We Met in War
Author's Note: I'm not abandoning the other FMA fics I've started, but I wanted to get this one done (it's probably going to be a long one-shot) and I've had a bit of a block with the others.
General spoiler warning applies.
This is, for all intents and purposes, an AU story. Even though it will follow some events fairly canonically, details will be different.
In this timeline, Grumman adopted Riza when she was very little after her mother died and so Riza never met Roy prior to Ishval (because she wasn't in the Hawkeye residence during his apprenticeship). Because of this, she never received the tattoo and the implications of it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for an OC or two.
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In the split second after seeing the lone Ishvalan rise behind him with a dagger, Roy couldn't think straight. He knew to go for his gloves, but his body didn't seem to move fast enough. And just as he accepted his death, a shot rang out and hit the attacker in the forehead. Roy watched as the man fell in a heap and blood flowed out. His friend Maes looked up at the origin of the shot. He waved but Roy just stood there. There was a small tarp-covered heap in a tower on the east side of the camp.
"Apparently she's a cadet. Man, if they need to bring out a little chick like that out here, it must be the end," Maes mused cynically.
"Does anyone know her name?" Roy asked.
"Probably the other snipers. She's even got a nickname: Hawk's eye."
"Hawk's eye?"
"The rumor is that it's a play on her last name."
"How ironic."
"Ain't it?"
She didn't know why she was looking their way when the Ishvalan attacked. She didn't question it, but kept looking at the two men she saved after the attacker was subdued. The man without the glasses looked tired. She figured the war had probably aged him a good five years. Lazily she wondered who he was and what his life was like before the war. It seemed that the man in glasses had a life—he'd received mail—but the other was harder to read.
After a minute, she sat back and surveyed the camp. Everyone went back to their conversations as normal and she picked up a handkerchief and wiped her brow. She sat back and picked up the shell casing. She put it in her bag.
"Captain Aurelius," called Roy as he walked into the sniper camp a few hours later.
"Sir," said Aurelius as he saluted crisply. Roy returned the salute.
"How can I help you, sir?"
"Who was the sniper assigned to the east corner of the camp today? The corner nearest to the alchemists?"
"Cadet Riza Hawkeye, sir."
"Hawkeye?" he asked, puzzled.
"Yes, sir. Does it ring a bell?"
"It might just be a coincidence," Roy said to himself.
"Would you like to talk to her, sir?"
"Would that be a problem?"
"No, sir," Aurelius replied as he turned to one of the other snipers in the camp. "Andrews, do you know where Hawkeye is?"
"I last saw her going into the 29th district, sir," the man named Andrews replied.
"What?! Whose bright idea was it to send a cadet there?!" exclaimed Aurelius.
"She said she had orders to try to deal with the sniper situation," said Andrews. "I think she was the only one."
The 29th district had become a sniper zone. It had a lot of tall buildings—more than the usual Ishvalan district—and so it was a sniper's delight. A small number of residents had found rifles and started to use them against the Amestrian soldiers in the area. Amestrian snipers were ordered on a daily basis to try to take out the Ishvalan snipers. While the Amestrians had better equipment and training, the Ishvalans were able to blend in with the non-combatants and move from point to point easily.
"All by herself? Isn't that a suicide mission?"
"Suicide mission?"
"According to reports, there are at least ten Ishvalan snipers in the district. Even if she took out one, at least one would be able to track the shot back to her and they'd ambush her. Not to mention someone could pick her off if she's not careful."
"I'll go," said Mustang after a minute of silence.
"What?"
"I said, I'll go find her, Captain Aurelius. I can act as backup."
"I'm not responsible for what happens to you, sir."
Mustang put on his gloves and said, "If I don't make it back, tell Captain Maes Hughes to stop talking about his girlfriend."
Aurelius looked at him oddly. "Sir?"
Mustang was already walking away and waved over his shoulder.
