Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

AN: Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a great day. Responses to guest reviews from the last chapter can be found at the end of this post. As promised, here is Chapter 9. I hope you like it!


The City That Care Forgot (Part 2)

Roy continued to stand in front of the crypt, lost in thought in the middle of a necropolis, for several minutes. The discovery of Hawkeye's relation to Berthold Gavilán ran through his mind and he could not avoid feeling at least moderately irate. When he first put it together, his frustrations at having been deceived were combined with all the anger associated with the night his friend shot him. He had felt spectacularly betrayed, and to learn that his team's fate relied in large part on that man's daughter, a woman who remained a mystery herself, was incredibly irritating.

He took a deep breath, letting his anger fall away since it was unhelpful and forcing himself to consider her perspective. For one thing, she was CIA and secrecy was vital for their survival. For another, she might have assumed that all hope of mutual trust would fly out the window if he found out who her father was. Finally, he was forced to admit that he had no claim to such honesty and, in her position, would have likely kept that information to himself as well.

With a shake of the head he took a seat on the short wall that surrounded the tomb. It was impossible to deny that she was right: he had wondered if his partner's bullet had ultimately saved his life, had known something was off about the entire situation. In Raven's report, he'd said that Gavilán was dead when he found them, but Roy had still been partially conscious. He remembered hearing the shot, and then Raven was there only seconds later checking to see if he was alive. Upon waking up in the hospital and hearing what happened, he figured he'd imagined it in his delirium caused by severe blood loss. Now that he'd seen the security tape from that night, he knew he was correct the first time.

On an impulse, he glanced back at the small plaque on the door to once more read the other name there: Elizabeth. In all his time working with Berthold the man had never mentioned a wife or daughter, and he wondered if the difference in last name could indicate they never married, though it did not rule it out. He found it difficult to believe that his former partner could have had a family he never knew about but, then again, he did have a second life kept secret from everyone he worked with.

Roy exhaled, attention falling on the package that Hawkeye had placed in his hands before she left. His expression turned curious as he opened it and he sighed again, chuckling wryly, upon seeing what was inside: passports and identity packages for himself and each member of his team. She had made sure they could travel safely and under the radar.

Stuffing the items back in the envelope he shook his head and raked a frustrated hand through his hair. Deep down, he knew there was no reason for her to tell him about the meeting, and that his anger was the result of his own trust issues. His presence this evening was not necessary, and evidently her contact was more on the paranoid side of suspicious. While he would have appreciated her honesty regarding the meeting, he could understand why she did not share the details and, as before, in the same situation he very well might have done the same thing. However, the fact remained that they needed to establish some baseline of trust or their joint venture would never work.

At the soft crunch of footsteps moving along a nearby walkway Roy cocked his head slightly, attempting to gauge the distance and direction. He thought he heard a voice as well but the conversation sounded one sided, as if the individual were on the phone. Quietly as he could, he moved around the Hawkeye mausoleum and shielded himself behind the one next to it. Peeking around the corner, he waited to spot the visitor and follow if necessary.

As the voice came closer he could tell it belonged to a man, but it was low and he could not understand what was being said. For a second, he thought he recognized the voice but tossed that idea aside. The odds were slim that the new arrival would be someone he knew.

The sound of shoes on stone came closer and he moved fully behind the other tomb as the man passed his position. As fate would have it, the guest stopped mere feet from the spot he had just vacated, and then spoke. "Hello, old friend."

"What the fuck?" Roy mouthed to himself, having been proven wrong: it was Raven. He had to wonder how on earth the man knew where Berthold Gavilán was buried.

"I just happened to be in the neighborhood." His old boss was speaking so quietly he had to strain to hear, and if he had been any further away, he would not have heard a word. "I'm not sure who Elizabeth is..." The older man chuckled. "I bet there's not even a body in there. You always did have a penchant for subterfuge." There was another pause, accompanied by the shuffling of feet, and the voice got even softer. "I'd say I'm sorry...but I did warn you not to get in my way." Raven took a breath. "The kid figured you out...and the truth about your identity really helped me out, so thanks. But, for the record, you had me fo..."

