Riza
The Fuhrer's new office was over two times bigger than their previous one. This time, however, Roy's desk was separated by two thick wooden doors to give him privacy. That left Riza and the rest of Roy's direct subordinates in the other part of the room. With these new accommodations, Riza was required to make multiple visits during the day to make sure he didn't fall asleep on the job. However, she was relieved to always find him working when she entered, whether he would be on the phone with an important person or signing some papers, it would seem that he had somewhat matured. It's about time.
It was just the first week in their new office and there were still many things she had to get used to. For instance, there was always someone asking for an audience with the Fuhrer whenever he had some free time and his meetings were endless. Riza found it a bit more challenging to try and fit everything together in his schedule and at the same time, trying to fit his in with hers. Since she was no longer a First Lieutenant, she had more responsibilities and other matters to take care of. In fact, having her skills recognized by the military and an impeccable reputation for being the perfect soldier, she was asked to be in charge of the military's recruitment in Central. That meant she was in charge of picking good coaches and trainers, and overseeing their training methods and programs. She also volunteered to give some lessons and demonstrations in the shooting range when she had the time. Whenever that will be.
At the beginning of the second week, two soldiers came into the office. One of them was tall, with strong shoulders and this dark brown hair. He was quite handsome and looked like a silent and serious man. On the other hand, the other man was just a bit shorter and as skinny as a boy. He had a mop of pale blond hair and piercing green eyes, and proved to be better looking than the first one. He had an easy-going air about him and didn't seem as stoic as the first one.
"I am Warrant Officer Michael Royce and this is Warrant Officer Thomas Brandt," said the first man. "We were asked to come here to be the Fuhrer's new assistants."
Riza stared at at these young soldiers in their perfect salute. She had not heard anything about this, but she decided to go along with it, hoping Roy knew a bit more about these new assistants of his than she did.
"I am Lieutenant Colonel Riza Hawkeye," she saluted back at them, "I will inform the Fuhrer of your arrival."
She went over to the big wooden doors and knocked lightly. She entered after getting his permission and walked to the front of his desk. He was busy signing some papers and reading some more on the side.
"What is it Hawkeye? Is it lunch time already?" he asked as he looked up at her and glanced at the clock.
"No, sir. But you have two new assistants who just came in. Warrant Officer Michael Royce and Thomas Brandt."
"Oh yes! I forgot about them. Actually, I forgot to tell you about it, but I requested some assistants to help me with my meetings, schedule and little things of the sort. I know it's a heavy burden for you handle all of these things, especially with the extra work you've been getting these days. I don't want to overwork you." Seeing her frown, he added, "Even if I'm the Fuhrer now and it seems like I never have the time to do anything else, I still know what's going on at the other side of this door. I know the workload you're all getting, especially you. It's not that you're doing a bad job. Heck, you're doing the work of three people and it's still perfect," Roy laughed lightly.
Riza huffed a bit. "Alright, sir. I appreciate the gesture." She really did. Somehow she was able to juggle everything at once for the first week, but she had only realized how tired she was by the end of the week and she was starting to worry about her physical and mental health if her work continued in the same way. "May I call them in sir?"
After a quick nod from Roy, Riza went back to open the door and usher them in, before closing it and going back to her desk. After ten or fifteen minutes, Roy came out with his two assistants in tail and cleared his throat. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him, awaiting his announcements.
"Everyone, I would like to present you the two newest members of our team, Warrant Officers Michael Royce and Thomas Brandt. They're going to be my assistants from now on, because we can't let Hawkeye do all the work now can we?" The two younger soldiers saluted.
"Boys, this is Lieutenant Colonel, my aide and personal bodyguard," he presented them to her. "You'll he learning from her in the beginning, so listen carefully to everything she says. By the way, stay on her good side. Her wrath is quite a scary sight." Roy laughed and tried to ignore her glare. He then moved on to the other men around the room.
"Here we have Captain Jean Havoc. He smokes like a chimney, but only outside though. Stay away from him if you want to live longer. This is Captain Heymans Breda. He's scared of dogs and eats anything you throw at him, but also a mastermind. This is our walking dictionary and encyclopedia, Captain Vato Falman. And here we have our little techy, Second Lieutenant Kain Fuery. He handles all the electronic and complicated things of the sort." Roy looked around the room in deep thought, before he spun around and walked back to Riza's desk. He stopped on the side of it and pointed down. "Here's our team mascot, the adorably fierce Black Hayate, whose mistress is our very own fierce Lieutenant Colonel Hawk- ow!"
Roy rubbed the side of his ribs that was elbowed by Riza. When he looked at her, she feigned ignorance. The two new soldier were staring at them with wide eyes and open mouths. Clearly they were not used to the casual demeanor of their much respected Fuhrer.
"Brandt, Royce, close your mouths. We have much work to do. Sir, I'll take it over from here. You can get back to work now," Riza said sternly.
"Yes, yes." Roy walked sluggishly back into his office and closed his doors.
Riza spent the rest of the day teaching the two new assistants everything they had to know to fully assist the Fuhrer. At the same time, she also got the chance to find out what kind of people they were and to judge if she trusted them enough to leave them alone with Roy.
Michael Royce was the quieter one of the two. He was hard-working, a fast learner and swift with his hands. He sort of reminded her of herself when she had first started. On the other hand, Thomas Brandt reminded her of Havoc. He was more jolly and talkative, but when asked to do something, he did it without a fault and was dependable. Good. We have two useful men. I guess I won't have to worry too much about the Fuhrer.
"I expect good results from both of you. We can't have any errors regarding the Fuhrer's work, nor with his schedule. It's already jam-packed as it is and I would rather keep it this way than to make it worse. Make sure he gets his work done and that he gets to his meetings on time. I won't always be there, but if ever you have any more questions or if there's something that you two have trouble with, don't hesitate to ask me or any of the other men. One more thing. If he procrastinates too much or is whining about a meeting, tell him you'll come get me." When she saw them bob their head, she nodded and dismissed them.
It was mid-afternoon and Riza was done with her paperwork. Maybe I'll pay a visit to the range. She hadn't yet had the chance to visit the range since she came back to Central and missed it awfully. There were also the new recruits who've been training over there and who were apparently eager to meet her. The numbers of new soldiers have also been growing ever since the news of Roy taking the power was known to the public.
Riza walked briskly towards the range, saluting and nodding at the soldiers on her way. Ever since she had been promoted, she noticed that she received more attention and respect from lower ranking soldiers. The fact that she was also the Fuhrer's aide helped. Better than mocking looks I suppose.
She could hear firing in the range before she even reached it. She stepped into the women's locker room and put her jacket in her locker. Coming out of it, she walked towards the gun rack and noticed how half of it was empty. There must be a lesson or something. She went to unlock her personal rifle, slung it behind her and walked into the range.
