A/N Hello! This is for the fifth prompt for Royai Week, "Rain". This is my first time writing action! Eek! I hope you enjoy. I own nothing - I guess except Mr. Newberry. *posted a couple of edits upon realizing that it had formatted incorrectly. Hope this is easier!*
It was Riza's day off from work, and it had been a fine one so far. She had gotten to sleep in a little bit, had taken Black Hayate to the park where she'd been able to catch up on the novel she had been neglecting to read, and was just finishing up lunch at one of her favorite bistros on 7th street. Black Hayate was curled around her feet, sleeping off his morning burst of energy. He was still a puppy and needed all the exercise she could give him. Finishing up her tea, Riza stood and stretched her back, then glanced down at Hayate.
"Ready to go?" He tilted his head and gave her a puppy grin, which she returned with a grin of her own. She grabbed his leash and off they went, heading towards the small produce shop. Riza was on pleasant terms with the owner, who had been another dog of the military, but had retired in Riza's first year in East City. Mr. Newberry liked when she stopped in, though, and Riza wanted to grab some vegetables for her dinner tonight. She looked up at the sky as she walked down the block. 'I hope it doesn't rain,' she thought. The clouds looked foreboding. Riza wasn't looking forward to walking home in the rain. She thought of the Colonel and frowned. 'I hope he doesn't run into any trouble. He'll be useless...' But he should be fine. It was a normal day at the office. Surely nothing would happen.
The little bell of the produce shop dinged as she walked in.
"Hello, Lieutenant! Been a minute since you stopped in, hasn't it?" Riza smiled and gave a short wave to Mr. Newberry, who was restocking some shelves.
"A couple of weeks or so! I've barely had any time to cook for myself."
"Don't get so busy you neglect yourself. Your body won't stay strong forever!" Riza laughed.
"You sound like a certain Major I know."
Mr. Newberry popped his head over a stack of cauliflower and glared.
"Major Armstrong might be ridiculous, but he's smart and healthy. You'd do well to emulate him."
Riza closed her eyes and smirked.
"I'll keep that in mind. Don't expect any uniform ripping, though."
"Of course not. Keep things classy, Lieutenant." Riza rolled her eyes and moved further into the shop, Black Hayate's nails clicking on the tile after her. After looking through the vegetation for a few minutes, she finally decided on some carrots, squash, and a cucumber. She could roast them on her stove with spices and have an excellent side for the chicken she planned on making as well. She took her spoils to the counter where Mr. Newberry rang them up.
Riza could hear chatter and looked at the left side of the counter, where a radio sat.
"Police radio? You just can't let the job die, can you?"
He snorted as he bagged her groceries.
"Could you, in my position?"
Riza raised an eyebrow.
"What makes you think I'm ever going to retire?"
"Good point. That'll be 1200 cens." Riza was about to pull out the money when the radio caught her attention again.
"Flame Alchemist...on the scene..." Riza's eyes widened. She grabbed the radio and turned the volume all the way up.
"Lieut-"
"SHH!" She knitted her eyebrows, staring at the radio in her hands as it talked to her.
"I repeat, we have a 725 in Sector 8, armed and highly dangerous, Flame Alchemist is on the scene, little back up..." '725 means escaped fugitive...armed and highly dangerous...Roy...' Riza looked out the glass doors.
It was raining.
With one movement she dropped the radio onto the countertop, scooped Black Hayate into her arms, and ran straight into the downpour.
"Why does it never go smoothly? I JUST WANTED TO HAVE LUNCH!" Roy screamed as Havoc fired a shot at the wall their attacker was hiding behind.
"Well, Chief, what you plan and what ends up happening are usually two very different things," Havoc offered. Roy glared at him and looked up at the sky as the rain fell down in sheets.
"This weather is taunting me, too."
"It's wreaking hell on my eyesight as well. Wish Hawkeye was here." Roy knew that feeling too well. He had missed her all day, and now he was being attacked, in the rain, by a damn serial killer. Man, she was going to KILL him if he died. Roy popped his head up over the cart he was hiding behind only to be met by a bullet whizzing by his head.
"Damn it!"
"Clearly his eyesight's just fine." Roy glared at Havoc.
"What?! Sass is how I cope with imminent death!"
"We. Are not. DYING." Roy popped his head up quickly and took a shot. He only had the one pistol that fit in his shoulder holster, and Havoc only had two on him - it was supposed to be an easy day! They had just stepped out to have lunch. Granted, they had run long because of the cute waitress that both had insisted on flirting with, though neither had come up with a number. But none of this had screamed "BRING ALL YOUR GUNS TO WORK DAY" - and Roy had definitely not counted on the rain. But here it was and here they were, hiding behind a flower cart while a deranged escaped killer tried to commit his 14th and 15th kills.
