The Only Woman He'd Kiss
by Prettywitchiusaka
The first thing Roy noticed when he opened his eyes was how drowsy he felt, like his brain had been trapped in an endless fog for hours.
The second was that he'd woken up in a strange, unfamiliar place with no memory of how he got there.
"Where am I?"
He knows he's in Caroline City.
He remembers him and his team being sent to investigate the increase in kidnappings and alchemic gold smuggling happening in the city.
He remembers they'd cracked the case and were about to arrest the culprits.
So what was he doing here?
And where was his team?
He had to find out.
Roy sat up, albeit too quickly because he felt a sudden wave of dizziness come over him. He placed his head in his hand and gave himself a moment to regain his senses.
That's when he noticed the third thing as he looked in the adjacent mirror; the black suit and tie he wasn't wearing before. That's when panic settled in.
"My gloves!"
"Hello, handsome." Roy turned and saw a young, beautiful woman sitting against a dresser, holding his ignition gloves in her hand. "Have a good nap?"
Roy growled.
He recognized this woman immediately; it was Felicia Ramore. The brains behind this entire operation.
She wormed her way into city Government by seducing the Mayor, using a special type of alchemy to suggest -more like brainwash- to him they were married.
She made her mooks kidnap people and have them smuggle fools gold into nearby towns and cities, tanking their economies so she could sweep in and "fix" them. Thus, giving her a monopoly over eastern Amestris.
She was the one most likely behind her husband's "sudden" death.
She was the one who kidnapped him and was probably doing who knows what to his friends.
"You!"
He tried to lunge for her but felt another dizzy spell come over him, he had no choice but to hold his head in his hand again and fight to keep himself steady.
Seriously, why was he so weak all of the sudden?
"You shouldn't move too much, you still haven't regained your strength," she said. He looks up to meet her smug gaze. "You're going to need it for all the fun we'll be having, later."
"Where's my team?"
"You don't remember?" she asked, placing his gloves on the nightstand in front of him. "It should come back to you, soon."
She turns to pour herself a glass of wine, leaving Roy to figure out how he got here and where it all went wrong?
The answer hit him like freight train!
…
The plan was perfect; Roy would agree to a dinner date with Felicia, while his team rescued the hostages and ran a twenty-four hour broadcast exposing Felicia.
He'd just gotten away from the crazed woman, and without having to use his flame alchemy on her, thankfully. Yes, even with everything she'd done, he'd rather get out of torching her if he could avoid it.
He rounded the corner of a dimly lit corridor when he came across his Lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye.
"How's it coming?"
"Havoc and Breda've cleared out most of the prisoners, and Kain's almost twenty minutes into the broadcast.
"Good. Let's go before-"
BANG!
They turned to face Felicia's small group of armed men shooting at them. Riza raised her sidearm and sprung into action, taking out at least two of the goons with little effort. That all changed when the few remaining mooks circled her like vultures.
Roy poised his fingers to snap and aimed for the group.
"Lieutenant!-"
"Hello, handsome."
Roy turned to meet Felicia's gaze. But before he could even do anything, her eyes glowed a calming shade of purple.
"Sleep."
Roy was petrified.
For whatever reason, the longer he looked into her eyes, the more light headed he began to feel. His posture was starting to relax, his eyelids were getting heavier, even his hand was having a difficult time remaining poised.
He tried to resist, tried to tell himself he wasn't tired.
But it was no use.
He felt so sleepy…so calm…so at peace….
He simply must obey.
He closed his eyes and fell into her arms. In the distance, he heard a familiar voice shout "Colonel!" before he lost conscious.
….
And that's how he wound up here, his team who knows where -God, he hoped they were still alive- while he was in the clutches of a dangerous psychopath planning to do who knows to him.
Just thinking about it made his blood boil.
"Would you like some wine?"
He turned to see her pouring him a glass.
"That depends; is it ruffied?"
Felicia laughed.
She turned to face him with a wine glass in hand.
"Quite the spitfire, aren't you?" she asked, sipping the fine, red liquid. "I like a man with a little fight in him."
"Why did you kidnap me? What purpose do I serve?" he asked. "You have to have an endgame."
Felicia smirked.
"Simple," she said. "With that idiotic Mayor taken care of, I need another man to run day to day operations for me in this city. I think you'd make a nice replacement, wouldn't you agree?"
She sipped on her drink some more.
While Roy sat there, stunned and, truthfully, a bit frightened.
He already knew there was something odd about her late "husband's" death. The crime scene had looked less like an assassination attempt, and more like a murder somebody wanted them to find.
He'd had his suspicions she may have done it. But for her to confirm it? And now she's talking about wanting him to replace Mayor Crenshaw-
No, he realized.
She'd been planning this from Day One.
The lingering stares, the thinly veiled innuendos, the fact that she'd frequently call him "Darling" and "Handsome", instead of addressing him as "Colonel" or "Mr. Mustang", even during their dinner date.
He should've known she was planning something sinister for him the moment him and his team discovered how despicable this woman really was.
"So you want me to take your husband's place. Why?"