Riza readjusted her position for a second time in ten minutes. Her right leg was shaking and there was a cramp in her left leg. She looked through the scope and saw no one. She didn't see anything of interest in any of the windows. She was currently hiding in the second highest spot in the district. The highest point was the bell tower. She surmised that if someone was going to take her out, they were either going to try to ambush her spot or shoot from the tower. Riza didn't even try to get to the tower because she figured they would've established a stronghold there. Her orders were to take out the snipers who had been picking off Amestrian soldiers sent into the area. She was puzzled as to why the Amestrian government was going so far out of its way to eliminate the people of Ishval. Even more troubling was the realization that the Amestrian government was ordering its soldiers to kill its own people—Ishval had been part of Amestris for a few years.
The streets were empty.
But suddenly there was movement in the street below her. Even in the dark, Riza could make out the silhouette of the Amestrian army uniform.
What the fuck is he doing?
She was drawn out of her thoughts by a drop of water hitting the windowsill she was looking out of. The rain started to fall more heavily.
She looked at the man. Through the scope, she saw that he was the man from earlier. She watched him panic for a split second as he took off his gloves. She recognized the gloves from the newspapers she read on the train out to Ishval. He was the rumored Flame Alchemist.
Well that's ironic.
She watched him stuff his gloves into his pocket and look around for covering.
He's going to get himself killed.
As if a self-fulfilling prophecy, she saw a window from the building across the street open. A person stuck his head out of it. He had a rifle. Riza took aim and shot. The rifle fell and the body slumped over the windowsill. The would-be assassin was dead. The rifle hit the ground and broke in half. Roy looked up and saw the dead attacker. He looked around trying to find whoever shot the sniper.
She knew what she was about to do was incredibly stupid, but she took the shell casing and threw it at the alchemist. It landed near his feet. He looked up. Luckily for Riza, the rain muffled the sound. She waved from her window. He looked around the area to see if anyone else had seen it. When there didn't seem to be a reaction to the signal, he started to run towards her position.
"That kind of action will get you killed, Cadet," he said as he walked into the room she was hiding in.
"So will relying on Flame Alchemy on a rainy day, sir," she said cheekily.
"I could have you court-marshaled for that quip, Cadet."
"My apologies, sir," she said seriously as she turned around and saluted.
"I won't. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead twice over today. Thank you."
"I'm just doing my job, sir."
"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Am I in trouble, sir?"
"No."
"Okay."
"Hungry?" he asked as he pulled out two bars.
"Is that chocolate?" Riza asked.
"Oh, yeah," Roy replied half-sheepishly, "alchemist rations. Here."
Riza took the bar half-giddily. "I like chocolate," she mumbled trying to hide her uncharacteristic burst of excitement.
"You don't say," Roy teased. He glanced at her. He deduced that this was probably the lightest her mood had been since arriving at the front. She looked like a normal 20 year-old instead of a trained sniper.
Riza glared at him before opening the packaging. "Thank you." Her expression softened. Roy held the chocolate bar in his mouth as he took off his wet coat and spread it flat on the ground. He sat down on the floor and rested against the wall. Riza took her gun off its tripod before sitting next to him.
"What's your name, Cadet?"
"Hawkeye, sir. Riza Hawkeye."
"What's your father's name?"
She raised an eyebrow, "I don't know. I think it was Berthold."
"Think?"
"I was adopted at a very young age by my grandfather. I only got to see my birth certificate when I turned 18."
"A Hawkeye too?"
"No, sir."
"Did he change your name when he adopted you?"
"Yes."
"So what's your adopted name?"
"I would prefer not to answer that question, sir."
"Why not?"
"Because you would treat me differently. Everyone does."
"It's not Bradley is it?" he asked lightly with a grin.
"No," she said with a slight smile.
"Then what is it?"
"Do you promise not to tell anyone out here?"
"Yes."
"Do you promise not to treat me any differently?"
"Yes."
"Grumman."