Suddenly, a gun shot rang out not far away and Roy tensed, eyes darting around in the darkness, as Raven stopped mid-sentence. Silence reigned alongside the reverberation of the gunshot, and Roy shoved the envelope in his jacket, drawing the pistol at his back. He'd only just gotten the weapon in his hand, and Raven had started to move quickly away, when there was a second gunshot followed by the sound of a body dropping to the ground. He glanced in both directions down the walkway in which he stood, wondering where Hawkeye was and if she had been the unlucky recipient of a bullet. He recanted that last part after a moment since, from what he'd seen of her so far, it was more likely she pulled the trigger.

He shifted the weapon in his hand and then popped a round into the chamber, all the while listening for any movement nearby. He looked around the corner of the small structure he leaned against and saw that Raven had collapsed little more than a few steps from his original position. Blood trickled through the older man's hair, originating from a bullet-sized hold in the side of his head.

Firearm held out before him, Roy slowly paced toward the body, eyes vigilant and ears alert. The light crunch of his own feet on the ground sounded uncommonly loud, and he was suddenly aware of every creak made by the nearby tree. When he reached Raven he crouched next to the still form, simultaneously checking for a pulse and scanning the rows of eerie, shadowed sepulchers.

He stiffened for an instant when he heard another set of footfalls, almost too quiet to be heard, moving softly in his directly. Silently, he rose and slid back into the space between crypts, standing with his back flush with the wall and taking inaudible breaths. The steps were slow and steady, meaning the individual was being cautious, maintaining an awareness of their surroundings.

Roy listened as the footsteps neared, tracking their progress, the ever-so slight rustle of leaves in the background. Finally, they were on the other side of the Hawkeye tomb, approaching the place where Raven lay dead. Just when he reasoned the person would have reached the corner the steps paused, and then were heard once again when they moved into the walkway.

He waited an additional second and then spun around the corner into the path, firearm raised. He found himself muzzle to muzzle with Hawkeye and noticed that she made no sign of surprise when he appeared. They watched each other for a moment, each taking slow breaths, and then lowered their weapons. It was then he realized that her left hand was covered in blood. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, gaze lowering to Raven as she held up the hand in question. "Denny got the first bullet...I checked for a pulse."

"And?"

Hawkeye met his eye briefly once more, shook her head, and he saw sadness there. She pointed to the man on the ground before her and then muttered, mostly to herself, as she glanced at the plaque with her father's name. "How did he know?"

He moved around to stand next to her and shrugged. "I have no idea."

Her eyes rose, cautiously scanning the area. "Did you get a look at the shooter?"

Roy shook his head. "No, you?"

When she did not respond he looked up, thinking they should search Raven, and saw her eyes narrow at something in the darkness. She moved to pushed him out of the walkway, but instead he took her extended arm and pulled her toward him, turning his back to the shooter just as the first shot rang out. A second later her left hand clutched at his shirt, her right arm slipped around his waist, and she rose on her toes, returning fire even as he spun them around the edge of the sepulcher. There was a grunt of pain from the direction of the shooter, and she quietly said, "I hit his shoulder." Her cheek was against his, and when he realized her hair was scented with lavender something clicked in his mind. Paris.

He pushed that thought away as they stopped moving, her back to the small building, and switched his pistol to his left hand. He looked around the corner and saw the individual racing down the walkway, left arm hanging limply. Roy lifted his weapon, aimed, and fired once at the fugitive's back. A body fell and he exhaled a couple times as he lowered his gun, catching her eye and noticing he still had her pinned. For a second he could only stare. The moonlight gave everything a silver hue, softening the edges of this woman that at first glance seemed unbreakable. There was a calm strength there, and she was also exceedingly lovely.