The range was built to accommodate different levels of difficulties. Each station was aligned side by side, where the easiest targets were at the far left and the hardest ones at the right. The distances of the targets were adjustable, but only the farthest ones were at the far right. If you wanted to practice with an ever bigger distance, a door at the right side of the room led to the outside range where there were no walls to limit your shooting distance. Riza often practised outside with her sniper rifle, but with a handgun and a regular rifle, she preferred staying indoors.
Many of the lanes were taken, but mostly the ones closest to the left side. All new faces. Riza didn't recognize any of her colleagues among the new soldiers. Half of them were practising their shooting at at large target sheets, while the other half waited and watched by the benches. She strolled casually behind the shooters, noting their stances, their aim and accuracy and nodding in satisfaction at some of them. A better group than I thought. This group was better than some of the other ones she had seen a few years back and she was glad for it.
As she walked by, stopping at some lanes to watch a specific person or two, she heard some of them whispering in her back, others giving her queer looks and some even frowned at her. Here it comes, again. Riza was not foreign to hostility and insolence. In fact she had lived through it during her trainee period and a few times after it. The worst was during the Ishbal war. People often looked down on her for being a woman, and at that time, a young girl. It was always either harassment or some jealousy and hatred. Albeit rarely, she did receive some sexist comments a few times, but she took care of them pretty quickly and was never bothered by those fools again.
"Hey, blondie! We've never seen you around. You new here?" A young man sitting on her bench with others beside him called her out. They were all dressed the same way as her, a black fitted short sleeved shirt and the military blue pants. They don't know who I am. Perfect. She decided to play along. The smile this guy was giving her wasn't exactly sincere and showed nothing but contempt.
"I just came. I'm Riza. You?" It's true. I just came. The man stood up and walked towards her with a smug look on his face.
"I'm Nicholas Scott. I joined the military a month and a half ago. My father's a Major. Perhaps you might have heard of him, Major Scott. He often meets with the Fuhrer." Major Scott, huh? He just got promoted, although he didn't deserve it. I'm sure Roy has never heard of him. When she made no effort to answer him, he waved it off and continued. "It's all right, Riza. I supposed a new recruit like you wouldn't know who's important in the military. I see you have a rifle with you. Have you ever used it?" She thought a bit before shaking her head side to side. Not since I came back to Central at least. Nicholas's face seemed to brighten and he clasped his hands together. "Well, since the instructor is away for a while and it's our practise time, I suppose I can show you how it's done. Come." He grabbed her shoulder, turned her around and walked her to the easiest target.
"Luke, can we use this lane for a bit, I want to teach Riza here how to shoot properly." Luke, an even younger man, nodded silently and yielded his place to them. "Stand back and watch. It's not too hard. All you have to do is aim, looking down the notch on the barrel, then shoot." Riza watched his shot and saw it touch the side of the bulls-eye, which was the size of her fist and the target was barely forty meters away. I guess it's pretty good for someone who's only been here a month and a half. "I've been shooting ever since I was a kid. My dad and I go hunting sometimes." Never mind. What can you hunt with a shot like this?
"Why don't you give it a try now." He gestured her to the front, showing her a gallant smile. I'll wipe that smile from your lips. And that she did. The moment her bullet hid dead center of the bulls-eye, his mouths opened and he stared in disbelief. It didn't take long for him to recover and pretend to smile. "You have beginner's luck. Just beginner's luck. With lots of practice, you can get better and always shoot like this. But don't expect to hit the center every time you shoot."
He walked her back to the benches where the others were watching and made her sit beside him. The man to her left was the first to speak to her. "I saw your first shot! It was amazing!"
"Yeah but it's just beginner's luck. Even my first shot hit the bulls-eye," Nicholas said quickly.
"I'm Ned by the way, Ned Hewlett. Nice to meet you." Riza shook his hand and was glad not many other people had Nicholas's personality. One by one, they introduced themselves and soon, the rest who were practising came to sit with them by the benches.
"Nicholas here is our best shooter in group A. Without him, we'd never win against group B and C," a girl named Emily said. Seeing that Riza wasn't exactly comprehending the conversation, Ned explained it to her.
"You see, we were separated in three groups because there were too many of us to be able to all use the same facilities at the same time. So, sometimes when we get joint practices with the other groups at the outside range on the other side of HQ, we all compete to see which group can hit the most bulls-eyes. We only lead by a bit, but it's all because of Nick. He's the best of our group. But, you never know, maybe you'll be our next star," he smiled at her. Before she had the time to reply, someone clapped their hands loudly and yelled at them.
"Hey! Kids! What are you doing dallying around? Tired already?" The instructor decided to make his entrance at the exact time they had all stopped shooting. Patrick Burton. He was an older man, with a balding head and strong arms. He was the man she had always associated with Central's range. For as long as she could remember, he had been in charge of this place and was the head instructor for this section. She had grown fond of him and treated him like family, as he did her. He sometimes called her his 'soul-daughter', instead of soulmate, and had always given her council to help her improve in the past when she needed it. As she sat there silently on the bench, she watched him stalk towards them, with a stern frown upon his face.
None of them made a move, afraid the slightest twitch would anger him even more. Patrick planted his feet in front of them and crossed his arms. He was known for being strict with the new recruits, but as you got to know him, you would soon find out that he was a jolly man. "Did you join the military just to waste my time. What I hate the most it laziness! It'll get you nowhere! Now, I want all of you to resume-" Patrick suddenly halted in the middle of his sentence and stared right at her, blinking a few time. "Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye? Is that you?" he asked, not sure of himself.
"I was starting to wonder if this group even had an instructor. I'm glad you decided to show up, Patrick." Riza said calmly and smiled at him, which made him laugh out loud. All the new soldiers' eyes turned to her, staring widely in a deathly silence.
"So you've met our new chickadees? What do you think of them?" Patrick asked her after he had enough breath to speak again.
"Friendly lot. And... interesting." Riza eyed Nicholas quickly before standing up and making her way to Patrick. All the colour from Nicholas's face seemed to have drained away and he looked down tensely when their eyes locked.
"Hawkeye, these kids have been waiting for you to show up for a month now. They've been asking me everyday and it was starting to drive me crazy." Patrick heaved a sigh. "It's good to see you again, my dear." He patted her on the back lightly and said, "Now it's about time we got a demonstration from a professional, our best one at that."
He turned back to the rest and spoke loudly, "Kids, let me introduce you to our very best sharpshooter, Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye. I'm sure you've had the time to acquaint yourselves with her." Yes, but no one recognized me. A pity. At least I got an idea of who they truly are. "Everyone, watch carefully how she does it. This is the level you should all be aiming for."
With the introductions done, she unslung her rifle and proceeded to a medium difficulty lane in the middle of the range. She took out a box of bullets and loaded one into her rifle. Before she put on her earmuffs, she heard a loud shout from Patrick. "Do six rounds in a row!" He winked at her and she smirked. He wants me to put on a show. The rifles they were practising with could only load one bullet at a time, it had an average kickback, but a lot of power. Out on mission, she preferred using her own personal rifle that could load up to four bullets and allowed her to fire more shots without needing to reload every time.