"Grumman?" he asked. "As in the General?"
"Yes, sir. When I entered the Academy at 18 I secretly changed it back to Hawkeye. Permission to ask a question?"
"Granted."
"Did you know my father?"
"If your father is the same Berthold Hawkeye, yes, I did. He was my alchemy teacher. Did you know he was an alchemist?"
"I saw his obituary in the papers a year ago. My grandfather didn't ever mention my birth parents and I didn't press the matter. My grandmother once let slip that they had a falling out when my parents got married."
"Can I ask you another question?" she asked before taking a sip from her canteen. She offered the water to him.
"Sure," he replied as he took a sip of water.
"What was my father like?" she asked quietly.
"Reserved. Brilliant. Reclusive. Stubborn. Borderline mad. Other synonyms for those words."
"What kind of alchemy did he teach you?"
"He started with the basics—said he wanted to make sure before I learn anything, I learn the basics inside and out. Right before he died, he showed me tattoos that he had on his arms. They were the secrets to Flame Alchemy. It took me a day to copy the information. During that time, he told me he had a daughter and hoped that she was happy where ever she was. Then he died. I buried him the next day and never returned to that little town."
"Where is the information?"
"I burned it after mastering it."
"What about the tattoos?"
"His flesh has probably decomposed by this point enough to hide the important parts." Roy noticed a slightly disgusted look on her face. "Sorry."
"No, I should've expected such an answer," she said.
"Did you have a happy childhood?"
"Yes. I suppose it was quite ordinary. However ordinary a childhood could be for the granddaughter of a high-ranking military officer. I was sent to schools with other children of officers. There's nothing I could complain about. I do wish I had gotten to meet my father, but that's impossible now."
"Does your grandfather know you're here?"
"Probably."
"Has he tried to call you back?"
"I don't know. I don't know if he wants me back now that I've changed my name and ran away from whatever plans he laid out for me. If anything, he probably expected me to call him after a day out here. I've lasted a month and I suppose that's a small victory."
"Do you want to go back?"
"I don't think I have much of a choice."
"You always have a choice."
"They why am I being forced to kill Amestrians?" she looked up at him again. He saw the pained look that probably mirrored his own at the moment.
"I have one last question, Cadet Hawkeye," he said looking at her resolutely.
"Yes, sir?"
"If I could, hypothetically, attain the rank of Fuhrer and change Amestris. Change it so that this campaign of extermination would never happen again. Would you help me?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Maybe. But will you help me attain this goal?"
"Yes. But you will receive the help of Riza Hawkeye. If you want my grandfather's help, you will have to talk to him yourself."
"That works for me."
"I will do what I can."
"Thank you. Let's head back, Cadet Hawkeye."
"But my shift doesn't end for another two hours."
"I think between your earlier kill and the rain, they've probably retreated for the night. Besides, you already had a shift today."
Riza took one last look at the empty streets. "I'll be ready to leave in five minutes."
First Lieutenant Andrews looked up from his drink when he saw two people approaching. The other men with him at the fire pit stood up. It had been about 90 minutes since Major Mustang had left to find her. When he fully recognized her, he ran to Captain Aurelius' tent.
"Sir! Hawkeye's back!"
Aurelius stepped out and as Hawkeye saluted her superior, Aurelius saluted Mustang.
"No trouble, I hope?"
"More or less," he said.
"Thank you, sir."
"For what?"
"Bringing Cadet Hawkeye back safely."
"She saved my life earlier today, I owe it to her."
He looked at Riza. She looked up at him. He patted her on the shoulder.
"Thanks again."
"Yes, sir."
After walking for about the minute, he looked over his shoulder. He watched Lieutenant Andrews talk with her. They looked close, but not in a romantic sense. Or if it was romantic, it seemed one-sided. Maybe, he told himself. But it's none of my concern.
A month later, he found her kneeling in front of what looked like a makeshift grave.