"Pretty sure you missed there, Chief."
"Shut up!"
Riza raced down the alleyway. Sector 8 was 19th street. That was over a mile away from Newberry's shop, nearly two. She glanced up at the street sign she passed. 10th. Hayate was getting heavy, but her legs were still fine. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins. She had two pistols on her, one strapped to her thigh under her skirt, one at the small of her back. The rain was soaking her to the bone, but she didn't care. She had to get to him. She could do this. But she was running blind. She needed to think. What was the best course of action?
Riza skidded to a stop underneath an awning. She set Hayate on the ground, unhooked his leash, and looked him dead in the eye.
"Hayate. Let's run. You stay right on me!" If a dog could salute, she knew she would have just received one. Their time in the park wasn't just playtime. She had trained him to run with her. Riza wiped the rain off her face. 11th street was just in front of her. If she ran down 11th, she would cross 24th, which would intersect 16th. There was less traffic down 24th as well. It was a solid shortcut. She ripped open her long skirt along the snaps, so it now had a slit running all the way up to the middle of her thigh. Much better. Riza was thankful she'd gone with sensible boots today.
"Now!" and they were off, both chasing down the stupidest, most useless, most important man in their lives.
Roy and Havoc had managed to get out from behind the flower cart, but now were just trapped behind some garbage bins.
"Yeesh, how many guns does this guy have?! Havoc shouted.
"Clearly too many. How's your ammo?"
"It's not looking good, boss. The Luger is out, and three on the Mauser."
"Two for me on the Luger." They locked eyes.
"We gotta take him down, NOW."
"Oh good, because I wasn't trying to do that before."
"Havoc..." Roy growled.
"Right right, less sass more splat." Havoc fired, and then yelled.
"I saw blood! I think I just grazed his shoulder, though."
"I'll take it!"
Havoc peered out and then immediately pulled back in.
"I really wish this rain would stop screwing with my sight."
"Yeah well, beggars can't be choosers."
"Is that an idiom?" A crash of thunder sounded around them.
"Did you just call me an idiot?!"
"Not currently, but I think you may just implied it yourself."
"What?!" Lightning flashed, and Havoc took that moment to poke around and fire again.
"Got him! Right in the shoul-" and then Havoc was spun off his feet and slammed into the ground by the force of a bullet.
"HAVOC!"
Thunder crashed, and Riza Hawkeye ran.
'16th,' she saw, and took a sharp right down an alley. This would lead directly to 17th without the curves of 16th. She glanced down and saw Black Hayate still hot on her heels. 'Good boy,' she thought. She gritted her teeth and kept running, adrenaline pumping.
Roy immediately fired a shot at their attacker, but he was hiding behind his wall again, probably tending to his own wound that Havoc had give him. Roy turned his attention to his subordinate.
"Havoc...you piece of shit, answer me!" Havoc groaned, his eyes still closed.
"Yeah, groan away, that means you're still breathing." Roy inspected the wound. It was a clean shot, right through the meat of his left shoulder. It was gonna bleed a lot, but he'd be okay. Roy pulled him behind the wall and handed him a handkerchief from his pocket.
"Apply pressure. I'll handle our friend."
"Yeah, you do that." Havoc muttered, eyes still closed, but he was following orders, pressing the rag to his arm. He hissed with pain.
"I don't like him, boss."
"He's not skyrocketing to the top of my favorite person list, either." Roy chanced a peek around the wall, and that was when a fist collided with his nose.
18th.
The world went dark for a second, and then Roy felt himself lifted into the air and slammed into the brick wall. His head hit the hard surface with a sharp crack and the pain was unbearable. His head lolled and he opened his eyes slightly as a fist once again connected with his face.
19th.
Roy was flying. He had been thrown through the air and collided with the trash that was collecting at the end of the alley. He picked himself up to sitting on his hands and knees. He spat blood and turned his head, looking down the alley at his assailant, who was walking towards him.
"So this is the famous Flame Alchemist!"
"You're not gonna talk to me to death, are you?" Roy muttered. The man ignored him.
"Ya know, stories of you get passed around prison a lot. How big, bad, and scary you are. Well, it appears to me that you," and he reared back and kicked Roy in the stomach.
"Ain't." Kick.
"SHIT." *BANG*
The fugitive dropped to the ground, his arms curled around the leg he'd just been about to kick Roy with again. He howled in pain. Roy lifted his head. He smiled a half-smile at the sight before him. Riza Hawkeye, sopping wet, panting, two guns out, skirt slit nearly to her hip...now Roy was sure he was dead. This was, in fact, heaven. Heaven sure had a lot of pain, though.