She raised her rifle and fired six shots consecutively while reloading in between at an abnormally fast speed. When she lowered her gun, she turned on a switch on the side of the panel that separated each lane and the lights turned on behind the target sheet. She studied the holes and lowered her earmuffs. I got a bit rusty. Five of her shots had landed in the center of the red circle on the target's head, while the last one was a few millimetres off. When you looked at it without knowing how many bullets have been fired, it would seem like it had been done by two bullets.
She heard Patrick clap in the background, followed by all the rest. "See that kids? That's what you call good shooting, unlike Mr showoff here," Patrick pointed at Nicholas, which brought up some muffled laughs and some chuckles. Nicholas flushed in embarrassment at the comment. When it quieted down, Nicholas raised his head sharply.
"How do you do it, Lieutenant Colonel? How can you shoot so fast and always hit the center?"
Everyone was waiting for her answer. "Aim and shoot," Riza started, using the same words he had used on her not too long ago, but then added, "and years of practice. Only with hard work and perseverance will you get better. In real life and on the battlefield, it's either shoot or die. You learn to aim fast and reload even faster if you want to survive." Patrick nodded at her with approval.
He waited a another second to let the new soldiers take in the massage before he spoke to them. "Hear that kids? Practice. That's the magic word," he said with a fatherly tone. "Now get to it!" he bellowed.
They all scattered off. This time, everyone was practicing and she saw a few of them trying out some harder targets. Patrick walked towards his office, which was a built-in room in the range, and waved for her to follow. Inside the room, he crouched down beside his desk and brought up a long black case. A new rifle? The case was a shiny black leather and it still smelled new. The thought of a brand new rifle was exciting enough to make her smile. When Patrick saw her expression, he grinned widely and said, "Come. It's too small and messy in here."
He led her to a table outside of his office and carefully lowered the case on top. He flipped the two latches and opened it. The sight of it would've made Riza gasp if she wasn't as disciplined as she was, but she held herself back. It was the newest version of her favorite model of sniper rifles that she recently saw in the catalogues, but the colour of this rifle was not one of the offered colours in it. It was a slick matte black with dark brown leather near the handle to add the little extra touch and a long slender barrel. In the case, the gun came fully equipped with different scopes, a detachable suppressor, a detachable bipod with spiked feet, a carry handle, an adjustable cheek piece, a black leather sling, a rear grip and the most interesting part was the bullet capacity. The rifle was able to attach magazines holding up to ten bullets. It's perfect.
"Custom made. Try it." Patrick raised his eyebrows, urging her to take it.
"Are you sure? This is brand new. I don't think I should. Who is it for?" Riza was unsure of herself. She didn't like touching other people's things, especially their guns. This rifle was still shinny and new and she didn't want to be the first one to shoot from it if it was made for someone else.
"Just try it," he said gruffly. He was frowning at her. All right. Just this one time. She put down her own rifle on the table and gingerly took the black one, marvelling the cool metal in her hands. She raised it to eye level and peered down the barrel. Next, she loaded the magazine with the bullets that came with it and snapped it in. She picked one of the scopes and attached it to the rifle.
"I prepared a target for you!" called Patrick. He was at the far right side of the range and had set her target as far back as it allowed. She chuckled at him, took her box of bullets and walked to her lane.
"You're really trying to test me are you?" Riza joked with him.
"Of course. You've been gone for so long. I have to see if you're still able to perform well. I saw how you missed that one shot earlier." The last comment made her frown. Only Patrick knew of her strict self-discipline and how she yearned for perfection. He was one of the rare ones that dared to criticize her shooting skills, even if it was a joke.
She raised the rifle and peered through the scope. It was clear as crystal and had an excellent zoom on her paper target, with a simple thin cross in the center to guide her aim. She fired the first bullet and it hit her target in the center of the head. The sound it made, the smooth trigger and light kickback made it even better. It was a work of art. It didn't take long until she zoned out and was only focusing on her shooting.
Time went by, but she hadn't notice how much time had passed until she ran out of bullets and was forced to stop. She held the rifle with one hand as she pulled down her earmuffs with the other. Immediately, she a heard a voice in her ear.
"Do you like it?" Riza jumped and turned around quickly, coming face to face with the Fuhrer smiling down at her. She took a step back and saluted. Behind him, she could see all the new recruits looking at him with nervous eyes. The range was quieter and no one was shooting anymore. Roy waved off her salute and asked again, "so, do you like the gun?"
"What are you doing here, sir? And alone? Where are your bodyguards?" she asked, completely ignoring his question. There was still twenty minutes left until the end of the day and she didn't want him loitering around the base when there was still work left to be done.
"Calm down Hawkeye. They're at the entrance of the range. I told them to wait there. It's tiring having them following me around. Anyways, I finished all my work for today if you were wondering and when I came out, you were gone. So I asked the others and they told me you were here so here I am," Roy explained. "So, do you like the gun?"
"Yes I do- that's not the main issue right now. You came here to find me. So do you have anything to tell me, sir?" Before he could answer, she lowered her voice and said sternly, "You shouldn't wander around the base, sir. You have an image to keep up, especially in front of the new recruits."
"I know, Hawkeye. I didn't do anything embarrassing or 'unFuhrer-like' in front of them, don't worry," he said in the same hushed tone. "I just wanted to come visit the range and see you shoot a bit." When Riza gave him a suspicious look, he put a guilty look on and added, "and we wanted to know if we could finish earlier and all go to a bar. We do have two new members to our team you know? So it makes it twice as special." Roy smiled hopefully at her. Thank god he's not facing the others. From this angle, only she could see his face and she definitely did not want other people to see his more childish side. Thankfully, they were also apart from the group and far away enough so that no one could hear them.
Riza grunted in disapproval but submitted to his pleading. "Fine, but they have to tidy up they desks before leaving." It was somewhat of a tradition ever since she became Roy's subordinate, that they would all go out to a bar and welcome their newest member. All of them had gotten it and Roy was set on keeping this tradition even if he was the Fuhrer.
"So is that a new gun?" Roy insisted, once again, on the new rifle she was holding.
"Yes, First Lieutenant Burton showed it to me. It was still brand new." She lifted it up for him to see. He took it and tested it out in his hands.
"Hm, seems like a very good one too."
"Of course, sir. It's the newest model. Everything about it is perfect. I think it's a custom-made one, since the colour is not one of the regular ones. The leather on the sides must've been added on too."
"Is it yours?"
"No. I don't know whose it is. I have to ask Burton." It was an expensive gun and it would probably take her two years to save up enough money to buy one, never mind a custom-made one. Riza looked down at the rifle in Roy's hands and frowned guiltily. "I shouldn't have tried it out. It was wrong of me."
