Riza Hawkeye raised her rifle and fired into the enemy horde drawing ever closer. Beside her, Jean Havoc was also firing, not as calmly as she was. She didn't show it but she was terrified. An undead invasion was not what she signed up for but that was the risk you took in the military life.
"Why isn't this guy dying?" Jean whined.
Before she could reply, their commanding officer, Roy Mustang, did. "We're not using the right equipment. What is the Fuhrer thinking? If I was him, I'd have every person in the nation given at least a stake."
"Colonel," said Riza. "Be careful."
Roy glanced at Frank Archer nearby. The man looked thoughtful before he flitted off. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"You shouldn't have asked that," Vato Falman remarked. "Something's bound to go wrong now."
They fell silent and resumed their focus on the horde. Roy looked frustrated about being ordered that he could not use his flame alchemy. Frank Archer returned. Riza didn't like the look in his eyes when he went to go talk to Roy. She especially didn't like it when the dark haired Colonel passed his rifle to Kain Fuery and pulled out his gloves. "Colonel!" she called out. "Stay safe."
Roy smiled. "I will, Lieutenant, don't worry about me."
"Famous last words," said Jean quietly beside her once he was gone.
Kain looked like he wanted to cry. "You know what they say," Frank said, almost too happily. "A vampire can't think straight if he's on fire."
"If you can get close enough to set him alight," Vato whispered. The rest of the team turned solemnly back to their work, silently sending out pleas for Roy to succeed. There was a wall of flames from a ways ahead. The battle between human and vampire had begun.
Riza silently worked on taking out zombies and the minor vampires who rose out of the ground. One eye was on the battle in the distance though. Roy seemed to be holding his ground just fine on his own but the vampire's own dark magic was making quick work of whatever came his way. Only the fire could tell her where both were at any given time and she could only watch as they got closer and closer to each other.
The next fire ball was snuffed out just after it was sent out. Everybody but Riza and Frank looked away, tears in their eyes. From somewhere else on the field, they could hear Maes Hughes shouting for somebody to go out there and help Roy. Then they all heard Roy scream. Riza wasn't even aware that she was crying when another voice began to scream his name until a hand clamped over her mouth. "Lieutenant," Jean said quietly, tears in his own eyes, "it's too late. The Colonel has been bitten."
Riza resumed her silence as a horn sounded for them to fall back into the now walled city of Central. They all went although some wanted to turn and run until they could no more. Fuhrer Bradley stood on his platform. "We fought bravely today, gentlemen. This day will forever stand in the honor of Colonel Roy Mustang, whose brave sacrifice brought us a new hope."
"What brave sacrifice," Maes Hughes muttered darkly for only Riza to hear. "You sent him out there to die with a smile on your face. We're damned now without Roy."