Into the Wild Blue
Author: MoonStarDutchess
Two Part Request Fiction
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
AN: This was requested by Wolf 82. Sorry I didn't get it out sooner Wolf. Things were hectic around here during the holidays. Hope you enjoy it. It's a two part fic so this is part one.
Into the Wild Blue
Central City was the second closest thing to hell that Riza had ever experienced, Ishbal being the first of course. Some kind of contraptions were bombarding the capitol, the main cabinet members scurried to hide like rats, and all that was left was the soldiers here on the front lines like the dogs they were. This showed that the military would have been better if it were still in control: if there wasn't a fucking parliament running things. Albeit not with the former fuehrer but a new more caring one. She knew in the back of her mind who that caring fuehrer should be, but it wasn't likely to happen. He was gone after all.
Now, thanks to the parliament's decision to reduce arms, they were down to one fucking tank brigade and about 500 soldiers in Central. People were screaming as bombs hit the buildings, caving them in on the occupants that chose not to run. Armored monstrosities were jumping from the flying machines and attacking anything they came across.
She narrowed her eyes and looked through her scope. When getting her target in range she pulled the trigger, watching as the blood splatter through vertical cracks in the faceplate of the armor. She could hear, the others yelling to each other but chose not to participate in the conversation. She would take out as many of these monsters as she could. These monsters that attacked without reason.
She heard an officer yell for them to look behind them, but made no move to turn; they could handle it. She would stay focused on the frontal assault. Suddenly from out of nowhere, several of the suits of armor exploded and she heard the words she'd longed to hear for so long, surprised that she could hear such a low spoken phrase from Havoc. Perhaps she'd subconsciously tweaked her hearing for those words. . .
"He's back."
She looked up and could barely believe what her eyes were seeing. She hadn't expected it but she'd hoped for it for so long. She wanted to see that man walking toward them with that confident, slightly limping gait. She wanted to hear his voice issuing orders again, as if he was the man in charge of all things. She could definitely say that it was one of the most welcoming sights that ever met her gaze.
It barely registered that he was looking at her until she saw Major Armstrong run off. She stood up and directed her gaze into his dark eyes. She felt her heart race and her thoughts were so muddled that she could only think of two things that would be proper to speak and do. She saluted, lowered it, and said, "We've been waiting for you sir."
Her voice was low and filled with something that Roy didn't recognize. He'd never heard her tone of speech take on such a rhythm and pitch. She smiled softly and he couldn't resist returning it. He slowly stepped toward her until they were a foot apart and directed his gaze directly into hers. He reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We need to talk later," He said simply, "We have business to tend to at the moment."
With that, he removed his hand from her person and snapped out, engulfing several of the beings. She could smell the flesh inside them burning and tried to banish it from her mind. Now was not the time for her to remember another incident that was long over.
She abandoned her rifle in favor of the pistol in her back holster. They turned back to back and as he began snapping, she began shooting; both falling into the same pattern of battle that they'd always possessed. Knowing the others movements almost instinctively, her bullets, and his flames precipitated in hot metal fury upon the enemies.
"Will you follow me?" He questioned as they fought.
She was quite taken aback by the question. She wasn't expecting such an inquiry, even as she fought there by his side, unflinchingly. "Stupid question, but if you have to have an answer, I would follow you even into the depths of hell."
"That may be where we are going," he said, snapping again.
"Then so be it," she replied, not a hint of hesitation evident anywhere in her body or tone.
Roy looked over at the front of headquarters and saw that Major Armstrong and a bunch of other men had gotten exactly what they needed for their heavenward excursion into possible hell. It was quite an ironic thought.
He grabbed Riza's arm to gain her attention and she turned slightly.
"Going up?" he questioned, motioning toward the balloon. She directed her gaze at it and then nodded affirmatively.
They rushed over to the balloon and Roy lifted the material. He snapped into it, igniting the fuel and as a result, it rose up into the air, several men around holding to ropes to keep it from flying away void of occupants.
Hawkeye walked over to the basket and noticed that Major Armstrong had looked at her oddly. "Lieutenant, you are going as well?" Before she could answer him, Roy walked over to her and did it for her. He turned to Armstrong and smirked.
"I left my Lieu…my better half…behind once. I don't plan to do it again. I don't repeat mistakes if I can help it," he said. Riza couldn't' believe what he said. Better half? What did he mean by that? He'd never used that term to describe her before.
Before she could react fully to what Roy had said, he turned to her and smirked. "Let's fly?"
She instantly remembered their current mission and all the questions that had formed on her lips were pushed back into her throat. Obviously, now wasn't the time. She would have to wait until later to ask him; if they survived that is.
They both jumped into the basket under the balloon. The men holding the ropes let go and they ascended into the blue, smoke-filled sky.
"What do you hope to accomplish once we arrived there?" she questioned, not looking down or telling Roy that she really hated heights at this altitude level.
"Honestly?" he questioned, taking her hand in his.
"Of course," she said, ignoring the slightly affectionate action.
"I have no idea. Hopefully we can help the Elrics and get this thing to stop attacking the city. I didn't really plan that far ahead."