Her gaze left his, shattering the metaphorical spell, and then returned. "Nice shot."

Roy smirked. "It's my dark eyes...they help me see at night."

She eyed him and then laughed, her head falling back against the stone as he joined in. "So that's what it is."

He knew his comment was not exceptionally comical, but they were coming down from a tense moment, high on extreme relief. He liked her laughter, but his chuckles slowly stopped and he watched her. When he spoke his voice was low. "You saved my life in Paris."

She stopped laughing and her smile faded, her slightly wide eyes stayed on his. Hawkeye nodded, though she had already given him all the confirmation he needed.

He shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "Would you have believed me if I did?" Her head tilted to listen when sirens could be heard at a distance. "We need to move."

He nodded and they re-entered the walkway, crouching to search Raven and pulling out his wallet along with anything else in his pockets that might be useful: receipts, hotel room key, phone, firearm. Once they'd secreted the items away in their own pockets they stood to move toward the other body. Weapons at the ready, they cleared any alley that they passed and then trained their guns on the prone form.

He glanced at her again and then knelt, reaching his hand out toward the pulse point on the stranger's neck. "He's gone."

At those words Hawkeye holstered her weapon and pulled out her phone, taking a photo of the individual's face while Roy searched him. The sirens were getting closer so they finished as quickly as possible, paused for a final scan of the scene, and then hurried in the direction she indicated. He followed her lead along various pathways, each lined by seemingly unending rows of mausoleums. It truly was an unsettling place to be in the middle of the night.

They moved silently and did not speak as they wound their way through the maze. Finally, they reached the edge of the cemetery and slipped through a small gate onto the sidewalk beyond. The police sirens grew even louder, passing on a cross street a few blocks behind them, and he exhaled in relief.

They continued to walk in silence for a couple blocks and he glanced at her. "So...you were a sniper."

She nodded. "Yes."

He glanced at her. "Branch?"

Hawkeye took a hesitant breath. "I was an Army Ranger Sniper."

"I was Army...Special Forces. So was Hughes." He paused. "But you probably already knew that."

She shrugged a shoulder. "I wasn't surprised when I found out. You fight well."

He took a breath. "Thank you, for Paris, and for saving my team back in D.C." He held up the package she'd given him. "And for making sure we could travel."

She nodded. "You're welcome."

"And I believe I owe you an apology...for tonight."

Hawkeye looked at him momentarily and shook her head. "You were being cautious. I can respect that."

"I realize that I have no right to all the details of your life."

"That's true." She paused and then spoke, her voice softer, nostalgic. "He talked about you sometimes, you know. He was proud of you..." A light laugh escaped her. "...especially when he realized you were on to him."

He chuckled. "That sounds like him." He was pensive for a moment, wondering about the names he'd seen on the tomb. "Is Elizabeth a real person?"

She met his eye for a second and then looked ahead. "She was, yes." Her tone once more held a mostly concealed note of sadness.

He changed the subject. "Look, I can understand why you didn't tell me about the meeting, or about Berthold. That said, you also didn't give me the chance to understand." He paused, glancing around as they walked. "We need to find a way to trust each other if this is going to work. If it were just me, not my team, I would go with it and see what happened. As it is, I need you to give me something...as a gesture of good faith."

Hawkeye was silent for a few steps. "Okay...you get three questions."

"That you will answer completely honestly?"

"Yes. And then, of course, I get three questions. This trust thing goes both ways, Mustang."

He grinned. "Fair enough." After a few moments' thought he asked, "How is it that Walter Grumman is on your team."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and he liked to thing her small smile meant she was a bit impressed. "Well, you would never be able to prove this, but he's my grandfather."

Roy's jaw fell slack and he looked over at her, wide-eyed. "Seriously? Grumman and Zeus? You're basically underworld royalty."

Hawkeye shrugged a shoulder. "I guess so...sort of."