"Let's go. It's over. You're going to get left behind."
He saw he shoulders shake and a muffled cry. "It's not over inside of me."
"I know. And that's why we need to head back. If we don't, Amestris will never change."
She looked up at him. "You're still going through with that?"
"Yes." He held out a hand to her. She looked at it thoughtfully before grabbing it. He helped her up and pulled her into a hug.
"Sir?" He quickly released her and walked away.
When she didn't walk after him, he looked over his shoulder. "Let's go, Cadet."
"Yes, sir."
Six months after the end of the war, Roy returned to Central with the nickname "The Hero of Ishval." He waved off much of the fanfare and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He was then to report to the Eastern HQ. His request to assemble his own team was signed off by none other than General Grumman who was unaware that Roy knew his granddaughter. Grumman did know, however, that Riza had joined the military under the name Hawkeye. He decided it was best if he remained distant from her in order to keep accusations of nepotism at bay.
Riza returned to the Academy after the war. After an exit exam and debrief, both formalities, Riza graduated with top honors. After graduation, Major (recently promoted) Aurelius asked Riza to join his team in Central. She accepted immediately.
Roy walked into the secretary's office on the first floor of the Central HQ. He was due to move to East HQ in a week.
"Well, well, look who we have here, the famous Lieutenant Colonel Mustang," said an older secretary with a grin. "To what do we owe this honor?"
"Why Mrs. Perkins, can't I come by to say good-bye? I am leaving next week after all," he replied.
"That will send all the younger secretaries into a tizzy."
"My apologies in advance."
"I expect flowers for every one of them."
Mustang put his hands up in defeat, "Military salary. Couldn't possibly afford that."
Mrs. Perkins smirked, "Yes, but you also have an alchemy allowance."
"Touché."
"So what is it you want?"
"There's a personnel issue."
"If I recall correctly you picked out all of them yourself."
"Yes, but it seems Second Lieutenant Hawkeye hasn't been transferred yet."
Mrs. Perkins looked at the paperwork he handed to her. "Yes. Major Aurelius hasn't signed the paperwork."
"He hasn't?"
"This shouldn't be a surprise. I warned you of this when you put in the paperwork. She was under his command during the war and he asked her to join his team in Central upon graduation from the Academy."
Mustang didn't reply at first.
"Is there a problem, Roy?" she asked.
"I suppose there's nothing I can do about that."
"You could talk to him personally. But I hope you don't pull rank. I'll never forgive you."
"I don't intend to. I don't think the Lieutenant would like me very much as a Commanding Officer if I bullied her former CO."
"Smart boy."
"Wish me luck then."
"Don't do anything stupid."
Mustang gently patted her on the hand as he picked up the papers and left to go to Aurelius' office.
Shortly after, Roy arrived in front of Aurelius' office door. He knocked on it. He heard a chair slide out and footsteps approaching the door. Hawkeye opened it.
"Good morning, sir," she said as she saluted him.
"Is Major Aurelius in?" he asked as he returned the salute.
"Yes, sir."
Mustang thanked her as he walked into Aurelius' office. Aurelius stood up and saluted him.
"As you were." Aurelius pointed to the seat in front of his desk. He sat down after Mustang was seated.
"So, what can I help you with, sir?"
"A transfer request I submitted last month."
"Yes, I saw that transfer request. Can I ask a question, sir?"
"Yes."
"Why Second Lieutenant Hawkeye? She's barely out of the Academy and there are a number of snipers—if that's what you're looking for—that I can recommend. Captain Andrews is particularly proficient. There are also a few I know in the East that are good."
"Because…" he said slowly as he tried to organize his thoughts. "Because after talking to her one time in Ishval, I felt that her personality would work well with my group."
"And her personality works extremely well with my group of people. And to be frank, I've known her longer. Not to mention, if she stays here in Central, her star will rise quickly. Moving to the Eastern outpost would slow down what could be a fantastic career."
