I hoped you liked the last chapter. Thanks for the reviews. Here I'm setting the pace for one of the best manga related Royai moment. Be ready to face tension. The story should get even more interesting in the upcoming chapter, since I'll started deviating from the manga and managed to get things that will surprise you to happen! 8) Have a nice time reading!

Honesty

Chapter 2 – Suicide mission

Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.

Once Roy had made everyone else believe, with the help of his men and 66 that he'd killed Ross to avenge his friend Maes, he went through a short depressive phase. In a sense, he'd saved that woman life by helping her escaping the country without being chased after by anyone. But he'd prevented her from ever coming back to her hometown. At least, not in the near future. He was taking the hit, impassively, and sometimes, even if she knew that he'd done it all for Maria, Hawkeye glared at him, as if she was resenting him and the colonel Mustang felt guilty.

…

He'd knocked twice on the door, since he was scared of imposing himself. He wasn't supposed to come that day. But it had been three months since he last got news from the young woman since he'd become a state alchemist. His master's daughter had told him that she was doing good last time they talked. Since he'd been on the phone, with a dozen of guys waiting after him to call either their girlfriends, their mothers, cousins or to order a pizza, his comrades were hurrying him to finish, so he hadn't had the time to ask as many questions as he'd liked.

So there he was, in front of his old alchemy's master's house, showing unannounced. Roy had been welcomed in the small town by the ladies that all recognized him as the young man who'd rescued the poor little Riza after her father's death. He was still a little shy when he saw how his charm could work on any woman, no matter how old or young, even if he was slowly gaining assurance. He felt like a small boy in front of those sixty years old woman looking at him with eyes that could swallow him whole.

I don't even know why I came that time, he thought as he shook his head.

It had been there last time seeing each other before Ishval's war. That last time Derek had been in the picture. And it was the first time Roy met with him. It had been a crazy day from the very beginning.

…

He was talking to her just asthe memories were coming back to him. She was on a mission's location, a mission they were working on out of work. Mustang knew he'd hit the jackpot. Jean was Jacqueline, and Riza, Elizabeth. She was pretending to be a waitress in a restaurant, joking around, talking freely, as she did once.

And Roy loved it. They hadn't talked like that for so long. It was like to meet up with an old friend. His old friend. But at the same time, it was even more. They knew that it was dangerous, but to have the right to talk like this, beneath coded words, looking for inner meaning between each sentence that they heard…

"I've got so much work lately," he explained, barely noticing the soldiers that were walking through the corridor in front of his office and complaining that Mustang was using his work time to flirt on the phone, unpunished.

At the bottom of his spirit, going on and on was the scene in front of the old house, with the cold spring breeze. He could still hear the silence that had preceded running noises, shouts, shocks, a violent dispute taking place right on the other side of that door on which he'd just knocked. It had been so sudden that he thought that he was mistaking it for a sign at first.

Then the doorknob turned, barely, before that another violent noise hinted that something or someone got hit.

"Let go of me," Riza's voice begged.

"That's out of the question!" barked a man's voice.

Roy, touched by the helplessness in his friend's voice, hadn't hesitated any longer. He hadn't all the pieces of the puzzle. Except for a letter that she'd send him. He had forgotten about it at first, but it was the very reason why he'd come. That letter pretended that everything was well, in appearance, but he'd guessed that something was wrong. And of all the days to come, it was on the day where the threat turned real that he'd show up.

So then, without knowing exactly what was waiting for him, the future colonel opened the door to see Riza fighting between the hands of a giant. There were bruises on her arms, large, brown and bluish already. Whoever that man was, he was going too far. Even if nobody had asked anything from him, Roy knew that he couldn't let this go any further. He didn't notice that the man was far taller and bigger than him. He didn't notice that he was quite bulkier than him. His anger was too great. Who had a right to hurt his master's daughter, the girl he'd promised to protect?!

I'm glad I was on time, he thought, seeing himself running right into Derek.

Riza had shouted. The panic he'd felt at that point. And the panic that she'd been feeling. It wasn't normal to barge into someone's house to realize that she was assaulted by a stranger. Of course, it was no stranger, but for Mustang, it was all the same.

From the corner of his eye, the flame alchemist saw the young girl walking backward to the closest wall and leaning over it, wrapping her arms around herself. He noticed many things about her, that all made him even more furious than he already was. A torn sleeve on her dress, bruises on her arm, a naked shoulder, tears on her face. Then, Roy realized that he'd been utterly stupid. He received a punch right in the face and was almost knocked out. His whole body backed away.

He thought about using his alchemy, since it would gave him an advantage, but did he have his gloves with him? He hadn't the time to search his pockets. He felt himself being lifted by a deadly grip on his neck. What a moron he was! That Derek was one tough customer!

"Who's that guy? Another of your father's friend? I've had enough of this, Riza! Haven't I been clear about your frequentations?"

"Derek, put him down right now! You have no right to…"

"Just try and stop me!"

Roy smelled alcohol in the air. He also smelled his coming end if he didn't do something to free himself from that guy. He was about to suffocate. As he vainly fought against the hands gripped on his neck, he managed to slide his right glove on. A single snap of the finger and fire was burning the man's clothes.

