Prologue

Light filtered through the dusty room the pair had taken shelter. It was far from sanitary and definitely not a place one should be recovering, however she had insisted on being well away from anywhere there might be prying eyes and a hospital would ask far too many questions than they would be able to answer, hence their less than desirable location. Roy sat slouched in an uncomfortable wooden chair that looked a few seconds from falling to pieces. His hair was unkempt, likely result of him constantly running his fingers through it in a desperate attempt to keep calm, or at the very least appear that way, it was a useless effort. He had sat for days, focusing intently on Riza, on every labored breath, with every hitch of her breathing Roy's would stop until it regulated itself again.

She had begged him to do it, to deface her back and rid her of the secrets of flame alchemy etched into her skin. He had thought he wouldn't be able to do it, the mere thought of it made his stomach churn and bile rise in his throat. However, the desperate look of pain and tears that she would never allow herself to shed broke his heart in ways he didn't know was possible, so he had agreed, after all he never really could say no to her. He had managed to negotiate just enough that rather than burning it all off that he just burn the most important contents of the notes and leave as little damage to her as possible. It had been a night that left them both in pieces in different ways, and once it had ended Riza had looked like a burden had been lifted despite the incredible pain she had to have been in from her searing flesh, meanwhile Roy's had grown. He could still smell her burnt flesh and hear the scream she refused to let pass her lips, his body was still shaking and he still felt on the verge of vomiting, the only thing that kept him from collapsing was that she needed him.

Since that night Riza had only been awake for seconds at a time mumbling for whatever she had needed and after falling quickly back to sleep, being far too exhausted and in pain for much else. After about a week she finally gained enough strength to speak more than one word at a time and the first full sentence that graced her chapped lips in weeks was shocking to say the least.

"Run away with me"

Roy's eyes locked with her own, shock and confusion in his expression, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. No, she couldn't have said that I must be hearing things due to lack of sleep, Roy thought shaking his head. Riza continued to watch him, waiting for an answer or some sort of response and he replied, "Sorry, I don't think I heard you right, what did you say?" "Will you run away with me?" This time she had phrased it as a question but it was just as firm and decisive as her first statement. His head was reeling, there was no way that she could be serious, and yet she laid there with her usual stoic expression and a dash of what looked like hopeful uncertainty.

"What do you plan on doing, after running?" he asked, dodging the question that he was still denying had been said.

"The system is corrupted and can no longer be trusted, there's no other way to look at Ishval that makes any sense, so I want to give them a taste of their own medicine." Riza stated matter-of-factly like it was an obvious answer. Roy just stared at her like she had grown a second head, he started to grow concerned that he had somehow hit her head, how else could precise and calculating Riza Hawkeye be stating something that sounded so ludicrous. However, her expression didn't waver in fact she looked more determined the longer he stared at her in disbelief as if daring him to ask, so he did.

"How exactly are you planning to do that?"

"What better way to take on corruption than to create an organization that thrives on it."
"Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"Yes."

"You're crazy." he stated giving her a hard look that would cripple her had she been anyone other than Riza Hawkeye. She glared back with an intensity that could make King Bradley himself flinch, but as soon as it came it left as her expression softened, it almost seemed heartbroken and made his chest ache.

Her voice came out in a whisper, "You don't have to come with me, I just thought I'd ask."

Roy sighed and replied, "I said you were crazy, not that I wouldn't go with you, I'll follow you into hell, it's the least I can do."

Riza's surprised gaze locked onto his own and he smirked.

After all, he never really could say no to her.