Roy chuckled and handed it back to her. "Here, it's yours now. Under the Fuhrer's command," he said haughtily.
"Sir, you can't abuse your authority and just give other people's things away," Riza scowled at him and took the gun from his hands.
"I'm not. I got this rifle made for you." Roy smiled at her and grinned when he saw her surprised look.
"You what?" Riza stuttered.
"You heard me. This is my gift to you." He turned the gun around in her hands and pointed to the leather on the outside of the handle. There was an imprint on it and when she looked closer, it was the shape of a flying hawk with wings made of flames.
"But, sir, why? I didn't do anything to deserve a gift from you."
"Of course you did. If anyone deserves a gift from me, it's you. This is a small gift in exchange for ten years of loyalty, Hawkeye." He gave her a knowing look. "Please accept it."
Riza looked him in the eyes and saw the sincerity in them. She slowly looked back down at the black marvel and smiled. "Thank you, sir. I'll treasure it." She knew she couldn't deny him when he had that stubborn look on his face.
"Good. I'm glad you like it. I was afraid it wouldn't suit your taste. You don't know how long I sat down with Burton over there, looking through the catalogues."
"What? When did you do this? And when did you have the time?" Riza asked incredulously. She had been taking care of his schedule for the past few weeks and there was never an open time slot for him to come down here.
"That's a secret, Hawkeye," he said. But when he saw the look she gave him, he gulped and told her the truth. "Ok, ok. The meetings with some of the generals were fake. I was coming here the whole time. It was hard finding time that fitted for the both of us. After ordering and receiving it, we only had to wait for you to come down here to try it out. But since you were so busy and never seemed to have enough time to pass by, I requested two new assistants to take some of the load off your back." Roy smiled innocently, while Riza was fighting a storm inside of her.
"I can't believe you did all that without me knowing."
"I know. I don't even know how I did it. You have to give me credit for it. I was sure you had suspicions about it, but you never asked me anything." Any other day before Roy had become the Fuhrer, Riza would have figured it out the first day. But ever since he had ascended, she had too many things going on at the same time and that had made her less aware of some things, like this plan of his. It's true. I haven't been focusing enough. I guess we should thank really Brandt and Royce with a welcoming party.
"I'll make good use of it, sir. I can wake you up with it when you're sleeping on the job." Riza smirked when she saw him cringe.
"Please don't. The sound of it is scary enough as it is. I don't need the bullet flying at me too. Just keep it locked away here."
After putting her new rifle back into its case and closing it securely, she went to put back her old one on the rack and locked it. When she was heading towards the women's locker room, but stopped to give some last words of encouragement to the other soldiers. "Keep up with the training. I'll pass by another time and I might be able to give some tips to each of you individually. Take advantage of this training period to practice as much as you can, because you won't have so much free time in the future." She nodded at them and continued on her way, but before she reached the door, she saw Roy smirk and nod at them with approval. That simple gesture was enough to brighten the young faces and give them the energy to resume their practice. Her eyes locked with Patrick and she saw him wink at her, which made her smile. You cunning old fox. You helped him plot all of this.
"Sir, I just need to put this away and get my jacket."
"Sure. I'll wait by the entrance with my lovely bodyguards," he answered with a sarcastic tone.
The choice of the bar was decided by Havoc and Breda, who made the effort to find a high class exclusive bar for VIP members only. Since Roy was now the Fuhrer, they couldn't just casually walk into any bar like they used to in the past. The bar was called 71 and they were more than eager to welcome the Fuhrer. One half of it was a casual lounge/bar, while the other half was a hostess bar, who boasted of having Central's most beautiful hostesses. No wonder Havoc wants to go there. I bet he's hoping to bring a girl home tonight, even though hostesses don't normally sleep with their customers. The idea of ending up being surrounded by sultry women did not make Riza all too excited, but she still decided to come at least for a short while.
They went in two cars: Roy, Riza, Havoc and Falman in one car; Breda, Fuery, Royce and Brandt in the other. Their two cars were sandwiched by three other military issued cars, one in front and two in the back, carrying Roy's personal bodyguards that followed him everywhere, much to his displeasure. This exclusive bar was at the second floor of a magnificently modern building, where the first floor served as a nightclub. Luckily, by the time they got there it was near eight o'clock and the club hadn't yet opened, allowing them to go upstairs without having to suffer the screams of young women whenever they saw Roy.
When the doorman saw them come up, he immediately moved to open the door for them, eagerly ushering them in. Once in the threshold, a man rushed towards them with a huge smile plastered on his face. He looked close to his fifties, with greying hair and a thick moustache and beard that was closely trimmed. He donned a dark shinny blue suit and shinny black shoes. By the way he dresses, he must be the manager. Riza couldn't help but be wary of this foreign place and scanned the room quickly, looking for anything suspicious.
"Fuhrer Mustang! It's my greatest pleasure and honor to have you here tonight! My name is Fabrice Joricho and I'm the manager of bar 71. I'm positive you won't be disappointed by your experience here tonight. In fact, I have prepared you the best of our hostesses and they are more than willing to help entertain you and your men tonight," said the older man, clasping his hands and rubbing them together. He gave Roy an all too suggestive smile, which made her want to glare at him. Is this a hostess bar or some kind of undercover brothel? Then again, people would do almost anything to get Roy's attention and favor. She had always dreaded situations like these and hoped that Roy wasn't as stupid as to succumb to them. It would make her job protecting him a whole lot more complicated, especially if it was against other people, or women, that Roy didn't exactly consider as a threat.
As Riza glance towards her right, where the hostess bar was located, she could see some heads poking past the wall. They all had hairs of different colours and faces full of makeup. Their eyes showed their excitement and giddiness. She could hear them trying to muffle their squeals and laughter. On their side, she saw the men smiling to themselves, stealing looks at the girls, anxious to let themselves be pampered by them. Riza resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Thank you Fabrice, but I'm afraid we're just here for the lounge tonight. The hostess bar will have to wait for another time. We have a lady with us tonight and it is no place to bring her," Roy gave him a look that left no space for arguments. Riza was surprised by Roy's decision. She would've thought he'd be the first to jump at the sight of these beautiful girls. Havoc and Breda's mouths were agape, but no words came out.
"Sir, I don't mind going to the hostess bar if all of the others want to go there. I can just get a drink and wait-" Riza tried protesting, feeling bad for being the sole reason to everyone's dismal mood.
"No Hawkeye. We won't go. Our tradition is to welcome the new members as a whole team and you're as part of it as any one of us. I'm not going to bring you to a place that'll make you uncomfortable." He knows me too well. "Anyways, our plan for tonight was to eat and drink. The girls can wait for another time, right men?" All of them nodded their heads at her, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Thank you, sir." she bowed her head slightly, thankful she wouldn't actually be forced to go in there.