He chuckled at how that did not seem to affect her in the slightest. "Ahh...How do you know Olivier Armstrong so well?"

"We met in college...actually shared an apartment for a while."

"What was your major?"

An amused smile blossomed on her lips. "Is that really pertinent? Are you sure you want to use your final question for that?"

"Call me curious." He did not want to ask for too much sensitive information at once, and decided on more innocuous topics for his remaining questions. If they could establish a better rapport amongst themselves, it would help the members of their combined team do the same.

"I majored in comparative literature and French...My turn...Tell me, Mustang, how does one go from chemistry major to FBI agent?"

He smirked. "The Bureau appreciates a bachelor's degree, and chemistry was the only thing that interested me enough."

"You graduated with honors, and a minor in chemical physics. That's more than just an interest."

"Jesus. I think if anyone's been doing some stalking it's you."

She gave a quiet laugh. "Sig is just very thorough. Speaking of, there's a gap in your file, between your high school graduation and when you started basic training. There's actually no record of your activity during that time. What happened?"

"I was traveling...England, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic."

"So you were traveling under an assumed name." Hawkeye paused. "I was wondering if your aunt used to be Madame Christmas, the well-known underworld presence."

Roy's eyes widened, eyebrows rising. "Yes. She went legit and opened a bar when she adopted me."

"That's several points in your favor, Agent Mustang."

"Her disappearing act is legendary. How did you know?"

Her smirk reappeared. "I'm sorry, you're all out of questions tonight."

"Fine," he chuckled, looking around as they approached one of the busier streets. "Where are we going?"

She held up the key-card they'd found on Raven. "I thought we should check out his hotel room before the cops get there."

"Good idea. But I don't think we'll have much time."

"Probably not." As they walked toward the hotel she pulled out her phone, sent a message, and caught him looking her way. "I told Becca I'd be back by 1:30...she's a worrier." She replaced the phone in her pocket and slipped her arm through his just before they entered the hotel lobby. She must have taken note of his surprise because she quietly said, "People pay less attention to couples in close contact."

In response, he pulled her closer and with his other hand lightly caressed her cheek, pushing hair behind her ear. He kept his voice low and smirked. "I figured I should really sell it...you know, since you despise me."

She met his eyes and smiled fully, as a woman might gaze at her boyfriend, toying with the cuff of his jacket. Her fingers grazed his inner wrist. "I don't despise you. I merely dislike you a little."

"Well that's good news," he laughed. They got in the elevator and she hit the button for the sixth floor, separating herself from him after the doors closed. "I noticed quite a few cameras out there."

Her lips curved upward as she reached into a pocket and held something up for him to see. "A strange signal has temporarily interfered with their video feeds."

He chuckled. "Always something up your sleeve."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You're learning."

The elevator came to a stop and they stepped out into the hallway, striding toward room 612, which a useful application created by Fuery had indicated was the room tied to the card. Taking the key-card from her pocket, she slipped it into the lock and waited for it to click open. They shared a look and he nodded, glancing up and down the hall before drawing his weapon.

Hawkeye then opened the door and drew her own pistol as they stepped inside, grabbing the handle to keep the door from slamming shut. She paced toward the bedroom while he took a quick look in the bathroom.

"Clear."

"Clear." He moved in the direction of her voice as she continued. "It's been tossed."

Sure enough, drawers had been emptied on the floor, clothes were strewn about the room, and the bed was torn apart. A few pieces of furniture had been broken down, and even the rear panel of the television had been removed. The vents around the room on the upper wall gaped, the grates tossed haphazardly on the tattered mattress. The bases of both lamps sat open, and the only lit fixture lay on its side, the shade creased in several places.

Roy found himself slipping once again into his investigative mode. He examined everything, touched and untouched, trying to determine where his old boss might hide something. He glanced to the desk when Hawkeye knelt to analyze the underside, and then he began shifting furniture. He searched for anything that appeared to have been tampered with or loosened.

