Ripple on the Water
"He's like a ripple on the water…"
"Hey there Roy," Havoc called waving. He sat down on the ground next to Roy, who was reading a book. "On your break?"
"I'm never on a break," Roy mumbled as he turned a page in his book.
"Sounds though." Roy nodded.
"I guess so, but I've gotten use to it." Havoc sighed.
"Say, Roy…I was thinking about enlisting." Roy immediately shut his book and looked up at him.
"What?"
"Not as an alchemist, just as a soldier."
"You don't want to do that." Roy's voice was stern and cold.
"Sure I do," Havoc said. "Fight along said you and I'm not worried about dying, if that's what you're getting to. I'm willing to die for this country and for those I love."
"Go to die?"
"Well yeah. People that go to a war end up dying. That's what happens."
"People don't go to a war to just die," Roy said harshly. "They go to fight…to kill! Do you really think that you can do that? Do you honestly think that you can kill for your loved ones?" Havoc lit up a cigarette.
"Maybe…" Havoc muttered, dangling his cigarette on his lips. Roy picked up his book and began reading again. "Hey, you scared that I'll out rank you someday?" Havoc asked trying to lighten the mood.
"Heh, you wish. I'm going straight to the top."
"Well then, I'll be there to support you."
- - -end flashback- - -
"It's been five years since he joined the military…this hell hole," Roy thought as he sat behind a vacant military tank. "It's not that I was mad at the fact he wanted to join the military or even that he wouldn't mind dying. People who say that they wouldn't mind dying, don't really believe that they're going to die…but they do die…everyone dies." Roy stood up quickly and clutched his shotgun, ready to fire.
"Hey whoa! Put the gun down," someone said stepping out from behind the surrounding destroyed buildings and vehicles.
"Warrant Officer Falman," Roy confirmed dropping his shotgun to his side and Falman saluted him.
"This area is clear. The enemy has been defeated. We just got word from Fuery. It is safe to go back now, sir." Falman lowered his hand that he was saluting with when Roy motioned him to put it down.
"All right, thank you. You may head back to our base camp now."
"Aren't you coming, sir?"
"I'll be back soon," Roy said heading in the opposite direction. "I'm still searching." As he continued to walk through the debris, he looked down at all the dead soldiers. Some fallen soldiers his enemies and some his allies. "Maybe I'm pointlessly wandering around," Roy whispered to himself. "It's a mystery that some of us even survive this mess." Roy stopped walking when he heard a choking sound. "Someone must be alive…and suffering…" He looked over and saw Havoc lying on his back barely alive.
"They don't really believe that they're going to die…"
Roy approached him and dropped his shotgun on the ground.
"But they do die…"
Roy pulled out his pistol from its holder and placed it against Havoc's forehead.
"I don't want to die…" Havoc mumbled and Roy slowly lowered his gun from Havoc's forehead.
"You really shouldn't talk." Havoc ignored him.
"It's amazing…that I'm still alive. And you're still alive." Havoc attempted to laugh, but it sounded strangled and cracked.
"Close to death, but he's able to laugh and smile?" Roy thought and smiled back to Havoc. "I can't die that easily."
"It's cause you can't be caught…like a ripple on the water. If you try to catch it…it will pull farther away."
"I don't know about that," Roy whispered. After a short silence Havoc spoke up again.
"…I'm sorry…"
"Don't be sorry."
"I guess I picked up the habit of apologizing from you, sir."
"You're crazy."
"But everything…I'm so sorry. Why do I feel sorry?" He let out another stifled laugh. "I'm dying and I feel guilty…did I do something wrong?"
"We all did something wrong when we became dogs of the military," Roy said feeling horrible.
"I'm so sorry world! I don't want to die! Am I selfish for saying that? Well, I'm sorry, but I don't want to die!" Roy could tell that he was suffering…he has seen this too many times. Roy felt a lump in his throat as he put his pistol up to Havoc's head again. "I don't want to die…" Havoc pleaded in a whisper.
"Goodbye."
"…Everyone dies…"
Roy shot him, killing him instantly, ending his suffering. His pistol fell out of his shaking hand. He lifted up Havoc's dead, limp body in a hug and he simply cried. "I don't want to die!"
"I don't want to be caught!"After some time, Roy decided that he should start heading back to their base camp before they left him to die.
"I can't die that easily."
He was covered in blood, and his eyes were red and puffy from crying, but he didn't care what the hell he looked like. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, what took you so long?" Master Sergeant Kaine Fuery asked Roy, noticing his appearance.
"I'm sorry," Roy said feeling awful. "I don't apologize that much, do I." Roy sighed. "I was saying goodbye to someone." Roy tightened his grip on Havoc's military tags that were in his pocket.
"Roy," boomed a friendly voice. He looked up and saw Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes waving at him. "I see you're still not caught." Roy smiled.
"Like a ripple on the water…"
"If you try to bring it close to you, it pulls away. Though it may brush against you…if you try to catch it, it will pull further away. Roy Mustang is a man who can't be caught."