That night, they drank and ate like young teenagers. Riza couldn't exactly remember how many glasses of beer each of them had, but they all ended up drunk except for her. They had started with a nice red wine, paid by the Fuhrer of course, but Havoc insisted that they get hammered that night, so he ordered all kinds of drinks and everyone drank like it was their last day on earth. There was also a lot of food and appetizers and they all stuffed themselves to their max. Riza was feeling tipsy, but was nowhere as drunk as the other men. They were all laughing hysterically at anything and everything, especially at the two new members and at Fuery, since he had never been a heavy drinker.
Despite his low-key, quiet and serious demeanor at work, Michael was wild when he was drunk, screaming, laughing and telling jokes, which surprised everyone. Thomas, on the other hand, didn't change that much and he seemed to have a pretty high tolerance to alcohol. Thank god it's a Saturday tomorrow. I can't even imagine how it would be with all of them having hangovers the next day. Riza had only had her glass of wine and three whiskeys. She has always had a good tolerance to alcohol, but she never abused it. It allowed her to take some strong drinks, which she definitely preferred over beer.
"To Fuhrer Roy Mustang!" Havoc managed to cry out, his cup shaking in his hand and alcohol dripping over the edge. They all raised their glasses to share the toast and drank deeply.
Roy had drank a little too much and was having a hard time sitting up straight. He was leaning against the back of the bench, but always fell sideways to lean on Riza. At one point, it was getting a bit too heavy for her to support and she had to push him back up.
"Sir, we should call it a night. You can barely stay awake," she told him as she struggled to keep him up straight. Thank god his bodyguards are here. I don't think I'd be able to get him home in this state. Roy grunted at her and nodded absentmindedly.
"Boys," he said gruffly, "it's getting late. Let's go home." He stood up clumsily and Riza was immediately beside him, holding on to his arm to keep him from swaying too much. He walked to the front desk to pay for everything. Fumbling through his wallet, he was having difficulty taking out his money, so Riza helped him.
"Thanks Hawkeye," he grinned sheepishly. Riza could tell he was trying very hard to stay steady and not seem too drunk.
She half led, half dragged him carefully and slowly down the stairs and into his awaiting car and chauffeur. She looked back to see the rest of the men stumbling down, getting some help from Roy's bodyguards, and getting into the closest cars they could reach.
"Can you drive them back home safely?" she asked the chauffeurs of the other cars. They nodded and saluted her. Riza went in to sit beside Roy and noticed he was already sleeping. He was leaning heavily against the door and had his arms crossed. If she hadn't known he was drunk, she would've thought he was simply taking a nap. Riza asked the chauffeur to bring him home.
Roy was to move into King Bradley's mansion after he became Fuhrer, but he insisted that it'd be renovated and changed to fit his taste. It would take the construction team another month or two and in the mean time, he was living in a luxurious apartment.
When they arrived, Riza was about to get out of the car when one of the Fuhrer's guards at the apartment stopped her and told her they'd be able to get him back to his room safely. Riza thanked the man and sat back down comfortably. Roy was already half asleep on his feet and could only mumble a goodnight at her.
The chauffeur brought her back to her own quarters, where she fed her dog, took a quick shower and plopped into her own bed, with Hayate lying down beside her. Thank goodness it's the weekend. She was exhausted and extremely glad she could sleep in a bit tomorrow morning.
When she went back to work on Monday, it took a whole morning for the men to stop talking and laughing at each other about the other night. In the afternoon, everyone started being productive and got down to work quickly since the Fuhrer's one month ascension to power celebration was coming up fast. This event needed a lot of work to properly organize it and make sure everything was secure. It was mostly an event that pleased the higher ups and gave the soldiers a reason to drink and chat. The important and high ranking people in the military were all invited to the event. It was to be similar to a ball, where people could invite their families and partners to dance and drink and eat.
Another important fact was that most people would come with the goal to impress Roy and show their daughters and younger female family members, in the hopes of catching the Fuhrer's attention. Roy was still single as a matter of fact and everyone was more than eager to create a bond with him by marriage. Everyone in the team knew that this fact annoyed him to no ends and he would always complain to them in private about the 'old men throwing women at him'. In front of these 'old men', he would act proper and polite, but never showed interest in any of their offers.
"Sir, you have so many to pick from and I'm sure anyone would throw their arms around you without a second thought. I wish I had women who were crazy over me." Havoc was complaining loudly one day.
"Havoc, unlike you, I've never had trouble finding a female friend. Being the Fuhrer has only made it easier. But I don't want to be forced to pick someone when I'm not into them. I like to pick up ladies when I'm in my mood and when I do it on my own, not with the help of some crazy, desperate parent." Roy replied smugly with his smirk, knowing it was going to annoy his subordinate.
The last week came quickly and Riza was busy running around, meeting people, assigning roles to other soldiers, picking the guards that would work that night and finishing up with the preparations. For the past two weeks, she hadn't met Roy many times since he was also travelling and going to meeting in other places. When she had some rare free time, she would visit the range quickly to unload some stress with her new rifle and watch over some of the practices.
Two days before the ball, she met Roy in the office when she was coming back from a short lunch break. Roy had just put on his coat and looked like he was about to leave again. Looking up, he seemed relieved to see her and smiled tiredly at her.
"Hawkeye, I hope you're getting enough sleep these days. I know I'm not." Roy sighed and rubbed his eyes a bit. I'm just the same as you, sir.
"Sir, are you going to another meeting?" she asked him, ignoring his own question.
"Yes. I'm not exactly sure where it is, but Royce and Brandt have it under control. I just have to sit in the car. They also went to get me something to eat." Roy looked haggard and exhausted, but he hid it well.
"Sir, no matter how busy you are, you should always eat your meals and sleep whenever you can," Riza warned him. She knew all too well of his bad habits and knew that if he was left alone, he would forget to eat. That was why she gave the two assistants strict orders to make sure that he'd eat properly.
"Hm, I know. Don't worry about sleep though. I do it whenever I can," he grinned crookedly at her. "By the way, what are you doing for the ball? Are you coming?"
"I am, but as head of security," Riza replied curtly. With the success and orderly process of the inauguration ceremony one month ago, the generals had all agreed that Riza should be the one in charge of the security team for that night. Riza didn't complain. She liked knowing that Roy was safe and the only way to assure that was taking charge. However, the fact that she could not attend the real event also disappointed her. She would have to be in full uniform since she would technically be on duty and there was no way she would waltz in there dressed like that when all the other women would be dressed in beautiful gowns and their best dresses.
"Oh I see. It's too bad I won't be able to have a dance with you." Is he... sad?
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sure there will be plenty of other women who would be honored to dance with you." Women who are attracted to your looks, reputation and money at least.
Roy's smile faltered, then faded. "I suppose you're right. You'll be watching my back from the shadows then?" he asked her, knowing the answer.
"Like always, sir." He nodded at her and left, closing the door softly behind him.