He looked over again when she stood with an exhale, thought for a moment, and walked to the bathroom. As she passed him, the trim near the base of the dresser caught his eye and he set down the bedside table he had been looking at. He took a few steps to the wall and crouched next to it, taking out his butterfly knife and flipping it open. Carefully, he placed the blade between the wall and the trim, grinning when he pried it open and found another phone hidden in a small recess. He replaced the piece of wood and stood, turning the device over in his hands and activating the screen. "Hey, Hawkeye. I found something."

She came back into the bedroom. "There's nothing in the bathroom." Her brow furrowed and she took the phone.

They both eyed the window at the sound of squealing tires followed by several car doors being shut. "I think we're out of time." He wondered how the authorities had identified Raven and found out where he was staying so quickly, and thought they must have contacted someone from the FBI.

She nodded, sliding the device into a pocket and leading the way to the door. She checked through the peephole and then gave him a quick nod that the coast was clear before opening it. They stepped into the hall and strode toward the stairwell located at the end furthest from the elevators the authorities would likely use. They quickened their pace as the elevator neared that floor, and entered the stairwell just as the doors started to open.

Racing down the stairs, they reached the ground floor and exited on the side of the building. Roy cautiously leaned his head around the corner to get a more accurate idea of the police presence and nodded to let her know there were more in front. She began to walk down the alley, away from the main road, and he took several quick steps to catch up with her.

"This is new for me...running from the cops." He chuckled and slid his hands in his pockets.

"Never did anything crazy when you were young?"

"Oh, I did. Mostly with Maes...we just never got caught." He paused, and decided to try to keep the conversation going since he actually had her talking. "You?"

"Never got caught." She shrugged and he was fairly sure he saw a smirk.

They continued to the safe-house in a more companionable and comfortable silence than before. Roy was aware there was still a great deal he did not know about her, but after the night and the conversations they'd had he felt much more able to trust her. While the revelation of her paternity had initially made him angry, it lead to a certainty that he had been correct to question the events of the night Berthold died. And Raven's mini confession did not hurt.

He would still need to be cautious, but thus far he had only seen evidence that her loyalties lay with Olivier Armstrong and her team. He had to respect that drive to protect one's team since he felt the same way about his own group. He was inclined to trust her, at least to a point; the only people he trusted completely were Hughes and Aunt Chris.

After a twenty minute walk they arrived at their rented house and she stepped up to unlock the door. Hawkeye entered first and he closed it behind them before they each slipped off their jackets. They had only just tossed them over the back of the couch when Catalina appeared and enveloped the blonde in a crushing hug.

She then pulled back and gripped her friend's upper arms. "Riza Julia Hawkeye...if you ever do that again I will hurt you." The dropping of her middle name did not escape his notice.

"What?" She held her hands up in a questioning gesture. "I sent you a message." She then pointed at the brunette. "And you promised to stop middle-naming me."

"I'm sure I did no such thing."

Fuery materialized from the kitchen. "Hey, Riz, you're back."

She smiled in greeting. "I am, and I have something for you." She reached into her jacket and tossed him the phone.

"What is going on?" Havoc came down the stairs, clearly having been napping. He grinned widely. "Party time?" He spotted Catalina and leaned against the wall near her, crossing his arms. "So, Bec, you look fantastic. How about that date we talked about? I didn't forget."

She shared a momentary look with her friend and then considered him for a few seconds. Suddenly, she took a step forward, grabbed the front of his shirt, and kissed him deeply.

Roy's eyes widened and he chuckled at Havoc's acute surprise, while next to him Hawkeye had a small smile of amusement on her face. He caught her eye and she shrugged.

Just as suddenly as she kissed him, Rebecca pulled away and contemplated him again. "Hmm...it was okay." She gave a little wave. "We'll see."

Jean looked like someone had just punched him in the gut. "Okay?….Okay?….Oh, hell no. I am not just okay." She was turning away but he grabbed her hand, spun her back toward him and kissed her.