"Sir! Sir, are you alright?" She was running to him. She knelt down beside him in the rain, her hands passing over his head, examining his eyes. The fugitive made a noise.
"Hayate, guard duty." She ordered sharply. The dog stalked over to the escapee and growled in his face, showing teeth. The man stopped moving. Riza's eyes never left Roy as she examined his injuries. Roy reached a hand up and touched her face.
"Lieutenant, I'm fine."
"Sir, you clearly have a concussion. Your nose is bleeding too much for me to tell if it's broken. And you possibly have internal bleeding considering the way he was kicking you."
"I mean fine other than that." Riza rolled her eyes.
"Yes, of course, other than that. What are you doing! Don't try to..." But Roy was already struggling to stand. Rather than force him back down and potentially injure him further, Riza helped him to his feet. At least she could support him.
"Havoc?" he called.
"Oh, yes, NOW you remember me. You get the hot blonde running to your aid while I just lay here bleeding out into the rain..."
"Are you applying pressure?"
"OF COURSE I'M APPLYING PRESSURE!" Roy laughed, then grimaced.
"Ow..."
"Try not to laugh, sir. Potential internal bleeding." Roy pinched his face tight.
"Right, yes, of course. Let's not forget that." He opened his eyes and gazed at her. Rain fell in rivulets down her face. He was so happy to see her, but...
"Where the hell did you come from, anyway? Not that I'm not glad..." Riza gave him a tiny smile.
"Heard about the Flame Alchemist on the radio. Thought I'd come see what fine mess he'd made."
"You were just in the neighborhood?"
"No, sir. I ran."
"You ran?!"
"From Newberry Produce."
"YOU RAN TWO MILES FROM NEWBERRY PRODUCE?!"
"Please try not to yell, sir. You'll only aggravate your injuries. And it wasn't two miles, I took shortcuts."
They could hear sirens in the distance, growing swiftly louder.
"Oh good," Havoc stated dryly. "The cavalry's coming."
"I hope the cavalry brought an ambulance." Riza tossed her head back to where Hayate was standing guard. The man still hadn't budged, clearly concerned about the dog going straight for his jugular. Hayate's teeth weren't a joke. She turned her attention back to the man leaning on her. She inspected his face again.
"I hope so, too. Both of you need doctors." Roy grinned his playboy smile at her.
"Why? I've got the best nurse right here."
"I will drop you, sir." But her face showed nothing but relief at having found them, safe and (for the most part) sound. The rain drummed around them as Roy reached a hand up to her face. She leaned into his touch.
"When I ran up and I saw Havoc on the ground...I was afraid I was too late. I was afraid I had lost you."
"Hey," his eyes met hers. "No one's gonna take me out that easy." She smiled.
"I don't remember this being overly easy." Havoc said from below them. Roy rolled his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, then pressed his forehead to hers.
"Thanks for rescuing us. And on your day off."
"Well, taking care of you doesn't usually allow for days off." He smirked.
"Sorry about that." She gave him another quick kiss in turn.
"I don't mind." Havoc cleared his throat.
"Quit it, you two. Incoming." They pulled apart, but Riza stayed under his arm, supporting his weight. Military police suddenly came into view around the corner of the alley, guns pointed. Roy waved.
"Nice of you fellas to show up."
"We apologize, Colonel! The rain..."
"Yeah, yeah, the rain has screwed with all of us. Your man's back there. You didn't happen to bring an ambulance..."
"Yes sir!" Two officers ran down the alley to where the assailant still lay prone on the ground, Hayate looming over him. Two more bent over Havoc, examining him, while one ran down to the rest of the brigade.
"Stretcher, stat! Gonna need another ambulance, all three have suffered injuries!"
Another officer walked up to the two of them.
"Here, Colonel, I can..."
"I've got him," Riza said coldly. No one was taking him from her. The adrenaline was still coursing through. She knew she'd colllapse soon, and tomorrow would be hell. But for now she still had adrenaline, and with that came intense protectiveness. Roy smiled.
"Just get the stretcher for Havoc first, Private. I can wait a second longer." The man nodded and motioned down the street.
"Thanks, boss, you're such a sweetheart." Roy shot daggers at his 2nd Lieutenant, then raised his dark eyes up to the equally dark sky above as the rain continued to pour around them.
"Hawkeye?" he said and she looked up at him.
"Sir?"
"I really hate the rain."
Phew! That was intense! Please favorite and review!