She frowned to indicate her displeasure with the circumstances.
"Already regret coming?" he questioned.
She narrowed her eyes slightly but smiled softly. "Never," she said. "I just wish you'd at least have a basic idea of what you are doing before you do it."
"Loyalty will be your downfall, going with a guy you know has no plan," he said.
"This isn't the first time. Remember Scar?" she questioned.
Roy muttered a few words under his breath causing Riza to smile wider when she heard the word useless. She would have to find a way to wipe the useless thought from his head when this was all over. She gazed out at the view and then spotted something alarming.
"Sir! Look!"
Roy turned to look in the direction she indicated and saw Ed and all running up a diagonal beam that was extending from the ship. Guns appeared in the ship and he snapped, incinerating them. Ed and Al turned toward them.
"General!" Al said.
"Let's get off here," he said to Riza. She gripped his hand and both jumped from the basket and onto the beam.
The four ran up the beam, heading toward the ship. "Nice eye patch," Ed said.
"Brother! Ignore him sir," Al said, making apologies for Ed: just as he did when he was a suit of armor.
They all rushed to the top of the flying contraption, the smell of fuel, rust, and dust permeating the air around them. The sky above them was being decorated full of flesh and black colored plumes of smoke while there was hot metal and ash under their feet. Several cannon looking structures suddenly stuck out of the side of the ship and Roy snapped, decimating them.
"Quick! Go!" Roy said. Ed and Al nodded and made their way into the ship as more cannons appeared around Roy and Riza. Riza drew her pistol and fired at a beam knocking the screw holding it loose. It fell down upon a pile of cannons, effectively causing them to explode.
"You haven't lost your skills," he said and snapped at more of the protruding armaments.
"Of course not," she said. "I didn't just wait around doing nothing while you were gone."
"I didn't think you would have," he said.
Suddenly, all of the cannons stopped appearing and the ship started to shake violently. Several cannons surrounded them on all sides, making escape impossible…for any other team that is.
"Trust me Lieutenant?" he questioned.
"You know the answer to that sir," she said. He reached around and pulled her closer to him. The cannons began to glow silver and suddenly much to her surprise, he kissed her and then snapped. Fire surrounded the two of them in a circle. As the cannons ammunition hit the wall of fire, they burned up. As it burned, Riza felt herself grow extremely hot, not only from the flame but also from the fact that Roy's lips were covering hers. She clinched her eyes shut as she heard each of the cannons explode; as she felt the heat around them lower in level. She pulled away from his lips and looked around, then down at the ground. There was ash encircled around them and leading out toward where the cannons had extended. She looked back up at him.
"New trick," he said. "It's been in my head for a while before I left."
"This was the first time you tried it out?"
"Do you really want the answer to that?" he questioned. "Why do you think I asked you to trust me?"
"Ah, I see," she replied. Then gazed back at the place the cannons once were. "Why'd you kiss me? Wouldn't it have been better if you'd actually CONCENTRATED?"
Roy laughed inwardly and took pride in the fact that he was the only one to get to see Riza completely flustered without any restraints in her behavior. She was truly different when they were alone together.
"I was. I needed to be relaxed and in order for that to work I kissed you to get you as close as possible."
"That doesn't make-" she was cut off when the entire ship started to shake violently. They heard footsteps against the metal plating of the ship and saw Ed and Al run out of the same place that they used to enter the ship. "We have to get off of here!" Al said.
Suddenly the ship broke apart. Al, Roy's, and Riza's eyes widened when they saw that Edward had separated the flying contraption into halves.
"Brother! What are you doing? Come on!"
"I can't Al; I have to close the gate from the other side. You need to close it from here," he said, looking at his brother with a sad look. Al started to walk toward him but Roy held him back.
"Someone else can do it! Brother I don't want to lose you again! We were just reunited!" Al said desperately. Riza's heart sank for the young man. Though he had Winry, if Ed left he would have no blood relation. She knew how empty that feeling could be so she'd been thankful to find her grandfather.
"This is how it has to be Al!" Ed said, sounding like he too didn't want to leave.
"Winry! How about Winry?" Al said, his voice tone now turning desperate. Ed smiled sadly and turned to walk into the ship, he turned back to look at him slightly, lifted his arm and made a fist. "Thank her for this," he said, and walked away.
"Brother! No! You can't!"
Roy held him there until Riza placed a hand on his. "Sir… Roy . . . let Al go with him," she said. He and Al looked at her, completely shocked. She smiled softly at Al. "Go to your brother. I'll explain to Winry," Riza said. Roy let Al go and much to Riza's surprise, Al hugged her. "Thank you!" he said. He turned to Roy. "Could you close the-"
"Yes, now hurry," Roy said, with a smirk. He reared back and leaped across the widening gap, he turn and waved then ran into the ship as quickly as he could.
"How are we supposed to get down from here?" she questioned.
"Um… that is a problem…"
AN: I decided to put this into two parts. I enjoy doing these two part stories. I find them fun. Chapter two will be coming soon. Hope you enjoyed it and please review if you wish. We do have a lovely new button after all. Hehe