The next two days passed in a blur and it was at last the night of the ball. Riza stood near the entrance of the main building that was hosting the event. She noted the number of cars that came rolling by, all with their own personal chauffeurs who opened the doors for the passengers. These cars were not the military issued ones, but expensive and privately owned ones by generals and high ranking officers. Men came dressed in their best suits, completed with polished shoes, while the women looked beautiful and dazzling in their dresses, with full makeup and fancy hairdos. The guests presented themselves to some officers in charge of the guest list and were ushered in, with an announcement of their names and titles, after they've been checked off the list.
Riza stood still, looking at all the guests and soldiers coming in, searching for suspicious characters. Before the night had even started, she had studied the whole area and building, knew every hallway and room, and even looked through the list of guests who were invited to the ball. However, even if Riza had an incredible memory, it was still impossible for her to memorize all the names and faces of the guests, since there was close to a thousand or more of them.
She was looking at the entrance, making sure the soldiers were keeping a good flow with the arriving guests, when she heard many gasps, squeals and even some screams. Alert, Riza turned her head sharply towards the driveway and was immediately relieved to see that no danger had presented itself. In fact, she found herself staring, like all the other women.
Roy came out of of his car, dressed in a black suit with satin lapels shinning with the building's lights. His hair was neatly combed and pulled back to give him a slick look. He wore a crisp white dress shirt underneath the suit, with a black and silver patterned vest, and a black bow-tie. His shoe was no less exquisite, showing off a shinny black. Riza noticed he was wearing white gloves, but not the ones with his alchemy array. In fact, ever since the Promised Day, he hadn't needed any array to use alchemy. With just a clap of hands and a spark, he could produce the same flame alchemy.
Riza came out of her daze when his eyes locked onto hers. She gasped unnoticeably and fought a rising blush. Riza stood up straighter when she saw him coming towards her. However, Roy took no more than a dozen steps before he was intercepted by an older man, probably one of the many generals who were present tonight, with his wife and daughter. Roy looked noticeably displeased by the sudden interruption, but he didn't let his emotions take over the situation. He responsibly walked with them to the main entrance, giving one last look at Riza. Riza gave him a small smile and nodded at him. They could understand each other without having the need to speak. The look he gave her showed his regret of not being able to greet her properly, but she forgave him easily and told him to move on.
Realization hit her, after staring at his back for a few seconds, that he had come alone at the ball. He was unaccompanied and that alone gave a clear sign to all the single women who were present that he was available. Riza couldn't help but feel sad and lonely, despite having suppressed her feelings a long time ago. You don't have the right to feel this way Riza, she scolded herself, you're his subordinate and right-hand woman, sworn to protect him. You can't compete with the other women here. Riza knew she could never win against the women Roy was attracted to. They were just too... different. She was a military women, disciplined and stoic, while the others were real women, beautiful and loving. Riza willed her eyes away and resumed her work.
Not long after, she spotted Havoc, Breda and Fuery coming out of a taxi and Falman, Royce and Brandt coming out of another one just behind it. Falman was the first one to see her and waved, getting the others' attention, who followed suite.
"Good evening Lieutenant Colonel. It's too bad you couldn't attend the party with us tonight," Fuery said and the rest nodded in agreement.
"It's all right. I chose to do this on my own. Did you guys all get together before coming here?" Riza asked.
"Yeah, we met up so we could all share two taxis. Unlike the Fuhrer, we don't make a crazy amount of salary," Breda chirped in and chuckled.
"Well, you guys better get going. I would've thought that you would all come earlier for an event such as this one, but it would seem that your tardiness knows no boundaries."
"Come on, we have to arrive fashionably late! When we go in, everyone will look at us and see the handsome me. I might have a chance picking up a girl like this," Havoc reasoned too seriously to be taken seriously.
"Come on Captain. We better get going before they start the night," Brandt said insistingly.
They all bid Riza goodnight and walked to the entrance. After they went in, she headed to the front and checked the guest list. Most of the guests were already present and it would only be a matter of time before the ball started. Riza walked around, checking every place the guards were stationed. When nothing was out of place, she made her way inside and walked quietly and unnoticed along the wall.
The night commenced with many speeches, like usual, and ended with a few of the Fuhrer's words. Everyone was seated around big round tables and they were soon served a full course french meal, which smelled delicious. I should've eaten more before coming, then I wouldn't have to suffer so much, Riza regretted. Soft music filled the big room as a live orchestra was playing away. She watched diligently and overheard some of the women's idle talk, which mostly consisted of their shopping, of the latest fashion or of Roy Mustang. They just can't wait to pounce on him when they get the chance to. Riza chose to ignore these conversations. Sometimes, she would have another soldier reporting from their watch outside, which, thankfully, was never bad news.
Roy was sitting at a table with nine other people, which included Havoc, Breda and Falman. The rest were two generals, with their wives and daughters. It doesn't surprise me that they would all choose to bring a daughter instead of a son. Since Fuery, Royce and Brandt were lower ranking officers, they sat at another table beside Roy's with some other soldiers and their partners. None of the men in their team brought a date, which almost surprised Riza. Fuery is too shy around girls. Falman is too solemn. Havoc is too desperate. Breda cares more about eating. Riza smiled to herself and chuckled. She was sure Havoc also came alone in hopes of meeting some high ranking officer's daughter.
She could hear some high pitched laughter emitting from the Fuhrer's table as the two young women, who were sitting closest to Roy, laughed out loud at something Roy had said. They were obviously trying to flirt with him in front of everyone and competing against one another. Roy was smiling pleasantly at them and having a good chat. From this distance, Riza couldn't tell if he was indeed truly enjoying himself, or if he was just putting up a show to be polite. Riza liked to think that he was annoyed with those two airheads, but she couldn't be sure about it. After all, Roy had always dated these sort of women or something close to that. The girls were always more desperate for him than the other way around.
After the dinner, the music grew louder and many people made their way to the dance floor. Roy was obliged to start the first dance and had asked one of the girls at his table, which made the other one turn green with envy. It wasn't long before he asked the second one for a dance to try to appease the tension between the two girls. Roy danced magnificently, with grace and dignity. All the women's eyes were on him and they waited anxiously for their turn to dance with him, but he could only dance with so many.
Feeling claustrophobic and overwhelmed by the glamour of the dance floor, Riza stepped out from the back of the ballroom, into an enclosed exterior garden. Everything is just so pretty and perfect. Great. Riza felt bitter and irritated. The garden wasn't the seclusion she had been looking for, but she was grateful for the silence and fresh air. No one was posted to watch this part of the building, she knew, and she relished her alone time under a starry sky. She found a bench and sat down, before letting out a long, soft sigh. She could hear the music from within softly drifting outside, without the giggles, laughter and constant chatter that had accompanied it inside. Riza closed her eyes and felt her body relax. She grew tired, very tired. If only the night could end.