He instantly let go of our favorite soldier who used that time to take a few steps back. Unfortunately for Mustang, Derek didn't take that much time to put out the fire and charging at him. The fist he took to his stomach cut his breath and got him crumbling down.

"You're going to show me the secret your father has hidden on you and fast! I know you've already given it to someone else and I got all the reasons to think of it as a treason!"

Frustrated not to be able to resist any better against this colossal man, Roy snapped his fingers another time, with more strength, lighting a fire on a Derek. It's only then that he noticed the dark eyes and blond hair on the man. And in his crazed stare, a lust for a power, and all his animal strength ready to get it for him.

And that memory reminded the colonel how he had to be careful about not turning like this. Not turning into a corrupted monster because of power, ready to do anything to obtain more of it.

What Derek had really wanted, was to find a unlimited mean to have his new energy source working. He called it nuclear energy. Even in Roy's eyes, the concept was highly interesting. But, if that meant to hurt a woman, especially if that woman was Riza, than, damn nuclear energy!

After heavy burns that would leave him marked for life, the intoxicated and enraged man seemed to regain his spirit and fled, leaving the house and his two occupants. Riza had joined Roy, to check on him, if he'd got anything broken. And then, when it seemed that he'd be fine, she had collapsed in his arms. She was upset beyond words. Never had her Derek acted like that. It was as if he'd turned into a whole different person. She'd never be able to trust him again. And as she was crying on the shoulder of her future colonel, she seemed wondering if she had any reason to trust him either.

His heart in pieces, Mustang had tried his best in comforting her. He had all the trouble in the world to calm her down, since he was almost as upset as her just by seeing her sorry state. A part of her tattoo was showing and her dress was slowly sliding on her body, without her noticing. Her arms covered with bruises, her messy hair…

How lucky that I'd go on that day instead of any other, he thought as he heard gunshots in the background of his phone.

He'd wished he could have a chance to talk to his lieutenant in another situation. Maybe in a restaurant, or a theater. At the very least, in a car, as they'd drove toward the train station to get to Rush Valley and accomplish some suicide mission! There were so many options and so little time to try everything!

"You're sure that I'm not disturbing you?" he asked, feeling his anxiousness growing up.

There was a lot of gunshots, now, wasn't there?

"I had to help Jacqueline in getting rid of a client that was a little too straightforward."

Roy let a smile grow on his face. If things kept up like this, than everything would go right and…

She interrupted him in the middle of his sentence.

"Oh, I've got to let you for a while, Roy. A big client is coming."

He waited for a while, after that she'd shot, but already, the panic was getting the better of him. She should have told him that it was over with that client already, shouldn't she?

"Elizabeth?" he asked.

He had a terrible impression of déjà vu. His blood took a single turn in his veins and his heart missed a few beats. She couldn't… Hugues. The last time he'd talked to Hugues on the phone, the same thing had happened. He'd been cut short since someone was coming. And Maes hadn't talk to him ever since. Maes was dead. What if Riza died? While he hadn't told her anything about how he felt about her? While he still needed her all the time?

She wasn't answering and her silence petrified him with a horrified look on his face. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't do this to him. Why had he let them go alone on this mission, why had he accepted not to be on the field with them?

"Elizabeth!" He repeated.

Answer me, Riza! He wanted to yell.

A third time, he repeated her code name, that name that flew through his mouth like a miracle. She had to answer. He was about to shout at the phone. This silence was going to kill him. The memory of Maes, lying motionless in a pool of his blood in front of a calling cabin went before his eyes. His panic turned into pure fear, taking over his sense. He had no choice. He had to make sure she was alright. She was a mere human too, and she could fail. And he couldn't lose her. He didn't want to lose her. Never, he thought.

Roy left his office like a whirlwind. He almost ran through the hallways and barely managed not to overthrow a few interns on his way, Scieska included. The people looked surprised at how fast he requisitioned a vehicle. Nothing seemed fast enough to answer the urgency of the situation. Riza wasn't behind an opened door, threatened by her sick boyfriend. The threat was unknown, possibly invincible and able to change forms by his very will. There was no more limits to the enemies they were encountering. And him, like an imbecile, he'd thrown her in the lion's den.

"Shit," he cursed as he burned a stop and almost ran over a little girl.

He dodged her just in time and didn't stop. There was no time. He had no more time. There never was time, he had waited too long, doing nothing, being a moron. The panic gave him the impression he was taking the wrong route while he was on the right track. He had to be there on time.

Let me be on time. So that she won't die too.

I can lose her too. Not my Riza!

He still wanted to hold her in his arms and to comfort her when she'd need to. He wanted to see her staring back at him with crossed brows when he was doing something wrong. He wanted to look at her working devoutly while he was dozing off. He wanted to talk to her, to be able to call her Riza instead of Hawkeye. To have the chance of seeing her wearing civilian's clothes, the chance to go out with her, to eat with her, to smile at her, to see her getting angry at him.

"I hope that I won't be too late."

Honesty is hardly ever heard.
And mostly what I need from you.

To be continued…

Please review, it will encouraging in translating faster, since all the story is written and just wait on me for translating it all. ;)