A/N: This takes place sometime after the Promised Day. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!
She never thought she'd have to do it. She'd thought about it often, of course she had – but never had she thought she would have to do it.
He'd always seemed so strong, so compassionate. So good. And after being able to talk him down from the fight with Envy, she had assumed she could talk him down from everything and anything. Thought she could pull him away from the abyss, away from temptation.
But she was wrong.
Now they stood, face to face, on the edge of everything they had fought so hard for. And Riza held her weapon tightly, her finger on the trigger, facing the man she'd vowed to protect.
"I can't let you do this." She said, and her voice didn't waver. Her hand didn't shake. It never shook while holding her gun. "This is just pure hate."
She was repeating herself. She'd given a similar speech to him, in those tunnels. Back then the speech had worked. Back then the speech had brought him back to her.
But back then she'd had help from both Edward and Scar.
Roy looked back at her, past the weapon in her hands. His own hands were trembling in his gloves as he rubbed his fingers together.
He didn't even look at her with hatred or betrayal. He looked at her with quiet acceptance, and utter trust that she knew what she was doing. He still looked at her with all that love, and Riza had to swallow hard to steady herself.
"I have to do this." He told her coldly. "These people don't deserve to live."
"Don't deserve to live?" She almost laughed. "How could you say that? We don't get to decide who lives and who dies, I thought you knew this. Innocent people are going to be hurt if you do this, they will die!"
"If I don't do this, the criminals might get away again." There was thunder in his eyes, and she knew she was losing him. She was losing him to his hatred.
"You can't burn this whole town just to catch some criminals! There's another way!" She was shouting now, and a familiar sting tugged at the backs of her eyes.
"No, there isn't! They'll just escape – again!" He was shouting too, rage coloring his handsome features, distorting them into something horrible and hateful.
She would not let him become this.
"This is slaughter!"
"This is justice!"
She fell silent, then, and he did too. They stared each other down, only a few feet away from each other. The years stretched between them, every laugh and smile, every snide joke and exasperated eye-roll. And of all the paths they could have taken, of all the outcomes the years could've led them to, this was it. This stand-still, this nightmarish ending that neither of them foresaw.
And not even now, when she was moments from shooting the man she'd promised to guide, did her hand shake. She cursed herself for her steady hand for the first time, because what did it mean if she didn't even shake if she shot him? How could it mean loyalty to a promise made? How could it possibly? How could she look into the eyes of the man she loved and not recognize him?
How could they get here?
How had this happened?
"Sir… Roy." Riza allowed herself to speak his name, to let his name and not his title slid past her lips. She was nearly whispering, but she was begging. Pleading with him.
The words seemed to roll right off him, as he stared back at her. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes held fire. They always had.
His eyes searched hers. For one blessed moment, they were soft again.
And then he turned away. "Do what you think is right." Roy said over his shoulder. "I trust your judgment."
If he'd wanted to break her heart, it worked. But she knew that wasn't his aim. He truly did trust in her wholeheartedly. That might have been worse.
He took a step. Riza's breathing picked up. Could she do this? Could she really? Was she strong enough to shoot him, even if he would want her to?
Another step.
He was really going to do this, wasn't he? He was really going to kill all those people just to catch a group of criminals. He was really going to make her go through with this.
Another step.
She had to stop him. Her tongue was stuck in her throat, and she wasn't sure words would help anyways. What would she tell everyone? Havoc, Fuery, Breda, Falman… Gracia, and young Elicia.
What would she tell the Elrics? Would they weep for the man who for so long was such a huge part of their lives? Would Edward cry and curse at his grave? Call him 'bastard' and punch the ground beside his grave? Would Alphonse sob in Xing, alone in his studies and unable to attend the funeral? Or would he abandon his alkahestry to make the ceremony?
Another step.
She couldn't do this. Could she? A sob broke from her throat, before she pinched her lips shut fiercely. He was getting further away. She had to decide now. Could she damn herself once more in saving him, by killing him? Or would she damn them both, and let him bloody his hands once more with sins?
Her eyes, shining with tears, watched his slowly retreating back. She had promised him. She had vowed to protect his back, but she had also vowed to stop him if he strayed.
She couldn't do this.
She had to.
Another step.
A wordless cry ripped itself from her chest, and her finger jerked back on the trigger. The loud, resounding bang echoed in the empty hillside. There was a moment of silence, and nothing moved.
She never missed her target.
And as his body fell, so did her arm, still clutching her weapon. Riza felt wetness on her cheeks, but she barely registered anything else. Soft earth met her knees as her legs gave out. Superior and subordinate lay on the ground, one motionless and one heaving with soundless sobs.
It felt like hours passed. Aching, empty, she pulled herself up. She couldn't join him yet. She had to make sure everything was in place to go on without them. He'd never made it to the top. But she was certain there were enough of his supporters to fix things. Neither he nor she could anymore.
"I trust your judgment."
Damn him.
A/N: I saw something on tumblr where Riza ended up shooting Roy and decided to try my hand at it. Honestly I'm not particularly happy with how this turned out. I think I might have gone a bit overboard at some parts, but eh. I do think Riza would be emotional over having to shoot him, so that's what I wrote. I don't really like the ending, but I couldn't think of any other way to end it. :) Let me know what you guys think in the reviews!