Mustang looked at Aurelius and tried to read his expression.
"Sir, with all due respect, I need a stronger reason to transfer her. She is an asset to my team."
"She said she would help me with something. Something big," he admitted.
"Can't she help you from here?" Aurelius was intrigued by the admission.
"I don't know," he said earnestly.
"I know this isn't entirely protocol, but why don't you ask her?"
"I already did."
"To leave Central?"
"No, her help."
"You should ask her. I don't doubt her willingness to help, but the physical transfer is something she might think about."
"And if she says yes?"
"Then congratulations, you'll have one of the best marksmen in the military watching your back."
"And if she says no?"
"That's the final word. She made her decision."
Mustang nodded. He stood up and Aurelius did as well.
"Sir, permission to speak freely."
"Granted."
"With all due respect, if I hear that you forced the transfer upon her, as her commanding officer, and friend, I won't be particularly happy. To be honest, none of the other snipers will be particularly happy. Captain Andrews, who she's known for years, will take it personally. But he'd take it personally either way. Don't tell anyone I said that last bit."
Mustang nodded.
He exited the inner office and looked around the main workroom. Riza turned around and stood at attention.
"Relax, Lieutenant. I need your help with something. Let's go for a walk."
"Yes, sir," she replied standing up. He held the door open for her as they exited the office. They walked down the hall to a row of windows that overlooked the shooting range.
After a brief pause he looked at her pointedly. "You haven't slept well since, have you?"
She furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?"
"Do you get nightmares? I do."
She put her hands together and looked down at them. "Yes. I've gotten used to four to five hours of sleep on a good night."
"I know the feeling."
"Where are you going with this, sir?"
"I'm moving to Eastern HQ next week," he said disregarding the remark.
"I heard something about that. Is that a promotion or an exile?"
"I don't mind it."
They were both looking down at the range when Roy spoke again, "I'm still planning to follow through with what I told you about in Ishval."
"I never doubted that."
"I still need your help."
"I still intend to help."
"Will you join my team?"
"What?"
"I've been allowed to form my own team. However it would mean moving to the Eastern area."
She didn't look back up at him. "Do I need to move? No, I don't have a super exciting social life here in Central, but that's no particular reason to pick up stakes and move. I could help you from here, couldn't I? And I'm sure Major Aurelius would let me help you and still be under his command. He likes you. And I like working for him and with the other men in his squad. And if it's a sniper you need, there are numerous ones who'd be good for the job."
"It's not a sniper, I need," he said placing emphasis on the word.
"What do you need, then?"
"I need your help. I can't make this dream a reality on my own. I am powerless on my own. I can't protect this dream on my own."
She looked up at him.
"I need you with me."
"What are the risks?" she asked.
He had thought about the risks before, but when she asked him, he realized that he had never thoroughly thought about the permanent ramifications.
He looked around. The hallway was clear. "It is a path of no return. The road will not be easy. Attempting to gain the rank of Fuhrer will probably be seen as treasonous. And you know what happens to traitors. I can't promise that you'd be safe either. But I promise to protect you and the rest of my men as best as I can. I know trying to accomplish this won't chase away all of the nightmares—hell, I still get nightmares. But I'm going to fulfill this goal. Because it's the only way that I can atone for what I've done."
"Can I think about this?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, but I need you to get back to me with an answer by 1600 next Friday. The train leaves at 1800," he said softly. She nodded.
"My office is on the fifth floor, East wing. Room 5018." She nodded again.
"In good faith, I should inform you that Major Aurelius thinks your star would rise quickly if you remain in Central. I don't know if that will influence your decision," he added.
"If I wanted an illustrious career full of awards and ribbons, I wouldn't have changed my name. I also wouldn't have been in Ishval if that was the case. You would've never met me."
"Except you chose to change your name. You ended up in Ishval. And we met."
"I know."
"Have a good day, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, sir."