"Oh come now, you're the Flame Alchemist, aren't you? Turning you into a pawn would increase my power and political standing in this country, and make it easier to destroy anyone who gets in my way."
"I'm not killing anyone for you."
"But you will for The State?"
Roy grew silent.
"You can't exactly claim to have the moral high ground here, Colonel."
He didn't know what to say, it was hard to argue her point.
Instead, he just sighed.
"So that's it then. I'm just a weapon and a piece of meat to you; just another cog in your machine you can easily dispose of when I'm no longer useful."
She laughed.
"Oh no, I won't get rid of you."
"What?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, placing the glass down.
She walks over to him and, without missing a beat, cups his face in her hands.
"You complete me," she said, staring into his eyes. "The moment I looked into those beautiful eyes of yours I just knew I had to have you. You have a darkness inside you, just like me. A darkness that's shaped you into a ruthless leader. A fierce warrior. The perfect man for someone like me."
Roy grit his teeth in anger.
"That's never gonna happen!"
"Oh? You seem to've forgotten the reason you're in this position, Colonel."
"Really?" he asked, sneering. "You won't exactly have that darkness you find oh-so attractive if I'm just a mindless puppet."
Felicia smirked.
"Oh don't worry," she said. "Once the brainwashing takes effect you'll retain your personality, you just won't remember anything about your past life…and you'll be desperately in love with me."
Roy gasped…right before kneeing her in the stomach and lunged for the edge of the bed.
"Come back here, Roy."
He ignored her and continued to reach for the nightstand and grab his gloves with what little strength he had left. He was so close to-
"I said come back here!"
Roy froze, his body slowly moved move away from the table and back onto the bed against his will until finally, he came face to face with Felicia, again.
Now he was terrified; he thought her alchemy only worked if you looked directly into her eyes. But if she could control his body without him even looking in her general direction, there was no way he was going to get out of this one so easily.
"That's better," Felicia said. She cupped his face in her hands and made eye contact with him.
Roy gulped, nervously.
"Now why don't you just relax for a bit and look into my eyes."
He closed his eyes and kept them shut tight.
" Oh come on, Roy."
Nope! He wasn't having any of it!
If he could just keep his gaze away from hers and focus on something, anything else he'd be fine-
"I SAID LOOK INTO THEM!"
But it was no use; Roy's eyes opened against his will, and he found himself staring into the purple circle that was her alchemy.
He was paralyzed instantly.
"That's it. Just open your eyes and look into mine…sink into them and find that peace of mind you've always yearned for…just let go of everything you've ever done, everything you've ever cared for, everything you've ever yearned to be."
Roy tried to resist, tried to think of other things in his life he held dear to him;
His Team.
The Elrics.
Hughes.
His beloved.
Even his position and title. How much he'd accomplished despite being half the age of most of his superiors.
But it was no use; he could feel his body relaxing, his fear and discomfort fading away. The longer he looked into her eyes, it just seemed like all he'd worked for didn't seem to matter anymore, it felt easier to just give in and obey.
"Forget everything you are and pledge your allegiance to me."
"Yes…," he said in a monotone voice. "I will pledge my allegiance…to you, from now and forevermore."
"Then prove it; kiss me."
"Yes, My Queen," Roy said, his mind still in a blissful fog.
He placed one hand on the small of her back while the other cups the side of her face. He closed his eyes and moved in to kiss her-
BANG!
"What was that?"
Roy didn't seem to think much of it.
He didn't think anything, for that matter.
But the sound of an authoritative, yet feminine sounding voice demanding to know where Colonel Mustang was? That got his attention.
Because even in his hypnotized state, he recognized it instantly.
"Lieutenant?"
"No!" Felicia cupped his face in her hand and violently jerked it two inches away from her face. She activates her alchemy. "Forget about your friends and kiss me!"
Roy felt his mind cloud over once again.
"Yes, My Queen."
He closed his eyes and leans in to kiss her.
His mind has now been reduced to nothing more than a blank slate, incapable of independent thought. All save for one solitary plea for one person.
The only woman he'd kiss without a second thought.
"Lieutenant…Please…I want to see you…"
BANG!
Roy's hand suddenly felt empty. He didn't seem to think much of it, though. He just let his hand slump to his side and continued to sit here mindlessly.
"Colonel?"
He felt someone grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. Someone who's voice was familiar to him.
"Colonel, answer me! Colonel! Damnit, Roy Mustang! Say something!"
Upon hearing the voice call his name, Roy shook his head a bit and found himself face to face with the amber eyes of his Lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye.
"Lieutenant?"
She sighed in relief and gave him that warm, gentle smile he feared he'd never see again, or remember if Felicia had gotten her way.
"Are you alright? She didn't-"
"No, I'm fine," he said, placing his hand to his head as the room spun about again. "Just a bit woozy."
"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here-"
"You bitch!"
Roy and the Lieutenant turned to watch Felicia slowly sitting herself up to face them. Apparently, Riza had managed to shoot her with such force it not only blew her off the bed, but also put a bullet in the side of her cheek.
And she'd survived that, somehow!