Riza was drifting in and out of sleep, but her body sat strait and still. She was drowsy, her mind was blurry, and soon, the music faded into the background. She dreamed of herself dressed up for the night. The look on the Fuhrer's face as he saw her and his hand extended to her for the first dance. In the dream, she dance elegantly, with grace and flowing motions, even if she knew that in real life she didn't know how to dance. Riza, wake up from this silly dream. You're dozing off on duty!
Riza suddenly jerked awake with a soft gasp and heard a stifled laughter beside her. Oh no! Someone saw me. Riza cringed at her unprofessionalism and the thought of a person witnessing it. She turned her head sharply to her right with a stony, unreadable face, only to see Roy Mustang. He was sitting beside her on the bench turned towards her, with his left arm perched on the back rest, his left leg propped up comfortably on the seat while the other dangled on the side. His right hand covered his mouth as he miserably failed to hide his amusement. When their eyes locked, Riza's eyes widened in horror, while Roy lowered his hand quickly, pretending he hadn't been laughing even if his mouth was forcefully shut in a thin line and his eyes betrayed all of his efforts.
Riza stood up briskly and saluted. "Fuhrer, sir! I am ashamed you had to see me in that state a second time. I promise it won't happen a third time." Roy couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing, making Riza scowl.
When he settled down, he signalled for her to sit back down. "Hawkeye, you alone deserve to sleep whenever you want. I won't ever reprimand you for it." His eyes twinkled and he was drowned in another wave of laughter, but this time it was a lot quieter. "You should've seen your expression when you woke up. Priceless," he said, earning him a glare.
"Sir, you should have woken me up instead of letting me sleep on duty," Riza told him.
"But you were smiling and looked really happy, so I didn't want to wake you up from a good dream." Roy grinned at her innocently. Oh god, kill me now! Riza looked down to her hands, clenched into tight fists, and fought the heat rising to her head. She couldn't have been more embarrassed than she was now, sitting beside the dashing Fuhrer.
"Why are you out here sir?" Riza asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"I saw you come out, so I followed. It's nice having some fresh air and some peace and quiet for a change, although I'll have to go back in pretty soon." Roy frowned and pouted. Riza would be lying if she said she wasn't shocked that the Fuhrer had seen her go out. She had made sure to slip out unnoticed, but it would seem one man had still seen her flee.
"You seem pretty gloomy for a man who is surrounded by many beautiful and rich ladies. Havoc would be crying if he knew you were sulking here like this."
"Well, Havoc can have them all if he wants. I'm only doing my duty as the Fuhrer and dancing with them. They're not really after me. They want to be first lady of the country, that's all. They want power, fame and more money, and coincidentally, I have all of that. It gets tiring after a few hours of the same thing. This time again, you didn't come to save me." It's not my place to intrude. "You shouldn't have taken this job, Hawkeye. If you were beside me, I'm sure less girls would try to get my attention." Yes, a perfect excuse to say no. A replacement, until you find the right one.
Roy huffed and said, "I should go back inside. I'm sure they're looking for me, hoping to share some important life stories or to introduce some daughter to me." Riza chuckled at his exasperation.
"It's your duty, sir. You are the Fuhrer."
Roy looked at her in the eye and she saw something in them, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Before she could figure it out, Roy suddenly stood up, Riza following suite. He smiled weakly at her. "You're right. I'll be going now. Good night, Lieutenant Colonel."
"Good night, sir" Riza watched him leave with a concerned look. Sad, and lonely. He's not enjoying his night. With that, she knew the answer to the question she had asked herself earlier. Roy was indeed faking his smiles and laughter. Riza knew he was never the type to gossip and fake politeness to people he found annoying. He wasn't fond of big events like these either. Unfortunately, his rank demanded a lot of this forced behavior and often put him in a sour mood, even if it didn't show on his face most of the time.
Soon, the guests were starting to leave one by one as the early morning hours rolled by. The older soldiers were the first to leave, then the drunker ones and finally the rest. Making sure everyone left safely, which meant assuring that no one would throw up on the carpet or fall down some stairs or start a fight with another drunkard, proved to be a much more challenging task than Riza had thought.
After she watched the last person leave, she let shoulders drop heavily. She was exhausted and irritated and all she wanted to do was go home. She walked back inside to check who was still there and found some workers tidying up the ballroom, already busy storing away the chairs and tables. Her eyes searched for Roy, but she couldn't find him anywhere. I haven't seen the others leave either. Where are they? After making sure none of the men or Roy were on site, she inquired one of the guards who was posted at the main entrance.
"I saw the Fuhrer and some other men leave in their cars. I don't know where they went though."
"What? When was this?" Riza asked briskly.
"Maybe ten minutes ago. They left a bit before the last guests left." The guard seemed to be backing away and shrinking in fear because of Riza's menacing glare. Those idiots! How could they be so unprofessional and leave before everyone else!
"Thanks for your help soldier. You can leave when everything is clear. I'll be going first, to make sure the Fuhrer got home safely." She stormed off, stomping with each step she took.
Riza found a phone and dialed Roy's home phone number. Obviously no one picks up, Riza thought annoyingly. She proceeded with calling the rest of the men of their team, only to be met with the same conclusion. She growled angrily. They went somewhere else after this! Riza thought about the possible places they could've went and the one thing that popped up in her head was: bar 71.
When she arrived on the said street, she immediately praised herself for knowing the men she worked with. Right in front of the doors to the club/VIP bar on the second floor, two black shinny cars were parked on the side of the sidewalk. Roy's cars. She found a parking a little further down the street on the opposite side of the sidewalk.
The more she walked towards the entrance, the more she felt out of place. This is worse than the ball. There was a long line of people waiting to get into the club, all dressed in skimpy, slutty and extremely short dresses. When she stalked by the lane, she saw some of them staring at her and giggling between themselves out of the corner of her eyes. Coming up to the front, two big bouncers blocked her way and gave her mocking looks.
"If you want to get in, then you're gonna have to get dressed properly and wait like everyone else at the back of the line." He crossed his arms and looked down at her smugly.
"I'm not here for the club. I need to go up to bar 71 and get some men home." Riza said as calmly as she could.
"That's not gonna work lady. I've already heard that excuse a long time ago. Now get out of here before I make you!" The girls closest to the doors were laughing at the scene, which only helped to boost the man's ego. The other one was smirking at her in the same arrogant way. I don't have time for this.
In a split second, Riza's hand flew out, clutched the front of his shirt in a tight fist and pulled him down towards her, while the other hand steadily pointed her gun to his forehead. All of a sudden, the girls, who were laughing a second ago, gasped and screamed, while the other bouncer uncrossed his arms and backed away a few steps, eyes wide with fear. Riza leaned close to the man's ear.
"I don't have the time to waste on you. You're going to let me go up there or I'm going to have to make you do it. Choose." Riza stared him in the eye, all the time maintaining the barrel of her gun on his forehead.
