A/N: Hello all. Sorry for the stupidly long hiatus with no warning. I haven't abandoned this, I promise. I've had finals, then computer issues, then health issues, then some more computer issues. And therefore it has taken me forever to update. I promise, though, I'm not abandoning this again.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed this or messaged me or started following this in the past couple of months. Really, guys, you're the reason I keep with this.

Title: "The boy and the nettles" is another of Aesop's fables. The moral of the story is to never do anything halfway. Anything you do, put everything you have into it.

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist, Stray Dog, and all their respective characters and concepts belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

"I'm sorry, Mustang. I can't allow it. He's still too dangerous," the man behind the desk sighed.

Roy stood, placing his hands on the man's desk. "But sir –"

"I can't right now," the man replied almost sadly. He had seen the prisoner in question and understood what it was about him that had the Flame Alchemist so worked up. "He's still loyal to Heig. It's too much of a risk."

At this Roy resumed his seat, folding his hands together anxiously. "That's not strictly true, sir."

"Oh?" the man seemed mildly surprised.

"No." Roy took a deep breath and launched nervously into an explanation of what he intended to do. "He's loyal to his master. I've noticed that he never calls Heig by his name. He only refers to him as 'the master.'" He paused to make sure the man was following. "According to what few records still exist, the pact between a Military Dog and its master can only be broken when one of them dies. In theory, the same should apply to Ed. Heig is set to be executed next week."

The man's only response was an intrigued look, so Roy continued quietly. "I was hoping to take Edward to watch the execution. If he watches his master die, there won't be any way he can deny it happened."

"Someone like that is likely to become unstable with no direction," the man pointed out.

"It is a risk, sir," Roy replied softly, his tone solemn. "From the records, it seems as though in most cases if a Military Dog's master died, the Dog died too. They would stop eating, wouldn't defend themselves… My hope is that Edward is far enough from a Military Dog that that won't be the case. This is the only way I can think of to save him." I just hope it doesn't kill him, he added silently.

"Very well," the man said. "If you are willing to take on the consequences, then why should I say no? Take him to the execution. We'll monitor him from there to determine our next course of action."

"Thank you, sir," the colonel replied. He was both relieved and a bit apprehensive.

"If that's all, then you're dismissed," the ranking officer said nonchalantly, as though they had merely been discussing the weather.

Roy stood, snapped a salute, and hurried off.

"Ed, wake up."

On the other side of the door, golden eyes snapped open at the sound of the familiar voice. It was unusually early – generally Roy didn't come to see him until the mid afternoon. Ed wondered what made today different. He stayed still as he watched the man enter the room, waiting for some kind of order.

"Get up," Roy said, handing him a set of clothes. They looked like informal military issue. "Get dressed. We've got somewhere to be in an hour."

Ed cocked his head and twitched his ears, but Roy didn't explain, so Ed simply did as he had been ordered. He didn't fight when Roy fastened a collar around his neck or cuffs around his wrists. He didn't even argue at being made to wear gloves and shoes. He was too frightened by the complete change in Roy's demeanor to disobey an order.

What he did fight was the mask. It was made to cover his mouth and nose, with slots in it so that he could breathe. Presumably it was to keep him from biting, but it frightened him. Roy felt a pang of guilt as he watched the boy dodge away from the mask for a fourth time, ears pressed flat against his head and eyes wide with fear.

"Please, Ed," he pled gently. "Just cooperate."

"Where are we going?" the boy asked.

"There's something you need to see," the colonel explained as gently as he could. "But I can't take you there without restraints. Those are my higher-up's orders. I'll be with you the whole time and I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. Please, Ed, just cooperate."

Finally Ed stilled, though Roy could feel the tension in the boy as he fastened the mask. With that done he led the child from the room by means of the same black, braided leash he had used to lead Ed to his office. The boy was strangely quiet and it hurt Roy to see the way Ed kept his ears pressed to his head in a show of fear and the way he hunched his shoulders as though trying to make himself smaller. But this was important so Roy pressed on, determined not to let it bother him.

Ed's silence, however, did weigh on him. Roy felt terrible knowing how badly he had frightened the boy. As a general rule, the child would speak almost freely with Roy now. However, it wasn't until they reached their destination that he made any sound.

From the parapet above the execution grounds, Roy knew exactly when Ed spotted his master by the strangled yelp he let out. As they led the man to the gallows, Ed began to struggle. He tugged at the cuffs on his wrists until they were flecked with blood and strained at his collar until Roy was afraid he would strangle himself. And what would he do if he did get loose? They were at least fifty feet above the execution grounds. Did Ed actually plan to jump over the edge if he managed to free himself? It seemed to Roy that he did. This prompted the man to hold the leash tighter in spite of his fear that Ed would choke himself by fighting it. Even a cat wouldn't survive a fall like that.

"Master!" Ed yelped as they slipped the noose around Heig's neck. When the man glanced up at where they stood, Ed redoubled his efforts to escape. Roy had to put all of his weight into holding the boy back from the edge of the parapet. Because if he went over, not only was Roy uncertain he would be able to pull him back up, he would hang himself in the process.

When all was set, despite Edward's desperate cries, the executioner pulled the lever. As Heig jerked and flailed in what amounted to no more than a nerve reaction as he neck was broken, Roy fought to keep Ed back from the edge. In spite of his small size, the boy was immensely strong. It wasn't until the man finally went still that Ed crumpled to the ground. He curled in on himself as best he could with the restraints, shoulders shaking in a silent proclamation of grief.

Kneeling beside the youth, Roy could see the tears streaming down his face. While the colonel hated himself for this, he knew there was no other alternative. He reached out to put a hand on the boy's shoulder, but Ed lashed out as though he would bite. In that moment Roy was truly frightened for the child's future.

All that was going through Ed's mind at that moment was that he had failed the master. Because of him the master was dead. He deserved nothing less than death for his failure. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he lashed out, not even considering who it might be. Whoever it was backed off and let him be, at least for a short while. After a few moments, he was pulled to his feet and led back to toward the building. He wasn't sure where they were taking him, but at this point he didn't care. He no longer had a purpose.

Roy noticed this change as he lead the boy back to his room. The child never even looked up to see where they were going. He simply watched his feet as they made their way back through the halls. When they reached Ed's room, Roy sat him down on the bed and removed the mask, collar, and cuffs, but the boy didn't react. He didn't move as Roy pulled off the gloves Ed had been given to make sure he couldn't use his claws and the shoes Roy knew the boy hated. He showed no interest as Roy examined his wrists where he had rubbed them raw and bloody fighting the cuffs. When Roy finally let go of him, the child simply slumped over and curled up with his back to the room. And when Roy returned with bandages for his bloodied wrists, he neither helped nor fought as the man cleaned and wrapped his injuries.

As he closed the door behind him, he found himself no longer fearing for the boy's future the way he had when Ed had lashed out at him on the parapet. Instead, he feared for the boy's life. Something in Ed seemed to have died the moment Heig's life had ended.

What now, the colonel wondered as he made his way back up through the labyrinth of bleak hallways and sterile white walls to his office. I swore I would save you. I only hope I haven't killed you in the attempt.