Roy met Hawkeye's gaze again and it was his turn to shrug. She shook her head, the grin still on her lips, and headed to the kitchen, grabbing a couple more items from her jacket. He decided to follow and sat on one of the stools before saying, "So about that...back there. In my experience, the kiss usually happens during or after a date."

"Yeah, Becca has a checklist...it seems kind of like dating backwards, but it works for her."

"What is this checklist?"

She gave a little chuckle. "Step one: Find a cute guy...Step two: Find out if he lives with his mom or grandmother, or is a serial killer...If not, proceed to Step three: Verify that he has a job...If yes, proceed to Step four: Confirm cute guy is a good kisser. If he passes that test, he gets a date. And at some point during those steps, she usually runs a background check." He listened, brow curious, and watched as she got out a bottle of tequila along with several shot glasses. Next to them, she set the gun and wallet she'd removed from her jacket, and he assumed they must have belonged to Denny. Nothing further had been mentioned about his death, and he figured some kind of memorial might soon be taking place.

"That could work," Roy replied. "Seems like it takes all the fun out of it, though."

"Oh, I see. You like the mystery." Hawkeye opened the bottle and began pouring shots.

He nodded. "That's part of it, but it's also learning more about the person as you go. I'm sure she wants to avoid wasting her time on relationships that go nowhere, and I can get that." He paused and noticed she was watching him curiously, her head tilted slightly, as if he was not what she'd expected. "I guess I believe people are more than the sum of a few details. They can surprise you."

The corners of her lips curved upward, and then she continued pouring. "I tend to agree with you."

Fuery walked past and they both glanced up at the newcomer. The younger man took one look at the spread of tequila and said, "I'll get the General."

"See if the others would like to join, too," Hawkeye responded.

He nodded, left the kitchen, and Rebecca joined them a few moments later, toying with her hair, a pleased smile on her features. "We're having a drink outside."

Hawkeye lifted the bottle of liquor. "But first..."

"Oh, definitely. Time for the tequila toast." Grabbing a bag of chips, she thoughtfully added, "We might have too many activities involving tequila...there's this one, the tequila test, the tequila sunrise..." She looked at Roy and explained. "That's where we actually drink a tequila sunrise while watching the sunrise...preferably in Mexico, but we're open to other locations. And we have the tequila waltz, Fortaleza tequila...umm, three tequila Prague...and..."

"Well you're the one that keeps naming everything," the blonde interrupted with a smirk. "So this might say more about you than anyone else."

"Hey there, Hawkeye." Havoc suddenly strolled into the kitchen, an even larger and more ridiculous grin than usual on his face, hands held open in a welcoming gesture. "Do you want a test drive? I wouldn't want you to feel left out."

"I'll pass."

"Take your time...think about it. You don't have to decide right now. Just know that I'm open for business." Havoc shot a glare in Roy's direction when he laughed, shaking his head.

She simply looked at him, eyebrows slightly raised, leaning on the counter.

Breda appeared next to his friend and elbowed him with a chuckle. "Run for your life, dude."

A second later Ross, Fuery, Falman, and Grumman entered the room and Rebecca passed a filled shot glass to each person. "To Denny." Catalina's smile had turned sad. "You were one crazy, peanut butter-obsessed little man, but we loved you anyway." She glanced around the room. "Thoughts?"

"He was a good friend," Fuery chimed in, his normally cheerful face downcast.

Grumman spoke next. "That kid had an excellent left hook...just fantastic."

Roy saw nods go around that team, and figured he should say something on behalf of his, but Havoc beat him to it. "We didn't know him very long, but he was a pretty awesome guy. And he made delicious pancakes."

Finally, Hawkeye spoke. "He could boost a car faster than anyone I've ever met." More nods of agreement. "And without him, we would have all died that time in Bangkok." She paused. "To Denny."

