end of the trailer as he squinted through the blinds to look out at the dirt lot, then glanced over to the coach. "He's here. What now?"

Edward stopped breathing for a moment.

The coach stood up and looked through the window as well. "Don't ask me. You came here with a plan, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he breathed forcibly, then said again in a quieter tone: "Yeah. Okay. We'll keep them here till we have the money. Gotta be sure that he's not going to pull anything." With that said, the kidnapper took a deep breath and opened the door, letting the orange rays of the setting sun dip inside for a moment before it was closed again behind him. Meanwhile, the coach continued to watch through the window, sparing the two kids no more than a quick glance.

Ed tried in vain to stretch from his seat on the floor in hopes of catching a glimpse of Roy through the window, but his attempt was clearly a wasted effort. All he could see from where he was were the passing clouds that slowly moved across the sky as their hues gradated from the light of the sinking sun. He could only listen for a reaction. But as things were, the most he could hear was the occasional muffle that indicated a voice, but not nearly enough to even tell who was speaking.

Al nudged him.

Edward jumped slightly and looked over his shoulder to his brother, who shifted to the side after a cautious pause. Behind him, scratched into the old vinyl panels was a transmutation circle. He almost gasped at the sight as his eyes scanned the array to decipher its purpose. It was reminiscent of the few times they managed to experiment while at the orphanage; incredible simple and made only to shift the matter outward. He was quickly able to tell that Al's intent was to make a hole in the corner and slip out without being seen and saving Roy from having to pay a ransom for them.

But there was a hint of worry on his brother's expression. He was missing the compound for the wall.

Which Ed acknowledged after a moment was very understandable, considering it wasn't exactly common for two kids to know what trailer home walls were made out of.

Edward shrugged nervously.

Alphonse shrugged back.

Ed looked back to confirm that they were still not being watched, then looked down at the circle again. They had to at least try to figure it out.

He quietly ran a hand over the wall. They didn't have much time, or many chances. His mind raced back to all of the texts they've read regarding commonly used materials and their compositions.

Limestone? Calcite?

No, no, no, none of those were right!

Selenite?

No, that wasn't right either... Think, damn it! What else?!

He knew it. He had been trying to learn as much as he could since finding out what alchemy was. He should be able to know what a trailer home was made out of! If he had his phone, he could have just looked it up. Hell, he was certain Roy had said it when he was listing some off just a few days ago.

He gently tapped a finger against the material. With the ugly vinyl panels in the way, he didn't have much to go off it. And it wasn't like he could breaking it apart without drawing attention. He shouldn't have to need to in the first place!

What was plaster made of?

And then it hit him like a sack of bricks being slung at his head.

He gave another quick look around the trailer and shifted as quietly and urgently as possible to get closer to the circle as Al shifted aside to give him room and handing him a bent paperclip. He accepted it with a mildly amused but nervous smile.

Gypsum was composed of calcium sulfate which, in the correct hydration state, was used to make plaster.

He scratched in the formula with the paperclip, hands shaking slightly from the toxic mix of fear and adrenaline. Hopefully, transmuting the plaster would be able to force open the vinyl as well. Al seemed to think it would, so that was good enough for Ed.

He leaned back and gave the circle another look, then turned his eyes on his brother. Alphonse gave him a quick, confident nod, trusting that he got it right.

Edward nodded back, breathed, and placed his hands against the circle.

Roy stepped out of the car half a block away from the abandoned construction lot that the address sent him to. With a brief order to Hawkeye to keep an eye out, he approached the lot, knowing she would relay his terse statement to the others when they got into position.

The dying light of the setting sun stretched over area, casting long beams of shadows from the broken-down chain-link fences that were scattered about. The drab trailer home was easy enough to spot when he knew what he was looking for, but he was easily able to understand how anyone passing by could miss it. It wasn't connected to a car, but he was sure they had one somewhere nearby for their hasty getaway.

With an assuring tug on his uniform jacket, he stepped into the dusty lot, eyes set on the trailer where his kids were being held.

Keep yourself in check, Mustang, he reminded himself bitterly. It would be unfortunate if he had to pay the city for property damage if he ended up setting some of the leftover items scattered around on fire.

People eagerly pointed fingers at him whenever something or someone endured any kind of fire damage. Especially when he was actually present, which, in that case, tended to be apt.

Of course, if something happened to Ed and Al, he would do a lot worse than scorch some walls.

Roy stopped a few meters away from the trailer and looked it over with narrowed eyes and a frown firmly in place, fairly certain that he would not have to wait there long.

He was right.

The door squeaked open and a single figure slipped out, quickly closing it behind him. He took the two steep steps down to the dusty ground and paused there. He wore a dark jacket with a hood that obscured most of his face in harsh shadows. His hands were in his pockets, no doubt in an attempt to hide his nerves. It was difficult to tell from where he stood, but Roy guessed the guy to be in his early thirties or late twenties.

"Where's the money?" he demanded hastily.