"Look what you did to my face!-"
BANG!
Riza shot another bullet into Felicia's arm and listened to her scream.
She didn't stop there; she got up from the bed and put the rest of her clip in the alchemist with extreme prejudice.
Not that Roy could blame her.
"Stop shooting that thing at me!"
Felicia threw a shuriken in Riza's direction, knocking the gun from her hand.
She lunged for the Lieutenant, who whips out a knife from her back pocket to shield herself. And just in time, too, as the crazed woman tackles her to the ground.
Roy wastes no time leaning over to try and grab his gloves. Instead, he collapsed to the marble floor, no doubt still weak and weary from his exposure to Felicia's alchemy.
"Just look into my eyes, you bitch."
Hearing that, he turns to look at Riza.
She's using the knife to hold Felicia back, trying to reach for the gun in her thigh holster. But that's easier said than done, he notices; Felicia's eyes glow that same, purple colour from a few minutes ago. She's using her alchemy, trying to subdue the Lieutenant into doing whatever she commands of her, while Riza keeps her eyes shut and tries not to look.
Roy growled.
Using the last of his strength, he forced himself onto his feet and dawned the gloves that bear the flame alchemy transmutation circle.
He poises his fingers, aims at his target…and snaps.
She screams as the flames burn away the skin on her shoulder. "Step away from her, now!" he said, catching the attention of both women. "Otherwise I'll ignite your blood, next."
Felicia did as she was told; she loosened her grip on the Lieutenant and staggers away.
"Colonel…"
He turns to Riza; she looks surprised, a bit frightened even at seeing him like this. The look in her eyes says it all. But it's not enough.
"It's okay, Lieutenant," he said. "Just stay there."
"But-"
"Don't worry," he replied, using the bed frame as a support. "I can take it from here."
Roy finds his way to the other side of the bed and stands above Felicia. She flinches away from him, no doubt terrified of the fearsome Flame Alchemist if the look in her eyes was any indication.
"No, please…," she said. "Please, I beg you."
But Roy was having none of it, he bore his intense gaze into Felicia's, petrifying her with fear, just as she had done to him only minutes ago.
"I'm awfully sorry about this, but no one tries hurting my Lieutenant."
He snaps again, holding nothing back this time now that his subordinate is no longer in danger. She wails loudly as the flames consume her.
He snaps again, just to be safe.
He poises his fingers again, ready to end her once and for all. But he starts listening to her screaming as the flames continually peel away at her flesh. Starts to notice the fear in her eyes again as she sits there writhing in pain, almost begging to God or whoever to let her live.
And he hesitates…
It reminds him too much of Ishbal.
Of those frightened red eyes.
The charred corpses.
The screams of agony.
BANG!
Next thing Roy knew, she collapsed to the ground with a bullet in her head, surprising him. He looks over and sees Riza breathing a deep sigh, her hands wrapped tightly around her handgun, while her finger remains firmly on the trigger for another second or two.
"Lieutenant-"
"Let's go, Sir."
She grabs hold of his shoulders and yanks him out of there, though he manages to catch a glimpse of the dead body still lit on fire before they exit the room completely.
As they walk out into the hallway, she quickly adjusts him so that his arm was slung across her shoulder, while his body rests against her smaller, feminine frame.
They made their way through the corridor, stepping over a few bodies. Some are still alive, while others have long past expired, no doubt courtesy of her mad dash to save him from becoming another woman's puppet.
It terrified him a bit how accurate she was. Yet, he also couldn't deny her skill and desire to protect him above all else was also something that attracted him to her. It always had.
Still…
"We have to get to the main floor, Falman's waiting to take you to the hospital-"
"Why did you shoot her?"
She turned to look at him.
"Sir, this isn't the time-"
"Riza, just tell me."
She was taken aback by him calling her Riza so casually, like they were in private. Though in a way they were, and she seemed to know it as well.
Slowly, she lets her mask down and sighs, looking at him with such sad eyes he felt his heart might break.
"I'm sorry, Roy," she said. "I just couldn't do it, I couldn't bear to see you sad again-"
"No, it's okay. Thank you."
She smiles at him, and vice versa.
Felicia wanted to bring out the worst in him, had brought out his worst. But the Lieutenant was at his side, always there to show him the right path. Always there to protect him, to help him, even remind him of who he really was and who he wants to be when he looses sight of that.
It's something he loves about her.
Which is why the sudden somber look in her eyes concerned him.
"I'm so sorry-"
"Don't be," he said, cupping her cheek. "There was nothing you could've done anyway." He smiles. "I'm just glad you came and saved me when you did…Thank you…"
She smiles sadly and cups his hand in her own.
"You know I couldn't leave you…"
"I know…"
He leans in to kiss her and she falls into him instantly, kissing him with gentle, tender love that quickly turns into desperate, burning passion, as it always does whenever they do this tango.
When the moment ends and their lips part, Roy looks into his beloved's eyes said "Let's go home, Lieutenant."
She smiles.
"Yes, Sir."
He rests his body against hers and they leave the hallway, looking forward to an uneventful car ride home.
The End