"To Denny," everyone chorused, and then knocked back the liquor. As Roy toyed with the glass, absentmindedly sliding it on the counter, he came to the conclusion that Brosh deserved so much more than a shot of tequila. However, for a clandestine team working for the CIA, it was most likely all they could do.

"Thank you, guys," Rebecca said to the room at large before getting drinks for herself and Havoc.

The majority of the group dispersed at that point: Breda, Ross, and Falman returning to their respective rooms, Catalina and Jean going to sit by the pool, and Fuery heading to his computer. Hawkeye collected the glasses and place them into the dishwasher, but before anything else was done or said, Kain abruptly came back.

"Riza." He gave her a meaningful look and handed her the phone.

She sat on a stool near Roy and read whatever was on the small device. She then looked up at Grumman and slid the phone across the counter to him, running a hand through her hair. "He's setting up a Mansouran Exchange."

The older man paused to read and then returned her gaze with a nod. "That's what it looks like."

Hawkeye shook her head. "But it doesn't make sense...not for Kimblee."

Roy caught the phone when Grumman passed it to him, seeing only a symbol, 'Ͽ,' along with a date and time listed in a text message. "What is a Mansouran Exchange?"

She moved her eyes to his. "Sorry...A Mansouran Exchange is a sale someone sets up, usually during another event, to move an illegal item. It's a one-day, silent auction. Invitation only."

He turned the phone, pointing to the symbol. "This is a dotted antisigma...it was once used as an editorial symbol to mark a line or phrase that needed rearranging." He paused. "Am I correct in guessing that the date and time are scrambled?"

The blonde smiled. "Impressive, Mustang. You know your Greek alphabet...and yes, so we'll need to know the city where it's taking place, which is spread by word of mouth. Then, Fuery will match the possible dates and times to any events in that location."

He considered all that information, and noticed that she seemed frustrated by the turn of events; he was not sure why. "I agree that selling the Stone doesn't make sense for Kimblee, but you would get an invitation, right?"

"No, because I never touch weapons...it's not my area. People would be suspicious if I went just as Loki."

"Nor are they mine," Grumman added. "But, if we had..."

Hawkeye met her grandfather's eye and tilted her head toward Roy. "He knows about Dad." She shook her head again, leaning forward onto the counter on her elbows. "But it doesn't matter. I looked everywhere for it."

The older man's eyes narrowed at him, and he remembered just who he was dealing with. "How does he know?"

"He was following me, and then...Long story short he saw the crypt."

Grumman watched him for another second and it was not a glare, but it felt like one. He then turned to his granddaughter. "Lagos?"

"Yes, I checked...and I searched the house in Germany, and his apartment in D.C." She glanced back at Roy again, realizing he might not have been following. "No one actually receives a physical invitation to a Mansouran Exchange. You either have one, or you don't, and you claim it when you arrive." She paused. "Earlier in my Dad's career, a few hi-profile weapons thefts were attributed to him and, since some people believe he's still alive, he has a standing invitation to these events."

"Berthold is the Elvis of the underworld," Grumman chuckled.

She grinned and continued. "I could attend on his behalf, but I need this medallion he wore. It had a chip in it...his way of verifying the invitation was his." Roy's eyes grew wide at the word 'medallion,' and he could not believe he had not thought of it before. Berthold's last words to him ran through his head: Make sure she gets this.

She gave a light laugh. "He always thought it was so funny. His codename was from the Greek pantheon, but the pendant was..."

"Laverna...the Roman goddess of thieves," Roy finished, holding her gaze when her eyes shot upward. "He gave it to me right before he shot me. He wanted me to give it to you...but I didn't know you existed."

Hawkeye smiled more fully again, and it was extremely pretty. "Looks like we're going to a Mansouran Exchange."


AN: Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and have a good one! :)

Reponses to guest reviews (in order of posting):

Hermit Crab: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope this chapter gave some more information. But not too much...not just yet :)

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