"Where are my kids?" he growled back in return. He didn't plan on saying that. It just slipped out.

"You'll get them back once I get the money."

Unsurprised by the response, Roy exhaled wearily. "I don't have that much cash, and the banks are closed. I can do a cheque or pay digitally." The banks were still open when he got the call, but he wasn't about to mention that. Just as he wasn't going to mention how that wouldn't be an issue if they stayed on the phone long enough to discuss such basic details. Not like he intended on paying the bastard anyway, but the lack of thought was irritating.

The others should have been getting into position by then.

The kidnapper visibly hesitated; even from where Roy stood, he could clearly see the frown during the few beats of silence that passed between them.

"I'm no idiot," he grumbled after the moment passed. "That's not going to work."

Another uncomfortable few seconds ticked by in silence as the two stared at each other in something of a stalemate. He was sure the kidnapper was beginning to panic as he felt his shabby little plan crumble in his hands.

Roy had the whole conversation planned out, but he let it drag on for a second. Let him worry.

Then when he was satisfied, he feigned a nervous expression, then attempted to throw a hint of panicked desperation into his tone, as unfamiliar as the feeling was to him. Even now, he felt more focused and calculating than ever.

"Well then… um, if you could wait, I could probably call some people and gather up the cash."

"That's what this past hour was for!" the man snapped, then quickly simmered as he squeezed the bridge of his nose, struggling under the pressure of the situation.

The colonel smirked inwardly, knowing the man had no choice but to agree.

"Fine," he relented, just as expected. "Fine. But I'll be watching. And don't forget that my partner is still with your kids in case you try anything. No tricks."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Roy was about to slowly reach into his pocket for his phone, but he paused and blinked. Something just happened. Something attracted his attention away from the man, but it disappeared before he could properly see what it was.

He looked around for a moment as he reminded himself to continue reaching for his phone but turning the movement onto autopilot.

And then he saw it.

From the back of the trailer home, he saw a new shadow appear and stretch across the lot. And then another. They moved, grew steadily longer, and Roy's heart jumped into his throat. Had it not been thanks to his years of training, he would have chocked and gaped when he saw the two blonds peer around the edge of the trailer home, golden eyes immediately falling on him.

A surge of pride burst in his chest that he had to fight to keep from turning into a wide grin. They had escaped! They must have used alchemy to get themselves out, and it was the flash from the reaction that originally caught his attention.

But before he could celebrate, he had to deal with the loud, blaring alarm that was warning him to give nothing away. Plus, what happened to the person who was watching them?

The series of events that followed all passed so rapidly that it felt like it should have been happening in slow motion as his brain was forced to process so much.

The two were edging around the side of the trailer, looking as if they intended to make a dash for him, and nothing short of him telling them to stop would slow them down. But before he could fully consider their actions, the door of the trailer swung open, nearly grazing the kidnapper, and another person appeared.

Andrew Mercer of all people urgently announced "they got out!", causing his friend to swivel to face him and spotting the two kids in their attempt to sneak by in the process.

The unexpected pang of recognition pounded Roy's head and probably would have morphed into a mild headache, had be bene given just another second to confirm that he knew the man. It was just so unfathomable and nonsensical that he would be there, after all.

But he was not given that extra second.

The moment the kidnapper saw the two boys, he lunged forward in a last-ditch attempt to keep the entire operation from failing. The kids saw this and took steps to break into a sprint, but he was already too close. He managed to grab into Al's wrist and pulled him back as his other arm reached for something in his pocket. Roy saw a shining glint of metal. Edward stumbled against his own momentum as terror took over his expression.

Roy acted without thought. Years of war experience were triggered in that split second, and he had no memory of actually slipping on the ignition glove that had been stowed away in his pocket along with his phone.

Before he could blink, or breath, and even before his heart could take another beat, his hand was up in the air and his fingers moved mechanically, snapping in the coarse material and sending a thin, precise bolt of energy through the air, converting the gasses and exploding in a condensed area on the assailants arm.

His sleeve lit up in flames and he exclaimed and flailed back, dropping both a switchblade and Al's wrist in his panic he instinctually floundered to put out the flame. Meanwhile, Coach Mercer (why the hell was he here?) watched in horror from the doorway.

When Alphonse was released, he stumbled but was pulled back into a run by his brother. The two charged to Roy is a frantic run and did not stop until they were safely behind him and peeking out from the protective wall that was their father, breathing gaspishly.

Suddenly having them so close and safe eased the suffocating weight that had hooked itself onto his lungs since he got the phone call. He wanted nothing more pull them into a hug, but Roy held himself back, keeping his eyes firmly on the two.

The fire was successfully put out, but before he could consider fleeing the scene, the perimeter of the area became surrounded by his team as they began to close in.

"Damn it," the kidnapper spat under his breath as he took a step back and began to frantically look around for an escape route. Sadly for him, there was none. Meanwhile, Mercer seemed to have accepted the situation, giving Roy no choice but to accept that he was involved on the whole thing.