"I- I- I'm sorry. You can go," he stuttered in fear. Riza threw him harshly to the side and he fell onto the floor, knees easily buckling beneath him. Before going up, she gave a final icy glare to the other bouncer, you quickly averted his eyes to the floor.
Riza was at her wits' end as she stormed up the stairs and immediately turned right after entering the bar, ignoring the man who wanted to greet her. She looked right and left, but saw no sight of the men she was looking for. She spun on her heels and faced the host, who yelped, surprised she had suddenly turned with a murderous look in her eyes before he had even reached her.
"I'm looking for the Fuhrer and some men he brought with him. I know he's in here. Where is he?"
"I- I can't tell you ma'am. Our customers' privacy is-"
"I don't care about your rules. I'm the Fuhrer's personal bodyguard and I need to find him now! If you don't tell me, I have the right to arrest you." Actually, I don't, but I won't tell you that.
"Right this way ma'am," the man said without hesitation. Now that's more like it.
He brought her to the back, where there were some doors leading to private rooms. He lead her to the door farthest back and left her quickly. Riza wasted no time opening the door. What she found inside made her internal volcano erupt.
It was a large square room, with benches lined against the walls and a big table in the middle, full of food and drinks. Too much alcohol. In the center, she found Roy with two beautiful, busty girls in his arms. Havoc, Breda, Falman and even Fuery and the two new guys were there. She couldn't believe the sight she was seeing. A bunch of desperate, single, horny men. There was at least two women for every man and they seemed more than happy to be entertaining them.
Riza walked to the front of the big table and cleared her throat. Roy was the first to notice her.
"Oh, Hawkeye, you're here. How did you find us?" There was a slur in his voice and she knew he was already drunk. He smiled at her stupidly and his eyes were unfocused.
"Sir, I'd advise you to go home now. It's already late and I think you've had enough to drink and enough women to entertain you for the night," she said as she tried to keep her voice steady. Truthfully, she wanted to scream and yell at them, but she knew better than to do that in public, not like she ever did that to anybody to begin with.
"Enough women for one night? There's never enough." Roy laughed and smiled to the girl in his right arm, whispering something to her, which made her giggle. Riza frowned, but didn't give up. She tried to redirect her attention to the other men in the room.
"Fuery, the night's over. You should head home."
"Huh? What?" Fuery looked around confused and only then did he see her for the first time. He too had drank too much and it didn't seem like he was fully aware of his surroundings. "But we just got here? I don't even know their names yet." He looked at the girls around him and they laughed at him and caressed his cheeks and hair. Well, that didn't work.
"Hawkeye! Why are you here? You shouldn't be here. It's a man's place, not for you." Havoc blabbered loudly.
"Havoc. You're too drunk to know what you're talking about. I came all the way here to-"
"I don't know what I'm talking about? Of course I know what I'm talking about! You came here to get us out of here like you always do! We can never do anything like this or come to a place like this because you're always there. For once, we finally escaped you, but you just had to come bring us back." Havoc was now in a drunken angry rant and was pointing an unsteady finger at her.
Riza was too stunned to make a reply.
"Don't you ever think that we men want to go out with just us so we can do some stuff men do?" Havoc continued. "Stop babysitting us! We're grown men and we have our needs. You're not our mom!"
"What are you talking about? I always let you guys go off without me! I know you guys have things you want to do and I've never stopped you from doing them!" Riza was starting to get angry at their drunken stupor. And I always stay overtime to finish your work when you guys leave early to go drink!
"Hawkeye, stop. Just go. We can handle ourselves just fine," Breda chimed in casually, too tired and drunk to lift his head properly. Riza stared incredulously at them. Fuery was busy talking nonsense with some girls, while Havoc was back to flirting, Breda was laughing at some unfunny jokes, Falman was passed out, Royce and Brandt were laughing and smiling stupidly with other girls. This is impossible.
"Fuhrer. Please tell them to end this and go home. It's been a long night and you should all be-"
"Hawkeye," Roy's smile disappeared and he looked at her with an irritated and unfriendly look. "Havoc's right. We're grown men and we know what we're doing. We don't need you to tell us what to do." His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, before he turned back to the girls in his arms. "Don't worry girls. This scary lady won't take me away from you. She can't babysit me forever now can she?" Riza heard him say quietly to them. They all giggled and laughed at her.
Riza stood tensely in the middle of the room, and stared at them stoically. None of them were paying her any attention, too submerged in their own fantasies. Slowly, she took a step back, then another. She turned her heels and walked towards the door. As she opened it, Thomas Brandt asked with a slurred voice, "What are you doing?"
"Leaving." Riza closed the door hard behind her.
As she walked slowly towards her car, she ruminated about the things they said to her. When she rethought about it, it had hurt more than it did when she had first heard them. She didn't know they had been thinking of her as a nuisance to their nightly activities. If she would've known, she wouldn't even have come to the welcoming party for the two new men the other night. Clearly, they had really wanted to go in the hostess bar the other time, but couldn't because of me.
She was in a terrible mood and her chest felt stuffy. I wish there was a bench. She didn't even feel like walking to the car anymore. Roy's words were stuck in her mind, playing over and over again. I can't babysit him forever and I can't take him away from those girls. She knew he was right, she had always known this fact, but he gave the finishing blow when he had said it out loud. Riza felt her eyes prickle and tears threatening to form. She willed her mind and straitened herself out. Riza, you don't feel anything for him. You can't have him. You can't tell him what to do. Just do your job and protect him. For a second she felt that she was back in control, but the feeling quickly disappeared and was replaced by frustration.
You can't even do your job right. How can you protect him when he doesn't want you near him? Riza was failing miserably at making herself feel better, so she decided to give up and go home. She continued walking down the sidewalk and saw two men laughing together who were walking towards her. Aren't you two in a good mood, she thought sarcastically.
She was about to cross the street, when she felt an arm lock itself around her neck, while another covered her mouth with a cloth. Riza was an expertly trained soldier and she instinctively held her breath the moment she saw his hand holding the white cloth coming towards her face. Her right hand quickly reached for her gun, but another hand grabbed it tightly before she could reach it. Her eyes widened and she cursed in her head. There's two of them! She elbowed her attacker hard in his stomach and kicked his shins as hard as she could. He yelled in pain and loosened his grip around her neck, which allowed her to turn around a bit. But the moment she started turning, she felt a fist connect with her solar plexus and she gasped in pain. Damn!
That simple gasp had made her breathe in the product in the cloth and she saw her vision blur instantly. Suddenly, she fell to the ground, hitting the cement hard as she crashed down. She saw blurry feet shuffling around her and felt a sharp pain on her shoulder and the right side of her face before she blacked out.
A.N.: Here's the latest chapter guys! The story will slowly develop itself, but I hope it intrigues some of you. It will get better, I promise. I don't update regularly because my schedule is always changing, but I'll try to do it when I can. Don't hate on Roy, lol. You'll learn more from him in the next chapter I think... See you next time. Please drop a review :) I appreciate it.
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