"Try to get some sleep."
"Only if you do as well."
In unison they turned and started to walk in opposite directions.
The following Friday afternoon Mustang sat in his now empty office. Most of his books and papers had been sent on the morning train with three of his new subordinates, Vato Falman, Heymans Breda, and Kain Fuery, to the East.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," he said trying not to show a hopeful lilt in his voice.
"Boss, everything's ready to go," said another one of his newest subordinates, Jean Havoc.
He tried to disguise the slight disappointment in his voice. "Thank you, Havoc. I'll meet you at the train station at 1730. Platform 8C."
"It's 1545, will you have enough time to get there?"
"Yes. I think so," he replied fiddling with a pen on his desk.
"Copy that," Havoc said with a quick salute. Mustang nodded and looked back down at the paperwork on his desk. It was Hawkeye's transfer papers. Major Aurelius had agreed to sign it the day before in the event that she had agreed to transfer. It just needed her signature.
At 1558, there was a series of three knocks on the door.
"Come in," he said.
Slowly, the door opened to reveal Hawkeye. She quickly snapped to attention.
"Just on time."
"Yes, sir."
"What is your answer?"
"I have decided to join your team."
Mustang tried to hide his excitement.
"Have you told Major Aurelius?"
"Yes, sir. Yesterday morning."
"Why didn't you come sooner?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I was busy with the paperwork and packing my stuff."
"Why didn't he tell me earlier?" he muttered.
"Most likely to watch you squirm, sir."
Mustang looked at her darkly. "You realize you're quite sarcastic, right?"
"Yes, sir."
Mustang took a deep breath and said, "Just need to have you sign this paperwork."
"Yes, sir," she said walking up to his desk and signing her name.
She took a step back and saluted him. He stood up and returned the salute.
He sat down and looked over her file. "Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, your specialty is guns, right?"
"Yes."
"Any particular reason?"
"I came to the conclusion that unlike a knife or a sword, it doesn't leave the feeling of a person dying on your hands."
"That's deceit."
"Yes. But only soldiers should have to bear that responsibility. It should be enough for only us to go through something like Ishval. We will have to shoulder corpses and cross a river of blood in order to guarantee the happiness of the next generation."
He stood up and looked at her fiercely.
"I thinking of making you my aide. I want you to protect my back. If I ever stray from my path, I want you to shoot and kill me. You are qualified to do that."
"You hardly know me."
"I know you enough to know that you would follow that order. Will you follow me?"
"Yes, even into hell."
"'Into hell?' Now it's my turn to say you hardly know me."
"I know that we will soon cross the point of no return. And I will follow you to the end, even if it is into hell."
"As you wish. As I said before, I can't promise that this won't be dangerous—actually it will probably be incredibly so. But I will protect your lives. And I want you to protect only those you can, even if it's a few. Protect those below you and they will protect those below them. We will protect the people of Amestris. All of them."
Riza nodded.
Mustang stood up. "We have a train to catch. Have you sent you things ahead of you?"
"Yes, sir. I sent them this morning."
"Good," he said as he put on his coat.
"Permission to ask a question, sir?" she asked as he was about to open the door.
"Go ahead."
"Do you have extra gloves?"
He looked at her oddly. "Why?"
"What if the pair you usually wear gets wet?"
He glared at her. "Don't make me regret taking you with me."
She sternly looked at him. "Do you?"
"Only one extra," he admitted meekly.
"I should order you more, sir."
He took the backup pair out of his inner coat pocket and handed them to her.
"Do that first thing tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir."
She opened the door and waited for him to take one last look around his empty office before shutting off the light. He walked through the empty door and she followed.
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A/N: This was a combination of two plot bunnies: one about Riza being in someone else's chain of command and one about Riza and Roy not meeting prior to Ishval.
The length kind of got away from me. I didn't really want to break it into chapters, because I didn't think there would be enough material for individual chapters.
Thank you for reading!