The reality of it sunk in slowly and lethargically, as if the excitement of the past few seconds drained Roy of his ability to spare any more shock.

"Don't move," he barked to them both regardless of the confusion that swam around in his head. His words were further enforced when his subordinates approached with their weapons drawn.

"Whoa," Edward breathed from his side once the danger seemed to have been quelled. "You called the cavalry out just for us? It's almost like you like us or something." He spoke with a grin in an attempt to ease the tension with heart hearted humor.

Roy was thankful for it; the two handled however nervous they were feeling well, with only their subtle shaking giving it away. But he didn't have a snarky retort for him. Instead, Roy knelt down to their level and pulled them both into a tight hug and allowed the tension in his chest and his shoulders to roll out with a deep exhale when they both immediately returned the gesture.

"I'm so glad you two are okay," he heard himself say. "I'm sorry I didn't see it coming. I-"

"God, skip that part for once," Edward cut in with a shaky laugh, voice muffled slightly from Roy's jacket.

"Yeah," Al added, though there was less forced amusement in his voice. He sounded sullen, but rightfully so, after nearly having a knife drawn on him and enduring everything prior to it. "Thank you for rescuing us," he added in a softer, calmer voice. Roy could hear the small smile.

"Of course. If you two are ever in danger again, I'll always come running," he declared quietly as he allowed a moment to rest his chin on their heads. He wanted to enjoy the moment for as long as possible; enjoy the knowledge that no one could hurt them as long as he was around.

Which is exactly what he did.

At least until Edward pulled away and looked up at him with a huge grin. "And your alchemy! That was so cool!"

"Yeah!" Alphonse gasped in response as if he had just been reminded of the fact. "We had never seen you use it before, besides burning your junk mail."

"You gotta teach us that!" Edward announced excitedly, hands balled into fists.

Without thought, Roy barked out a quick, incredulous laugh. "No way in hell."

The two pouted for a moment, but he knew neither of them were surprised.

"And what about your alchemy? That was amazing," he said warmly.

Edward scoffed passively. "It wasn't amazing. We just made a hole in the wall."

"No, it was," he insisted as he put a hand on both of their shoulders. "In a tense situation, you were able to think clearly enough to get yourselves out. And I'm very proud of you both."

The kid's faces reddened from the praise and Roy was moments away from pulling them into another grateful hug. But the sound of nearing footfalls made him pause.

The two kidnappers, Andrew and his friend, had been handcuffed and were being guided forward. The two were quite a contrasting pair; one looking like he wanted to wrestle his way out, while the other only looked remorseful and scared.

"We'll take them away now, sir," Hawkeye declared as she safely holstered her gun.

Roy rose to his feet and turned to face them all fully, eyes gliding over younger looking of the two after noticing with a hint of satisfaction that his arm was burned, and falling on the coach, who's eyes darted to the ground in response.

"Why?" he asked coldly as no one else made a sound. The sun had just about fully set by then.

The man took a breath and composed himself into something that was at least a little more dignified. "Same as anyone else's reason: money." But even as he answered, it sounded forced, like even he wasn't fully convinced.

"We trusted you."

He flinched slightly but recovered quickly. "I know. I truly didn't want it to go this way. But that doesn't mean much now, does it?"

"No, it doesn't."

Tense silence passed between them. Roy still didn't understand, but he felt like asking questions was futile.

"I want the full report," he said at last to Hawkeye without taking his cold, glaring eyes off of the coach.

"Yes sir."

With that said, his subordinates continued to guide them away. Roy watched them go, not feeling fully satisfied just yet. He was still furious at them; furious that that man would harm his kids like that. But he supposed he would have to wait until the trial.

He hoped this wasn't going to worsen the trust issues that the two probably already had.

"You should take them home," she added once the others disappeared around the corner. "Get some rest."

"We'll do that" he agreed with a nod, then turned to face the boys again. "You two sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," Ed said with a calmer, more sincere smile as he looked at his brother for conformation, who smiled the same way with a nod. "Yeah, we're good."

"Tell you what," Roy started as the idea sprung to mind. "I'll take tomorrow off work and we can keep going over some of my old alchemy notes."

Unsurprisngly, the two lit up and agreed in an instant.

With that decided, the three of them began the short walk back to his car.

"Oh and uh… hey Dad."

"Yes, A-" Roy caught himself, realizing with a start that it was Ed who spoke. "-Ed?"

"Let's go get some ice cream too."

Roy barely contained his smile. "Good idea."

Ahhhhh sorry this took so long! Life and school has really been keeping me busy! Plus, I really didn't want to rush this one.
But anyway, we finally made it! Huge thanks to everyone who commented and read and showed their support! I was so happy with the reaction I got from this fic, especially since I lack of experience with modern AUs.

As for whatever comes next, I gotta focus on school and all that for the time being, but I do have another fic in mind already. It'll probably take me a while to get anything out though. But eh, I'll be around.

Thanks for everything, my dudes. :D